DISQUS

Tom, as you might have learned from an earlier posting on my blog (www.truthofthematterasserted.blogspot.com) my first job out of law school was working with a national law firm representing Social Security Disability claimants. Because of the "national" feel to the firm, I never interviewed a client face to face. In fact, our office discouraged the claimant from ever talking to the attorney. Mainly, because we did not know which attorney was going to the hearing site until about 2 days before the hearing. The assignment would be given during a round table. The conversation would go something like this:

Partner: "We have 2 hearings in Reno, Nevada coming up in 3 days, who wants it"
Attorney 1: "Not me, I'm in Denver the day before"
Attorney 2: "No can do, I've got hearings in Boise on that Monday and then I fly to Las Vegas 2 days after that."
Me: "I guess I can cover it, who's the Judge?"
Partner: "Araki"
Me: "That's fine, I like him. He's a pretty fair Judge" (sidenote - Judge Araki hated our national firm, he once asked
me what time the night before did I read the file)
Me: "Who are the clients?"
Partner: "Let me see.......46 year old female with fibromyalgia and headaches, the other is a 39 year old mother of 3,
SSI only, with IBS and Diabetes. FYI, we didn't get the medical file copied so if you could fly in early, grab the
Judge's file before the hearing."
Me: "Let me get this straight, the hearing is with Judge Araki, I have to read the file before the hearing and develop
a theory for allowance and get my questioning ready for a client I do not know and does not know me. Do they
have a name?
Partner: "You can get the name from the Security Guard when you get there, I didn't have time to write it down."

Needless to say, the day of the hearing I was the first one at the hearing site, ready to speed read medical records. I would have to walk in to the waiting room and announce the claimant's name who I was there to represent. Within 10 minutes I would have to conduct an interview, makes notes hastily, and try to do my best. I am glad that that was a short period of my life and career. I wholeheartedly agree with what you have said in this post. More so than any other practice of law, you need to know your attorney that is representing you.

Thanks for reading my blog. I have been in and out of the office so much the last month with a sick wife. She is doing great and is back to normal. I will try to get on and post some more now that my life has returned to normal.

I enjoy your blawg. I think it is very infomative and helpful. If you get a chance, I have started on at www.truthofthematterasserted.blogspot.com.

I wonder if you have a couple of law firms in mind when you wrote this blog entry. I am thinking of Brad Myler or Binder Binder.