Hi, Harry. I think this may possibly be more of a problem in a mixed
practice that includes trials, etc., than in an exclusively collaborative or
adr practice. Scheduling can be challenging but only twice ever have I been
in a 7am meeting--for clients who had worked very hard, were entirely
likeable, and really wanted their divorce done by December 31. For me.
Never on Sunday ( or Saturday or nights either). That's a personal boundary
that I won't cross. There is working time and personal time. Everyone
makes their own rules on this but I wouldn't go there.
I remember visiting a friend of mine some years ago who is a Zen Buddhist
priest, at their retreat center, and being a volunteer on kitchen duty,
washing and putting away dishes. I wanted to be a particularly great guest
and so when the shift ended (the gong sounded to signal it was time for the
next thing to happen), I just kept working because the dishes were not
done. Nobody said anything--they were too polite-- but my friend later
explained that one of the first things novice practitioners learn is there
is a time for everything, and the dishes will wait. It was time to take a
break and not time for doing dishes anymore. I was showing how little sense
of balance and harmony I had in my life. Never forgot that lesson.
A similar lesson I learned when I was applying for my first (and very
scarce) public interest/legal services staff lawyer position. The director
of the program had a series of questions he asked applicants, all of us
fresh out of law school. I was doing fine until he gave me a hypothetical
about Mrs. Jones, who (in the hypo) calls on Friday afternoon with an urgent
welfare benefits problem. I am the lawyer who gets the call; I have plans
with friends for the evening but nothing much planned for the weekend. What
do I do? I earnestly answered, "I would make the time to help Mrs. Jones
with her problem, if not that night then certainly on the weekend." Wrong.
Didn't get job. Director explained that a burned out legal services lawyer
is worth nothin to no one.
A Marin County lawyer probably shouldn't offer sartorial advice to
anyone--around here, it's the people in suits and ties who look a bit
weird. Of course, guys still do it for court, but rarely in the office.
With that disclaimer: I like the relaxed approach of well-put-together
casual. I think everything that relaxes clients and undermines unexamined
power distinctions between lawyers and clients is good.
Best regards,
Pauline
On 12/15/06, harrytindall2001 <htindall@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
In attempting to schedule joint meetings our office finds difficulty
in scheduling meetings. We have resorted to use of early morning
meetings beginning at 7am and we have also resorted to evening
meetings. Is this a common experience for others? We have also
scheduled meetings on Saturday and Sunday
I have also gone back and forth on proper attire. I currently believe
that I should wear the same clothes that I would wear to court. Any
thoughts on this?
Finally, I would like to promote discussion on venue choices. Has
anyone had joint meetings at Starbucks, conference centers, in homes,
or by conference calls. On the latter, we recently had a joint meeting
where one party participated by calling in. It worked quite well.
