I Was Very, Very Afraid...

To read all the posts on my favorite blogs regarding the bar exam held in the last week of July. It made me nauseous. I read with one eye closed and tried to skip over the parts that actually discussed what was on the exam. What made me sad was reading posts from people whose blogs I read on a regular basis wherein they had convinced themselves they had failed the bar exam again. People that I consider intelligent, articulate, and funny were sure that they had failed; and now they have to wait till November for results. I wish that there was something I could say that would make them not feel that way or that would make the negative self-doubt dissipate. People tried to do that with me when I failed the second time and I wanted to gouge their eyes out. So, I am not even going to try.

I will say that getting a little perspective has helped me. Getting out into the world and considering other things. Making time for things that matter and making law school and the bar exam matter less. It is very easy to get tunnel vision while in law school and studying for the bar. The farther I get from law school and the bar exam the more I realize that not everyone thinks it is such a great idea to be a lawyer. Surely they jest! I can’t blog about work, and believe me, I would LOVE to, but I have learned at work that the life skills you need to be a successful attorney are not taught in law school. I always tell Perfect Husband about my daily hilarious interactions with various individuals that I work with and most often I am saying, “This has nothing to do with the law! It has to do with common sense!” Should I actually have to point out to people (me, with no license to practice law) the common sense people should employ to deal with certain legal issues? Should I really have to point out to someone which side is the actual side of caution on which to err??? I must say, it makes my job very enjoyable. It makes me feel like I have something to offer, some perspective that can make a difference in the way my company is run and the way we deal with legal issues that arise. I know where the forest and the trees are and I didn’t learn that in law school, that’s for damn sure.

So, fellow bloggers, be strong and be positive…I am pulling for you and I KNOW that every one of you did better than you think you did. Plus, let’s think about it…..who wants to be a lawyer anyways?? I had an experienced lawyer today, from a top 25 law school no less, yell “We will see you in court!” (after settlement discussions had clearly lapsed) and hang up on me. Please, peeps, what is that?? Law and Order? Who says that? Not any self-respecting lawyer I know, that’s for sure. Plus, I always love to use the line from Erin Brockovich when people ask me “Are you a lawyer?” I make a face like I just sucked on a lemon and say, “Oh hell no, I just work for them.” See, if I was a lawyer, I couldn’t say that…..