So now I'm vociferous

Photo:  At Portage Bay for brunch - snapchatted by Alysha

Last evening a senior defense attorney, sent out an email to a large group of about 50 or so attorneys (all on the same case) that announced I was "a forceful and vociferous advocate" for my clients.

She didn't mean this as a compliment.

Merriam Webster defines vociferous as:  expressing feelings or opinions in a very loud or forceful way.  Dictionary.com adds the characterization of being: clamorous.

Certainly I have never raised my voice at her or anyone on this case.   Indeed I am a fairly soft spoken person in terms of volume.  I rarely raised my voice to my kids when they were small.  Nor to my pup when she was learning some of my many house rules.

Am I a fighter - yes.  But I am no yeller.

This has been a considered decision that involves role modelling after my oh so quiet yet rock solid dad the professor.  From what I have seen in life, yelling begets more yelling.  If you yell then the recipient will yell back and so on and so on.

So why did she call me vociferous when I am not.

I think it was an attempt to denigrate me.  To label me as a termagant before my peers in this litigation.  To marginalize my role in the litigation.

I think she and her client are very tired of me.  And yet we have only just begun.