Joy of Role Models

 

This is going to be a quick story.

I read today that many of us are suffering from COVID fog because we are multi-tasking on different media platforms. I know I’ve been feeling like I’m not at the top of my game  lately. Searching for the right word, or forgetting what day it is…it’s a common occurrence. I worry that I’m going to forget all kinds of things. It’s one of the reasons I’m writing this blog - so I have a record.

Today, I walked into my home office and I actually stopped to examine a document that’s been hanging on the wall for years. It’s one of those things that lawyers hang up to prove they are allowed to practice. Nobody reads it. But, today I actually looked at the signature line and saw M. Dolores Denman’s name. She was the (then) presiding Justice of the Appellate Division of the NY State Supreme Court. She was an inspiration to many, many lawyers and she received countless awards in recognition of her work. But, I admired her because I knew that she worked her ass off her whole life.  

I have one Dolores Denman story that I do not want to forget.

The day I received the aforementioned document, was the day that I was officially sworn in as a lawyer. I had given birth less than a month before and I was determined to attend the ceremony in Rochester. My 2-year-old daughter, my infant son, my husband, my mum and dad accompanied me. It was a big day.  

Just before the ceremony began, I handed the swaddled baby over to my mum so I could take the oath. No sooner had we been told to stand up, that I heard the familiar cry from my wee son. My mother, not wanting to disturb the proceeding, but also not wanting to miss it, left her seat and nonchalantly walked up to the front of the room so she could pass baby Will down to me. I was aghast.

But, then I realized, this was no ordinary “fussy” cry. This was an “I’m hungry: feed me” cry. So, I did what any mother would do.  I unbuttoned my jacket with one hand, got him latched on, and then raised my right hand to take the oath. It was during the unbuttoning that I caught Denman’s eyes as she leaned forward from the bench to see what IN HELL was going on in my row. I think I may have flashed a little too much skin! But, she smiled and gave me an almost imperceptible nod. That brief moment between  the two of us meant everything to me!

But here’s my question: If Will was attached to me during the oath, does that mean he’s admitted to practice law, too?