Musings from the mid-point

I'm halfway through my summer work term and I thought it might be a good time to take stock of what I've learned so far. Most of is it completely unrelated to law.

1. Court forms are long, complicated, and impossible to fill out correctly on your first try. Sometimes the court registry staff takes pity on you and tells you what to change, and sometimes they don't. It's frustrating as a law student, but almost insurmountable as a self-represented claimant. This can be a huge barrier to justice if the claimant has poor literacy skills. This can also be a huge barrier to me ever filing anything successfully. I'm on round 3 right now!

2. I should have taken a computer repair course. I'm pathetic at solving computer problems, but almost everyone else at my work is worse. I'm one of two people who knows how to PDF documents. Any time there's a serious problem, we're all hooped.

3. Secondhand training about active listening from Sharon has saved my butt more than once. When you work in poverty law, a lot of clients have had bad experiences with governments and other agencies. A lot of what they need is to believe that someone is really and truly listening to them...

4. ...but I'm also not a counsellor. As our pro bono lawyer says, he's the worst, most expensive counsellor his clients will ever have. I don't want to hear my client's entire life stories. I'm getting better at cutting people off.

5. When people find out you're in law, they will launch into a long, convoluted tale of woe. They want your legal advice on problems that you can't believe they are discussing with a complete stranger. At parties. At the grocery store. In the checkout line at Home Hardware. For God's sakes, people, I can't solve your problems and I don't want to hear about how your conniving half-sister cheated on her husband and stole your inheritance. Or maybe I do.

6. If you have any money to your name, write a will. Otherwise it's a total mess, especially if I'm the one helping your spouse/kids.

7. People from Penticton don't eat brunch. Or really understand what it is. If I opened up a brunch place here, I would have to advertise the concept of brunch. BRUNCH IS THE BEST MEAL OF THE DAY.