Crazy Plan First Concocted Somewhere in GA, circa 2003, Comes to Fruition

Hmm.  Am I filling out an order to have an AIDS test given in jail?  Or perhaps a clever Order to Grant a Motion to Vacate?  Speedy Trial Demand?  Transportation Order?  Notice of Expiration?  Motion to Dismiss?  Nope - that'd be my Oath of Attorney.   

It was short but sweet - a good end to a long day.  I think the best part was the 12 women in orange (my clients) applauding in the box, chains gently clanking.  One then immediately says: "Congratulations - but could you check my jail card and make *sure* I'm getting out?"

Other salient points:

- I may not be able to mail said oath to the FL Board of Bar Examiners on my APD salary, as I have spent this month's discretionary income on some ice cream.

- I should consider buying some Just For Men for those mid and close range encounters, where the gray is really coming alive. Also, while everyone seems to like the beard, it just does not photograph well. 

- (and this is actually salient, not frivolous) I was fortunate enough to be sworn in by a judge whom I very much appreciate and respect.  Her thorough and patient approach to legal research and argumentation has really given me the latitude to grow as an attorney - in no small part because I know she *also* puts in the long hours wrestling with legal issues.  And as a very young attorney, I appreciate that immensely.  Case in point - late last night, while preparing for today's calendar, I saw an oddball charge which I'd never seen before.  So I printed out the statute, found some analogous case law (there was nothing on point), and prepared my argument to address what I thought were some oddities in the charge.   I didn't get to say much of anything though, or present my "clever" arguments, because the judge had already beaten me to the punch by doing the same research (and having reached the same conclusion). 

 

Comments

[Kat]

Congratulations on meeting a dream!

ps(great pics, and the beard suits you)

[Steve S]

Lookin' good! :-)

[Beanie]

Congrats on the swearing in! The pithy phrase on the wall is a nice touch.

[Mark Bennett]

Congratulations!

The inscription on our criminal courthouse begins "Abandon all hope . . ."

[Amy]

Congrats sir! And to think I've read it all as it happened. . .

[Scoplaw]

Thanks all,

Amy (I assume this is the Amy of the Small Branches) - you've had a long road yourself. . .one which hooked into a dark wood, but has now turned back out, I hope.

Mark and Beanie - if you look harder you'll see air quotes around certain words, "labor" *not* being one of them. Mark'll be able to spot the exact ones, I'm sure.

Kat - the beard thing is weird in that I'm always at a loss to people's reactions. I've been amongst communities of women who rail at any kind of facial hair, but most of the people I interact with on a daily basis in Miami have randomly complimented it.

[Glenn I]

Aw! What a sexy new attorney!

May you practice until you get it right! Then retire wealthy.

Happy New Year!

Here are few extra exclamation points for when you need 'em:
!!!!!!!

[Amy of Small Branches]

It's me, of course! And I've been impressed at how well you seemed to have kept your cool through the whole experience. (Of course you might have been flipping out OFF-line & we'd have never known!)

One must drop by the tulgey woods now and again to remember what they're capable of doing (and of enduring). I've learned quite a bit on my journey. All is well here.

Cheers Again!

Amy

[Steve]

Shows you how out of touch I am. Many belated congrats! A huge honor and you deserve it.

[Steve]

Shows you how out of touch I am. Many belated congrats! A huge honor and you deserve it.

[Scoplaw]

Thanks again - and Steve, no worries. A full life is a full life.