My New Job

I previously said that I wasn’t going to write about my job, and I’m not, at least specifically, but I do want to kind of give you an update about it. Generally.

I am working at a “medium” sized law firm in downtown STL. I used quotes because depending on where you are, “medium” is relative. There are about 60 attorneys in this firm, which has four offices across the state. My job is in the worker’s compensation department. We represent the insurance company and the employer in worker’s comp cases. And there are a bunch of them.

I have spent the last two weeks learning the MO worker’s comp laws, figuring out how a case progresses and reading medical reports. I must say that it is not quite as fascinating and fast-paced as prosecution was, and I do miss being in the courtroom everyday. With my new job, I’ll rarely see a courtroom. Most of the hearings are held in judge’s offices and are mostly negotiating to see how much someone will settle for. (I know, you don’t end a sentence with a prepositional phrase, but I’m being rebellious today.)

I’m still a little lost on how a case progresses. It seems as if it winds through the legal system slowly, some of them for years, with little to no direction. I have a case on my desk from an injury in 1995. I have to change from my “prosecutorial hat” to my “worker’s comp hat” because not everyone’s faking an injury. I found myself reading cases and thinking, “Oh, come on. Get over it.” I have to be less cynical.

Anyway, I believe that I’ll really enjoy this job once I figure out what I’m doing. And I hope that’s pretty soon.

Matthew’s Growing Vocabulary

You can tell that Matthew has an older brother to teach him new and interesting phrases:

“I’m stinky.”
“I was joking.”
“Elephant!”
“Elevator!”
“Helicopter. Boat. Airplane.”
“Mama’s evil.”
“I want cake.”
“No night-night bed.”
“I want lion yogurt.” (There’s a picture of a lion on the container.)
“I’m an ogre. Arrrrrrgh!” (From Shrek 2.)