Law v. Life

My first meme

I'm it!  I am so excited, as this is my very first time being tagged for anything.  So, without babbling further about my sense of finally belonging, Kelli at Effing Reality tagged me for the following:

1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 (or more) pages.
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc as told by Mark Twain

2. Open the book to page 123 and find the 5th sentence.
The commission of priests sent to Lorraine ostensibly to inquire into Joan's character—in fact to weary her with delays and wear out her purpose and make her give it up—arrived back and reported her character perfect.

3. Post the next 3 sentences.
Our affairs were in full career now, you see.

The verdict made a prodigious stir.  Dead France woke suddenly to life, wherever the great news travelled. 

[My excitement just wore off.  I feel like there should be more of a payoff than four random sentences.  So I'm going to make new rules.]

4. Change only two words from you answer to #1 to create the title of a book you might write someday.
Personal Recollections of Litigators of Arc as told to Mark Twain

5. What is your favorite part of your answer to #2?
The fact that Mark Twain (or his publisher) used em-dashes.

6. In one sentence interpret how your answer to #3 explains your love life.
Exciting things are on the horizon, that will make wonderful stories and maybe bring hope.

P.S. Being a lawyer, I couldn't help but do a little research, and I think the first two instructions are really just that, and you are only supposed to actually post the 6th-8th sentences on page 123, without posting the title or the 5th sentence, but I guess one of the fun things about memes is how they can change.  And I think that is a really awesome 5th sentence, so I'm glad I got to include it.

I will tag OLS, of course, as well as the Charming Hedonist, Lag Liv, and Lindsay.

The entertainer

Hey, did everybody notice that I updated my books and music for the first time in about six months?  I'm so proud of myself.  Yes, I left Bon Jovi, but that is because I just never tire of Bon Jovi's greatest hits, no matter how much my friends tease me.  Speaking of which, who wants to go see Billy Joel with me on April 20th?  I am so not kidding.  I seriously just bought two tickets, and I am looking for someone to go with me.  I will choose in this order: (1) a guy I like and/or think is hot, (2) someone who actually is a Billy Joel fan, (3) a girl who is fun, (4) whichever friend I can talk into it so I don't end up going alone like I did to the Bon Jovi concert when even my relatives all refused to go.  One of these days I am going to have to go see someone a little more current in concert, but right now I am so excited about Billy Joel.

What I'm reading

It just occurred to me for like the first time in a year and a half to change the "what I'm reading/listening to" section.  So I've added the book that we are currently using for the small group I lead.  When I thought about it though, Bon Jovi's greatest hits is probably always current...

The Trial Lawyer

I just read an awesome book, The Trial Lawyer: What It Takes To Win, by David Berg.  (Not the founder of the Children of God cult).  The book is also available from the ABA, but it is more expensive, even with the member discount.  Of course, then your money is going at least in part to the ABA.  And, if you buy 100 or more copies, you get a 40% discount.  They should really advertise that perk more.

I saw David Berg speak at the ABA Section of Litigation conference in April.  He gave a mock opening statement, and afterwards I attempted to get him to sign my copy of The Trial Lawyer, but I wasn't fast enough.  Or maybe he just doesn't like to be mobbed by fans.  Next time.  He was insightful then, and his book is really remarkable.

I love to read law books.  Not the law school kind.  I love books by great trial lawyers recounting some of their great cases, or the cases from which they learned a lot.  One of my favorites is Lawyer: A Life of Counsel and Controversy by Arthur Liman.  Even when not directly intended to teach, I feel like I learn so much from reading about the experiences of great litigators.  I also like the more purely instructional books.  I devoured my book for trial practice class and made sure to read the ones used by the other sections as well.  The Trial Lawyer was a great combination of instruction and anecdote.  Although structured as a guide book, Mr. Berg tells stories throughout of some of his more noteworthy cases and how those cases taught him the lessons he seeks to pass on.  Obviously, each lawyer is different and must find the techniques that work best with that lawyer's personality and within the given situation, so I don't read these books assuming I must follow them to the letter to be a good attorney.  But I also can't think of anyone better to learn from than the people who have done what I hope to do one day.

I read these books and I get so excited.  I literally laugh and cry when I read them.  I think about how I want to apply what I have learned.  I imagine myself doing the things I read about.  And then I get a little frustrated.  It seems like it used to be simpler to get trial experience, to get to do things that mattered.  I have had several cases nearly go to trial, and it is very likely I will have one or more trials before the end of the summer.  But these are not jury trials.  And they are for such low dollar amounts and have such routine legal issues, that it would be a waste of the firm's time and money to have a theory of the case or a practiced opening or closing or to meet with the client before the day of trial.  I am grateful for the level of responsibility I do have, and I realize that there is still so much I can learn from these kind of cases.  There is absolutely nothing more my firm could do to give me opportunities to develop my skills, and I know I am in court more than many of the people I graduated with.  But I want more, and I need to develop a plan to get it.  The attorneys I read about didn't wait for opportunities.  I want to be part of that noble tradition of lawyers who respect their profession and develop their craft in the interests of their clients and society and justice.  I am so proud to be a lawyer and I want to hurry up and do something to be proud of.

If you are a litigator, want to be a litigator, or are otherwise at all interested in trial practice, go buy The Trial Lawyer.  And get 99 of your friends together so you can get the 40% discount.