Dinner Date with the Judge

One of the new things Indiana Law is trying on us is a 1L PRACTICE program, that ties in themes of ethics, professionalism, and career-planning. Last night we were fortunate to have a pair of speakers practicing in an area of the law in which I'm particularly interested. One is a county judge and former prosecutor here in Bloomington, while the other is a top criminal defense attorney. The actual presentation was quite interesting, as the two often disagreed and bickered (over such things as whose job is harder and who has better investigators).

As insightful as the presentation was, the most enjoyable part of the evening happened afterwards. One of my professors invited a group of students to dinner with the two speakers. The dinner conversation lasted about three hours, and I was glad that I accepted the invitation. I spent the first part of the night talking to the defense attorney, a highly regarded lawyer from Indianapolis. While I have no interest in working on that side of the courtroom, it was great to talk to the guy one-on-one. His golf-course living and iPhone were a testament to the economic success that such a position can offer.

After he left, we spent a while talking with the judge, exchanging law school stories and hearing tales of the most interesting folks to enter her courtroom. I felt like her life story was similar to mine, in regards to growing up, and our opinions of the legal profession. At the end of the night I was unhappy about leaving, as I could have absorbed her knowledge for at least a few more hours. Not all my comrades shared that enthusiasm, though. In the end, I found a good connection in a prosecutor's office and a courtroom.

Moral of the story: never turn down a dinner date with the judge.