Things Law School cannot (or does not) Teach

To my knowledge, I have never heard the word "paralegal" uttered in law school. Law school teaches students the theory of representing a client; practical application only comes in the form of legal writing and advocacy skills. In my first legal internship, my supervising attorney explained my very first project and directed me to retrieve some discovery responses from a paralegal. That paralegal looked perplexed when - after one year of law school - I exclaimed: "so these are interrogatories!"

Paralegals, Legal Assistants and other non-attorney staff members know how to make things happen. Though the source of their knowledge remains a mystery to this law clerk, understanding the logistics of practicing law is as important as understanding the law itself. What good is a brief if I have no idea what to do with it? Moreover, valuable insight on what makes a good attorney does not always have to come from an attorney.

Finally, law school does not teach students to appreciate how challenging the work is for non-lawyer staff. For example, give a law clerk and a legal assistant 5 hard copies to file. While the law clerk bumbles around the office trying to figure out what a praecipe is, the assistant finishes the job three times faster...and answered four phone calls...while opening a file. Furthermore, it is a rite of passage to come to the realization that file folders can cause a paper cut of epic magnitude. Law school alone cannot teach the importance of understanding and appreciating what everyone in a law firm brings to the table.

Pacers Make Indy Proud

For the second year in a row, I happened to be at a client conference in Miami when the Pacers faced the Heat in the playoffs. Being the only attorney at the conference from Indiana, I had the privilege of "representing" our city and state in cheering on the Pacers. I can tell you after two years, the folks in Miami definitely know that the Pacers are a force they will be meeting for years to come. Our young team has earned the respect of the fans in Miami; and most of them were quite friendly as we cheered for our respective teams.