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I started my new job yesterday. I'm working part-time for a plaintiff's attorney who does products liability and personal injury. I like it a bazillion times better than my old firm, to the point that I almost wish it were a full time job. (Almost!)

First, I have my own office. It has windows, and hardwood flooring. And skeletons. That's right, there is a full skeleton, and then also a skull and a spine. How cool is that? Second, they feed us. I love me some food, that's for sure. Since the office is in an old historic home, there is a fully functional kitchen, which they stock with food for us. I love food. The farmer's market is across the street, so they get fresh fruit and vegetables. Yummy.

Third, and best of all, it's real legal work. Last summer I did bitch work that they could have hired high schoolers to do. It was ridiculous. I know someone has to do it, but shit, I didn't go to law school to organize papers. People don't even go to paralegal school to do that. But I've already gotten to do real research, into real issues. And torts issues! (The only time I got to do research last summer was on contracts, because defense attorneys never do research on torts. Because defense attorneys have standardized forms for everything, recycle all their old motions and memorandums, and still charge the client as though they drafted it brand new instead of just changing the names, which sounds like a violation of the professional conduct rules, but hell, maybe so is pushing someone out during their maternity leave after indicating to her she still had a job and she relied on that promise of employment to her detriment and didn't look for a job and couldn't find full time employment for the summer, costing her half her pay for the summer. But whatever. I'm ranting, I know. I'm still bitter. I will be bitter for a long time about that. I have dreams about going to a competing firm and luring away all of their clients, and I don't even want to do insurance defense.)

Anyway, I like Small Plaintiff's Firm. I didn't think I would, but I really like it. It's casual, but busy. I feel like a real professional, in my office (I get my own office! I've never had my own office before!), doing real work. Moreso than I felt at Mid-size firm tagging along with attorneys to appearances, sitting at a computer table in the library, and doing bitch work. I already learned new things this week about torts. (Mmm, torts.) It'll take some getting used to working from the Plaintiff's side though. I automatically start thinking defense strategy when I read through a case. I guess that's good to anticipate what the other side will come up with, but I am interested to see how the Plaintiff's work goes. Working for the injured party instead of the evil insurance companies. And I LOVE not being a slave to the billable hour. I do the assignments I'm given, when I finish them I ask for more, and I don't feel I have to justify everything I do and how long it took me. Getting kicked out of Crappy Mid-Size Firm was probably the best thing that could have happened to me.

It's a shame there's no possibility of getting hired on after law school. It's just him and an associate, a small firm with a small caseload. So, the job hunt will start again this fall. But for right now I'm just enjoying the summer, the learning experience, and I'm definitely going to enjoy only working 3 days a week!

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