Credit Where Credit is Due -- NOT!

First I did an index of the documents. Then Junior2 said our big, bad co-counsel wanted a memo summarizing the documents and he told Mr. Co-Counsel that I had already done one. "Do you think you can work your magic?" he asked me. So, I dropped everything to memorialize the documents. It took a couple of days because I went through the documents with a fine tooth comb, comparing six versions of the same agreement, reading everything, and organizing the memo so that the review of the documents tracked the issues in the case. After a couple of days, Junior2 comes into my office to compliment me on my work and to let me know other co-counsel was impressed with the quality of the review. Junior2 forwarded co-counsel's e-mail (addressed to him) which read: "What an excellent job. I wish [name of another attorney] could do as a good a job as you." I looked at the attachment which was my memo with my name removed. Credit where credit is due -- NOT!

Turnover

We are a small firm. Three attorneys, two legal assistants and myself. Recently, one of our legal assistants left the firm. She is really a paralegal. She is a certified paralegal. She took the course and received a certificate. She also did an independent study program to become an attorney, although she failed the bar exam. When she took the job with our firm, the position was advertised as "paralegal/legal assistant." The reality of her position was that of a legal secretary -- a very high functioning legal secretary with a lot of responsibility. Her job entailed some paralegal duties such as discovery. She even wrote a motion once. Most of the time, however, she was doing secretarial work such as calendaring, coordinating, word processing. The reality of the job was a terrible disappointment to her. She felt demeaned being in that role. She worked hard to become a paralegal and that meant a lot to her. In her prior job, she had her own office, business cards, and her own assistant. Here, she was sitting at a secretarial bay with no privacy, no business cards, and no respect. No one was surprised when she gave notice.

Since there was no response to the want-ad we posted, the attorneys have decided to postpone hiring another secretary, much to the chagrin of the remaining secretary. It will be interesting to see how this pans out.

No More Overtime

Change in Plans

Trial started Monday, January 22. By the morning break, the attorneys told me they wanted me there the entire time. So much for my sweet relief!

Nevertheless, we finished the first week of trial. Junior1 wasn't too bad. He enjoys being in trial so much that despite the inherent stress of being in trial, he was in cheerful spirits. He was not condescending or patronizing at all this week. It may have helped that co-counsel regularly commented appreciatively on my excellent work. He did still failed to introduce me when we, as a team, greeted witnesses, colleagues, etc.

Relief

We have a trial starting next week. Junior1 is leading the trial. For months, I have been anxiously anticipating this trial, wondering how in the hell I was going to manage to stay sane while working so closely in such a stressful situation for an extended period of time with Junior1. He makes me so crazy!

Earlier this week, in a very apologetic tone, Junior1 announced to me that I was not going to be at the trial because he needs me to pick up the slack on another project that he is the lead on. At first, I was slightly disappointed because, despite my reluctance to be in trial with Junior1, I do enjoy being in trial. I like the feeling of being a vital part of the trial team (as noted in my prior posts about being in trial). However, once I got over myself, it hit me like a bomb -- I won't have to spend with week with Junior1! What a relief!

My Job Satisfaction is At Risk

We had a mediation in a personal injury case involving a major auto manufacturer and a defective part. Our client was left with permanent facial scarring, facial paralysis and mild brain trauma from the accident. I was involved in the preparation for the mediation. I drafted the mediation brief and prepared a detailed power point to present at the mediation.

I have done many mediations with our firm. I often am called upon to recite facts the attorneys have not become familiar with, pull out documents that might elucidate a point or sit with the clients during caucasing. Because mediations can often be a long, slow process, being at mediation with my attorneys gave us opportunities to know each other better. For that reason, the mediations have been a pleasant experience.

This mediation was lead by Junior1. Junior1 asked me if I was attending. Of course I was attending -- who else would run the power point? He said, "Good," as if my attending was optional or questionable.

The mediation was held at a big mediation firm in a tall tower downtown. I was the first to arrive, ahead of Junior1. When Junior1 arrived, I overheard him announcing to the receptionist, "Oh, there is MY paralegal, " in a proprietary tone. Thereafter, I sat with the clients for a while during the time Junior1 was visiting defense counsel in their room and while we were waiting for Senior to arrive. At some point, everyone was in the room -- Senior, Junior1, Clients 1, 2 and 3 and myself. The mediator entered the room. Junior1 introduced the mediator to everyone in the room -- except me. I felt slighted and marginalized. I was sitting there. I was participating in the process. Nevertheless, I was just the paralegal -- Junior1's paralegal at that -- and therefore did not merit acknowledgement. Later that day, the attorneys ran into a colleague and failed, once again to introduce me although we were all standing around chatting.

This treatment makes me wary of working with Junior1 at the upcoming trial at which he is first chair and reduces my job satisfaction considerably.

Working at Home

I worked at home today. Before I started the day, I drove my daughter to a potential new school where she spent the day visiting. I had to check in her. On the way home, I stopped for a large chai tea latte, no sugar, soy. When I got home, I made some breakfast. It was 9:30 by the time I started my day. I am working on a power point presentation to show at a mediation. I worked diligently for about 2-1/2 hours. That's when my day deteriorated. I stopped for a brief solitaire break. Then I stopped myself and resumed my work. I had to print pages from my remote connection, scan them on my home computer to save in the right digital format, e-mail them to myself in order to insert the document image into my power point presentation. I read a deposition. I played some more solitaire. I created a few more slides. I took a lunch break (tuna salad and crudite). I made another slide. Then I played another game of solitaire. Then I made another two or three slides. Shortly thereafter, I needed to leave to pick my daughter up from the school, but I managed to squeeze in another game or two of solitaire. At 3:30, I left my house to pick up my daughter. She was not ready to leave, having to complete a placement exam and an interview. So I hung around. I was hoping to rush home so I could get back to work. But since I was in the proximity, I also picked up my older daughter and then took her to my mother-in-law's house because my husband is taking her to a concert tonight as an assignmenet for her music appreciation course. At my mother-in-law's house, my young daughter ate dinner, so I needed to wait around for her to finish. Now it is 6:00 and I am not yet home. I need to get home soon because I have to make up the time I wasted playing solitaire.