“May it please the court …”

Yesterday I parked the car and ran four blocks - in my heels - to the downtown courthouse. I was slightly worried I wouldn’t make Kevin’s hearing on time. Yesterday Kevin presented oral arguments before the California Court of Appeals, 3rd District. It was his first time making appellate arguments and I wanted to be there!

Thankfully Kevin’s case was the second one up - so I wasn’t late. As I walked through the doors into the courtroom, I was struck with a sense of awe. The courtroom was large and majestic with tall marble pillars, carved woodwork, and a gold painted ceiling. I saw Kevin seated just past the “bar” awaiting his turn to speak to the justices. I took a seat against the wall behind him.

As I sat there in this particular hall of justice, I was reminded how much I love the law. I’m tremendously grateful that I was able to study law for four years, especially in the United States. Although there’s a lot of craziness in our legal system these days, I still believe that we have the best system possible.

Needless to say (what else did I expect?), Kevin did a fabulous job. He was articulate and organized. He took every question from the justices head-on and it was obvious he knew what he was talking about. At one point, one of the justices asked, “But hasn’t California traditionally been a ‘fence-out’ state?” [meaning that ranchers have to put fences on their property if they want to keep cattle off it]. I held my breath hoping Kevin would know the answer and he immediately responded, “Yes, in 1850 …” Whew! But that’s how Kevin is – he wraps his mind around something and he’s good at defending his arguments. [Feel sorry for me – I usually lose all of our “arguments” at home!]

Another thing Kevin is good at is analogies. He used several compelling analogies yesterday to explain his case and help the justices to fully understand his arguments. “Yes, your honor, but I think a good way to understand this is to think of a swimming pool …”

I heard a cute story, from Kevin’s childhood, how his little sister Megan cried at his kindergarten graduation and said, “I’m just so proud of him.” Well, now it’s my turn to be proud of him. And I’m so glad I get that opportunity. [Kevin, I love being your wife.]