You know when things collide to create a perfect storm of hell?
Yep, that’s been my week of work, and it will continue through next week.
***WARNING – total venting post, feel free to return tomorrow or next week when I have more time to be insightful and/or witty or at least less whiny.***
Everything we filed this summer was done to spread things out. Of course, this means that due to several reschedulings and adjournments of dates, EVERYTHING is now due at once.
From August 12 through August 31, I have eight – yes EIGHT – briefs due in various cases. Now, it’s not like they are all 50 page memoranda of law that require weeks of research. Many are “just” reply briefs in several matters. But whoa. My “part-time” job is definitely not part-time this week.
I was prepared for the 3 oppositions arriving today, leading to the three reply briefs due on Monday. I was good. Then last Friday I got word that I had a reply to file this past Monday in a case I knew nothing about (because that was fun). Then one of the lovely federal courts decided its schedule was too hectic to stick to the original briefing schedule on a motion to remand, so it rescheduled those deadlines to next week. Counsel in another cases decided to file a motion to consolidate three matters which, while baseless, still has to be opposed. And a different court decided to also delay the briefing schedule on a summary judgment motion so that the opposition for that just arrived and its reply is now also due next week.
*breathe*
Add to that one pretrial memorandum I knew I had to work on, which means reading the entire file – all 300+ pages of depositions (that’s actually not much in the litigation world), going through the entire 600+ page document production to ensure our exhibit list will be accurate, and oh, that’s right, actually learning the case —— and I’m FRIED.
I’ve been doing it though. Monday morning brought me a massive panic feeling — I could feel the shakes rising up in me and I couldn’t focus. But I rallied. We got the ‘surprise’ brief filed on Monday. Tuesday I wrote 2 briefs. Yesterday I went through the entire document production in the trial matter and finalized edits to Tuesday’s briefs. Today I’ve finished my review of the entire trial file, and shepherded one of Tuesday’s briefs out the door.
Two of the three oppositions due today have arrived, and so far, no massive panic over either of them. One I can respond to in about 2 hours tomorrow morning, no research necessary. The other, sadly, raises new points so I do have research to do. I am sitting here with baited breath waiting for the third one, hoping it is a very straightforward one and I can maintain some sanity this weekend.
Somewhere in all of this I have to move all the boxes and piles I created from the great office reorg project, which still isn’t finished (see ‘surprise’ brief I had to write last Sunday when I was supposed to be finishing my office) – and man, I’m running on caffeine and adrenaline big time. And yes, this has to be done because my parents arrive tomorrow night for the weekend and at the moment there’s no place for them unless they want to sleep on top of my files or the bags of clothes that need sorting.
I just have to survive until next Friday. Then I will be packing and heading off for a vacation away from it all…. wait, when will I be packing exactly for a trip with 2 adults and 2 toddlers for 13 days????? Oh and that’s right, I’ll be traveling with my laptop to help finish meeting that 8/31 deadline and other projects because I don’t get paid time off.
Massive rant over. You may now return to your more positive outlook on things. CALGON…….
This is definitely how I feel today. Time for more coffee.
