attorney-anon

[attorney-anon]

PSA: If you are one of the few autistic people who work in an office (this would probably help ADHD people too), get yourself one of these in addition to your office chair. It is amazing for stimming at the desk while I'm doing work and it is socially acceptable at most workplaces.

[attorney-anon]

Attorney Things

At my firm, we typically abbreviate billing entries by first and last initials (e.g., Jane Doe becomes JD).

One of my coworkers shares initials with the abbreviation for a US state, and every time I come across it, even here on Tumblr, I always have a moment of wondering, “Wait, WTF does this have to do with Coworker????” before I realize they’re talking about the state.

#lawblr #real lawblr #attorney #law #law practice #lawyer #legal #family law

[attorney-anon]

Ok but real talk, too:

Not all attorneys go into practice for the sole purpose of making money. In fact, I’d wager that most of us took the bar for some reason, if only because so many lawyers exist in lower-paying fields. Being an attorney is not synonymous with a high income - in fact, practicing family law, a majority of my clients make more than I do in far less demanding positions. I’m comfortable with my pay, though, because I didn’t take the bar exam to get rich - I took the bar exam because I enjoy the practice of law.

That said, those of us who work in private practice, or at least most of us who work in private practice, have a common predicament: We want to help our clients. Really. We want to walk clients through every step and litigate their cases in the best, most zealous, and most effective way possible. But our employment depends on us bringing in money for the firm; if we spend a lot of time working on cases for clients that don’t pay their bills, it can put our paychecks in jeopardy. And while I’m not “in it” for the money, I am practical and pragmatic enough to acknowledge that I still need money.

Here is how billable time works (simplified): If I cannot work on another case at a given moment because I am working on your case, I am billing you.

So when I have a choice, I’m obligatorily inclined toward clients who have a positive trust account balance, who pay their bills in a timely manner, and who replenish their trust account when asked. It’s not that I think these clients are any more important, but I can only do one thing at a time, and focusing on doing any more than the minimum for clients that refuse to pay their bills and owe the firm a significant amount of money is focusing on a task that’s directly adverse to my own interests: the more I work on cases with money, the more secure my employment is.

Clients who are good people, but who can’t really afford an attorney, break my heart. I want to help them more than I do, I want to do everything for them, but the best I can manage, in many cases, is to protect them from the bad- or worst-case scenarios. It’s not enough, and I always wish I could do more. These clients are usually apologetic about their balances, and they almost always continue to pay after their case is closed.

The bad clients, though, actively demand that I do more hand-holding, more work, more billable tasks, then tell me that I’m greedy, slimy, money-grabbing, narcissistic, and unethical for charging them for those things. They demand a phone call instead of an email, then demand that I only charge them for an email because “calls are too expensive.” When I tell them that settlement is cheaper than a temporary hearing or a final trial, they refuse to compromise. And they’re the ultimate kind of ungrateful. Once they get that final order, they disappear without settling their balance - I’m lucky to get a single payment, let alone paid in full. At the absolute worst, they win at trial then file a grievance and a fee dispute for overcharging them. And then they come back when they want to modify their custody order, and feel shocked and betrayed when I tell them that they need to pay me for advice.

If I had infinite money, I’d still be an attorney, and I’d do it for free. But I don’t live in that reality, and people who expect me to work for free, especially when they expect me to put up with a significant amount of abuse for free, are the bane of my existence. You don’t go to the grocery store and demand groceries for free. You don’t go to the theater and demand to watch a musical for free. Don’t expect me to work for free, either, especially if you’re going to be rude.

When clients refuse to pay their past-due balance, but want you to give them advice

#attorney #law #lawblr #real lawblr #lawyer #family lawyer

[attorney-anon]

When clients refuse to pay their past-due balance, but want you to give them advice

#lawblr #real lawblr #attorney #law #law practice #lawyer #legal #family law #law firm

[attorney-anon]

I started a research attorney job for a judge out of law school and I did that during the pandemic when a lot of firms in my state were not hiring because the bar was on hold and they only accepted those who they already wanted to hire before the lockdown. My judge is great and kept me on and I stayed because I also had to take care of elderly family. Now, I’m ready to move on because 1) I really am not a fan of my state and I only came back home because of family and Covid; 2) I want to litigate or be in the courtroom and just do something else now; 3) I’m just generally unhappy here about 70% of the time; and 4) I want to expand my resume a bit.

I thought about moving to Washington or DC by 3 year motion I’m just not sure if this is a good way to do it and I don’t want to spend money on it only for it to be denied, you know? I’m wondering if I should or if I’ll have to take the UBE which I mean fine, I would prefer not to because I want the fastest option to leave but I will do what I have to do. I was just wondering your thoughts on this. Thanks!

I've never tried to change jurisdictions, nor have I taken the UBE, but I have heard good things from other attorneys about reciprocity agreements in general, so that may be worth the attempt.

In general, I feel like researching for a judge would get you a really, really good reference for anything you might need.

That said, other attorneys on here may have better perspective/experience with it.

#lawblr #real lawblr #attorney #law #law practice #firm life #law firm #lawyer

[attorney-anon]

Update:

Talked to my psychiatrist today. I'm going back on Zoloft, y'all!

My day so far:

I came into work today with big plans to (a) survive weekly docket meeting and (b) prep for Wednesday's trial.

Instead, I:

Did not have docket because Boss is out sick

Got chewed out by Boss via email for doing what I was asked to do because apparently Boss secretly meant for me to do something else instead

Cried in the bathroom

Got chewed out some more by Boss for not magically understanding that "don't agree to X" really meant "don't agree to X unless Y" when what Boss actually said was "don't agree to X" and Boss only obliquely mentioned Y

Cried in the bathroom again, this time louder

Watched Boss apologize to opposing counsel for having issues communicating clearly while sick.

Did not receive an apology from Boss about her shitty communication with me

Contemplated quitting

Contemplated whether I was having a panic attack or a heart attack (determined it's a panic attack, since my ECG is normal)

Spent an hour trying to hide the fact that I had been crying from Annoying Coworker, who thinks she's everyone's goddamn therapist or something

Got no trial prep done

Gave up on working for the day and decided to surf Tumblr.

I've billed less than half my daily target, but that's fine because a car in the hospital's parking garage across the street has had its alarm going off for fifteen minutes so there's probably at least one person having a worse day than me.

#attorney #lawyer #law #lawblr #real lawblr #family law #psychiatry #zoloft #sertraline

[attorney-anon]

My day so far:

I came into work today with big plans to (a) survive weekly docket meeting and (b) prep for Wednesday's trial.

Instead, I:

Did not have docket because Boss is out sick

Got chewed out by Boss via email for doing what I was asked to do because apparently Boss secretly meant for me to do something else instead

Cried in the bathroom

Got chewed out some more by Boss for not magically understanding that "don't agree to X" really meant "don't agree to X unless Y" when what Boss actually said was "don't agree to X" and Boss only obliquely mentioned Y

Cried in the bathroom again, this time louder

Watched Boss apologize to opposing counsel for having issues communicating clearly while sick.

Did not receive an apology from Boss about her shitty communication with me

Contemplated quitting

Contemplated whether I was having a panic attack or a heart attack (determined it's a panic attack, since my ECG is normal)

Spent an hour trying to hide the fact that I had been crying from Annoying Coworker, who thinks she's everyone's goddamn therapist or something

Got no trial prep done

Gave up on working for the day and decided to surf Tumblr.

I've billed less than half my daily target, but that's fine because a car in the hospital's parking garage across the street has had its alarm going off for fifteen minutes so there's probably at least one person having a worse day than me.

#attorney #lawblr #lawyer #real lawblr #law #family law #law practice

[attorney-anon]

Research as an Attorney: Tips and Tricks

Legal research in law school is (a) usually free, (b) universal, and (c) replete with secondary sources. Once you graduate, though, legal research is now (a) usually expensive, (b) your jurisdiction only, and (c) statutes and case law only (unless you work in BigLaw, where they do provide a lot more resources).

Search providers like Westlaw and Lexis charge ridiculous fees for access to secondary sources, other states' materials, and really just for access to the search at all. If your firm covers a Westlaw or Lexis subscription for attorneys, that's all well and good - but if you're a solo practitioner, or if your firm doesn't cover it, getting access to either platform can be cost-prohibitive.

Side note: Both companies overcharge for everything, and their search platforms are more or less equally bad, but they have a decent monopoly on the legal research market. I have a particular antipathy for Westlaw because it is owned by Thomson Reuters, who appear to have a company policy of doing a lot of things poorly rather than just doing one thing well.

The system sucks, but research doesn't have to. Tips and tricks for (American) legal research when you graduate law school:

Your state bar may offer access to a case search platform, such as Fastcase. These platforms are almost universally harder to use than Lexis or Westlaw, but they do work and they work decently well. Explore what's available to you for free.

Google Scholar doesn't make an awful search platform, either - there's a button below the search bar for case law vs. articles!

Need a particular law review article, but can't access it? E-mail the author; many professors will simply send you a copy for free if you ask nicely - oftentimes, they're just happy someone wants to read it!

When in doubt, use google to find law firm blog posts about your topic, then use those citations (after checking them!)

In many states, practice manuals or handbooks for different areas of law exist. For instance, here in Texas, for family law, we have two: the Texas Family Law Practice Manual (which also has forms!) and O'Connor's Family Law Handbook. Both resources have extensive commentaries and notes - with citations! - to help you out. This won't stay updated with current case law, but it's one charge per yer, typically, instead of a monthly subscription.

Your state likely publishes their statutes online - if you go cross-eyed trying to read them, print out the statute you're reviewing and highlight it when sections/sub-sections switch. It really does make parsing it easier.

At least for now, don't rely on FindLaw. Since they were bought by Thomson Reuters (fuck you, TR) they haven't kept their statutes updated - a quick look today (02/16/2024) tells me they haven't updated their Texas Family Code since 04/14/2021.

#lawblr #real lawblr #things they don't teach in law school #law schools pretend everyone is going to work for biglaw #fuck lexis #fuck thomson reuters #fuck westlaw #legal research #lexis #westlaw #fastcase #google scholar

[attorney-anon]

Overstimulation at Work

So, at my firm, we have weekly docket meetings, where we go over the firm's cases one by one to discuss their status, deadlines, upcoming settings, and any tasks that need to be accomplished. This is good practice; it helps make sure that no one slips entirely through the cracks.

We recently shifted to doing docket in the morning instead of the afternoon. The issue I have with morning docket is that docket is long and loud and people keep vaping and I don't like the smell of vapes goddammit. With an afternoon docket, this is distressing but fine - ultimately, I would just go home to decompress. In the morning, however, I don't have that option: my workday doesn't end until 5p, but I still come out of docket overstimulated.

Ultimately, I don't think there's much I can do to prevent my post-docket overstimulation from reducing my productivity: I bill less when I'm overstimulated, and I have not found a solution for this. What I do have is a few ways to cope with this, however, and limit how severely I spiral.

Fidget toys. I've said it once, and I'll say it a million times: Having a solution for my overstimulation is key. I can't curl up in a blanket in my bed in comfy PJs, but I can stock my purse with the kinds of fidgets I like when I'm overstimulated.

Routines. I make a point of billing for docket meeting right when it's over - I go through my notes, take note of any cases that I should bill on (I only bill for docket when I am primary on a case, or when I am receiving specific instructions for it), and enter my billing entries. This process helps solidify in my brain that docket is done and will not continue being overstimulating.

Breaks. I allow myself to take 10-15 minute completely non-productive breaks anytime the feeling of overstimulation starts affecting me physically: Heart's racing? Breaktime. Can't fully empty my lungs? Breaktime. Shaking? Breaktime. Wanna cry? Breaktime. Need to not think? Breaktime.

Clothes. My particular firm's dress code is pretty rules-light for days where I don't have court or a client meeting. So, for docket days, I make an effort to dress comfy so that I don't have clothing-related sensory issues on top of the others I know I will be dealing with.

Being ND in the legal field means a lot of self-led accommodations. Like, yes, sometimes your employer will need to make specific allowances, but sometimes you have to adapt on your own as well by remembering to give yourself the tools and slack you need.

#lawblr #real lawblr #attorney #lawyer #law practice #family law #neurodivergent #neurodivergent attorney #nd #autism #asd #autistic attorney

[attorney-anon]

Made espresso this morning because I was at the office last night until almost 9 and I was sleepy. Did not taste my drink until I was already at the office, and realized I didn’t put enough half and half in so it was bitter, but I don’t keep creamer at the office so I decided to just live with it. Got bacon for breakfast. Apparently, eating salty bacon while I drink my coffee makes the espresso taste less bitter, which means I therefore need less creamer.

I’m now on a “I-just-gained-new-knowledge” high and it’s ✨amazing✨

Also, I was scheduled for mediation today and it got cancelled last night because the parties settled (for a settlement I don’t approve of but hey it’s not my kid so I don’t have to live with the consequences), so I have absolutely no clue what I’m going to do today.

#coffee #okay it’s aeropress #but it’s close enough to espresso #espresso #early morning shenanigains #law #lawblr #real lawblr #attorney #law practice #lawyer #legal #family law

[attorney-anon]

Guys. The TikTok series this book is based on is one of my favorite things I’ve seen on TikTok. PLEASE read this book.

#booker #book recs #book recommendations #books #reading #fantasy #humorous fantasy

[attorney-anon]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if you support genocide, please go fuck yourself.

Disclaimer: I have to believe that this is also implied, but antisemitism is going to get you blocked. People are people, quit dehumanizing ANYONE.

Israel is specifically prohibiting *insulin pens for children* from entering Gaza

#Israel #Gaza #genocide #free gaza #Gaza strip #free Palestine #fuck netanyahu #fuck israel

[attorney-anon]

I’m at a CLE conference today. The current lecturer is discussing DEI.

Speaker: Make eye contact to show people you care!

My Autistic Ass: ✨no✨

#lawblr #real lawblr #attorney #law #law practice #lawyer #legal #autism #autistic #neurodivergent #neurodiversity

[attorney-anon]

Petty Bullshit Proves Annoying

So, for brief context, my best friend (BF) and I both used to work at the same firm (for ex-Boss). I left in January, and came to New Boss. In March, BF chose to come work for New Boss as well. ex-Boss thinks that New Boss is, therefore, the devil.

After coming to New Boss, in June, BF filed a petition in a new case in County, using New Boss's address. Apparently, in AUGUST, the Court sent a dismissal notice to ex-Boss's address. Did ex-Boss forward it to BF? No. Did ex-Boss tell BF she got mail from County? No.

Why was it sent to ex-Boss instead of us? Because County sends dismissal notices to the "attorney address on file" instead of looking at the pleadings to determine what address to send to. And County did not update BF's address on file when she moved firms. This is not standard for Texas counties.

So now I'm drafting a motion to reinstate while shaking mad because this is bullshit my client does NOT need to pay for.

FUCK all of my ex-coworkers still working for ex-Boss for their petty fucking bullshit. FUCK ex-Boss and her senior associate in particular for being butthurt over a career move that benefitted me in countless ways, as if it were a personal attack.

FUCK Court and County for not sending notices to the ADDRESS ON THE PLEADING and instead expecting attorneys to FUCKING INTUIT that they have a DRACONIAN, INEFFICIENT SYSTEM.

I'm not having a good day.

#real lawblr #lawblr #attorney #law #lawyer #legal

[attorney-anon]

Of course it wouldn't be a problem if a man did that. It's a litigator's actual job to correct misinformation in our cases. But the judge clearly thought ladies like myself shouldn't be litigators.

What gets me is that it's not aggression at all to tell someone they're wrong. And if I failed to do so now, that would be malpractice.

I appreciate that my local judges do not get offended when I tell them that my OC is factually incorrect. That's the sort of thing that actual, real judges tend to think of as "an excellent point" and "a sign that [I] know [my] case well."

When I was a 1L, we had mandatory moot court, and a "judge" (who was also a young woman) for it told me my blue nail polish was unprofessional.

Just over 8 years later, I won a motion for summary judgment despite having bright blue nail polish. And the judge, an actual real judge (and a silver-haired old man) said nothing about the color of my fingernails.

#lawblr #real lawblr #sexism in law

[attorney-anon]

My two cents: If you're working, especially, but even if you're not, accommodating your sensory needs and your stim needs are crucial for continuing to function. I started with earplugs, but now I have a significant amount of stim toys for every potential stim/fidget mood I could have. It keeps me from melting down at work.

It's especially helpful if you have a job that requires some amount of unpleasant sensory experience. I'm an attorney, and courtrooms are physically uncomfortable for me in almost every respect. Ear inserts and a quiet fidget help me not meltdown.

funny you answered me question about the foam earplugs, as i was JUST coming in to say i have ordered a pair of earplugs that look kinda like the loops, they were very cheap, so i thought im going to give them a try, it also stated that it is for every day usage, so not for sleep like alllll the other ones were for. but thank you for answering anyways!

i honestly never thought i'd ever buy sunnies, stim toys and now earplugs, because i was always like "thats giving into the diagnosis!!!" but that was before i began slowly accepting that 'it is what it is' i may as well try and help myself feel better when leaving the house, no matter what it is. however i feel like i am "cheating" when i accommodate myself, it doesnt make sense because my brains always been like "you're cheating if you do anything that helps you, because a normal person doesnt need accommodations like these, so why do you?" i kinda struggle with that mindset, but also trying to accept that "im not normal" meaning neurotypical, so i need help.

what drove me to buy the earplugs was i read up on being overwhelmed when leaving the house and i stumbled upon an article about it, after doing some lil researching and its the one from embrace-autism titled "the autistic experience of overwhelm" and it got a buuunch of these symptoms and i honestly clock in on a lot of them symptoms, i never realised simply going outside can cause such overwhelm, until it just hit me one day that "is this overwhelm" and it may be. im honestly kinda shocked it has so many symptoms though.

I totally understand!!! When I got diagnosed I was like "I don't get overwhelmed that much. I'm not disabled by this other than exhausted." Turns out that A - I'm so overwhelmed and B - that exhaustion is a freaking disability.

The unmasking part of diagnosis is years long, so don't feel bad for any internalised ableism. It takes work to fight against years of ableism.

You deserve accommodations. You deserve to be regulated. ❤️

#autism #lawblr #real lawblr #neurodivergent attorney

[attorney-anon]

:) The memories of sexism in law school.

I had a competition in DC for moot court. One of my opponents hinged his argument on a reading of the statute at issue which omitted an extremely important word: "not"

During my rebuttal, I commented that, "contrary to Mr. [Lastname]'s assertions, the statute actually reads, [correct statute]."

I was told that an "aggressive and rude" litigation style did not suit someone "like me" and that I should have simply reiterated my argument without correcting the error.

When I was a 1L, we had mandatory moot court, and a "judge" (who was also a young woman) for it told me my blue nail polish was unprofessional.

Just over 8 years later, I won a motion for summary judgment despite having bright blue nail polish. And the judge, an actual real judge (and a silver-haired old man) said nothing about the color of my fingernails.

#law school #lawyer #attorney #lawblr #real lawblr #sexism