Practicing law in the face of the inevitable and seemingly interminable wait.

The official answer came back from BEX.  I failed the Spanish language test.  My preparation was admittedly inadequate, but I also did several other things wrong.  I should not have scheduled the test for the morning when I was nervous and groggy.  I'm much more able to think on my feet and form cognizable sentences in the afternoon when I'm awake.  Also, I should not have had anything open in front of me.  I had a few notes out that distracted me from the conversation.  My speaking ability is quite high, but clearly my nerves got the best of me. So it's going to be six months of Spanish reading and Spanish TV until I can take the test again in January, although I am hopeful I won't have to wait that long.  In the event that I do, I'm certain to knock it out of the park.

In other news, I'm moving forward with my cases at work and enjoying a bit of legal research work this week.  I'm also looking for a bigger, better paying firm to keep my wife and I fed (and our future baby fed) in the event the foreign service decides not to call anybody after September.  In the end, I think my family will appreciate the stability that will come with not moving for a while longer.  This is also an opportunity to save a bit more money before taking the pay cut that goes along with the foreign service.  As an alternative option, I have been considering a position with the public defender here.  I know I will get to trial more often as a PD and I think my forensics background would bring something very unique to the table at the PD's office.  If an offer materializes I'm not sure I will take it, but it is worth considering at this point.  One of the downsides to civil litigation is that getting to the "fun stuff" takes a mountain of drudgery.  A stint in criminal law would be a welcome reprieve from that.  I am very happy it is Friday and I'm looking forward to golfing this weekend.  That's it for now.