American Law: Let Me Research It For You

Today: A miracle.

I was getting ready for another day of background reading, when I heard a knock on my door. A woman I didn't recognize came in, looked at the other desk, and said (as I'm used to hearing by now), "Oh, Urška's not here?" Nope, she's out taking finals. "Well, I was coming in to see you anyway?" MOI!? (I didn't actually say that.) "I just found out about you! My name is Tjaša. I'm currently researching a pending case on Topic X." (where X is a topic I'm super-interested in. I won't say what it is exactly, because I assume this blog is the foremost source of inside information for litigants in pending US-RS cases.) She explained the case and told me that it looked like German, French, and British courts hadn't spoken directly to her question, so could I think of a relevant U.S. case? I couldn't. But! I could tell her basically what the landscape of cases would look like, and I told her I'd do some research and send her what I found. "Don't spend too long on it," she said. Oh, I would be so happy to spend too long on it.

Actually, it only took around four hours, especially since it wasn't a formal memo and the cases that were most likely to help her weren't really going to hide themselves. I also got to explain some basic stuff about American law, which made me feel very knowledgeable. (I wrote to my boss about our admittedly ridiculous Supreme Court cert system a few days ago. "It is all very...mysterious," he said, appropriately.) Above all, it was real work. I got to research and analyze and summarize and generally obtain and communicate knowledge. I'm hoping I will now be the go-to person for all legal advisory department questions about American law.

And I did finally get to meet the infamous Urška. Who is awesome. First, and not to be underestimated, she speaks English fluently. Almost everyone here speaks English proficiently, but that is not to be confused with fluently. And she has a British (with a touch of Scandinavian/Australian?) accent, although she's only lived in Slovenia and Luxembourg. She's also a little funkier than most of the office...hair dyed that sort of slightly purple red and thick-framed glasses. And she's energetic. Overall, I'm excited to have her as my office-mate-to-be.

Tonight, I missed my bus to the movie theater (I actually got there about 5 seconds before it, but it was at the back of a bus line and I didn't see it until it pulled away), so no Star Trek for me. Instead I'm back at England (have I mentioned that it's great to have a pub with wireless next door?) drinking Laško, blogging, gchatting it up with a newly married old friend just back from his honeymoon, and going through Nerve.com's "Twenty Sexiest Ugly People." (Danny Trejo is the perfect choice. Sandra Bernhard's pretty good too.)

I can use a little low brow. I finished up the (middle brow) Middlesex last night, which I highly recommend for anyone with some extra time feeling a little generous with their disbelief suspension. It's one of those books that you either buy into or you don't, and if you don't, you think it's self-indulgent and ridiculous, and if you do, you think it's beautiful and engrossing. I was feeling it, so I really enjoyed the experience and would recommend it. And last night Alexandria and I had a good (highish brow) gchat about how cancer does what it does. It's a really interesting disease...it pretty much operates entirely on the principle of "If I can replicate quickly enough, I can evolve my way out of anything!" My feelings would be a trifle more positive, however, if it weren't going to kill the majority of people I care about (and hadn't already killed a few). Right. (Speaking of otherwise exciting things that kill people...cars! There was a red Aston Martin DB6 on Šubičeva ulica yesterday. Too hot.)

Oh, and I just have to get this on the record: While some of you know I'm, er, intrigued by a certain YLS professor, this sudden Wikipedic transformation is not my handiwork. But I must say, I'm impressed.

Later, dudes.