Laci and Philadelphia ADA outside a Court Room in City Hall
No surprise to me.
That's why my blog was named after Laci. Patrick Artur made the comment that Laci had been in more court rooms than Harriet Miers (she had! And I have the proof!). You would be surprised how many judicial candidates have never seen the inside of a court room.
The best story is when I was on conference with the judge and Laci was in the bag under the table in the courtroom!
Another one where the judge saw me running Laci in the park across the street. He knew I had a dog with me, but he wasn't going to ask where she was.
Anyway. this is more of an indictment of US law schools and the legal practice. One of the deans of my US law school actually would say that they didn't have to teach the law: that was the job of the bar review courses! Most of the Judicial candidates I saw were more party loyalists or large donors: most of whom never went into a courtroom in their life.
I know that I don't stand a chance of ever being a judicial candidate, but I have tried jury trials, bench trials, argued motions, etc. I have done these not only in US State and Federal courts, but I have worked in other legal systems.
The problem is that the US legal profession hires the people who graduate top in their class, but that isn't going to provide for the best candidates. Toss in most people who do get hired find they are worked their asses off in the hope of being made a partner (no longer being an associate). But US law firms chew people up and spit them out.
I like the system other countries have where someone serves their apprenticeship and then is set out into the workplace. But that is not how the US legal practice works. People pass the bar and then go forth to practice law.
Don't take my word for it: there is somebody out there called the Rodent who will pretty much confirm what I am saying. http://www.emplawyernet.com/info/index.cfm