Ahoy, readers! After an informal hiatus (yet again), I’m back to post! When I started this blog, I wasn’t planning to take this long to write individual posts. Since most of my life these days revolves around confidential work, I haven’t had anything interesting that I can share. However, as December 2021 rolls around, I’m coming up on several major milestones that I thought were worth reflecting on through writing. So, with the new year coming up, let’s look to the past and see how far I’ve come.
First, there’s the obvious one: as of October 3, I have now officially been a lawyer for 2 whole years! Though my swearing into the Oregon State Bar was 2 Octobers ago, it still feels like only 2 months since I took the oath, pinned on my shiny new Oregon State Bar lapel pin, and immediately started panicking about finding a job in the oversaturated legal market. Two years later, I’m running a small law office and haven’t been disbarred; I guess I’m doing something right!
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| A photo of me solemnly taking the oath needed to be admitted to the bar. |
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| A not-very-solemn photo of me showing off my new lapel pin. I still have this pin and wear it from time to time, but I've now got a collection I like to cycle through. |
On a less dry note, October saw
a very lovely anniversary; I have now been in a relationship with Cthulhu for 6
years! Our relationship has seen some
interesting obstacles throughout the years: we’ve both gone through law school
and spent over a year separated by COVID-19 distancing requirements. Despite these challenges, our relationship remains
strong as ever; I till take the time to see them in Salem, Oregon every
weekend, taking an hour and a half to get there (it used to be 2–3 hours, but
some road work completion has made it a shorter journey). I look forward to many more years of hitting
up farmers’ markets together, enjoying our usual haunts together, playing video
games together, and bonding over our law-dominated lives. :)
Speaking of the 1.5-hour journey, I celebrated my 2-year anniversary with Tillamook County this November. As a city kid at heart born in New York City, raised partially in the suburbs of Kailua, and educated in Salem, Oregon, moving to a completely rural area isn’t something I predicted happening in my lifetime. Nonetheless, I’ve now spent 2 years in the Dairylands, including an entire year where I was restricted from leaving thanks to COVID restrictions. I’ve had my share of adjusting over the months; I no longer notice the faint smell of manure in the air, I’m used to seeing cows urinating/defacating/humping at the side of the road, and no longer feel conscious about being the only person in a suit as I walk down the street. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be in Tillamook, but I have no doubt that I’ll continue to see new things (especially now that the COVID-19 pandemic is winding down) and stepping out of my comfort zone.
One thing I’ll continue to do in coming months is representing clients in court, which I have now been doing for 2 years. While there are times where I still feel like a rookie, I’ve changed over time. I’ve gone from misdemeanors and probation violations to major felonies over the course of 24 months (though I have yet to come even close to a murder case). I’ve gotten much more confident with time; I no longer get phased by hostile clients, even when they’re yelling slurs at me over the phone. I’ve seen convictions, acquittals, and a whole lot of plea negotiations. The ebb and flow of court procedures has taken getting used to, but, like living in Tillamook, I’ve done a fair amount of adjusting. No matter how tough things get, I don’t back down, I keep a strong smile on my face, and I keep up the good fight—defending the guilty, protecting the innocent, and sticking it to the man.
Finally, there’s one anniversary that I can’t help but bring up here. The blog you are reading—Benjamin Fischberg: A[pprenti]ce Attorney—is now 2 years old. This is a longer blog than I’ve written before; my prior blogs only covered a few months each (shameless plug: http://benfinlondon.blogspot.com/2013/08/theresa-half-packed-suitcase-in-my.html http://benfinsalem.blogspot.com/2014/04/here-we-go-again.html). This blog has been a bit different in another major way; I haven’t had that many adventures to write about. Part of this is due to the confidential nature of my work, and part of this is being housebound for over a year due to COVID. I’ve wanted to write more, but it’s been hard to find the time to write and things to write about. Still, I plan to keep up when I can and write as much as I am able. To close off this vague promise to be better, here’s the return of an old feature:
GREAT MOMENTS IN TILLAMOOK JURISPRUDENCE
*insert sophisticated music*
Episode VII: Accusations from the Accused
Judge: Have you reviewed this petition with your lawyer?
Client: Yes.
J: Has Mr. Fischberg answered all your questions?
C: Yes, he has.
J: Have you had any problems with his representation?
C: Actually, yeah; he cheated me out of a thousand bucks.
*beat*
C: *breaks into huge smile* Nah, I’m just kidding; he was great. No problems with his representation.
[court hearing continues and concludes with no further difficulties]
