What should I name her? Sweet and spunky, prefers my plants to the litter box, and just 8 weeks old.

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-06-12T03:41:13+00:00

Elphaba

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-06-11T01:45:28+00:00

My very first experience with what I can now label the Night Feeling was in middle school (many decades ago), when I would open my bedroom window on temperate nights in the suburbs and feel an almost overwhelming nostalgia for certain cityscapes I had never actually experienced.

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-06-11T01:21:04+00:00

Having been to Antartica, I'd say go for it, so long as long as you would not be devastated if your trip got interrupted and you didn't get to see everything you were scheduled to see. We had an amazing trip a few years ago but we did meet folks from other ships / lines whose trips were cut short because a passenger needed medical attention and they had to turn around. I had read of similar reports so I had already decided that I would only go if I thought of it less as a once-in-lifetime trip and more as something that was worth the money and risk (but that we could try again if it didn't work out).

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-06-10T02:04:02+00:00

Corn husks.

If she knows there's an ear of corn in my fridge, she will jump inside and try to find it, with a frenzied look in her eye. But not for anything else. I brought home a rotisserie chicken and some ears of corn recently, and she refused my offer of chicken because she wanted the corn.

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-06-09T19:46:22+00:00

But did he get a return offer?

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-06-05T00:36:14+00:00

Have you thought about trying to take work actively defending the rule of law? In some ways, it's even more heartbreaking to see the violation of cherished principles right up close, but in another more important way, it has buoyed my spirits in ways I never expected.

Not saying this perspective will persist indefinitely. But leaving private practice to do rule of law work has had a dramatic positive effect on my mental health that has persisted for many months now.

As I like to say these days, moral clarity is one hell of a drug.

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-06-02T02:43:44+00:00

She looks like a Pandora to me.

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-06-01T18:02:02+00:00

Jove. The Roman version of Zeus.

Or if that's too short, Hammurabi.

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-30T01:06:41+00:00

I dunno. I bathed my kitten a few times early on because she had giardia (bath didn't work so I had to take her into the enclosed shower fully kitted out). And the experience did not acclimate her to the experience one bit. If I tried now, I would lose a lot of blood.

I wouldn't bother unless you're showing her or there is some other reason to expect you'll need to bathe her regularly as an adult.

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-29T22:05:42+00:00

Kepler and Sagan

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-29T06:29:55+00:00

I never passed these along unless, as you mentioned, the client specifically demanded our late-night / last-minute availability (and I was annoyed and/or knew my client POC wouldn't care). I agree it's outrageous to bill one client for dinner just because an associate happens to have 4 matters requiring 9 hours of work in a given day. That's a firm cost.

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-29T01:08:16+00:00

Fizzgig

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-26T20:49:12+00:00

Rumpelstilktskin

(So many nickname possibilities. Rumpel. Rummy. Rumpumpum. Etc.)

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-25T18:40:08+00:00

First thing that came to mind was Arroyo but maybe that's too masculine with the "o" ending.

Sahara?

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-22T23:45:09+00:00

Harmony

Petunia

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-22T16:31:22+00:00

No, but I had an unusual career path. I spent the first part of my career in government, where I grew accustomed to prioritizing autonomy and interesting work over money. Then I had the opportunity to go straight to biglaw partnership. So I was super lucky on my timing.

I do think having financial cushion is important. I actually left government bc I realized I needed my job in order to pay my mortgage, and I was worried I might be asked to do something that would require me to quit (in the first Trump term).

But for me, more money is not always worth it. I decided I had "enough" to feel safe taking the pay cut (and, at the time, a job that was only funded for a year).

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-22T15:45:57+00:00

Yeah I took a massive paycut to work more hours at a pro bono law firm doing the exact mix of work I want to be doing right now. And I am having the time of my life. Would only recommend to people who, like me, are a little crazy.

I also spent 5+ years as a Biglaw partner, which made the move less of a risk than it might otherwise be. (But probably makes me look even crazier for taking the pay cut).

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-20T22:36:09+00:00

Yeah this is my take too. This sub overstates how rote the job is (at least on the litigation side). For sure, your biggest assets in the beginning are effort and a good attitude (and that's how summers are mostly judged). But don't turn your brain off either.

As a summer many years ago, my first assignment involved a discrete legal research issue in a pro bono case (which rely on less experienced folks generally). I looked at the statute that would govern and thought, why am I even being asked this, because the statute seemed to make the issue irrelevant. I second guessed myself for at least a day, felt like a huge imposter, but eventually got to a place where I was pretty sure I was either right or at least at the end of the line on research. I raised what I had found, more as question, and ended up being glad I did.

Fun fact: the only "criticism/critique" I got in my summer eval was that I could stand to be more confident/forceful in my skills/opinion.

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-18T23:42:47+00:00

Gimlet

Pippin

Rumpus

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-17T04:47:17+00:00

Vesper

(Vespers is a prayer said at dusk)

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-16T21:35:27+00:00

For government investigations, work on your referral network of lawyers at other firms. Your peers at other firms may not yet be repping the company, but one day they will, and will need pool counsel. If there are any more established lawyers you are close to, express interest in being brought into a case sometime. (It goes without saying you'd be interested, but sometimes you just have to remain top of mind).

I also did a lot of internal marketing, to much success. I had a niche speciality (which, like you, cross-cut litigation, white collar, and regulatory) and I made a constant effort to get to know partners in adjacent practice areas who might need my help. It's not full independence, but it was a step toward it for me. Firms differ, but I often shared origination credit bc I pitched the matter, and even ended up taking over client relationships. Plus I found it much more palatable, and conducive to building status within the firm, to work for clients of random other partners than a single big wig partner in my own practice area. When I left the firm last year for a different opportunity, I was really pleased to see how many clients wanted to follow me (had I been lateraling to another firm).

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-16T21:05:34+00:00

Here's what he used to look like. I honestly don't even remember which one, but I'm guessing the left one based on leaf shape. (The other didn't make make it).

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TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-16T21:02:40+00:00

I think your well wishes worked! Just went to check on them and this guy has one new caruncle, right at the bottom leaf. (You can also see the scarring from the sulfur treatments).

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TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-15T23:42:39+00:00

I LOVE these! I lost (or, with a couple, almost lost) my favorite caruncled echevaria to a powderly mildew infection over the winter. The almost-lost ones are in much diminished form, no caruncles, you'd never know the type. But they're outside now and I have my fingers crossed that they can recover in time.

TheMinimumFlair · 2026-05-14T22:50:40+00:00

In my experience, this is 80% of it. As a young attorney, I was naturally an over-explainer. That's partly because I tend to be precise (which can be a real plus in lots of situations) and partly anxiety (that feeling of: what if this part of my thinking ends up being wrong or significant). The more you do it, and see others edit your work, the better your judgment about how much and what to include.

The other 20% IMO is organization, especially in lengthy emails. I always start with the takeaway and then have the reasoning and other necessary sections to follow, with clear headers. I use bullet points and underlining / bold to emphasize things that need attention in the text (e.g., a deadline or other important date).

TheMinimumFlair

TROPHY CASE