Now, I don't know about law firms taking summer associates to Tijuana to booze it up and sing karaoke (see infra). I feel that a law firm's money could be spent in a way that would benefit the community in Tijuana in a more positive manner. Perhaps I am too idealistic. On the other hand, I may be hypocritical. I think my firm's recent SURFING trip for summer associates was absolutely fabulous. My upper arms have never been so sore as they were the day after I surfed but the exhilaration of catching waves and actually standing up for a few fractions of a second made it all worth the trip (and the working Saturday).
To top off an excellent surfing experience, after catching waves I drank the first Bloody Mary I actually liked and... appeared in a major lawyer newspaper today. The best tidbits from the article include this quote from the coordinator about how to teach summer associates to surf. He "does what any good lawyer would [do.] '[He drafts] a memo about surfing... And then every year, [He changes] the dates, patch[es] it up and send[s] it back around." As for me, I was quoted as saying, "I'm a Minnesotan, [I hope surfing is] something like sledding."
Another part of the article pictured me, grinning and bearing the weight of the board as I walked in my wetsuit towards the beach. Wetsuits are not so flattering. I never anticipated wearing a wetsuit in my first "paparazzi" moment. Grubby sweats, maybe. A wetsuit, never. I would post the picture, but, in all honesty, it is inaccessible without payment of an absurdly expensive online subscription fee.
In any event, the article went on to talk about some other law firm events including the aforementioned trip to Tijuana. I wonder if any of these summers had experiences like Marissa's TJ OD in the first season of the OC...
"Recently, a group of eight from Baker & McKenzie's Palo Alto and San Francisco offices paid a visit to the firm's San Diego office -- and then headed south of the border with summer associates from that office to visit Baker's outpost in Tijuana.
The trip included an introduction to the office, a talk on efforts to locate new businesses in Tijuana and a Mexican meal, highlighted with karaoke.
Despite some surprise from the summer associates, karaoke is a regular occurrence in Baker's Tijuana office.
"Partners, too, were singing," said [a summer associate]. A couple of tequila shots later, [summer associate] was singing as well, to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it On."
Indeed, let's get it on.
5 comments:
The fact that your firm has an office in TJ is really saying somethng! You really will have to find a way to post those pics of you surfing. What fun! I knew that lawyers had to be doing something worthwhile with the mad bank they charge. :) One of my goals during my "bein' a bum" year off is to learn how to surf in Costa Rica! We'll see what happens.
Definitely, absolutely, learn to surf in Costa Rica. I can't think of a more fantastic way to spend a year off than surfing your days away on Central American beaches.
As for Tijuana, that was another firm, not my own, that took folks on a trip there. I agree though, it is saying something, although I'm not sure what... to have offices in TJ.
Take care:)
booyah! that is so cool!!
(i thought you were working for orrick?)
i am indeed working for orrick, i just hadn't named the firm in the excerpt:)
Hi,
My name is Hamada Zahawi and was a summer associate at Baker & McKenzie in Summer 2005. While summering at Baker, we went to TJ to see their office there. Subsequently, a reporter had asked that I sum up the trip and I recounted the following story that appeared in The Reporter. However, the story was misconstrued as it states that I was drinking tequilla while I was there. While I was singing on the Kareoke machine, I was not drinking. I asked the Reporter to correct the article, which has been removed from the internet, yet your posting is the only place where the error still exists. I would therefore greatly appreciate it if you could remove this posting or edit it from your Blog since it is the first article that comes up when I am googled and it not reflective of myself nor is it a correct account of the trip. Thank you in advance. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at zahawi@berkeley.edu.
- Hamada Zahawi
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