creative guy. There’d always be drawings of these magnificent buildings up on the walls. Stuff I’ve never seen before or since. He became an architect, but needed bipolar medication. Once he started the medication, he couldn’t work. Couldn’t come up with anything. He had to get off the medication so he wouldn’t lose his job.”
“That’s wild. Is he doing okay?”
“No,” I said. “He punched his boss in the face during a manic episode and got fired.”
She snorted, then immediately covered her mouth. “I’m sorry. I know that’s not funny.”
“No, it’s fine. He opened his own office, and he’s good now. Still not taking his meds, though.”
She sipped her drink. “What about you? Have you been to therapy?”
I grinned, then guzzled half my glass. “That’s a little personal for a first date, isn’t it?”
“I didn’t know we were on a date.”
“We’re not. Forget I said that. I don’t want to get sued.”
“I think I’d hire Bob Walcott as my lawyer. He’d get a kick out of suing you.”
“Yeah, he definitely would.”
“What happened to his eye?”
“I think he’s faking it.”
“No!”
I nodded, taking another drink. “That’s the rumor. He fakes it to intimidate everyone. But all the plaintiffs’ lawyers think he’s faking it, so I don’t know who he thinks he’s fooling. Maybe you do something long enough, and you can’t stop.”
She shook her head. “Weird. What’s with you two, by the way? It seems personal.”
“When I first started, he took advantage of my naivety and screwed my client. I’ve never forgiven him. We’ve worked together a few times since then, but I usually let Marty or Raimi handle it.”
That reminded me that I had told my partners I would meet them. I took out my phone and saw I had two texts from Marty, asking where I was. I replied that I would be late and to get started without me.
“If you need to go, it’s cool.”
“No, it’s fine. I like it here. Reminds me of being in college. You went to BYU, didn’t you? What’d you major in?”
“You didn’t read my resume?”
“Honestly, I only looked at your extracurriculars.”
“Oh, yeah? You were impressed by my violin playing and chess?”
“Something like that.”
“I majored in math.”
“Seriously? Why would you possibly become a lawyer if you could be a mathematician?”
“I don’t know. Same as everyone else, I guess. Just want to help people.”
“There’re better ways to help people. You could work for a nonprofit or something.”
“Nonprofits need lawyers, too. Why do you hate the profession so much?”
“I don’t hate it,” I said, holding up a finger, “I don’t hate it.” I leaned back in my chair. The alcohol was warming my stomach and loosening my muscles. “I just think it’s a sham. It’s not what anybody thinks it is, and there’s a new law school popping up every day. People who don’t know what else to do with their lives become lawyers, and the market shrinks for everybody. It’s a race to the bottom. Within a few decades, lawyers will be charging so little, you won’t be able to survive on it. The day of even the middle-class trial lawyers is gone.”
“That’s depressing, considering I’m just barely starting out.”
“Don’t do it.”
“Do what?”
“Become a lawyer. Find something else that you love and do that. The law is swimming with sharks because we’ve eaten all the fish. Don’t do it.”
“Wow. Didn’t think I’d hear that from my boss.”
I shrugged, finished my beer, and ordered another.
16
Olivia and I ate and drank well into the night. She had a casualness that was pleasant to be around. She was one of those people who could make strangers feel as if they’d known her their entire lives.
We talked about my life working as a ranch hand in Arizona after high school and about what had led me to law school. It was really just a billboard, one I think everyone else hated. A lawyer—I
“That’s wild. Is he doing okay?”
“No,” I said. “He punched his boss in the face during a manic episode and got fired.”
She snorted, then immediately covered her mouth. “I’m sorry. I know that’s not funny.”
“No, it’s fine. He opened his own office, and he’s good now. Still not taking his meds, though.”
She sipped her drink. “What about you? Have you been to therapy?”
I grinned, then guzzled half my glass. “That’s a little personal for a first date, isn’t it?”
“I didn’t know we were on a date.”
“We’re not. Forget I said that. I don’t want to get sued.”
“I think I’d hire Bob Walcott as my lawyer. He’d get a kick out of suing you.”
“Yeah, he definitely would.”
“What happened to his eye?”
“I think he’s faking it.”
“No!”
I nodded, taking another drink. “That’s the rumor. He fakes it to intimidate everyone. But all the plaintiffs’ lawyers think he’s faking it, so I don’t know who he thinks he’s fooling. Maybe you do something long enough, and you can’t stop.”
She shook her head. “Weird. What’s with you two, by the way? It seems personal.”
“When I first started, he took advantage of my naivety and screwed my client. I’ve never forgiven him. We’ve worked together a few times since then, but I usually let Marty or Raimi handle it.”
That reminded me that I had told my partners I would meet them. I took out my phone and saw I had two texts from Marty, asking where I was. I replied that I would be late and to get started without me.
“If you need to go, it’s cool.”
“No, it’s fine. I like it here. Reminds me of being in college. You went to BYU, didn’t you? What’d you major in?”
“You didn’t read my resume?”
“Honestly, I only looked at your extracurriculars.”
“Oh, yeah? You were impressed by my violin playing and chess?”
“Something like that.”
“I majored in math.”
“Seriously? Why would you possibly become a lawyer if you could be a mathematician?”
“I don’t know. Same as everyone else, I guess. Just want to help people.”
“There’re better ways to help people. You could work for a nonprofit or something.”
“Nonprofits need lawyers, too. Why do you hate the profession so much?”
“I don’t hate it,” I said, holding up a finger, “I don’t hate it.” I leaned back in my chair. The alcohol was warming my stomach and loosening my muscles. “I just think it’s a sham. It’s not what anybody thinks it is, and there’s a new law school popping up every day. People who don’t know what else to do with their lives become lawyers, and the market shrinks for everybody. It’s a race to the bottom. Within a few decades, lawyers will be charging so little, you won’t be able to survive on it. The day of even the middle-class trial lawyers is gone.”
“That’s depressing, considering I’m just barely starting out.”
“Don’t do it.”
“Do what?”
“Become a lawyer. Find something else that you love and do that. The law is swimming with sharks because we’ve eaten all the fish. Don’t do it.”
“Wow. Didn’t think I’d hear that from my boss.”
I shrugged, finished my beer, and ordered another.
16
Olivia and I ate and drank well into the night. She had a casualness that was pleasant to be around. She was one of those people who could make strangers feel as if they’d known her their entire lives.
We talked about my life working as a ranch hand in Arizona after high school and about what had led me to law school. It was really just a billboard, one I think everyone else hated. A lawyer—I
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