Crime & Federalism

To say that my week at Glen Highland Farm was wonderful would be an understatement. Let's talk mind-blowing. An experience akin, I say, to time at Thunderhead Ranch, the home of Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College.

Of course, there are differences.

Glan Highland, located in upstate New York, is the home-base of a northeastern border collie rescue effort. Scores of dogs walk the grounds of the farm. Some have been seriously abused by hapless or cruel owners. Love Dogs? Check it Out?

Not our dogs. My wife's and my children are all in college or beyond. Our nest was empty, so in walked Odysseus and Penelope, our two 18 month old border collies. I am not sure who owns whom in our house.

So there we were at camp with the dogs last week. Our passion? Herding sheep. The dogs loved it, and it was pretty good exercise for me, too, expecially when I was knock on my fanny by a panicked ewe. We're going to be purchasing a small flock of sheep soon, just as soon as we fence in one of our pastures.

So why write about this on a law-related blog?

I was reminded of the Trial Lawyers College over and over again. Take people from their usual surroundings, place them in a remote but beautiful spot and force them to interact with strangers. The alchemy is powerful.

My wife and I laughed ourselves silly one night imagining some the staff from the trial lawyers' college at dog camp. The notion of dog psychodrama had us in tears.

I'm back at work now, but still aglow after a week with the dogs, just as I was aglow after 30 days spent in Wyoming with other lawyers. I miss the time with the dogs. I can't say the same of the college, however. I guess dogs are just easier to be with than people.