tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262 2008-09-17T17:06:10Z Movable Type 3.34 tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.7256 2008-09-17T15:53:40Z 2008-09-17T17:06:10Z

Hi everyone, This week I wanted to let you all know of some new and incredible things that have been happening on campus! First off, we have a brand new campus! Revealed in August, it includes new lecture and seminar...

Aisha http://www.slaw.neu.edu/albums/2008/dockser-03/ . Secondly, we have two new dual degree programs. They were both finalized over the summer, so we are still in the process of putting the details on our websites. Be on the lookout for more information. First, we have established a daul degree program with Brandeis' Heller School. This program will allow students to get both their J.D. and a Master's Degree in Sustainable International Development. Second, we have established a dual degree program with Vermont Law School. Under this program, students can receive both their J.D. and Master's Degree in Environmental Law and Policy - all in just three years. Very exciting! Third, we have a brand new website that will be launched soon. I'm sure you cannot wait and neither can I! Finally, we have new bloggers joining us this fall to give you alternative perspectives on life at NUSL... So, those are the updates for now...if you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact me! ]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.7143 2008-09-03T19:19:08Z 2008-09-03T19:33:11Z

Hello out there, I hope that this posting finds all of you doing well and winding down from what I hope was a very exciting summer! As many of you know, I graduated from NUSL on May 23 and took...

Aisha Hello out there, I hope that this posting finds all of you doing well and winding down from what I hope was a very exciting summer! As many of you know, I graduated from NUSL on May 23 and took the Georgia bar examination on July 29th and 30th. I will get the results of the exam sometime in early November, so I am writing to tell you all about my new role with NUSL that will help me pass the time. I have accepted a temporary position with the Admissions office here and my role will entail speaking to prospective students about our program here. I will be on the road and travelling all over the country to attend law forums and fairs and graduate and professional school fairs. I am really excited about my role because I really enjoy travelling. My plan for this blog is to share with you questions that I have heard on the road about Northeastern's law program. I am really excited about this new role and anticipate meeting you all. Until my first fair (next Tuesday), if there is anything you would like me to address, please do not hesitate to leave a comment. Take care. tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.6924 2008-07-23T21:24:35Z 2008-07-24T14:41:58Z

Hello cyberworld...I hope that you all are doing well this summer. I have six days left before I take the bar exam. I cannot believe how time has flown by this summer. I am completely exhausted, a little heavier (studying...

Aisha Hello cyberworld...I hope that you all are doing well this summer. I have six days left before I take the bar exam. I cannot believe how time has flown by this summer. I am completely exhausted, a little heavier (studying on end will pack on pounds even if you're eating right) and very excited to get this part of my life over and done with. Studying for the bar has been a very emotional experience for me. On the one hand, I have this great legal education which prepared me nicely for the exam. On the other, my brain can only retain so much information. I keep telling myself that thousands have come before me and have done well and they were successful and that is what keeps my spirits moving. Anyway, back to studying... I hope that you all are doing well and if you're about to enter your first year at NUSL, get plenty of rest...the first few weeks are a bit tiring. Take care... tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.6593 2008-06-16T23:53:13Z 2008-06-17T02:06:01Z

Hello fellow readers, I have been gone for a while and for that, I sincerely apologize. My life is completely and totally consumed with preparing for the Georgia bar! Mortgages, corporations, professional responsibility, contracts (and a host of other law...

Aisha Hello fellow readers, I have been gone for a while and for that, I sincerely apologize. My life is completely and totally consumed with preparing for the Georgia bar! Mortgages, corporations, professional responsibility, contracts (and a host of other law subjects) now take up my entire world. While many of my colleagues likely wouldn't admit this, I have to say that two and a half weeks in, I kind of enjoy learning all that I have gained during law school. I really "feel" I know more than I think...we'll see though. With that said, I received a friendly reminder that my blog fans wanted an update and I will do the best I can to continue to check in weekly, though one caveat - I'm not sure how good I'll be as July 29 and 30 inch closer. Anyway, a few exciting things to share with you all: First - Graduation was awesome! It was so nice to reconnect with classmates and spend a week enjoying graduation week events that were planned by an awesome committee of graduating 3Ls! Justice Breyer and Karl Klare (a professor at NUSL) gave really wonderful speeches and it was really amazing to have a Supreme Court Justice join us for the day. I also gave my graduation speech and I feel pretty good about it. It was a bit nerve wracking to follow Justice Breyer and a highly respected law professor, but I got through it. If you're at all interested, the video is posted here: http://www.northeastern.edu/neuhome/videos/lawcommencement08/index.html Second - I have accepted a contract position with Northeastern a month after I take the bar. I have some promising job leads in Georgia, but I must pass the bar to begin the formal hire processes. So, yes, I will be returning to Boston for three months to work at what is now called, my alma mater. I hope that all of you who will be entering the NUSL class of 2011 are enjoying your summer and getting all the rest and relaxation that you can. The first few months of law school are exciting and exhausting, so if you want any advice for how you should be spending your time now, my personal advice is to R.E.S.T. That's just my $.02 though. Anyway, that's all for now. I do hope that you continue to fare well! tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.6379 2008-05-14T15:22:27Z 2008-05-14T19:50:38Z

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...

Aisha 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. tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.6139 2008-04-24T19:58:12Z 2008-04-24T23:28:31Z

Hello everyone out there, I hope that you all are having a great week as I am. The weather in Atlanta has been awesome and I was very excited to be able to put my coat away! The unfortunateness is...

Aisha Hello everyone out there, I hope that you all are having a great week as I am. The weather in Atlanta has been awesome and I was very excited to be able to put my coat away! The unfortunateness is that it's supposed to get colder next week. Oh well, day by day it is. So much is going on in my world right now... I'm heading to Alabama for another evidentiary hearing next week and this one promises to be very interesting. I am doing my part around here by helping all the attorneys get ready...it's nuts, but lots of fun! I am also getting prepared for my the parole hearing in Montgomery on May 7...that should also be very interesting! I can't wait to tell you all about it! On the school front, I am almost done with a first draft of my graduation speech and I am starting to get a little nervous about it. It's not often that a law student gets to speak in the presence of a Supreme Court Justice. In the real world when a lawyer prepares to argue in front of the High Court, there are weeks and weeks of mock oral arguments in front of colleagues to get you ready for your presentation and any question the Justices may ask of you. I am so glad that I am not preparing to be receiving any questions, but I am starting to get nervous nevertheless. Finally, I still do not have a job post-graduation and graduation is one month from yesterday. I'm not too worried since most law school graduates don't have jobs before graduation, but it is still a point of contention. So, keep me in your minds. I hope this email doesn't sound too depressing because that's now how I feel - I think that this sense of feeling anxious and a tad bit overwhelmed is normal for a third-year law student who has less than four weeks left. So with that, I hope that those of you who have been accepted into NUSL will send me your questions about coming here that way I can write about things that will truly be helpful and insightful to you. Take care! tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.6004 2008-04-15T23:43:36Z 2008-04-16T00:23:18Z

Hello everyone, I hope this blog posting finds you doing well...this entry is so late because I have been on the road. In fact, right now, I am sitting in my car outside of Panera Bread in Tuscaloosa using their...

Aisha Hello everyone, I hope this blog posting finds you doing well...this entry is so late because I have been on the road. In fact, right now, I am sitting in my car outside of Panera Bread in Tuscaloosa using their free wireless connection. I did buy some tea though so I suppose I shouldn't feel that bad. Last week, I went to Birmingham because guess what - I will be conducting a parole hearing for a person who is currently incarcerated. I got the assignment last Tuesday and on May 7, I will be her representative to the parole board. In Alabama, defendants do not have a right to be present at their own parole hearings and the Southern Center for Human Rights will take their parole hearings with the underlying expectation that a third year law student is available and willing to take their case. In this capacity, I am responsible for putting together packets outlining my clients' honors earned in prison and her home plan (a plan to transition back into society), and presenting all this information to the parole board. I am very excited about this!!! Apparently, the Alabama Board listens to you for a few minutes, listens to the state, and makes a decision right then and there...no pressure though. I am super excited!!! Right now, I am in Tuscaloosa, Alabama because one of our clients on death row had an evidentiary hearing yesterday and today in support of his Rule 32 Petition. Based on my limited understanding, a Rule 32 petition is the procedural mechanism where a defendant may challenge certain aspects of his trial. Another way of putting it may be that a Rule 32 petition is a state habeas corpus petition, though that's not entirely accurate. Our hearing presented some ineffective assistance of counsel claims and some mitigation evidence claims. It was very hard to hear the latter because our clients' upbringing has been painfully difficult!!!! The judge still has some oustanding evidence to review so we won't get a ruling for at least 90 days, but I am so glad I was able to get this experience. It was very informative and I learned a lot!!! Anyway, I'm heading back to Atlanta tomorrow - I would love to hear from you all if you have any questions about the Southern Center or if you have any general law school questions. I'll talk to you later this week! tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.5852 2008-04-07T15:10:57Z 2008-04-07T15:40:53Z

Hello everyone out there, I hope that you had a great week last week! My week was pretty busy - lots to report here! First off, I had my first post-graduate job interview for a superior court two-year clerkship. The...

Aisha Hello everyone out there, I hope that you had a great week last week! My week was pretty busy - lots to report here! First off, I had my first post-graduate job interview for a superior court two-year clerkship. The judge said that she called me in because of the diversity of my resume (from teaching to recruiting to becoming a law student) and that while she isn't currently in need of a clerk (her clerk has a few more months to fulfill), she wanted me in her pipeline. The interview went very well and I feel very confident about my interview performance. I do need a job sooner than six months though, so we'll see what happens. On another front entirely, we went to Alabama last week to interview people for our upcoming evidentiary hearing. Through this visit I learned quite a few things. First, people can get very damaged from sitting on a jury where the crime is death penalty eligible. Consequently, their willingness to help you can be impaired. I never thought about jurors feeling guilty after sentencing a person to die and to witness it was very enlightening and quite sad. Second, there seems to be a serious need for community-wide education about the death penalty - people are strongly wedded to their ideas and they are largely based on myths...now, if you read my entries a few months ago, I was definitely ignorant about the death penalty, so now that I know more, I recognize this sentiment is a bit judgmental. It's just very frustrating and difficult to balance respect for people's ideas (and people who you need to help you!) and the fact that their ideas are often very far from reality. Add that to all the evidentiary rules and you have a very thin line that you're balancing on. Finally, the reason I love the coop system so much is that you really do get a feel for what you want to do (or at least, what you don't want to do) as an attorney. I have realized during this coop that if I decided somewhere down the road to practice anti-death penalty work, it would have to be at the trial level. The trial level can be fascinating - from selecting jurors to determining a defense theory. So, that's the revelation for the week. The evidentiary hearing is next week, so hopefully there will be lots to share then! Take care! tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.5713 2008-03-31T14:52:32Z 2008-03-31T15:28:00Z

Hello everyone, I hope that your week went very well! I have been extremely busy preparing to spend four days in Alabama for an evidentiary hearing. This is where we get to show the court our evidence supporting a life...

Aisha http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/06-10119.pdf]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.5523 2008-03-24T15:32:31Z 2008-03-24T16:23:01Z

Hello everyone, I hope that you had a good weekend. For those of you who celebrate the Easter holiday, I hope it went well! My weekend was filled with lots of yardwork - my body is so sore today! My...

Aisha Hello everyone, I hope that you had a good weekend. For those of you who celebrate the Easter holiday, I hope it went well! My weekend was filled with lots of yardwork - my body is so sore today! My husband and I are going to start a vegetable garden this spring. In order to make this work, I had to till the ground and put down fresh soil because planting vegetables in Georgia clay will not work. We're going to plant rosemary (I use it in everything), strawberries, tomatoes, and yellow squash. I am really excited, but glad to be here at coop not doing anything physically draining. So, in remaining consistent with my blog topics (enough about gardening already), I wanted to let you all know about how hard last Friday was for me. I am totally the type of person who needs first-hand context to feel passion about my work. What I mean by this is that doing appellate work is fascinating legally, but somewhat removed from the client because at the appellate stage, you are reviewing the record for legal error and making an appeal to the appellate court to provide legal relief based on such error. I hope this is not too confusing. Anyway, last Friday, I asked one of the investigators here to share some stories with me about our clients. While I cannot go into incredible detail about what was revealed to me, what I will say is that at least for the two clients I am working on now, their childhood lives were more horrific than I truly thought possible!!!!! Of course, I knew that there were some very difficult experiences out there, but it's different when it slaps you in the face like it did me. On a more positive note, that kind of revelation was just what I needed to incite the passion that I was looking for. Have a good week everyone! tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.5358 2008-03-13T16:00:49Z 2008-03-13T16:55:47Z

Hello everyone, I hope this blog posting finds everyone out there doing well! I wanted to share my experience about death row last week, but work at the Southern Center is incredibly busy and I haven't had time, so today's...

Aisha Hello everyone, I hope this blog posting finds everyone out there doing well! I wanted to share my experience about death row last week, but work at the Southern Center is incredibly busy and I haven't had time, so today's the day. Last week, I went to one of Alabama's three death rows. I went to the one located in Atmore, Alabama. Though death row is located here, there are also prisoners in Atmore who have not been convicted of capital crimes. The trip there and back is equivalent to half of the drive to Boston from Atlanta (600 miles!). Yes, it was a long day! I wanted to share some of my reflections with you about the entire experience. Some of this is based on the fact that my father worked at federal prisons his entire life and subsequently, I lived on prison reservations for a good chunk of my childhood. (A prison reservation is simply lower cost housing for prison employees.) So, I've seen quite a few prisons in my lifetime. The first thing I noted was the physical condition of the prison. Half of the road leading up to the prison was paved and the other half was a dirt road. The paved road was replete with pot holes and made New York City's potholes seem mild. There was a tower right in front of the prison and there was no intercom system. So, we had to yell up to the guard and inform him we were visiting one of our clients. It was very strange. Once we got inside, I noticed the whole place just looked like it needed a good pressure washing. It just seemed very dirty, but perhaps that perception was colored by our purpose for the visit. The entire trip was incredibly sad! One of the problems with the death penalty is that some people who are sentenced to it get emotionally and mentally tired of the appellate processes. As a result, they ask their support network (if they're lucky to have one) to help them end their lives sooner. I was unfortunately privvy to this sentiment and it made me feel an even greater sense of urgency to what the Southern Center stands for. So, sorry that this blog is somewhat muddled, but my thoughts are all over the place after being able to put real faces and places to the death penalty. One thing is clear though, I am opposed to the death penalty and I am learning more and more about why I am not a fan. I will hopefully be sharing these reasons with you increasingly over the next few months of this coop. Take care! tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.5279 2008-03-07T04:17:47Z 2008-03-07T14:29:44Z

Hello everyone, Sorry I've been MIA for the past week and a half...but lots to share with you today! My coop began last Friday at the Southern Center for Human Rights. Please go here if you want to know more:...

Aisha Hello everyone, Sorry I've been MIA for the past week and a half...but lots to share with you today! My coop began last Friday at the Southern Center for Human Rights. Please go here if you want to know more: www.schr.org Essentially, the Center focuses on death penalty appeals and civil litigation regarding prison conditions. The people I have met so far are absolutely amazing and I wanted to share with you something we did Monday night after work. So, the Center's employees are by and large Northerners yet very eager to learn more about the South. Last month, they started a study group and on Monday night, I attended a meeting about a riot / massacre that happened in the city of Atlanta in 1906 and had a huge role in shaping the Atlanta I know and love today. We read Rage in the Gate City by Rebecca Burns. Since I just began my coop, I read an excerpt of the book. Embarassingly, it was my first time learning about this terrible event in Atlanta's history. We had a wonderful discussion about the historical race challenges that Atlanta has had and the implications on our work at the Center. It was absolutely amazing! Everyone was so thoughtful and considerate and I walked away feeling that this coop was a right choice for me. So, that's that. I will write later about my first visit to Alabama's death row which happened today.... tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.5140 2008-02-26T06:14:53Z 2008-02-26T14:09:02Z

Hello out there, I hope that everyone is doing well! After 1100 miles and eighteen and a half hours, I am home! It was an amazing trip - one of my best friends flew to Boston to drive with me...

Aisha Hello out there, I hope that everyone is doing well! After 1100 miles and eighteen and a half hours, I am home! It was an amazing trip - one of my best friends flew to Boston to drive with me and how thankful I am for her! It was a great time to get catch up and begin the post finals relaxation process. I took my last final last Wednesday, tied up loose ends, and left. As my post a few weeks ago mentioned, I am sad about leaving Northeastern. It's been such a wonderful community! But now, the post-grad work begins. I need a job! I have a clerkship interview coming up (wish me luck) and I am very excited about that. I need to get some other leads though - I can't rest my future on one job interview. So, as I find my "lawyer" job, please keep your fingers crossed for me. On another note entirely, my all-time favorite show, The Wire, is ending. I am also very sad about this. Not a lot of people watched this HBO show, but it is an amazing tale about the city of Baltimore and the intersections between the drug dealers, the police, the politicians, the schools, and the media. Any future lawyer would become hooked! In fact, one of my classmates told me about the show during my first year and it wasn't until I was in the thick of wedding planning that I actually took a look. If you haven't watched this show, watch it! You won't be disappointed. And with that, I'll talk to you all later this week after I've begun my coop. Take care! tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.4998 2008-02-16T04:36:45Z 2008-02-16T17:01:29Z

Hello everyone, I hope that you all had a great week! Things were booming around NUSL this week. It started with our annual No Talent Show. This is an annual event put on by the Cooperative Income Sharing Program, NUSL's...

Aisha Hello everyone, I hope that you all had a great week! Things were booming around NUSL this week. It started with our annual No Talent Show. This is an annual event put on by the Cooperative Income Sharing Program, NUSL's student run program that raises money for students completing public interest coops. The event showcases some faculty parodies (done by students), some reflections on our law school experience, and some of the many talents NUSL students have (one student played the piano and it was amazing; another team of students performed an awesome dance routine - it made me want to get up and dance). The No Talent Show is a must for NUSL students. Unfortunately, this was my first year attending due to circumstances out of my control, but I am so glad I had the chance to go - it was so much fun. AND, my week ended by being voted as the fall/spring student speaker for our graduation in May. I am very happy to be representing my class at graduation and very thankful that my fellow students chose me to honor them and our experience in this manner. So, unlike last week, I am in much better spirits and very much looking forward to May. Take care everyone! Aisha tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/neuslaw/Aisha//262.4898 2008-02-07T23:54:54Z 2008-02-08T00:51:46Z

Hey folks, I hope that this week has been good to you. I'm writing this blog to you with sadness in my heart. I have thirteen days left at the NUSL community and quite frankly, I don't want to see...

Aisha Hey folks, I hope that this week has been good to you. I'm writing this blog to you with sadness in my heart. I have thirteen days left at the NUSL community and quite frankly, I don't want to see it end. I am going to be on coop in Atlanta, but the days of wandering the halls of NUSL are ending for me. I wanted to share just a few examples from this week that are going to make me really miss this place: (1) I fell off the bus earlier this week and at least five of my classmates offered to help me get (I mean hobble) around... even one great staff member offered to help me and I was just so humbled and grateful; (2) Just today, two people came up to me to tell me about jobs in Atlanta that they've come across in their own job searches and they wanted to make sure I had the heads up - only one other graduate (that I know of) is going to Atlanta after graduation; and (3) I gave a presentation today about my death penalty work that I've done in Advanced Legal Research and was told throughout the rest of the day how awesome my presentation was. If you're thinking about NUSL, know this: you'll feel a great sense of community here if you want it - a community that I don't think you'll find anywhere else, you'll be around awesome students, faculty and staff members who will offer to help you in any way they can (and trust me, they'll follow through); and when it's all over, you'll wonder - through all the the reading, studying, and outlining, did I just wake up from a dream? Is it over already? Folks, I simply love NUSL and am so sad that my time here has come to an end...so sad. Maybe next week I'll be more chipper, but this week, I don't have anything to write about other than the fact that I will truly miss the place that has been awesome during the last three years. I'll see you next week!