I guess I can call myself an attorney now. I don't, very often. But, I can.
Strange phrase, isn't it:
"Attorney."
I haven't referred to myself as an "attorney" but two or three times.
And only when someone asks me, "So, what do you do?"
I say, "I'm an attorney."
And, then we talk about the weather or some shit. It's such a stumbling block. It just derails the conversation.
I have some friends from law school who use "Esq." now, in their communications, signatures, and so forth. It seems clumsy to me. So, I don't do it.
I don't know if I can say it's all that great being an attorney. I'm not surprised by the work, really. I guess I just thought my experience would be a little different than it has been. Law school was something to endure, the bar exam something to simply pass.
For what it's worth, I can knock the following off my list: (1) graduate from an accredited law school, (2) pass the bar exam, (3) get paid to do the type of work only a licensed attorney may do. Done, done, and done.
And what a long, strange trip it's been.
OK, all jokes aside. Here is where I'm at now. I am working, basically part-time, doing contract work for two different attorneys. Both of these men I knew prior to law school. And, I suppose I should also point out, both of these men have been practicing law for years and are throwing me table scraps.
The upside is I am covering my expenses, spending time with my family, and getting paid actual money to do legal work. I have current employment to list on my resume. And I have professional references that are not either law professors or people I worked for before I went to law school.
The downside is I'm pretty much working out of my house or a public library. All I require is a power source and an internet connection. The house is fine with me. It's flexible, the 'fridge is mere steps away, and I can walk around in my pajamas all day if I want to. The library is OK, but I have to actually get dressed and shave in the morning. Well, at least dressed. I'm typing this from a table in the library. I have a file in front of me which contains a police report and a bunch of other docs. I'm doing a motion to suppress, illegal search and seizure basically.
You know what occurred to me this morning that prompted this entry? Law school teaches nothing about the actual practice of law.
I know, preaching to the choir. You've all heard it already.
