Professional Courtesy?

I was attending a CLE seminar with one other clerk from my office at a local firm this morning. This session was on Electronic Discovery, the corresponding modifications to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and presenting forensic computer analysis at trial (a real eye-opener at 8am).

The seminar was three hours of me fretting about how my array of iPods could be the target of an embarring Electronic Discovery request ("No counselor, I'm not sure why there is midget porn interspursed with my collection of David Gray..."). I also spent a good portion of the seminar daydreaming about one of the hot presenters (her talk was on the jurors intelligence level (see: “bucket o' refried beans”) and the use of trial graphics). Beats being in the office for the morning…

But I digress.

There was a wide array of pastries for the taking throughout this seminar. I respectfully declined one when I arrived and took active part in the fruit tray and coffee selections (artificial creamer…once it hits your lips…must fill it up again). Three hours of talking and PowerPoint later, I am truly famished. I fill out the survey, talk with the other clerk, and prepare to leave. The room had quickly emptied out with only the host firms lawyers left milling about. I am staring the pastry tray face to face right now and I wonder if it is acceptable legal practice to take another firm's Danish before leaving their seminar?

I ponder this for several seconds. No one else has taken one on their way out. The tray is overflowing with sugary goodness. My co-worker is not grabbing one. Do I grab one? What should I do? Do I take the step to look like ‘that guy’? What do I do!?!

I walked out, sans pastry, and I’ve been pondering this question since: is it proper to take a fat pill pastry for the road?