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.
1.27.2007
1.18.2007
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!
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!
1.11.2007
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.
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.
1.03.2007
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.
12.15.2006
The Settlement
The case for which I did the damage calculation settled for an incredible $1.5 million -- a welcome and unexepected result given our weak damage position. I was satisfied to learn from my attorney that my damage calculation was in-line with defendants'. (I do not know if they had an expert calculation.) That means I did a good job on my hard math! Too bad I already received my holiday bonus. . .
12.11.2006
Damages Calculation
My firm is getting ready to take a small class action case to mediation. Because the case is only worth $2 million, the attorneys did not want to hire an economist to calculate the damages. Instead, they had me calculate the damages.
I was an English major in college. I failed algebra 2 in high school.
Defendants gave us a spread sheet with raw data. The attorneys wanted a variety of calculations for damages and various statutory penalties. The calculations required me to tally the data in a variety of ways. While certain calculations were pretty easy, I had to get the data into shape upon which to base the calculations. I had to figure out formulas for calculating dates. For an economist or actuary that would be a no brainer. For a middle aged woman who defers helping her kids with their math homework, it was quite a challenge. At one point, I was certain my brain was going to ooze out of my ears. I actually developed a migraine headache -- and I never get migraine headaches, even when my daughter practices playing drums in the house.
Fortunately, I got deeply into the problem solving process so despite my frustration I was committed to figuring it out.
I was an English major in college. I failed algebra 2 in high school.
Defendants gave us a spread sheet with raw data. The attorneys wanted a variety of calculations for damages and various statutory penalties. The calculations required me to tally the data in a variety of ways. While certain calculations were pretty easy, I had to get the data into shape upon which to base the calculations. I had to figure out formulas for calculating dates. For an economist or actuary that would be a no brainer. For a middle aged woman who defers helping her kids with their math homework, it was quite a challenge. At one point, I was certain my brain was going to ooze out of my ears. I actually developed a migraine headache -- and I never get migraine headaches, even when my daughter practices playing drums in the house.
Fortunately, I got deeply into the problem solving process so despite my frustration I was committed to figuring it out.
12.04.2006
My Untenable Position
I am just the paralegal. Nevertheless, I seem to have quite a bit of responsibility and my attorneys rely on me. I don't have a problem with that. In fact, that is what contributes to my job satisfaction, i.e., having my narcissistic need to be needed satisfied. What is problematic, however, is finding my place in the firm. I have no idea how it is at other firms having no other paralegal experience, but in my firm I am really in some solo strata of the firm hierarchy.
Obviously, I am not an attorney. (Although I am highly educated. My boss used to brag about me when introducing me to colleagues. "This is our paralegal. She has a master's degree. . .")
I am also not a legal secretary. The legal secretaries in our firm have always been extraordinary professionals who knew things I never knew about legal work. But I was not one of them. I was not responsible for the day to scheduling, filing, preparing, calendaring, etc. I never had my own secretary like paralegals in the big defense firms so that relationship was never established. I always generated my own work product with help only in a pinch. I always feel awkward asking for secretarial assistance even though there are times when I could really use it.
This is sometimes a problem for me. I have no compadre, no cohort, no real peer in my workplace so I am left to negotiate the hierarchical dynamics on my own.
Obviously, I am not an attorney. (Although I am highly educated. My boss used to brag about me when introducing me to colleagues. "This is our paralegal. She has a master's degree. . .")
I am also not a legal secretary. The legal secretaries in our firm have always been extraordinary professionals who knew things I never knew about legal work. But I was not one of them. I was not responsible for the day to scheduling, filing, preparing, calendaring, etc. I never had my own secretary like paralegals in the big defense firms so that relationship was never established. I always generated my own work product with help only in a pinch. I always feel awkward asking for secretarial assistance even though there are times when I could really use it.
This is sometimes a problem for me. I have no compadre, no cohort, no real peer in my workplace so I am left to negotiate the hierarchical dynamics on my own.
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