Benny, 2L

This has been one brutal summer weather wise here in Boston. While Boston isn't necessarily known for scorching summers, we expect our fair share of sun. Unfortunately, with some rare exceptions, it's basically been cloudy for the last month. I had plans with classmates to go out for drinks to a different bar with outdoor seating each week. But about half way through the summer, we've only been able to do this once.

The internship is going well. I've got a couple of very interesting cases that I'm working on, and I've had the opportunity to meet with a couple of clients, do field research, and draft legal memos, letters, etc. Unfortunately GBLS, like all legal services agencies in Massachusetts and across the country, is experiencing budget problems, just as the demand for its services is peaking due to the recession.

My wife and I went to Madison, WI a couple of weekends ago to visit my brother and his family, including our new baby niece (only one month old). My brother and I, being only 1 1/2 years apart, are very close, and my two nieces are only 2 years apart, so as a younger sibling it was interesting to see their budding sororal relationship. They're coming to town this weekend for a wedding, and I'm excited to have the chance to hang out with them again.

I'm curious: are any incoming 1Ls reading this blog? If so, feel free to ask me questions. Now that my 1L year is in the rearview mirror, perhaps I'm a bit "older and wiser" and can help answer any questions or concerns you may have. Enjoy your few remaining weeks of freedom!

Before I get into the rest of my blog entry for this week, I got a question on last week's entry about the types of clients we serve at Greater Boston Legal Services. Because we provide free legal services, we use income guidelines to determine who is eligible to receive our services. I'm not familiar with the exact specifics of the guidelines, but just because a potential client fits within the guidelines does not necessarily mean that we will take on their case. In addition to the income guidelines, we also look at the strength of their legal claims, to make sure that we can actually help them, if we do decide to take on their case. Cases get assigned to specific units, such as the Elder Law Unit, the Immigration Law Unit, the Welfare Unit, the Housing Unit, and my unit, the Consumer Rights Unit.

I usually use this blog to write about the student experience at NUSL, but on occasion it's also helpful to give you a glimpse of what our professors are up to. Professor Peter Enrich, who was my 1L Contracts professor, is an expert on state and local government issues, including state and local budget and fiscal issues. He was recently interviewed for our local Fox TV affiliate, where he discussed how a relatively new tax credit for film production isn't as good a deal for the state and its municipalities as we've been led to believe. The clip is below. Interesting stuff, at least for those that are interested in state and local policy issues.

We finally have had a stretch of a few beautiful days, so everyone in Boston is in a way better mood. This weekend I'm trying to spend as much time outside as possible, opting for the bike instead of the car, and spending time with friends and family. Tonight we're going to see Sacha Baron Cohen's new Bruno movie, which I've been excited about ever since the Borat movie came out a few years ago.

Yesterday I turned in an early application to co-op in the winter for a judge on the First Circuit Court of Appeals. I have no idea how hard it is to get those co-ops, but I figured it would be a great opportunity to continue improving my legal research and writing skills.

Have a good weekend, and for those of you in the Boston area, enjoy the weather!

A bunch of my non-law school friends decided to do a movie night this summer, so every Wednesday night we get together at a friend's house and watch a movie that we all picked. It's become a really fun tradition, and every week we pick somebody's name out of a hat. That person picks three potential movies for the following week, and we all vote on what we want to see. Tonight? I'm not sure what the final vote tally is, but I voted for Ishtar, which, from everything I've read, is supposed to be one of the worst movies (or at least biggest box office bombs) of all time. My friend who put the movie on the list, though, swears by it, and is convinced that it's thoroughly underrated. Hopefully I'll be able to form an opinion in a couple of hours.

I'm staying at work late today because I'm trying to help a client get a loan modification from her bank, and I needed her to come in and sign some paperwork. It's meaningful and exciting to do this work with clients, and to try and keep them in their homes. At the same time, I've realized over the last couple of months at GBLS how much of an uphill battle we face. We are seeing people's real struggles every day, and all of the financial institutions we work with are just concerned about the bottom line. Taking my several clients' experiences, and multiplying it over the millions of Americans who find themselves in similar straits, quickly makes me realize the rough shape that our economy actually is.

Moving onto more exciting (or at least less depressing) topics, I'm heading out to Bumpkin Island (I know, awesome name) this Friday to camp with some friends, including a law school friend. Bumpkin (I just can't get enough to saying/spelling it out) is part of the Boston Harbor Islands, which is part of the national park system. Virtually forgotten by Bostonians for a long time, over the last decade or so they've become a great destination for people who are looking for a quick, cheap, and really interesting day trip.