Ya know, I'm aware that I'm young and all. I'm aware that, in the litigation world, you can judge how important a firm believes a case to be by how senior the handling attorney is. Therefore, I'm not surprised when, in a case where I represent the sixth-party defendant who was brought in on only the most tenuous theory of liability, none of the other involved attorneys expect me to take the lead on anything -- and trust me, I'm not complaining about that. But. There is a difference between being less concerned about my position based on a recognition that "my"/my client's involvement in the case is minimal and being completely, flagrantly and totally dismissive and disrespectful because you think I don't have to be taken seriously because I'm junior. The latter, of course, has just occurred. In this instance, my client has another attorney representing him on a claim consolidated with the matter in which my firm represents him. Because there's approximately eight hundred and forty-two parties in this case (okay, more like seven, but whatever) and twice that many witnesses, experts, etc., scheduling depositions has been difficult. Finally, after four months and two scheduling conferences, we hammered out the schedule for the parties' depositions. Please note that my client's other attorney did not care to participate in this process. So, the letter goes out saying "[Client's] deposition will occur on [this date], as agreed during the scheduling conferences." Great. Perfect.
But then. The next day, a letter arrives from Client's other attorney, saying "Because I am a Very Important Attorney, I am unable to attend Client's deposition on the date scheduled. This deposition is now rescheduled for the day after the day on which it was originally scheduled." Which, I believe, is in and of itself fairly rude -- when you're dealing with a whole passel of other attorneys, you generally do not take it upon yourself to single-handedly reschedule things they all have to attend. But the larger problem is that I absolutely have to be at Client's dep and I'm not available on Summarily-Rescheduled Day. So I call Other Attorney's office -- shock! He's not in! I have to speak to his secretary. I patiently explain that his office should have checked with me before rescheduling Client's dep and as it is, I'm not available on the new day. Other Attorney's Secretary, probably from over-long association with Other Attorney, rudely and summarily said, essentially, "I don't care, find someone else in your firm to go or don't attend, but we're not rescheduling."
WHAT? I'm still reeling. I mean, that's not even common normal-people courtesy, much less the heightened level of professional courtesy that's typical in my jurisdiction. Ew. Horrible little man. My only consolation is, to grossly misquote (I think) Calvin Coolidge, "I may be junior, but in a few years, I won't be. In a few years, however, you'll still be ugly." So there.
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