What was the most memorable trip you’ve ever taken?
The most memorable trip I ever took was to Negril, Jamaica, with my wife. We first visited this location in 2007, and return frequently to enjoy the Blue Mountain Coffee, warm sunshine, world-famous sunsets, sandy beaches, crystal-clear Caribbean water, cocktails, and dreams … mixed with a little rum.
During our travels, we have made many good friends along the way and enjoy spreading cheer by bringing soccer balls and equipment to the up-and-coming Reggae Boyz in Westmoreland and Hanover Parishes. We are currently training for the Reggae Marathon & Half Marathon, which will be held in December. Peace; Love; Respect; Irie!
What was your funniest or oddest experience in a legal context?
When I was a much-younger lawyer, I was facing my first jury trial in a U.S. district court. Needless to say, I was a nervous wreck. I had prepared extensively, but could not shake my jitters. Then, the day before the trial was to begin, the judge’s clerk called. There was to be a naturalization ceremony in the courtroom ahead of the trial. Forty new citizens would be sworn in, with their friends and families watching. Would I be willing, the judge wondered, to give a speech about citizenship?
Suffice to say, whatever anxiety I’d had about the trial was immediately replaced by dread at the thought of speaking to this group. What would I say to them? Well into the night, I wrote and rehearsed my speech. I remembered my own grandparents and their difficult journey here. I talked about what citizenship meant to them – and what it meant to me. All the while, the trial had disappeared from my mind.
The speech went off without a hitch. Once it was over, the relief I felt made starting my first-ever jury trial seem like child’s play. After weeks of fretting over it, now I was glad it was here. Was it a funny experience? Not at the time. But I laugh about it now, and remember it as a lesson in the worthlessness of worrying.
If you could pick a superpower, what would it be?
I’d pick the ability to function at a high level with little to no sleep. I’ve never been one who could get by with more than the occasional night of only a few hours of sleep. This became even more evident to me when I was pregnant with my son, and night after night I wasn’t sleeping well. In hindsight, it was like nature’s way of training me for the truly sleepless nights after he was born.
When I was on maternity leave, I managed, but I found the lack of sleep extremely difficult once I was back at work. After being up two, three, or four times the night before, the next day I felt physically drained and mentally sluggish. I remember feeling like I could have fallen asleep at any given moment. Thankfully, it’s now a rare occurrence when my son doesn’t sleep through the night so these days I’m much better rested. But, I think about how much more productive I would be if – with just a couple hours of sleep each night – I could function as if I had clocked a solid eight.
For a more fantastical superpower, I’d choose the ability to teleport to any destination. I love traveling: lunches with family and friends living far and wide, dinner with my husband at the amazing rooftop restaurant we found while meandering side-streets in Rome, weekends split between the mountains and the beach. Being able to be anywhere at any time – sign me up!
If you had a time machine, how would you use it?
If I had a time machine ... I would visit my younger self and impart what I have learned so far. My older self would visit the 12-year-old me and explain teenage girls. My college self would hear that law school is indeed a good move. My 30-year old self would get advice about the tech bubble, all the recessions, and saving for retirement. The 45-year old me would get to know that everything turns out great, and not to worry.
