It’s been a while. The last few weeks have been busy. First, I graduated from law school. Yep. I have a doctorate in law. Feel free to call me Lindsay Cremona, J.D. or Dr. Cremona. Or Lindsay Cremona, Esquire. Your choice.
I have wanted to be a lawyer for most of my life. When most kids were dreaming of becoming movie stars or astronauts, I just wanted to be Atticus Finch. It was a relatively simple life choice for me. When I graduated from undergrad, I started an internship at the Wisconsin Public Defenders. My job was simple: I interviewed. Every morning I walked to jail and interviewed individuals who were arrested the night before to find out if they were eligible for our services. My afternoons were spent interviewing victims or witnesses in their homes to get their perspective. Most interactions with witnesses and victims were the same. Either the door was slammed in my face or the interview lasted no more than 15 minutes. Announcing that you represented the defendant didn’t make you many friends–especially when it came to the victim.
But then one day I was assigned with interviewing an alleged victim of a domestic assault charge. It started out typical. She answered my questions about the events that transpired to our client’s arrest, and after 15 minutes, I had gotten all the information needed and was about to leave. But she got up and came back with a box of photo albums. And for the next couple of hours, I looked through her photo albums with her. Saw pictures of her child, her family, her dogs, her childhood. And that’s when I knew I wanted to be a lawyer.
Everyone has a story to tell. I want to help tell that story. I want to do more than just write an article about it–I want to do something to enrich the story-help someone’s situation. Give them an opportunity to be heard while giving them an opportunity for change. And that’s what I do all day now. Provide an outlet for people to tell their stories and get some resolution. Yeah, I’ve heard my fair share of lawyer jokes. And to be honest (and not at all bias), they are misdirected. There are gonna be those that give the profession a bad name, but at the end of the day, I see my job as giving the voiceless a voice. I like that.
So last weekend I graduated from law school and immediately went on vacation. After three years of minimum sleep and stress and cold calls, it was time for a break. So I went with my husband, my parents, and in-laws to Savannah, Georgia.
Outside our Bed and Breakfast ready to explore the city!
Matt and I went to Savannah on our honeymoon and fell in love with the city. I love the old mansions, city squares, and slower place of life. Matt loves the southern comfort food. Since I try to make healthier food at home, Matt took full advantage of the fried chicken, collard greens, and sweet potatoes. When we got home, I promised Matt I’d try out a Southern-style recipe for him. Lucky for him, my friend Kelsey had gone to a beer festival and had collected several recipes that included beer for me to make and one of them had Paula Deen written all over it. So here is a not so healthy but insanely delicious meal that is worth the indulgence.