hello mother, hello fodder.

As a corporate/transactional (not to mention "baby") lawyer, I rarely have the "opportunity" to go to court.  The first time I was chosen (by default) to represent one of our firm's clients on a Motion for Permission to Leave the State, I was stoked.  I called my mom immediately after work to tell her the news.  She sounded really excited for me and asked what I would have to do.  I told her I didn't have to do much, just enter my appearance and tell the judge that my client has no prior criminal record and has had this weekend vacation with her husband planned for months.

"What does 'entering your appearance' mean," she asked.

"Oh, you know, I just say something like, 'Good Morning Your Honor, Nicki [insert last name here], attorney registration number da da da da da, appearing on behalf of the Defendant,'" I responded, my heart already fluttering with adrenaline.

She was silent.

"What?"  I asked, shocked she wasn't impressed.  I mean, I thought it sounded pretty legit.

"Well, it's just that... I always thought that once you... I don't know... made something of yourself... you would stop going by 'Nicki' and start calling yourself 'Nicole.'"

Um...  what?!  She went on to tell me that "Nicki" was such a high school soccer player name, and that "it had always been her dream that one day I would go back to being called 'Nicole'."  Her dream?!?  She couldn't be serious.  Now, it's a normal, motherly dream to want your daughter to become a lawyer, or to marry for love, or to start popping out grandchildren, but to go by a different name... your DREAM?  I was offended.

Out of spite, I introduced myself to the court for the very first time with my high-school-soccer-playing name instead of my "given" name.

I love the name "Nicole."  But I haven't been Nicole since the first day of fourth grade in Mr. Tarcin's class.  Up until that point in my life, he was the only teacher who told the class that if there was a different name you wanted to be called, just come up after class and let him know.  I, being the tomboy that I was, saw this as my opportunity to finally, officially, go by "Nicki."  After all, kids had been calling me "Nicole Bowl" since I had nicknamed myself that in the second grade.  Clearly, Mr. Tarcin was giving me a chance to re-invent myself, for better or worse.  I had been "Nicki" ever since.

My freshman year of college, I made a short-lived attempt to go by "Coley."  Fortunately for me, I went to college in-state, where there were too many kids from my high school to successfully change my name to something that so-closely resembled "E-Coli."

Recently, I have begun to go by Nicole.  Again, I really love the name Nicole... I much prefer "Nicole" over "Nicki," but it's not that simple.  I don't want to be one of those people who, "now that she's a lawyer, she's going by her given name."  But it's funny to me how everyone does that - even guys.  I am in an office with three "Michaels."  Each and every one of them went by "Mike" before becoming a lawyer.

As much as I hate to be conventional, and hate even more to be cliche, maybe now is the perfect opportunity to embrace "Nicole," and not only embrace it, but insist on it.  If nothing else, my mother will finally be proud of me ;)  (kidding Mom.)