Sometimes Being Useful Means Just Standing There

Seriously.

This afternoon I volunteered with the S.F. Bar Association's Courthouse Project to try and help some people stay housed. For the most part, I did alright. Had three clients. Got three deals that the clients wanted and worked in their favor.

And then as I was dropping off my files with the coordinator, there was another case that was not moving towards settlement. Part of it was the landlord's belief that there was no way in hell that anyone would take the tenant's case to trial at the last minute. The pro tem, who has a mediation practice, was looking for a way to get the landlord convinced that doing a deal today would be better. When he saw me, since I've appeared before him before, he came up with an idea.

A statute of liberty play.

Basically, I sat on a bench in the hallway reading my treo (science fiction not law related) and looked over at the tenant next to me every so often.

Suddenly the landlord changed his tune and started dealing. Amazing what I can accomplish when I do nothing.