You may have noticed that I advise a great deal of pre-court preparation before stepping into the courthouse. Practice Hard, Fight Easy. And it also never hurts to have memorized several songs from those English light opera champions Gilbert & Sullivan. In the Pirates of Penzance, the chorus for the policeman is “A policeman’s lot is not a happy one.” Just substitute paralegal and try to keep from smiling. Just try.

If nothing else, these songs will take your mind off your troubles so you are fresh when you get to the clerk or the courthouse.