First Taste

The weekend has never felt so good. Although this week has been a lot of fun, I am very exhausted. However, the exhaustion comes with a sense of pride. I know I am exhausted because I have worked hard. Guillaume and I averaged three courthouses a day this week! One of our days started in Abbotsford and ended in Surrey, with a quick appearance in Vancouver. I feel like I have accomplished so much already! 

One of the highlights of this week was my first appearance in court! When Guillaume mentioned to me that I would be making an adjournment on his behalf, I could not contain my excitement. Adjournments are when lawyers ask for an extension on a matter for various reasons. For example, one reason can be that the defense counsel received new disclosure and need to time to look over it. Another reason can be that a client did not show up for his or her court appearance and so his or her agent will ask for an adjournment to avoid a warrant for an arrest. 

I made my appearance in the Vancouver courthouse on 222 Main street. Guillaume explained to me that because I am a student, I cannot appear in front of Judges. Therefore, I could only appear in front of the Justice of the Peace- who deals with administrative issues. My adjournment was regarding our client not being able to come to court due to the fact that he was in the forensic hospital. To avoid an arrest, it was important I mention that to the Justice of the Peace. We created a script to follow. Guillaume mentioned to me that when my court file gets called, I was to bow before the Justice of the Peace and introduce myself before presenting my adjournment. I was now ready to get my first taste of court appearances. (I cannot mention my exact script due to confidentiality reasons)


Appearing in court is such a rush! I was super excited and to everyone’s surprise I was able to deliver my script with great confidence. I did get a little nervous when my court file was called and everyone turned to look at me. It was as if time had stopped. The Justice of the Peace was smiling the whole time I was delivering my script because she knew I was a newbie. Luckily, I did not make a fool of myself. 

The best part of the adjournment was when my supervisor, Guillaume, told me he was proud of me for delivering the script so well. That really meant a lot. In law, your reputation is everything and I did not want him to be laughed at because of my failure to deliver the script effectively. My first taste of court appearances was really sweet. I cannot wait to taste it again.