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Funny you should ask this question. Back in 2000, I worked on a case with your former & current law partner - Funny you should mention that. Here's a case that I handled with your firm when my daughters were 3 and 6 months old. https://casetext.com/case/hydro-investors-v-trafalgar-power-inc?q=%22Carolyn%20elefant%22%20and%20john%20roberts%20Hydro&p=1&tab=keyword&jxs=federal&sort=relevance&type=case https://twitter.com/smmarotta/status/1248978937243480064
I worked from home around naps & my younger daughter's 3-day/wk morning pre-school. My husband worked out of the house. My main work hours were 9am - 1 am and I often napped on the park bench by day to horror of other moms. No nanny. My parents helped out a few times a month.
I nursed my baby on calls with the attorneys at your firm. I showered maybe three times a week. I had to drive my daughters from DC to my parents at the NJ shore and rise at 4 am next morning so my dad could drive me to catch a bus to NYC for the Second Circuit argument.
I never uttered a word about what was happening behind the scenes to anyone for fear of not being taken seriously. Back then, my peers saw me as dabbler or a crackpot or a loser who couldn't get a job at biglaw (chose not to was truth). Not an innovator.
I did write a piece about one part of my experience - "How I Researched a Legal Brief For Free" that was published in Washington Legal Times with my photo (taken from my basement office!). Wrote about cheap tools I used because I couldn't afford LEXIS.
As I said, I was not viewed as an innovator nor did I consider myself one. I felt like a stubborn dog with a bone determined to argue cases at federal appeals courts on my terms and I did what I had to do to get the job done.
Who knows or cares if the stuff we're seeing today - the dial up phone calls or Zoom is innovation or just doing what I did decades ago - getting the work done. And it doesn't really matter anyway.
It would be nice if what came out of this is a more modern court system. But what would be nicer is if we judged people on their work and accomplishments and not look down on them because they've chosen to own their own firm or have kids crying in the background.
I meant "dial in oral arguments" on the above Tweet!
