So Many Updates
Hello cyberspace,
I hope that everyone who reads my blog is doing well!
There are so many things I need to update you on and I apologize that I am so late with this posting, but my computer has been on the fritz. It's finally fixed and I am extremely thankful for that. Though my hard drive wasn't affected, please let this be your reminder to BACK UP YOUR FILES! I was so anxious waiting to hear whether I'd lost everything or not...I didn't lose a thing and am feeling extremely lucky!
Okay, so the first update that I need to tell you about is our second evidentiary hearing in Birmingham, Alabama. This hearing was much shorter than the first one that I attended, but it was much more interesting. I hate that I cannot get into any detail (as I've said all quarter), but I can't.
What I will say is this: if you are an attorney working in a culture that's different from yours, the importance of understanding that culture is extremely important; it can mean the difference between winning and losing or gaining support and losing support. NUSL does a great job of imparting this principle to first year students through the Legal Skills in a Social Context program. Because we all have different experiences and biases based on our upbringing and background, working through how these characteristics may play out in your "lawyering" approach can truly mean a world of difference in terms of how effective a lawyer you'll be.
My second update is that I conducted my parole hearing last Wednesday in Montgomery, Alabama. This experience was by far my most exciting one on this coop. My clients' presentation was very straightforward and I was feeling very confident about my ability to effectively represent her until I received some unfortunate news a week before the hearing. While I cannot go into the details of this, let's just say that my client had a stellar record and she received a citation that tarnished her record.
When I walked into the hearing, I was slightly intimidated because of the layout of the room. The board sits high up (kind of like three judges would in a courtroom) and I had to walk to the podium in the middle of the room with a microphone. Before I started speaking, the board just asked me if I was aware of my clients' infraction. Instead of responding right away, I asked them if I may introduce myself before getting to the merits of her situation. They allowed me to do that and after my introduction, I told them what I knew of the situation, how we prepared to handle it, and how my client recognized the seriousness of her actions. While the board decided not to grant my client parole, they did say they would revisit the possibility of parole in six months.
This is a huge feat for a few reasons! First, the board told me that they planned on allowing my client to finish out her year and a half sentence without parole at all! From what my coop employer told me, the board tends to have their minds made up prior to hearing from a representative; the fact that my presentation changed their minds was truly a first. Secondly, the board generally will revisit a clients' parole eligibility within another year or a year and a half. The fact that they are revisiting my clients' case in six months is another first according to my coop employer. So, overall, I am extremely excited for the result and am very happy for my client!!!!
Finally, the day after my parole hearing, my supervisors and I travelled back to Alabama's death row to meet with some of our clients. We spent six hours "on the yard" visiting with them. Let me just say that I think the movie "Dead Man Walking" does a great job of providing viewers with the "feel" of a death row - it is slightly depressing because the feel of the place is just so bleak. I will also add though that I really enjoyed seeing some of the clients whose claims I'd worked on and it was nice to finally put faces with names.
On Friday, I ended my coop and now I am in the thick of applying for post-graduate jobs and getting prepared for graduation (only 9 days until the big day)! Wish the class of 2008 luck as we prepare to end our three-year law school tenure. I'll chat with you all next week.