Impacts on Reality

(11/26/14)

Photo from here.

I had a really vivid dream last night of being pulled over by the police in a car I wasn't driving. There were two officers who were super aggressive and demanded us to get out of the car so they could search the car and, as dreams go, to search my car that was parked across the street. (It was the 1994 Ford Thunderbird that I miss as much as I miss people). Of course I refused to consent to a search and asked what was the problem, which outraged the officers. But somehow how in all the confusion and high tension, I was able to calm the officers down and they ended up sitting in the car with us, agreed they were over reacting, and eventually left.

This would never happen in real life.

In real life I am sure I would have either submitted to the search or been so verbal as to get myself arrested. Which lead me to another mid-sleep though, if I were locked up, refused to talk, and insisted on an attorney...who in the universe would I call?

So this morning I raked my brain, figured out who is the nearest trust-worthy criminal defense attorney is that I know and added the firm's number to my phone. Along with a 24-hour defense hotline number, just in case.

Oh the wonder of dreaming.

Tips for Your First Time

(03/12/14)

Last night, I had the great honor of ushering a friend, who shall remain nameless unless she opts to out herself, to take the plunge and just try it. She had a lot of excuses mostly the typical: "I am shy. I can't do that!" followed by giggles. Seriously, blushing and giggles. It is against the code to force someone to do it, so I didn't. I just strongly encouraged her. Strongly. I told her about my first time and the time I got my Dad to do it for his first time. It was an uphill battle, but in the end she did it. And then the flood gates were opened. And she did it again. And if we had more time (and another beer) I have no doubt she would have done it all night.

Thanks be to karaoke.

"Soon, no one will even know how to try a case!"

(01.29.2011)
This week I have had the most wonderful opportunity to meet with local attorneys for a variety of reasons. One meet up was in regard to an upcoming event where practitioners will have the chance to ask local judges for their candid response to a number of questions. As part of the planning for the event, we were brainstorming questions that could be posed to the judges. One attorney was formulating an idea that would question the frequency that judges refer cases to mediation. The response from another lawyer was: "If judges keep referring cases to mediation, soon no [attorney] will even know how to try a case!" From his tone, it was clear that this would be a travesty. No attorneys litigating would be the end of his world. Oddly, or perhaps obviously, it dawned on me that if we as a society got to a point where alternative dispute resolutions were the norm and not the exception, I would be the happiest attorney in town. Society needs a shift.