Best things about my summer job so far

1. I'm an extern. That must be more impressive than an intern right? Why else would they make up a new word for it?

2. I get to sit in on conferences and hearings that no one else gets to see. Last week I got to sit in on a settlement conference and tell the defense lawyers involved how much I thought the jury would award the plaintiff. It was pretty cool. (Of course, the defense attorneys dismissed everything I had to say as foolish, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, I was right and they were wrong. So there.)

3. A real live judge reads what I write and uses it to make rulings. It's really cool to spend a day researching a particular issue and have the judge tell you that because of what you wrote, she decided to rule one way or the other.

4. Flexible hours. No explanation needed.

5. Close to coffee shop. See #4.