These days I haven't written anything, but just because I hadn't time or -you'll see why- I was too tired when getting home to turn on my computer and describe the horrible things I had to do. Let's tell you about the beginning of my week.
Monday morning : I'm opening my eyes, smiling at my cat just next to me and at the sun. A look at the clock just made me jump on my feet : 7.55! I'm still not sure how I managed it, but I turned my key in the keyhole of the office at 8.32. In the corridor, I came accross my boss, who obviously hadn't had a very good weekend.
"- This case, I had asked you to make an inventory! You forgot at least half the documents that are important for our client! I TOLD you to take your time, but to do good work and not hurry through the pages!"
The worse of it is probably that I said "yes, yes, sorry" without even knowing which case he was talking about. When I was finally secure in my office with the file, I saw that I had done this work three weeks ago, which meant I had just arrived there and didn't know anything about anything (not that I'm a specialist now, but I would have done it better today than three weeks ago). I saw he had changed the list of documents I had to put together, so I just made a new typed-inventory and rearranged the documents, just in time for his next call.
"- OK, let's check your task-list for this week. I want you to go this afternoon to the Law Courts to ask the judge to put this case for later, as late as possible."
Oh-oh. I didn't say anything, but my mind was spinning very fast. When you wake up fifty minutes later than you should, you often happen to put on the first clothes you can put your hands on, especially if there isn't any "dress code" in your office. Unfortunately, I was wearing a jeans, a grey tshirt and... my All Stars shoes. Well, they're in leather, but even that doesn't help you look like a grown-up in front of three judges and a bunch of other lawyers, all more experimented than you are.
"- Tomorrow morning, first thing you go to the Court of Appeal at 9 am to ask for a judicial calender, as one of the three parts will not be there. You will post some letters for their lawyers and make an appeal by the Police Prosecutor."
The Court of Appeal isn't actually in the same town as our Law Courts, which meant I had to drive early there, and come as fast as I could to work at least a bit at the office.
"- And the day after tomorrow, you'll have to go back to the Court of Appeal for my agreement conclusions in front of the Youth Judge."
Great.
The afternoon went quite well, because I found a very sympathetic lawyer who presented me to the judge and told me what I had to say (even if I'm sure all the persons waiting in the hall were watching me, wearing lawyer toga and my leather All Stars with a jeans).
Yesterday, I went to the Court of Appeal. Even though I was in the good town twenty minutes before the audience, I had to search so long for the Court and a parking place that I entered the hall at 9.05. I went to the information point to ask where was my room, but I seemed to miss some informations.
"- Please, where could I find the Court of Appeal?
- You're in, Madam.
- No, I mean, the audience room?
- Which one? Number?"
I felt like ice falling on my neck and shoulders. I frantically looked at my file, which remained desperately blank.
"- I don't know, it's a civil case.
- There are twelve civil chambers. Is it for an introduction?"
Fortunately, it was, and only the Second Chamber held an introduction audience that morning. I hurried through the place, and arrived to see like thirty lawyers chatting, waiting for the judge to come. When I announced myself to the huissier, another lawyer announced herself as my adversary. As I began to say "so, we just want a judicial calendar, isn't it?", she cut me and urgently said that she had to be in another room at the same time, which she found more important than the Second Chamber, then left the room, almost running.
I was just disgusted. This meant I had to wait patiently for her to return, even if it took hours, lost in a crowd of totally unknown lawyers, in a town which isn't even mine. I sat down sadly, but then the judge arrived. I asked a lawyer (who seemed to be the eldest) to present me, but he showed me a woman lawyer who was, accordingly to him, older than him. As if I wasn't embarrassed enough to ask one!
My file was called the fourth. I was tetanised when presented, and even more when I said in front of the lawyersherd that the second lawyer had disappeared and the third one wouldn't defend the third guy anymore. I thought I would have to sit down again and wait, but to my surprise the old lawyer told me I could ask for the calendar all by myself, what I did when the judge proposed, as it was a judicial calendar (logically, for an agreed calendar all parts must be represented, but not for a judicial, that is asked precisely when one part is missing).
I quit the Court of Appeal feeling like a vengeance queen, who had just done something without the adversary to punish her.
It's lunch time already ; I'll get along with my story later. See you!
No comments:
Post a Comment