Our law firm has an excellent reputation, and frequently we were asked to train legal interns for a short time. This year we decided to accept 3 of them. They were randomly assigned, and I ended up with Jane Dalton.
We interviewed her beforehand and she seemed like a good candidate - She graduated from Princeton with good grades and showed adequate knowledge in several areas of the law. She was quite shy, but we've seen multiple candidates who were scared and talked in a low tone during the interview.
On Monday morning, I came to work at 9 because I had to finish a personal errand. I entered my office and saw Jane sitting in the waiting room. I smiled, apologized for being late, and let her into my office. She wore a formal suit and waited for me to talk. I called Mila, my secretary, asked her to make my coffee, and gazed at Jane. She mumbled, "Tea, please, with a sweetener."
In the next 2 hours, I explained to her some of the logistics and administrative rules in our offices, and later showed her 3 cases I was involved in. Jane listened patiently and rarely talked. Her questions were reasonable and verified she was a smart gal.
At 11:30, it was time for lunch. Most times, when I was too busy, I ordered simple foods to be delivered to the office, but that day was nice and I took Jane to my favorite Thai restaurant nearby. Both of us had Pad Thai and a cold drink. Jane hardly talked. I asked her about her life outside work. She timidly said she had none. Noticing her reluctance to share details about her life, I decided to let go; after all, it was her first day.
When we returned to the office, I suggested discussing one of my cases and finding out if she had any ideas, comments, or suggestions. It was a robbery case, and I was the lead defense lawyer. There were no witnesses, and the defendant claimed innocence, but his fingerprints were found inside the house. According to my client, he worked on the electrical system a week earlier, thus his prints. With no witnesses or other suspects, and only circumstantial evidence, it was a case I was quite sure I'd free him. When I presented the case to Jane, she stayed silent for a while and then said, "Your client may still be guilty, but if there are no definitive proofs he did it, he will be freed." I chuckled, "You are right. He is my client and my job is to represent him as best I can. If there is no clear evidence he did it, I feel good winning the case."
She grinned, "Lawyers are judged by the cases they take and their winning percentage. What happens if you know your client is guilty?"
"My responsibility is to be there for my client. Period. I am not going to lie, but I'll do my best to win the case for him or her."
"Any regrets when you know your client is culpable?"
"Unless it's a murder case, I learned to live with it. Having too much conscience is a bad thing for a lawyer. However, about 5 years ago, I had a client who confessed to me he killed 2 women. The prosecutor was new and inexperienced. From the beginning, it was obvious, the case was over her head. I could not let my client roam free and continue killing other women, so one evening, I slipped a hint under her office door. It led to his conviction. I felt good about it, although, if anybody found out my role, I would have been disbarred."
Jane looked at me admiringly, "So you are not a heartless money grabber like most lawyers..."
I laughed, "I did it only once. And most times, I am not as nice as you think."
We stayed in the office for another hour and gossiped about another interesting case I participated in a year earlier. I noticed Jane began to open up. Her initial hesitation changed to talking logically, but still at a low tone.
At 5 pm, it was time to leave, and I asked her if she needed a ride. She blushed, "No, thank you. I'll take the bus."
"Where do you live?"
"I rented a room about 10 blocks from here."
"Do you have family or friends in town?"
"Not really. I heard that your firm is one of the best around and decided to dedicate my time to learning from you. I assumed I'd have enough time to socialize when I start working."
"Jane, not having company to talk to for over a month is not a good idea. Tell you what; our annual anniversary party is a week from now. Will you join me?"
"Shouldn't you take your wife?"
I smiled, "I am 38, but not married yet. Anyway, I think it's a good idea for you to be seen there: All the partners and the staff will attend, so I can introduce you to everybody. It will be fun. And when it's too much for you, let me know, and I'll drive you home."
"Even if I wanted to go, I do not have evening clothes here..."
"Jane, that's unacceptable. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll have a 2 hours break. We'll go to one of the luxury stores on Main Street, and you'll pick a dress and shoes. I do not want to hear any excuses."
She gazed at me, "Why are you doing it? You do not owe me anything?"
"Because I'll feel bad if you miss a good party and sit alone in your room."
"Sir, I hate to impose..."
"Jane, that's an order. For the next month, I am your boss, so you better obey."
She whispered, "Thank you, sir."
...
The following morning, I arrived at 8:15. Jane sat in my office. When she saw me, she exited and returned 5 minutes later with a cup of coffee and my favorite donut.
"How did you know what I like for breakfast?"
"Yesterday, when you were busy on the phone, I asked Mila about your favorite food and habits..."
"Thank you. I want to discuss the second case I am part of with you, and tomorrow we'll go together to present it in court. Don't forget about buying a dress and shoes this afternoon. We'll have 2 hours, so find out which stores you want to check. I'd start by talking to Mila; she knows everything."
In my second case, I represented a middle aged man, who was caught selling drugs. I represented him twice before, and we both knew his punishment would be severe. My job was to minimize the time he'd spend in jail. The maximum he could get was 10 years, and I hoped to reduce it to 2 years, a rehab program, and a reasonable fine.
In the afternoon, I went with Jane to a small store Mila recommended.
Jane checked the stickers, blushed, and mumbled that everything was too pricey. I stared at her and blurted, "You are my date for the evening, so you should look fantastic; otherwise, it will reflect badly on me."
She watched me, "I do not know what you like."
I strolled between the various clothes, selected 3 dresses I liked, gave them to Jane, and said, "I have no idea about size, but anything similar that fits you, I'd like to see you try."
