Monday, June 22, 2009

The New Gig

So, here I am, back in the land of the gainfully employed. (And very happy to be here, thank you very much.)

I hit the ground running with my new firm on the last week of May -- I was in court on the first day! -- and have been going steady since then. This is definitely a very different experience from my "Big Law" job. My new firm is a small commercial litigation office that also does some probate litigation, a little attorney representation and a dabbling of other types of cases as well. I will be the the sixth attorney and the least experienced associate (which means, lots of routine court calls which now seem very exciting, but will probably lose their luster at some point).

The two partners are both great guys, with the lead partner being a real old-school litigator from whom I think I can learn a lot. Per my entry below, I am excited about the possible opportunities that taking this job opens up, and eager to throw myself back into the practice of law.

First on the list - buy a couple of new suits! Having the one nice suit that hangs behind the door in my office is not going to cut it anymore. Being in court on any particular day appears to be the rule, rather than the exception here. (And I would not have it any other way.) After that - I really need to bone up on the state court rules. Two years at The Firm and I know basically nothing about in-courtroom procedure. (The fact that I am validated in my belief that document review was basically useless for acquiring any practical skills, is cold comfort.)