The life of the law has not been logic: it has been experience. – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Aside from professional experience, I’ve tripped into other legal foofaraw. Pretty much by accident, I’ve been a key witness in three entirely separate cases; a deliberating juror twice; and a defendant once; and a plaintiff two-and-a-half times personally and at least thrice in class action lawsuits.
Indeed, I recently got an e-mail from “Claims Administrator,” with the subject heading “Expedia Class Action Settlement notification.” Did I know I was part of a class action lawsuit against Expedia? Beats me. But apparently between 2001 and 2008 I booked a hotel stay through Expedia. Hey, I’m willing to believe it. Because as part of the winning class I have been awarded an Expedia credit for…$40.97. Big stuff.
Other legal causes I’ve been involved with: criminal defense, police brutality, breach of contract, civil rights, wrongful imprisonment, personal injury, employment disputes, defamation, legal malpractice and real estate co-operatives.
Then, shortly after I signed the complaint that is a model for the lawsuit process, I accidentally broke a bone in my foot on a sidewalk badly maintained by a careless neighbor. For two months I was homebound in a small walk-up apartment, on crutches. So there was yet another lawsuit tucked into my file drawer.
I was destined to become a plaintiff.