Victory!

Remember last week when I worked until 2 a.m. on a brief? It was a big one - opposing counsel had filed a motion to strike certain of our answers to a contention interrogatory, answers which, for complicated reasons, they had good reason to try to strike and which would have been devastating for us on damages. And though I had nothing to do with the drafting of the rog, I was tasked with the response. (The chain of events went something like this: I saw the Motion to Strike was filed at midnight the night before; I thought wow, it's going to suck for whoever has to respond to that; I got a call at 9 a.m. that started with "So I remembered you're a really great writer;" Me: "Oh no, you're going to make me respond to the strike aren't you?"; and I was printing off the Motion to read and figure out what I was responding to at 9:15.)

The Motion was set for hearing on Wednesday in Wisconsin, but we got an order on the papers by surprise today and it was a complete and total victory! A slam dunk on all points, plaintiff's motion denied in full, with text from my response copied and cited. The order got sent around to all the partners in my section, specifically giving me credit and praising "LL's great lawyering," and you guys, I almost cried. True success is pretty rare- doing well means not getting called out for screwing up. I work with great people, but we're all busy, we all work hard, and we all do a generally good job-there's no report card that keeps you apprised (and keeps other people aware) of how great you are or are not doing. So to get a clear, credited victory? That is something to be savored. Especially when the cases are huge and worth tens (or hundreds) of millions of dollars and very few projects are truly "yours" to credit anyway.

So today was a good day, and a good day can make up for a disproportionate number of bad days. I also found out last Friday that I had been nominated to TAKE a deposition in this case. I know there are plenty of associates scoffing at the idea that this would be a big deal (and it's kind of silly that it is), but in a large law firm with a cases this big, we juniors and mid-levels basically never get to do things like depositions. The clients are too risk averse and the cases are worth too much. So that was already a huge vote of confidence from my temporary new section (IP) and today's news solidified it (at least until I actually take the depo). So with all of that, plus my weekend without working (first one in a while and badly needed), my job satisfaction is way, way up. This should last me at least until January...