All Things Profane and Sacred

CLE yesterday, CLE today and damn hell CLE tommorrow. A CLE is a Continuing Legal Education. Lawyers need to attend a certain number of CLEs during a 3 year reporting period-or, for new lawyers, during their first year. My experience so far is that they range from bone crushingly dull wastes of time, to mildly dull but possibly useful. These are interspersed with job pimping opportunities where you call to lawyers "See my flesh! Take me! Take me!" while other jobless ones (and there are a hell of a lot of them here in Portland) mob around crying, "Look at me! I'm the great one! Listen to my charming, yet well informed, conversation!"

A lot of hungry faces (including my own) in Portland. Hungry to pay back student loans and mortgages and credit card debt. I know this is supposed to be an adventure-take your education, find where you fit in the world, and swing open the doors with the sheer force of your will and determination driving you-but most of the time I'm just scared.