It is bittersweet... though, because Bankruptcy has been my world for the last 10 years or so. I remember starting out as a legal assistant, learning about reaffirmation agreements and going to 341 hearings to translate for clients (back in the day they actually let us translate-now it's all done over the phone by someone in another country), I remember the first time after I passed the bar, the local trustee was so used to seeing me as a translator...so when I sat on the other side of the table where the attorneys sit... she paused and questioned me, "I am an attorney now-I proudly announced" but I digress... I'm going to miss my bk clients, I'm going to miss sorting through my clients stacks of unopened bills (Just kidding I won't miss that) but I will miss sitting in court reassuring my clients as they nervously await their case to be called by the trustee. I was proud to be one of very few women bk attorneys in Salinas and I remember I was amazed when I realized our chapter 13 trustee had an all female staff (they recently hired a local male attorney).
Bankruptcy will always hold a special place in my heart. It allowed me to become a seasoned attorney, it gave me job security during the economic downturn, it allowed me to meet hard working honest families and small businesses and help them, it gave me friends for life in the local bk attorneys. But now I must move on to continue to pursue my Immigration passion.