Monday Profile: Erika S. Julien

Residence: Canton What is your idea of perfect happiness? Pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. What is your greatest fear? Boredom. What is the trait you hate most in yourself? I don't think I have had a full night's sleep in at least a couple of years, but I still can't seem to put myself to bed. What is the trait you hate most in others? The failure to realize that everyone lives in a glass house. If you suddenly had an extra room in your house, what would you do with it? Put a hot tub in it. Favorite words: I have the words "Eternal Courage" tattooed in Chinese down my spine. What was your most memorable meal? Every meal I've ever eaten at Haab's Restaurant. Always good food and friends. If you could take back one thing you did ...Just one? What is your most treasured material possession? My sense of humor. It's 7 a.m. Monday. How are you feeling? Ready for coffee. I have two kids, ages 8 and 11/2 years old, and I always have a full morning of getting them up, changed, fed, and to school and daycare, before I even get started on my own full day of court hearings, jail visits, phone calls, emails, client meetings, motion prep, and general fires to put out. Then it's back into family mode after work. What would surprise people about your job? My clients are people too. Would you rather save money or time? Money. It can buy time. Lol. Introvert or extrovert? Extrovert. Although I keep just a small group of close friends, I'm certainly not shy to strike up a conversation with anyone. Start worrying when I'm quiet. What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Grace. Luckily I abandoned it a long time ago. What's your greatest achievement: Marrying (and re-marrying) the love of my life and having two gorgeous kids together. What would you say to your 16-year-old self? Your dreams come true...all of them. What's the oddest thing you ever bought? Severed fingers, ears, and eyeballs. Although buying these things for Halloween may not have been odd given the context, how really excited I was to find them at the dollar store kind of was. What one thing do you wish people knew about your work? Being a criminal defense attorney is not the taking of a moral position. Legal problems are no different than medical problems. Doctors do not refuse to treat patients over moral issues with their medical conditions. There are laws and facts, burdens and theories. If it was your life or liberty at stake, you would want someone who is the best at what they do, too. Favorite joke: I have several but none of them are suitable for print. What is your most treasured material possession? My very dark sense of humor. What is something most people don't know about you? I love to dance and sing really bad karaoke. What do you wish more people understood? Justice rides a slow horse. If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? Wanda Sykes, Robin Williams, and Mel Brooks. Who is your favorite character of fiction? Janie Crawford, from "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. Favorite movie: There are too many to name. I quote movies and song lyrics constantly. Everything reminds me of something. But I love witty, dark, or involved plots and independent films. Subtitles are a bonus. What is your motto? Live life with no regrets. Published: Thu, Nov 29, 2012