Lunch with Garrison, Part 2

“Alright, so let’s talk about the case this week,” Garrison said. He’d ordered a burger wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun, which he clearly wasn’t a major fan of but ate anyway. “Corporate law isn’t as flashy as criminal law, or contract negotiations for high-paid actors or athletes, or all sorts of things you could do. But it’s a solid path, and this week has been a good example of the chess match that you need to put together. Who’s got questions off the top?”

“Sir, and I mean no offence by this,” Gemma said. “But is it always this boring?”

Garrison laughed and shook his head. “Sometimes no, but often yes. In this instance, we aren’t dealing with any ****, health risks, wrongful terminations or the like so the personal injury element isn’t there to lean into. It’s fraud at a corporate reporting level, but not involving the government. Here’s something to remember though - unlike most TV shows and movies, many judges prefer a slow-and-steady approach. Drama in the courtroom is a great way to get yourself on a judge’s shit list, and judges gossip just as much as lawyers so getting on a shitlist means you’re just a step or two from being on all their judge friend’s lists as well.”

“Wouldn’t things being more exciting make their jobs more enjoyable?” Sabrina asked.

“You’d think so, but it’s also a sign that they don’t have control of their court,” Garrison pointed out. “And when they don’t have control, most judges get real antsy and see it as disrespect, not showmanship. It might not be stunning or flashy, but most cases don’t actually hinge on one piece of evidence or testimony. Even criminal cases require a lot of building blocks when things aren’t on video.”

“So which of us do you think would cut it in corporate law, sir?” Eric asked.

Garrison laughed and shook his head. “None of you,” he said, making you all raise your eyebrows. “Not that you couldn’t, but you wouldn’t be happy with it. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable for you to get a taste, and get some training. Eric, you have too much ambition and like the spotlight. I have a feeling that if you have the patience to finish your degree, you’ll end up working for a talent agency of some kind and could one day negotiate for entertainment or athletics clients. Sabrina and Gemma, I have a feeling, will take some time to decide. At least one of you will become a prosecutor - or whatever the equivalent is in Australia. I also wouldn’t be surprised if one or both of you ended up as in-house counsel for a worthy NGO or activist organisation.”

Gemma was grinning. “And what about John?”

“I think John is going to have a strange career,” Garrison said. “And that likely means some time in criminal defence. But in the end, John, I think you have the sort of mind and sense of justice - and careful desire to control your surroundings - that you could end up on a bench.”

“A judge?” you asked, raising an eyebrow as you thought about sitting through day after day of boring cases.

Garrison laughed. “It’s just a thought,” he said. “Don’t look so panicked.”

Pivoting away from the future, Garrison gave the four of you a very brief outline of what his closing statement would look like. The entire case, as he said, didn’t hinge on any one piece of information. It was a building made up of some foundational pieces, sure, but the way he was going to win was through sheer mass of information. Missing or incorrect numbers on spreadsheets, in official emails, and in memos. The one that Gemma had found as you’d been sorting all the boxes was in there, definitely a strong push in the client's favour but not the only one, and not outlining the full scope of the fraud.

Then he spun it around and explained what it was like from the Defence’s side. Their duty was to protect the web that their client had woven, to reinforce the anchoring strands and hope that they could protect enough of the support that the judge believed that the case Garrison had mounted was just some honest mistakes, misunderstandings or irrelevant information. If they did their job well, their web would catch his accusations. If they didn’t, his case would smash through because he’d removed enough of the anchoring lines to make it collapse.

It was an interesting way of looking at what he’d been doing for the last two and a half days. You’d never heard it explained that way before and made you consider the methodical way Garrison had been going about things in a new light.

By the time you were leaving the restaurant, you not only had a new perspective on the last few days but also in how you could have engaged the thought process on the mock trials and debates that you’d participated in through high school and University. And, you could tell, Gemma and Sabrina were both thinking about how it could apply to your current Mock Trial case coming up in a couple of weeks.

The walk back to the courthouse took only a couple of minutes and heading in you arrived with a few minutes to spare for the scheduled start of the afternoon session. Garrison’s associates were already waiting for him, and as soon as he stepped into the room the counsel for the Defense approached him.

“They’re panicking now,” Gemma murmured to you, Sabrina and Eric as you took your seats.

“Did you notice Garrison’s phone kept vibrating during lunch and he ignored it every time?” Sabrina pointed out.

You hadn’t, but you’d been across the circular table from him.

“I bet they were trying to call him that whole time to make a deal,” Eric said. “I wonder if he’ll take it.”

Garrison stood there speaking with the opposing counsel until the bailiff called “All Rise!” as the judge entered. The Defense went back to their table without an answer.

And Garrison turned back to look at the four of you and winked.

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