Did you go to ________ for law school?
Nope. But maybe. Though probably not. See, here's the thing: I don't really give a shit if you people know where I went to law school. I really loved my school. I loved being in law school, I loved the people I met, I loved (most of) my professors. BUT I am an anonymous blogger. I use a pen name. A nom de plume. A pseudonym. Perchance I am a pseudonymous blogger rather than an anonymous one. Whatever. The point is, that while I write about stuff as I see it and am not hiding it, I am still a member of a rather conservative profession that does not necessarily embrace new technologies such as blogging. So, I am secretish. And if I told you where I went to school, you could figure out who I am. And if I started telling people where I DIDN'T go to school, you could narrow it down to where I did go, and then figure out who I am. So, the answer to "Where did you go to school?" or its cousin "Did you go to _________ law school?" is not going to be particularly forthcoming in most cases.
I will tell you this: I went to a third-tier law school in the Midwest. I did not live in Chicago while I was in law school, nor did I live in Illinois. I moved from another midwest state (where I attended law school) to Chicago the weekend after I graduated, and studied for the Illinois bar in Chicago. That's all you're getting!
Is your name really Amie Kus Curie?
Nope. It's Amelia Bedelia Kus Curie. See, at birth I was named Amelia Bedelia Kus, and I go by the diminutive Amie, and then I married Peter Curie. I took his last name. I'm still not really sure why, because I am very socially liberal. But I am also personally rather conservative, and I couldn't picture not being a Curie. I also couldn't picture not being a Kus, and I also couldn't drop Bedelia, because Bedelia is My Insane Mother's maiden name. All these names are part of who I am, so I keep them all. Yes, that makes life VERY difficult when I need a driver's license, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
And no, my name still isn't Amie Kus Curie, even though all the above paragraph is true of my real life name. Amie Kus Curie is either a genius pseudonym or a totally lame pseudonym. I don't really care which you think it is, because I sometimes think it's both. If you REALLY want to know, then you're probably not a lawyer, you lucky dog. It's a play on the Latin phrase meaning "friend of the court" - amicus curiae.
What kind of law do you practice?
Civil law. Lots of different kinds of it. There are a few specialties here at TeenyTinyLaw. Boss 1 does a certain type of civil law more than other types, though he does a lot of types as needed. Boss 2 does a different certain type of civil law as about the only thing he does, but he does a few little things as needed. In general I do a good amount of litigation (though lately most of the cases seem to settle), and a lot of drafting/revising/editing of contracts. I also ROCK at writing mean letters, though I usually tone them down before sending them.
Where do you work?
TeenyTinyLaw in the Loop. See, big firms are often called BigLaw, because they're big and fancy. My firm isn't one of those. It's teeeeeeeeny. As in, I work for two solo practitioners, because they have to share to afford me. They could afford to pay me more IF they traded in the Loop office in a highrise. I don't blame them. They both have nice views of the lake. Of course, I do not have a view of anything. Not even the office fish tank. The job lets me be a part-time lawyer, but I also have to be a part-time secretary. I generally don't regret taking it, as many of my friends were still job hunting 9 months after I started my job, but I am very ready to be a full-time lawyer. Even though it'll be a lot of work and a lot of hours and a lot of stress. I want that sort of thing. I might be a masochist.
Got more questions? Let me know.
