Up and Down

Those clouds you see above resemble the state of my creative mind these days. Only a few wispy things to entertain me, not much of substance.

Yes, friends, I am once again fallow. I am letting my creativity lie open to the elements, hoping that the nutrients the soil needs will arrive and the land will rejuvenate itself and bring forth fruit. Or at least a few vegetables.

Part of it is that I’ve been working like crazy in the practice lately. Friday night I signed a substitution of attorney for a client who told me he had a hearing that day. I told him I could not do a hearing on such short notice, and that either he or his former lawyer would have to do such.

I signed the sub at 1:15. At 1:30 I get a call from the judge demanding I appear for the hearing. I explained that I had just submitted the sub to the court and therefore, technically, was not yet the attorney of record.

“If you knew he had a hearing today, why did you take the case?” the judge asked.

I specifically told the client that I could not do the hearing, I responded.

“Well, we’re all here and we’re going forward. You can appear by telephone.”

So we went through with a hearing on the issue of when the date of separation in a divorce might have been. The other lawyer, though well prepared, failed to show that his client ever communicated her desire to divorce. In fact, my client testified that her brothers and clergyman all talked to him in January trying to get him to return to the home.

So, the judge said. “The statute requires she communicate her intent to divorce. You didn’t show that. So I’m inclined to deny your motion.”

We’re submitting briefs on the issue, but it looks like I won the hearing without preparing for it. Am I a great lawyer or what?

But you can see that such shenanigans tend to occupy my mind, instead of getting some real work–e.g. writing more Minerva stories–done.

I can see her in my mind, folding her arms, looking at me with displeasure.

“Mr. Bruce, if you are not going to do the work, why did you agree to tell my stories in the first place?”

Sorry, Boss. I’ll get right on it.