Here’s to the Technophobes

I am sitting out in a far-flung suburban courthouse going through my last minute cram session before oral arguments on my opponents motion for summary judgment. I’ve been getting ready for this hearing on and off again for the better part of the week. For this matter, it is just me appearing before the Court but I have been working closely with my senior partner.

That’s when I get a phone call from my other partner:

Partner: Yeah, um, I know you’re busy, but I’m looking for the final brief that we filed in the Smith v. Jones case.
Me: The one that we filed two years ago?
Partner: Yes.
Me: Did you check the firm’s server? I think it’s in a folder named “Final Brief” because I was just looking at it the other day.
Partner: I’m staring at the server and I can’t find the file.

I pull out my iPad and log into the firm server. I quickly navigate my way into the file that he is talking about and find exactly what he is looking for.

Me: Let me walk you through this. Are you in the Smith v. Jones folder?
Partner: Yes.
Me: It’s the fourth folder down as you look at the list of files marked in the folder named “FINAL BRIEF”
Partner: I see order.doc, caselaw.pdf, memorandum.doc and the fourth file is (pauses) caselaw.doc. I don’t see any file named “Final Brief”...I just think that it’s not in here.
Me: Are you sure you are in the right folder?
Partner: Yes.

At this point I am utterly confused as to why he cannot find this file. Then it dawns on me:

Me: From the top, list everything that you see in this folder window.
Partner: Ok, something named Appellate Record, then Correspondence, then Client Correspondence, then Final Brief, then the files start, order.doc...
Me: Stop right there. Final Brief is a folder. Open that.
Partner: ....Oh....

My partner: legal genius that he is has difficulties understanding the differences between FILES and FOLDERS.