I was being shadowed for a court appearance by an intern recently.   There is nothing like being in the company of a bright, energetic, young person to make you feel the weight of your years.  Nevertheless,  I always enjoy opening the mysterious doors of the legal world to young minds.  As fate would have it, what I thought was going to be a contentious hearing turned out to be a piece of cake. Opposing counsel caved and gave my client everything she wanted (and deserved) without a fight. After the hearing, I asked my apprentice his thoughts.  “You make it look easy”, he said.

It occurred to me that for many onlookers, the work of a lawyer may seem effortless. Maybe it’s the way lawyers are portrayed on screen or the slick ads we’re bombarded with showing barristers in suits sitting around making piles of money for little work.

Nothing is farther from the truth.

Lawyers spend 4 years of undergraduate school and 3-4 years in law school, pass the 2 day Bar exam, and have strict continuing education requirements.  In addition, appearances at any court require a knowledge of the rules of evidence, local court rules and a specific judges idiosyncratic requirements.   On top of that, an attorney must know the law that is the basis for their legal posture, their client’s position, as well opposing counsel’s proclivities. Finally, in my hearing, I spent hours preparing documents and my client for an evidentiary hearing only to arrive at the point where we won without needing to litigate.

Moral of the story; just because it looks easy, doesn’t mean it is.  Good lawyers navigate dozens of factors everyday to win for their clients and yes, to make it look easy.

José Borrego

Attorney

Joseborregolaw.com

(916) 446-4911