Change

In just a few weeks, I will be starting a new position in a new city.  I have accepted a position as a health care fraud paralegal for the US Attorney's Office in the Northern District of Alabama.  Health care fraud is a problem that plagues our nation and the work I will be doing will be one small step towards recovering funds the government paid for fraudulent claims.  I am really excited for this opportunity and equally excited to make a new home in the south.

Office of the US Attorney

Four weeks from today, assuming all goes as planned, I will be starting a new job as a Legal Assistant with the Civil Division at the Office of the US Attorney and I am really excited about it.  The position is located downtown Milwaukee at the Federal Courthouse which is a beautiful building right near the lakefront.  The people I have met so far seem very nice, team oriented, and dedicated and passionate about their work.

I will miss my 12 minute walk to and from work each day but it will be good to be back downtown.  And I intend to take the bus.  There is a city bus stop 1.8 miles from our house and the Park and Ride where the coach busses pick up is 2.4 miles from our house.  I am trying to find a way to avoid driving to the bus stop.  I could walk.  It really isn't that far except that being downtown and taking the bus is already going to make my day a longer day than I am used to, walking would make it that much longer.  My latest thought is a foldable kick scooter.  I should be able to cut the walk in half (or maybe a third).  I will keep you posted.

Change

The person most affected by change is the one who lets it affect them.  I will refuse to allow it to negatively affect me.

Fireworks

Fireworks have changed over the years.  I remember when I was young, being awed by each individual firework set off, one at a time, giving the spectator a chance to appreciate each on its own.  Last night watching the fireworks from my in-laws' boat, I experienced something quite different.  It was a constant race to the sky with many overshadowing others.  And then when it came to the end, I couldn't even guess how many they set off at one time.  It was a mess of lights in the sky with no definition or unique character.

Have we lost the time to recognize the various stones of an archway?  Do we even notice when the archway crumbles, lacking a key stone as we race on to the next task?  Has the push for quantity overcome the importance of quality?  Has the push for quantity driven us to forget and fail to appreciate the crucial contributions of others?

Transitions

An attorney leaving the firm, especially a very small firm like ours, brings a lot of uncertainty.  How many clients will leave with the attorney?  Who will take on the caseload of the remaining clients?  How will support staff be affected?  How do I reassure and support my legal assistants in this transition?  How many hours will I have to work a week to keep up?

Change can be difficult as most of us are individuals that prefer the routine and the known.  Change can also lead to growth, show us what we are made of, and give us confidence.  So buckle your seat belt, hang on, and let's enjoy the ride.  I choose to embrace the change.

Reflecting back

Today as I walked home in the mist, newly fallen trees scattered across the ground reflecting the headlights of cars, I took the moment to reflect.  I don't know what got me thinking about where I've been and where I'm going but nevertheless, I found myself remembering the interview I had with Legal Action in the fall of 2009, the first step I took towards the law field and away from the teaching world.

At the time, I had no legal experience.  I had no experience with victims of domestic abuse.  And I really had no recent office experience.  So you can imagine, I felt a bit intimidated as I sat across the table from two attorneys and a paralegal as they questioned me and really grilled me on my ability to handle the emotional stress of dealing with victims of domestic abuse all day.  When I got the call with the job offer, I hesitated.  I feared my Spanish skills were not good enough for the elaborate phone conversations I was expected to have or to interpret for an attorney.  And although I hadn't questioned it before the interview, I questioned whether I was mentally up for the job.

I found I was wrong to fear my Spanish skills wouldn't adapt quickly and allow me to succeed.  But I was right though that working day in and day out with victims of domestic abuse was not something I was up to long term.  Unfortunately though, I didn't learn that until after working at a shelter for victims.  I don't regret that job as it really gave me great experience and I feel like I did a lot of good, but I didn't like how it changed me.

This post ran much more eloquently in my head as I walked home a couple of hours ago.  But continuing, today, five years later, I am a paralegal for a small law firm billing for some of my hours each day and managing assistants.  I have the opportunity to meet with and interact with clients regularly, review detailed financial information, draft orders, stipulations, marital settlement agreements and other pleadings, hire and train new employees, and be a resource to others in the office.

If you had asked me five years ago where I would be today, I could never have even imagined this.

Change is good

Change can be very difficult as we find comfort in the routine.  And in those moments of change it can be very difficult to remember that change is an important part of our lives and can bring great things.  I write this blog post in anticipation of the things to come.  On Monday, I start a new job.  I will be working as a legal assistant for a small law firm that focuses primarily on family law but handles a variety of other types of cases as well.  I'm excited about working for this firm especially because the attorneys seem to be very focused on clients and doing what is just and right for the children.  Plus you can't beat the commute.  I will be saving 6.5 hours a week alone in commuting.  The commuting never bothered me before but now I wonder what I could have been doing in those 6.5 hours each week.

I imagine the topics of my posts may change some as I am not in the trenches of the domestic violence world (although I recognize domestic violence and family law overlap significantly) but we shall see.

In these last few days, I'm looking forward to enjoying my time now that I have found a job.  I have been immersing myself in poetry much of today and look forward to writing some more of my own poetry over the next few days.

Salon Shooting in Brookfield

There has been much to reflect on the last few weeks and absolutely no time to reflect so I hope that in the next weeks, I will have a number of blog posts to share with you.  Today though I feel the need to address the Salon Shooting in Brookfield, WI.

Like many, I poured over articles and searched for fingers to point, for ways the system failed this woman.  But then I was reminded of the lack of value in should statements.  If there is one thing that we, as advocates, law enforcement, court personnel, and most importantly as community members take from this it is that our work is not done.  I cannot control what someone else does and fretting over it does nothing but infuriate me.  I CAN control what I am doing for victims, survivors, friends, family members, neighbors, colleagues, etc.

So I encourage each one of us (myself included) to refocus our energies on the work we can do and the differences we make in others' lives.  And my thoughts go out to all of those affected by violence.

It's amazing how much more at peace I feel after one of the most stressful days by spending my drive home refocusing my energy and drafting this blog post in my head.  Now it is time to crawl in bed with a good book.

One step at a time

Thursday morning work was full of laughter and smiles as we all commented on each other's St. Patrick's Day outfits of green (I wore "My lucky socks"). It was a really good reminder, after Wednesday's very depressing staff meeting on the future of our firm, to live each day as it's own. I can't control what happens tomorrow but I can control what I do for my client's today.

My legal journey

My interest in the legal field has only been solidified in the last month as I have observed in court and had the chance to interact with both attorneys and clients. And this experience thus far has also developed in me an interest in public interest law. These are the clients that most need us. And although there are a few difficult ones, overall they are so appreciative to the services we provide. I have enjoyed most of my conversations with clients even as we discuss very difficult topics because I get the chance to see the world through a different perspective and make a difference in their daily life.

Tuesday when I went home with all the talk about a huge snowstorm Tuesday night, a part of me really hoped that the snow wouldn't close the office so that I could help two clients that I knew wouldn't get the help if I couldn't make it into work that day. So although I would have loved to be able to laze around in my pajamas all day with a good book, I felt a strong desire to be able to help these two clients who really needed a little help.

Additionally, this job has opened my eyes to some different career paths for an attorney. One that has especially interested me is the job of a guardian ad litem whose job is to advocate for the children who without GALs would have no voice in the whole process.

So I really look forward to the months and years ahead of me.

In the moment of change...

It is only in the moment of change, that we truly focus on all the wonderful things of the past. It's almost as if in the face of fear of what is to come, we put on rose colored glasses as we reflect.