lessons

It was a rough day at work. So I finally got to argue in court. To my surprise, the crazy defense attorney didn't make up some excuse not to go through with his motion today. Let me tell you, the courtroom is not as exciting and simple as it seems. On TV, everything always seems so dramatic and important. Everyone knows exactly what to say and when to say it. The judge on TV actually cares about the case. In real life, the judge is jaded. In real life, the judge has heard this type of case hundreds of times and may have his or her mind made up before the case even proceeds. In real life, people are human. People make mistakes. I made a few royal mistakes myself. I got the judge pretty upset with me a couple times. =)

I told the attorneys, in law school, people told me my techniques were impressive because it showed I was aggressive. In real life, not the case! Instead, my techniques just pissed off the judge. Also, in real life the defense attorney could be a real ass. Mr. Bates...oh dear Mr. Bates. He gave me a run for my money this afternoon. Now, he's actually what you see on TV. He's one of those real dramatic characters that yell "OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR!" and slams his hands down on the table. I told my supervisor at the end of the day, this courtroom stuff really isn't as easy as it looks. But what is, right?

So the case didn't finish today...because the defense counsel was playing games all afternoon with my witness. It's continues tomorrow, but I can't finish the case since I have to do a presentation in class tomorrow. Ugh, the work never ends. I really wanted to come home today and tell my parents that I won my first motion. But I'd rather take an incomplete over a lose.

What did I learn today? I definitely don't want to be a district attorney. It's a highly respectable job, exciting, and never boring, but it's just not me. I don't think I was made to handle that level of stress. My anxiety level right before the case began was insane. I actually threw up the two bites of food I managed to shove down before lunch.

I'm glad to be done with my externship at the DA's office. It was fun, a definite learning experience, but I could do without the stuff underneath the surface. I've only been there since January, but I've been able to pick up on the politics. The head DA in the office is a real stinker sometimes. I got tired of trying to please him, because he just doesn't like me and that's okay.

Overall, today was a pleasant day at home. My dad has been relatively quiet. Yes, quiet. I think he was proud of the fact that I got to argue my first case in court, even if I didn't finish. He also didn't seem to drink as much today, which was probably the real reason for his good behavior.