Jury Duty, Little Sleep, and Work Left Behind

I just finished two weeks of jury duty.

I began writing as the trial started last week, after nearly three full days of jury selection.  This criminal trial involved a serious vehicle collision in the state of North Carolina.  As required by law, I am only sending this newsletter and discussing the circumstances after the conclusion of the trial, which was yesterday.

These past two weeks, jury duty completely obliterated my work life.  To allow for my duty, I had to postpone and cancel four lunch meetings.  I had to put off a client onsite, miss meetings and interviews with FINRA, TOBIN’s regulator, and renegotiate deadlines with clients.  I relied heavily on my colleagues and worked even more over the weekend, evenings and early mornings than I normally do.  I slept, but not much.

I always send a newsletter at the end of each month, but this month’s topic – preselected with my marketing team – could hold no space in my brain nor passion in my heart.  Jury duty consumed my time and thoughts.

Jury duty impacts all of us in the United States of America and in turn our business lives.  It immobilizes our carefully constructed work schedules and those of our bosses, clients, colleagues and families.

Because of that, many Americans strive to find a reason not to serve as a juror.

I am here to suggest that you accept the privilege of fulfilling your civic duty and serve as a juror the next time you are afforded the opportunity.

The United States is in a moment of both recalibration and resilience, navigating demographic change, affordability challenges and technological disruption. Our internal debates, disputes and plans echo well beyond our borders.  Most Americans feel the vast disruption of this moment.

I feel it, too.

Yet, I have found it deeply healing to sit in a jury box. It has been comforting to listen to an Assistant District Attorney make her case on behalf of a few of our state’s citizens and to observe and acknowledge the guardrails of presumed innocence for the defendant until, and if, he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

My jury duty reminds me, again, that I am proud to be an American.  My jury duty brought me great joy, despite the fact that these two weeks were incredibly demanding, intellectually and physically, as I fulfilled my duties as both a juror and a business leader.

During the two weeks, my eyes welled up with tears, I met new people, I learned about interesting circumstances and saw a part of our community that I had not experienced before.  I rode my bike to and from the courthouse each day, and I drank a lot of coffee.  I received grace from my clients, colleagues, peers and vendors as I navigated these responsibilities.

It was worth every moment, and I would gladly do it again.

I hope that you would, too.