THE ROBING ROOM

Intelligent with good instincts, but utterly overwhelmed by case load. Incapable of making decisions in a timely fashion -- even simple, routine decisions; even decisions that would move the case forward or move it toward settlement (and thus reduce her level of work). Most of her decisions tend to arrive just before March 31 or September 30 - the dates when the Administrative Office of the Courts checks to see how many pending motions judges have. Because the decisions are often rushed, the scholarship is frequently poor.