Last in Book Four: Ichi-no-Tani 2017

Today is the last day of Being In Charge of the Office. I… have not gotten much done, from a “true conclusion” perspective. I still have Immigration Cases that haven’t been filed (because… of course not… I can’t speak the language) and I have a criminal matter going to Pre Trial tomorrow and I have completely lost the client… so… really? I’m a bit torn. When the Partners come back… they may give me more work (thus getting closer to decent hours), they may bitch me out hardcore (because why not), or they may do nothing. Either way, today is my last day being “in charge” of the office… and I am okay with that.

(1) San Antonio Immigration is the WORST Immigration Court I have ever dealt with. I have called them (about) 21 times per week for the last several weeks. Only 4 of those phone calls were ever answered! Not even… just on hold for a long time. After 4 minutes of being on Hold, the San Antonio Immigration Court Phone hangs up. Worst still! Let me tell you a story (about how broken our government is). Two Chinese people crossing the Southern Border of the United States illegally. Captured, detained.. they claim Asylum. They are told their court hearing on this matter will be 2019 and are then sent to Nebraska. The court matter will be heard in two years and held at the San Antonio Immigration Court (even though Omaha has an Immigration Court). Because they have a hearing, they are assigned an attorney and (thankfully) at least that attorney is in Nebraska. He can’t speak Chinese. The clients call our firm to represent them. Our firm tries for MONTHS to file a substitution of counsel and change of venue. We file over and over and over and over and over again… all the forms, every form, everything. The Nebraska Attorney does likewise. We even go so far as to triple-send everything Certified Mail to prove that San Antonio received it. Last week, I call to (AGAIN) ask why the Substitution hasn’t gone through or the change of venue. They tell me that NEITHER an Iowan or Nebraskan attorney are assigned to this case… but some lawyer in California. HEAD:DESK. And since then, I haven’t been able to locate this attorney in any way, shape, or form. Because now, if it is true that he has been assigned this case, we need to do everything we ALREADY did with the Nebraska Attorney and do it with this Californian Attorney. Oi. It’s almost as if this country is actively trying to prevent immigration.

(2) I think I found a client that I’ve been trying to reach for days. I think he is in jail in a different county. The problem is… tracking him down, visiting him, doing all of that stuff… that won’t make the client happy. He’ll be mad that I hadn’t found him earlier. Because… until you are involved with The Law… you don’t honestly know how it works. And the truth is, more often than not, it doesn’t. I’m assigned to a client in ONE County, the OTHER county doesn’t know to get a hold of me when they arrest the client. And far too often, the client is not exactly in the best place to inform the arresting officers about his legal counsel. So… that should be interesting.

(3) As seems to be the case more and more often; I seem to have more to do outside of work than in work. Which is true and untrue all at once. There is always more work to be done… more Immigration Forms, more Clients, all of that. But… as I cannot speak to the clients and my own work is drying up… there really isn’t a whole hell of a lot I can do (or that I know I should do… I may be painfully surprised by what I should have known I should have been doing when the Partners come back.) But outside of work… my Monday Night is already packed. My Tuesday Night is already packed. Wife has Wednesday off, so we’ll likely try to do something together that night.

And I wonder… I suppose… this is The World for me. Work… just hope that I can keep my head in the game, learn what I’m doing, and (someday, hopefully) start actually making money. Home… just stay busy and keep trucking… trying to focus on ways to entertain or occupy myself.