It is the second night of our attorney retreat. We are at the Stritmatters’ house in Maui. Listening to guitars. Watching the chefs pulling culinary delights from the pizza oven. The sun has set. And we are a smiling, talking and celebrating Paul’s 80th birthday.
We are also wondering - where are Fred and Furhad.
Read More15 years ago Paul Stritmatter told me I needed to hire a paralegal named Anne Roberson. I was in trial. And declined. He persisted and said I needed to meet her. Eventually. Reluctantly. I did. That day changed me fundamentally because Anne became a member of the firm and part of my life.
Read MoreWhere the heck have I been. Well, I started writing a book. I write it mainly when on airplanes. Decided I wouldn't blog until the book was finished. But then changed my mind.
Since the last time I wrote here, we moved our office three miles down the street. We are in the top floor of a 1970s fishing company building that we bought and are in the process of refurbishing.
Read MoreAnne has started off the new year with a Fitbit. Her goal - add steps to her sedentary work day. Tearing herself away from her desk has proven difficult. Anne always has more work than she can complete.
Enter Nala. She comes to work most days. There are many hours spent lying on the floor, chewing an old antler, digging the stuffing out of her bed, and otherwise being bored. She doesn't complain though. Afterwards we typically go for a run.
Read MoreNot all paralegals are created equally.
Perhaps it's because of the type of practice we have. Our clients tend to be terribly injured (or deceased). Then of course, there is some navigation involved in dealing with my little quirks. Here's a glimpse into the secret world of John & Anne. A truly fabulous dynamic duo.
Read MoreWake up at 6. Hear Alysha turn off the alarm and leave to teach her yoga class.
Lean down and grab ipad off floor. Check email. Check weather. Turn on Pandora Anthony Hamilton station. Lie there like a slug for another hour. Leisurely get up and out the door. Nala gets around to doing her business after first lunging for an imaginary squirrel.
Read MoreAm in an absolutely foul detestable mood. The stupid office servers have had a "catastrophic failure." 24 hours ago and counting.
Can feel blood pressure increasing. Stomach is sitting at base of throat. Have a prehearing statement of proof due today. Am growling orders. Punching numbers on the phone. One after the other. Apologize for being so awful. Then go back to being horrible.
Read MoreThe clerk sends an email on Thursday. Our trial starts Monday. Or it is supposed to. This case has been scheduled for trial for over a year. But SNAP! Just like that. A criminal case pushes its way past us. This happens in November.
Fast forward. We are now set to start the same trial June 4. After a six month delay. Everyone is ready to go. Some of the witnesses have booked flights and hotels. But wait. SNAP! Just like that. We are bumped again. By another criminal case. We are now supposed to start this whole thing over again in October. Supposedly.
Read MoreThe defense has filed motions asking the judge to keep evidence out of the trial. Garth has written briefs to oppose the motions but they need more factual detail. This means need to dig through half a dozen depositions and a six inch stack of documents. Am taking an expert deposition at the same time by phone on a different case. Finish it and hang up. Phone rings pick up repeat. Paralegals running in and out. Am known for being able to multi-task. They talk, I answer while typing.
Read MoreShe's been on quite good behavior. For Nala. Probably because she ran and swam at the dog park yesterday and then went on a run with me.
Meet Alysha at Whole Foods for lunch (salad bar heaven) and pick up a bone for Nala. It is pre-wrapped but don't want to touch it. Get little baggy from bulk foods and use that to scoop it up.
Read MoreWhat do you get when you cross:
A professional D.J. An African endangered species volunteer.
A man who's grown up with the internet and is a whiz at technology. A woman who's yet to meet a person she couldn't charm with her superior people skills.
Read MoreThe wind is whipping everything around. Including the rain banging against the windows. My Miami tan is covered in JBrand jeans, knee high flat boots, an H&M t shirt and a Donna Karan jacket I've had since the 90s that will never go out of style. All black of course.
Read MoreMy kids will tell you that they love that I am so passionate about what I do for a living, and they hope one day they can find a career that they care about as much as I do. But they also say they don't want to be lawyers because I work too much. It doesn't help when I remind them that I didn't start working full time until Noelle the youngest started Kindergarten. Their memories of me when they were little children don't appear to count. Today they are dispersed - at camp, at a summer camp out, and at the pizzeria.
Read MoreI spend more time in my office (awake) than any other room in the world. I have two computers, one of which is currently playing '70s funk music. There is cool artwork on the walls and I will find myself fixating on different colors or shapes throughout the day. I have no paper files hogging space so my few books can breath alongside pictures of my girls and Ed.
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