On the Road in Erath County

One of the great things about this job is the strange places it takes you. Tonight I'm hunkered down in the (surprisingly nice) Hampton Inn in Stephenville, Texas, preparing for jury trial tomorrow. Being in any trial is like floating temporarily in an alternate reality bubble - things move differently, the usual noise in your life fades into the background, and nothing really exists but the mini-world of the courtroom. This can be an unbalancing feeling when it collides with the day-t0-day ringing of the phone, email, and other responsibilities known collectively as "your life," which by the way, rudely continues to barrage you with little care for the sanctity or necessity of the trial bubble.

Which is why trying a case in another county is so great. Hotel rooms contain none of the to-dos or distractions of home. The pile of work sitting on my desk is, well . . . on my desk 200 miles away. The laundry I didn't fold or the groceries I didn't buy will just have to wait. In a profession where there's always something more to do and you're often pulled in different directions at once, out-of-county trials give you a chance to fully devote your attention and concentration to one task - a rare luxury in a multi-tasking world.

Here, the trial bubble reigns king. Lawyers sleep peacefully by 10:00 p.m. in their hotel rooms. Coffee brews by 6:00 a.m. to awaken and energize. And the outside world relents - at least until I check my voicemail.