Category Archives: Law

Law

Doldrums…

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Maybe it’s being sick, maybe it’s the economy, but today I feel as though nothing I am trying to do is possible.

I am isolated, working from a desk under the stairs to my bedroom, my only daytime interaction with the under 8 crowd. There is no real pay for what I do, no recognition from peers, only an increasingly depressing bank balance, and no end in sight.

Why did I think I could start a practice and care for my kids? How is it possible that three years of killing study, endless pro-bono work, and a mortgage worth of loans could render me less employable then before?

I can’t get a job outside the legal industry, because I am a huge quit risk, clearly likely to leave for a better position as soon as I am offered one. I can’t get a job in the legal industry because I don’t have enough experience, or I focused too much on my family while in school, and didn’t hit the top 10% of my class.

It looks like dark days ahead, and I can’t find the light at the end of the tunnel.

I know I have been given breaks in my life, clearly I have or I wouldn’t be sitting here, highly educated, complaining. However, if I don’t get this final break, a friggin paying job or practice, then those other breaks will mean little.

Law, Monkey, Otter, parenting

A little bit of everything…

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It’s been a while since I posted, as I am recovering from the election and dealing with all that I let pile up during it’s demanding pull. So here is a hodge podge update on life here at Law and Motherhood.
Law: The practice building continues with more contacts made everyday. There are now several family law attorneys in my world who have accepted my information and promised referrals. I have also gotten my resume to the office of the child’s representative and am hoping I can be added to the state pay list early. (Sometimes it happens.) I have also been working on my Lizard case, two divorces, and a trusts and estates case.

I have learned many things, such as, never expect opposing counsel to actually listen to you and take your clients needs into account when writing up a stipulation. Expect to rewrite it to reflect what you discussed with them on the phone, not once, but twice. Expect to feel sorry for the other side when you realize your client is paying you in trade for massage, and they are likely paying hundreds (think 4 or so) of dollars an hour for an attorney who will be able to bill for a) the phone call where you told them what your client would accept, b) the time they spent creating the stipulation that reflects nothing in that phone call, and finally c) the time spent reviewing and editing the new stipulation created by me.

I hate attorneys who pad their billables, especially since I rarely charge for more than 75% of the time I spend on a case. It makes me crazy.

Motherhood: Otter has moved into a big boy bed in the room he shares with his sister. Today we put the bed in place and he is so very proud of himself. He hops on and off of it, lies down on his pillow, and generally beams at everyone.

A cheery big boy room... complete with sleeping boy.
A cheery big boy room... complete with sleeping boy.

Monkey is pleased to be sharing sleeping arrangements, but is struck down with a majorly awful cold, so she is not getting around much. She was home almost all last week, felt better Friday, adn then was struck down again this morning. Poor girl.

Otter has been communicating more clearly, though he has no intention of speaking anytime soon. He asks for milk by carrying the Boppy to me and tugging on my leg, he asks to go along somewhere by taking his shoes to the door and trying to put them on, he asks for food by holding his hand out and saying “num”. He is so incredibly cute with all his actions, but I don’t expect him to talk soon. His Daddy didn’t talk until he was four.

I have been making pumpkin pie and other comfort foods, and generally loving avoiding everything I have to do. However, it is time to get busy this week. I need to get a lot done for work, so there will be little time for pie, walks, bike rides, and housework.

health, Law, Monkey, parenting

Betty Crocker meets Ruth Bader Ginsberg…

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After spending two weeks networking nearly every day and sending my information out into the universe I finally got a chance to get several solid hours to work. Unfortunately I spent those hours wrestling with the Lexis-Nexis electronic case filing system instead of writing and researching my Lizard complaint. I need an assistant (and a housekeeper, chef, nanny, paralegal, and personal trainer.) It would appear that mac using attorney’s like myself (a designation I think only makes me a sexier attorney) create really huge documents when we scan to PDF. Gargantuan really.

My 8 and a half by 11 filing was blown up to 30 by 70 inches by the time my scanner was finished with it. Best of all, my filing was rejected over and over again for size. “File scanned in too large” was the error the clerk kept sending back to me. (The clerk may not know how to use a zoom in button.)

So, like any intrepid entrepreneur I boldly Googled “how to reduce the size of a scanned PDF image”. Happily instructions were easily found: Go to the Tools Menu, select Adjust Size. Great! That should be easy!

Oh. You mean the Adjust Size that is greyed out and inaccessible in my Tools Menu. Just great.

Many hours later, after accessing every single section of my HP Scan Pro application and settings several times, I had an 8 and a half by 11 file. (Only when I scan to PDF Image though, not when I scan to PDF anything else.) Of course, then the file was too big, MB wise. Lexis Nexis only allows 1.5 MB per document in their e-file system. My scanner, diligent little assistant it is, would only produce legible copies that were too large, or illegible ones that were small enough.

After much time I discovered I could create a ridiculously large and high quality scanned file, and then reduce it to a slightly more than barely readable state with the Reduce File Size quartz filter option under the Save As portion in the Preview application. (Say that 10 times fast.)

So I e-filed one of my cases today. Finally. Yay.

Then it was off to parent teacher conferences where Monkey’s hard work, dilligence, and generous nature was touted by all her teachers. She is a rock star, she is going awesome in most things and really well in everything else. All the teacher’s love her. We are very, very proud.

Which is why I ended my evening making 36 miniature apple pie muffins from scratch for her class Halloween party. What can I say, I asked her what she would rather have at her Halloween party, candy or muffins. She said both. (I am touched.) Then she begged me to make them. Her Dad added to the celebration by bringing home ice cream and waffle cones for dessert. We toasted Monkey’s educational success with Vanilla Orange Cream ice cream and Java Chip with caramel. Mmmmm.

Now, I am going to bed. Tomorrow I have a particularly painful, science fictionesque medical procedure to endure, and I am going to need my sleep.