End of one career: I am no longer a PD

It's just the beginning really.

These last seven years, I've been a Public Defender. Since 2005:

I started just in time to see a freshly arrested Brian Nichols walk past me in the jail.
Spent time in two different PD systems.
Had misdemeanor and felony jury trials, won some of each, lost some of each.
Got people time-served. Got people life in prison.
Represented some innocent people, some misguided people, some not so innocent people.

I was so enthusiastic about this blog when I started. I love that I will have the posts here to remind me of how I started practicing law and finding my way around a courthouse. I will miss my co-workers, really my work family. I will miss the camaraderie of all of us "fighting from the bottom" together. Instead of being together against the world, I will be alone against the world... more like my clients now. I will miss my appreciative clients who had nothing, knew no better, and had nobody to help but me. I will not miss my case-load of 300 clients. I will not miss announcing ready on 70 cases on one trial calendar. I will not miss judges who call on the PD to appear at their beck-and-call with no consideration for anything but their own whims and schedules. Though I have no illusions that I will be treated any better by the bench.

I have 30 days left to finish up my work as a PD. Two trial calendars. 224 current clients. Two trial partners to support for my remaining time. Two more paychecks before I have an income of $0.00.

Special thanks to my beautiful wife for all the spreadsheets helping me transition into the world of private practice. Her support has been the only thing that got me through sometimes. My favorite story of her support is her literally supporting me after my 30th birthday party. I stood in the bathtub, bleeding from ridiculous cuts and scrapes, she was wiping me off and cleaning me up, scrubbing the grit from my skin. I was teeter-tottering on unsteady legs. She stood by my side, held me up and kept me from falling. I was in tears. I told her simply, "I appreciate you. I have you, but my clients... they have nothing. Nobody to support them. They have nothing, but I have you." Then, I collapsed into bed, pathetic and 30 years and one day old.

I guess they had me, not really nothing. Now, they don't have me, but someone younger will take my place. Someone with fresh-out-of-law-school energy, a desire to stick it to the man, a constitutional passion, a fresh perspective. I have not lost these things, but I don't wear them on my sleeve. I have tempered and focused them, I hope for the better. Time will tell I suppose.