20 Questions with Cari

(upbeat music) - Welcome to Bar Review, a space where we talk honestly about life and the legal profession. I'm Carrie, and I'm Anika. Welcome to the conversation. Just a quick note before we get started. We are not your lawyers, and this is not legal advice. And to the extent either of us are employed by the time the sayers, this is where we share our personal opinions, and not the opinions of anyone else, especially those kind enough to employ us. - And one more time for the people in the back? - We are not your lawyers. This is not legal advice. Thank you for listening. - Is it recording? - Yeah. - You sure? - Okay. - Carrie. - Anika. - I have 20 questions for you. The rules are simple. You have to answer them quickly. You don't get to think about it. I think that's the only rule. (laughs) - I specifically heard you say the rules. - Yeah, but I think there's only one. - There's only one. So I can't think. - No, just first thing that comes to mind. - Okay. - What's your favorite food? - Pizza. - What's one seemingly insignificant moment from your career that still stands out to you? - My interview for my clerkship. - Why? - In the middle of it being an interview, it's stopping an interview. My judge collects rare coins and just had all this random cool stuff on his desk. And I tried really hard to maintain professionalism, but it was just so overcome by all of the cool stuff on his desk that mid one of his questions was like, "Wait, I'm sorry. "I need to engage with the museum on your desk right now." And then we spent the next hour and a half talking about his rare coin collection. I did get that job. - That is an accurate representation of a conversation with you though, too. - Yes, that man also married me and my husband. He is an important part of my life. - What's your favorite lawyer-ing task? Probably brief writing. - Really? - I like writing. I don't like the researching as much as the writing, although it's important, but I do like the actual writing and being creative and solving the, what am I trying to say here problem? - Glad one of us does. What's your go-to coffee order? - Chai-Ti-Late-Li with oat milk. But mostly I just slam black coffee all morning. So yeah, I mean, this is a misnomer in how I'm answering your question. I make coffee in the morning. I drink all of it if I ever order something it feels like a big treat. So I therefore order a chai-Ti-Late and because I had my pregnantly like eight standard cups of coffee by the time I make that order, I tell myself I shouldn't order more caffeine, but I just get a T-Ti-Late. - Yeah, which is still caffeine, but I tell myself it's different because T-Cafine and coffee, caffeine are different in my curl math version of this. - I support that, girlma. What's one legal term you wish would disappear forever? - Ipsa-Lukutter. - Yeah. - What's the most lawyer stereotype thing you do regularly? - If I go shopping, I really just buy a version of shit I already own in the color I already own it and I don't often go shopping for that reason. What's one stereotype about lawyers that is completely wrong? - But we've got it all figured out. I would say that the people who have the most ABCs at the end of their name and appear to be the people who have all of this education and all of this experience and should feel very mighty and big and taller actually some of the most insecure people I've ever met. - Feeling a deep dark hole. - I'm not known. What's your most used phrase in emails? - Thanks. - Kama. - Carrie. (laughs) - So what's your go-to email signature? - Thanks. - Kama. - Carrie. - I feel conflicted about ever I put things 'cause that's also my go-to, but you haven't done anything. So why am I thanking you? But then at the same time, the best feels really passive aggressive. So for sure. Also, a managing partner of a law firm, you and I worked out together, made an incredible observation to me 'cause I used to say things like thanks in advance. And he let me know that was so triggering to him 'cause I didn't say yes yet. So thanks in advance is kind of fucked up. Like you're gonna do this thing or what? Thanks in advance for doing it. - Co-origin through a thank you. - Yeah. What's one thing about being a woman in law that surprised you? - That we're not necessarily all in it together. - I think by and large, that's turning out to not be fully true, but it'd be nicer if we all played in the sandbox a little bit better than we currently do. - More on that to come. What's the moment you first felt like a real lawyer? - Oh, and I got angry about something. And I stopped thinking about the words that I was saying. They just got angry on behalf of a client. So I no longer felt nervous up there. I just knew exactly what I needed to say about it. Exactly what I needed to say about it. - Yeah. - All right, you know the answer to this one. What's the legal task you procrastinate the most? - Entering my time, still have not gotten my bills out for January or February. - It's March. - It's March. What's the biggest law school myth that turned out not to be true? - That it's competitive in, you don't make friendships. I'm still very, very close with the people who I forged friendships with. And even some people who haven't seen in 10 years when I saw them for the 10 year reunion, it's like no time had gone by. It's pretty special. - What's one small habit you do to save your sanity every day? - Enter my time. - You do it every day? - I've not done it since January. No, it's not true. I do a version of keeping track of what I did with all of my time so that I have it on various small receipts and paper and post-its around. - It's just not in your time management system. - It's just not in my time management system because I feel like a prostitute every time I enter my time into my time management system that I also pay to use. - Having your own law firm should mean that I don't have to feel like this anyway. Go ahead. - What's something clients do that you wish they wouldn't? - Use chat GPT and come in and tell me about all the case law that they found and how they want it and their various work products. Chat GPT did not go to law school. - Not yet at least. What's something other lawyers do that you wish they wouldn't? - Not admit insecurities. I'm just gonna go say I'm on that. Vulnerability breeds vulnerability and lack of vulnerability breeds lack of vulnerability. And we're all just better for really who we are. Let people get to know you. - I don't know. - What's your favorite lawyer TV show? - Lincoln lawyer. - Why? - Unethical. 'Cause it's so good and also most of my day is in a car. - What's your go to it a decompress after a day of work? - I may or may not have a law firm that supports cannabis businesses and I will leave it at that. - If you weren't a lawyer, what would you be? - Can I ask you that question? If I wasn't a lawyer, what would I be? - Oh, like what do I think you would be? - Yeah, what would I be? - What would I be when I grew up? - I have no actual basis for this but I picture you as this slightly unhinged ant in New York City with an art studio and no one really knows what she does or how she gets her money, but she's just vibing it out. - This is the biggest compliment you've ever given me. Can I alter what you just said, but I live in a van that I've converted and I just wake up every day in a different national park? - Yes, and but if you're living in a van, you have a quasi-temporary spot somewhere north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. - I'm in for that. I think my parents would appreciate if it was in New York though. (laughing) - There. - I think my child would appreciate if it was in Minneapolis. - In my version of this, you don't have a child. They're just like out here. Oh, my version of my life will never not have a child. How about my child and I are driving around the world and a van exploring the world together, getting into various things. Can we have many dogs? Oh, actually, I take back everything I just said. If I was not a lawyer, I would definitely own a giant expanse of place where rescue dogs come to hang out and recover and play. - Was one thing listeners should know about season two of Fireview? ♪ It's gonna be fucking awesome ♪ - And Monica's gonna be exhausted in every episode. (laughing) - She's not lying. (laughing) - All right, well, we will see you in March 22nd for season two of Fireview. - You might in just 22nd. - Thanks for joining the conversation. You can find Bar Review wherever you get your podcasts. Please subscribe and share. Wanna keep the conversation going? Follow us on social at BarReview LLC. Monica will see you there and she'll tell me all about it. Got a question you want us to talk on a future episode? Send it our way. We try to read every email and just a reminder, If you're not your lawyer, this is not legal advice and these opinions are just our own. Cheers!