u/Objective-Regular519

I am an attorney and I am very interested in canon law. I recently have begun thinking about attending a Masters in Canon Law program at KU Leuven that would require me to go to Belgium for four weeks per year. That would be a huge commitment for me, since I have a full time practice and would be away from family. Also the only “practitioners” I have ever seen of family law were priests, so it does not seem like I would be able to put the licentiae to use.

So I’m wondering, do you think it would be worthwhile for a layperson to study canon law? Do you think there are opportunities (even if volunteer) for a layperson to put a canon law education to use?

Guys I’m really struggling. I have bipolar and have been pretty well medicated and under control for about two years now. I really felt like I was in a stable place and could actually focus on my work forever. I’ve actually really really loved practicing law during these last two years. But in the last few weeks I can feel things falling apart. I’m starting to go up and down for a few days at a time and I think things are getting worse every day. I told my doctor and she has me on extra meds and we are emergency planning. I called the bar’s mental health hotline and that kinda made me feel better. But I am honestly just very scared that the antagonistic stress of this job will cause me to tumble into mania (it has before). I am not exactly sure what to do right now or even what kind of advice or feedback I’m looking for, but I just really needed to get some of this chaos out of my head and I think just sharing this helps.

Don’t want to get too far into it, but I have bipolar and despite medication have had to be hospitalized for manias multiple times. I am not sure why, but I am getting this premonition that I’m going to have another manic episode by the end of the year. I already talked to my psychiatrist and we upped my mood stabilizer dosage, but she is also having me make a new emergency plan. The part I’m stuck on is what to do with my practice if I suddenly get hospitalized and can’t even notify my clients or coverage attorneys. Does anyone have any ideas?

I did a masters degree in economics and a law degree and students were ultra competitive in both, but I mostly think it was because there was a shortage of jobs on the other side. That seems to be less of an issue for seminarians and it also seems like students go to seminary for more pure reasons. I might be wrong. So just curious, how academically competitive of an environment are seminaries.

OC came to my office for his client’s depo wearing cargo shorts and a t shirt. Even his client wore a tie. Was that just a giant F you by OC?

He was otherwise very nice and respectful. He just made standard form objections and let me do my thing.

I’m currently litigating a case against a very large firm that is highly resourced. OP also has a several dozen times larger litigation budget than we do. Feeling a bit discouraged and need some inspiration. Can anyone share a David and Goliath story to give me hope?

Edit: Thank you everyone so much for your responses. You all helped me get through a very difficult day.

I stopped taking cases where more than one attorney has withdrawn before me. I have no problems with replacing an attorney if the client hasn’t previously substituted counsel, but the few times that I have substituted after more than one attorney withdrew were all nightmares.

But today one potential client really pulled at my heartstrings with her stories about language and cultural gaps with previous attorneys and how she might have to go to trial pro se if she can’t hire me (I’m one of the few attorneys in my region and practice area who can speak her language). She is also ready to pay a very sizable retainer. I really know I shouldn’t take the case, but I feel very tempted.

Please check me on whether I should take this case. Has anyone here had any good experiences with a client who has a history of lawyer hopping?

I practice family law so clients demand that I make truly outrageous settlement offers all of the time. I always try to talk the clients toward reason, but when that doesn’t work, I try to just do my job as professionally as I can, which to me means trying my best to present the offer as serious to OC and backing up the offer with the best arguments I can.

But today I had an OC on a call who gave me his client’s offer and then immediately said that he considered the offer ridiculous and since he knew we’d reject it said he saw no point playing a fake negotiating game. I genuinely appreciate his candor but also something about this approach feels like a betrayal of client trust to me. I mean you never know — maybe the other side knows some weakness about their case that would make them take the offer.

So, I was wondering how do you all handle making silly settlement offers or other requests for your clients?