The Top Ten Countdown . . .

Why is it that we love Top Tens? Why is it, really, that we love lists? I think it's probably because we are generally lazy beings, and reading a top ten list seems like a quick way to learn a LOT about something. And it's sorta like a mini-competition, no? And we are definitely competitive beings - especially human prosecutor beings.

So, here's the deal - the Top Ten Best Things About Being A Prosecutor. We will start with number ten and over the next couple of weeks work our way down to the best. Feel free to comment - disagree, submit, anything - along the way.

NUMBER TEN

10. Never Having To Bill Your Time.

Yes, yes, I know - you were probably expecting something way more moving and emotional, like "doing justice!!" But see, Number Ten on any list has a purpose, and here its purpose is to remind us of why many of us considered leaving private practice. The curse of billing time is a time-sucker, a life-killer - in other words, it's bad. Every day, or every week, or if you're really negligent, once a month, you are reminded that every minute of your life is tracked like the numbers of hairs on the back of a lab rat in a comsmetics testing lab. You must account for what you do. You must objectify yourself. You must break your entire professional existence down to dollars and cents according to ticks of the clock. Then you have to worry about how the others in your firm will feel about you spending so much time on that "courtesy" project for your potential new client. And then you have to worry about how one of your other clients is going to feel about you spending 18.75 writing and researching that motion for summary judgment that turns on that new, fascinating legal issue.

And then you have to worry about getting paid . . . .

But those of us in the government have no such worries. Most of us have the ability to prioritize our work and our efforts toward the goals that are really important. If we want to spend an entire week, day and night, writing a response to a motion to dismiss in a really important sexual assault case because the victim is really, really connected to you and counting on you, then we do it. If we want to spend an entire Saturday writing a closing argument in a case that will only take 3 days to try, we do it. If we want to spend three hours taking a child abuse victim bowling and to a McDonalds playground for lunch because you and your team really need to connect with him before he gets on the stand, then we do it.

We work at what needs our attention. And then we go home. There's no hour per day spent justifying anything. We seek justice, we keep looking forward, and keep thinking that tomorrow will be better for our having done it.

Have a great holiday, everyone!!

-Frank

Next: Number Nine on our list of the Top Ten Best Things About Being A Prosecutor.