doc review

so last week we had this huge doc review, that had to be done ASAP. and i think that's common at most firms, but it seems pretty unusual where i am. and everyone was *SO* apologetic, and all the associates thought it was the worst thing ever, and went out of their way to tell us first years how unusual this was, etc.

well, i tore right into it. i loved it. i put aside all my other work for the week (maybe not the best idea) to work on the doc review. and the associate in charge of the project keeps telling me how appreciative she is and telling partners how great i've been about this and everyone kept coming in to express their appreciation and they all kept saying,"i know that no one likes this and it's the worst part of being an associate and thank you so much for contributing" and i wanted to yellout, "I LOVE THIS! KEEP ME DOING DOC REVIEW!" there's so much less fear about screwing things up and it moves so quickly and it doesn't involve much thinking and the more you do it, the better you get at it, and i also think that i am really made for tasks like this, b/c somehow on a purely technical level, i seem to do it a lot more efficiently than most people. but anyways. i think doc review is heaven.

but this is not what people want to hear when they are paying you $160,000 a year. they do not want you to love the menial mindlesswork. they want you to love the research and the legal thinking and the client contact and the responsibility and the being thrown in headfirst and getting up in front of a court to defend your client. or whatever it is we're supposed to be doing and loving. loving doc review is like a forbidden, shameful love. loving doc review is like jerry lee louis loving his underage cousin.

well, it worked out for him. i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

totally random

i have decided that the man who did all his work in the law library had the most perfect plan ever. i was thinking the other day about how fabulous it would be to be a lawyer who didn't have to wear shoes or real clothes and could just prop your feet up on another chair and do your work. and i was thinking that home clearly doesn't work for me. (i always go home with the best of plans to do work. it never works out. now would be a very good example.) then i was realizing i could not put my shoeless feet up on a table in the firm library and work. then i remembered that guy. dave whateverhisnamewas. it's a really good environment, particularly if you aren't actually friends with everyone milling about. largely b/c they wonder who the weird old guy always in the library in the UVA sweatshirt is. gosh it's brilliant. i could totally be that guy.