Diana, 2L

How fast time flies when your having fun at Co-Op. I have less than three weeks left until the end of my Co-op. Working for Judge Sloviter at the U.S. Court of Appeals Third Circuit has been such an eye opening experience about the inner workings of the judiciary branch. The various assignments I've worked on have dealt with various issues of law such as immigration, disability, denial of social security benefits, and criminal sentencing. In my last week on Co-Op, I will observe another round of oral arguments. A great way to end my Co-Op if I may personally add. Admittedly, working as a judicial intern has improved my research and writing abilities. I highly recommend that most law students, if possible, intern with a judge. The Northeastern Co-Op department does a great job in encouraging us to intern with judges because the experience improves our legal research and writing abilities. I couldn't agree more with this advice.

I've also enjoyed my time here in Philadelphia. Below I added some pictures of one of my favorite places in Philly––the historic farmers market at the Reading Terminal Market. The Reading Terminal Market is the oldest farmers market in the country which houses numerous vendors that sell fresh meat, poultry, seafood, fruits and vegetables. It's also a great place to sit down and eat delicious food with friends and family. I also discovered the Termini Brothers Bakery which sells the most delicious cannolis in Philadelphia.

See my pictures below. Warning-the pictures below may make you hungry. Enjoy!

Cannolis at Termini Brothers Bakery

Termini Brothers Bakery

Reading Terminal

Farmers Market at the Reading Terminal

Philly Cheesesteak from the Reading Terminal

A recent study revealed that minority student enrollment dipped as law school capacity rises. Here is the link to the article:

http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2010/01/minoritystudy.html

Specifically, the study noted that the percentage of African American and Mexican American students enrolled in law school dipped between 1993 and 2008, even as overall law school capacity rose across the country.   Over the 15-year period, the study found that the total number of African Americans and Mexican Americans entering law school dropped from 7.5 percent and 11.7 percent decrease of African American and Mexican American first-year law students, respectively.   Thus, the study notes that to many African Americans and Mexican Americans law school is an elusive dream.  In my opinion, with superior preparation and a stellar law school application, law school is not an elusive dream but a reality.  

Applying to law school is a daunting task but it should not be done alone, especially with the various organizations available that assist students of color with the law school application process.   The purpose of this blog is to inform my blog readers about these organizations. 

As stated in the study, two factors that seem to contribute to the disparity is the increase cost of law school and poor performance of minorities on the LSAT.  Additionally, another factor I would add is a weak law school application. They say it "takes a village to raise a child." I contend the same applies to law school applicants. Applying to law school should not be a process conducted alone. There are many organizations available whose primary purpose is increase the pipeline of minority students into the legal profession.

The organizations below assist students of color with either LSAT preparation, law school scholarships, and/or with law school application process:

Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO)- http://www.cleoscholars.com/index.cfm?nodeid=2

Puerto Rico Legal Defense and Education Fund(PRLDEF)- http://www.prldef.org/

For People of Color-  http://www.forpeopleofcolor.org/index.html

CLEO offers support programs to both college students and law students nationally.  I participated in CLEO's ASAP program which prepares students of color with the law school application process.  Thanks to the help of CLEO, I had attorneys and law admission personnel from top law schools review my personal statement and addendum.  

PRLDEF, which assists students of color in the NYC metro area, offers a low cost LSAT preparatory program, scholarships for law school, a law-school forum, and numerous workshops on issues such as the mechanics of the law school application, networking, etc just to name a few.  It was at the PRLDEF law school forum where I first learned about Northeastern.   

For People of Color, Inc, provides admissions consulting services, mentorship, and professional development opportunities to law school applicants and law students of color. This organization offers a guide to the law school application process, which I used and found real helpful.  The founder, Anthony Solana, Jr., also offers law school admissions workshops throughout various law schools located primarily in California and NYC.  For students who can't personally attend these workshops, Mr. Solana, Jr. also conducts the law school admissions workshop through a teleconference where students listen in by phone or internet. Mr. Solana Jr. and other attorneys volunteer to review a student's personal statement and addendum.   

In addition, all three of these organizations offer these services for FREE. This is not an exhaustive list, but I have used the assistance of these organizations and know from personal experience that it helped me succeed with the law school admissions process. The law school admittance process is a daunting task but just remember you are not alone in this process. There are many organizations that will offer a helping hand in making your law school dream a reality.  

Till next time. 

I just finished my third week of Co-Op-how fast time flies. I was fortunate enough to observe oral arguments this week and it did not disappoint. In general, at the U.S. Court of Appeals only a few cases are scheduled for oral arguments while the remaining cases are resolved by the judges writing opinions. One of the advantages of working in the Court of Appeals is the variety of legal issues that the judges get to review. The cases scheduled for oral arguments touched on various issues such as disability law, environmental law and criminal law just to name a few. In addition, I am currently working on a bench memo involving an issue of criminal sentencing. It is amazing how much I am learning about different areas of the law.

This week I also ate my first Philly cheesesteak made here in Philadelphia. I went to Campos Deli located in the Olde Town section of Philadelphia. I tried their famous "Heater" cheesesteak which included, jalapeno cheese and buffalo sauce. It certainly was yummy!

I am currently in NYC for the weekend to visit family and finish some Christmas shopping. I am embracing myself for supposedly the biggest snow storm since 2003. Oh…I guess winter has arrived.

Have a great weekend everyone.

The City of Brotherly Love has been very hospitable to me thus far. I moved to Philadelphia on Sunday and on Tuesday I started my Co-Op at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Upon entering the chambers of the Honorable Dolores Sloviter, I was pleasantly surprised to see a picture of Justice Brennan and Justice Souter both posing together with a personal note to the Judge. As my avid blog readers know, I am a huge fan of Justice Brennan so seeing this picture was such a great way to start my day. My first assignment was to work on a bench memo. My first day also consisted of attending a quick training at the library inside the courthouse and I was given my own Westlaw and Lexis Nexis password.

Since I don't have a car, I rely on Philadelphia's subway system known as the SEPTA to get around the city. Thanks to the SEPTA, my commute to work from my apartment in South Philly is only 15 minutes. On Friday night, I took a tour of my neighborhood and discovered that I live close to Geno's Steaks (known to make the best Philly Cheesesteak) and to the 9th Street Italian Food Market (the market was formed by Italian immigrants during the late 1800's, and is considered to be the largest working outdoor market in the U.S.) South Philly is home to a diverse population of Italian Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans and Irish Americans. There are plenty of Italian and Mexican restaurants in my neighborhood that I hope to eat at before I leave.

See below some pictures of Philly.

The Federal Courthouse

Geno's Steaks

I am currently waiting for my first ever turkey made my "moi" to roast in the oven. In addition, I am also making freshly made stuffing and gravy. Since my parents are from Colombia we never did a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at home we either ordered a pre-made meal or went over someone else's home for dinner. So far, everything looks successful but what is more important is that I am spending this holiday with my lovely family.

This past weekend I focused on seeing a little more of Boston since I still feel like a stranger in this town. See below some pictures of Boston which showcases the beauty of Boston during the fall. On Saturday night, I also went to see a Portuguese/Cape Verdean artist named Sara Tavares in concert at Berklee College of Music. The Boston Metropolitan area has one of the largest Cape Verdean population in the country so I am trying to take advantage of this exposure.

I plan to move to Philly on Sunday and will start my Co-Op on Tuesday, December 1st. I am very excited to be working with Judge Sloviter and grateful for the great learning experience. City of Brotherly Love here I come!!

Enjoy the pictures!!

Beacon Hill, Boston

Boston Commons, Boston

Jamaica Plain, MA

It is Friday, November 13, 2009 and this is my last week of school. Eleven weeks flew by and I am still in denial that final exams are next week. On Monday, I submitted my final assignment for my §1983 Litigation course which was to submit a complaint and a memo. The §1983 Litigation course taught me how to sue police officers for police misconduct. This week I also completed my time at the Domestic Violence Clinic. I really enjoyed my experience at the DV Clinic because it consisted of representing battered women and men in obtaining a restraining order at the Dorchester Municipal Court. I represented eleven clients in obtaining a restraining order and in assisting them with obtaining access to other social services. In addition, the DV Clinic also allowed me to feel more comfortable in a courtroom setting. I observed criminal and civil cases and also spoke to the judge when advocating for my clients. My experience from the DV Clinic taught me that I really enjoy being in the courtroom setting and working with clients on a daily basis.

Speaking of future plans, I decided to create my own Co-Op this summer to either work with victims of domestic violence with family law matters or to do immigration work with unaccompanied minors.

This is all for now, I am hitting to books to prepare for final exams. Till next time!

As my winter Co-Op, I was hoping to work for a judge to work on my research, writing skills and to get a perspective on what judges look for in the cases they rule on. I won't be hoping anymore because I will be heading to Philadelphia for my winter quarter co-op to work for the Judge Dolores Sloviter at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Judge Dolores Sloviter was appointed to the Third Circuit by President Carter and she was the first and only woman to serve as Chief Justice in the Third Circuit. Needless to say I am very excited about this opportunity.

This past weekend I secured a sublet in Philly so I am all set to go. I have less than one month until finals and will start my winter co-op the week of November 30th. I only have two final exams one on Immigration law and the other on Family law. Wish me luck!!

I want to provide my blog readers with some tips and advice about gifts a law student would love. Trust me, the law student in your life will thank you for these gifts.

Every first-year law student should have the follow items to help them get through the first year of law school:

(1) Lots and lots of highlighters- highlighting is essential when reading the multitude of pages required during the first year curriculum. Find out if there is a color highlighter the student prefers. For example, I went through one highlighter every two weeks and I preferred yellow highlighters.

(2) Black's Law Dictionary - this dictionary is essential for a first year law student because of the numerous new legal words that are not found in a regular dictionary. The Black's Law Dictionary can be found for free on Westlaw but it is always handy to have the actual paperback dictionary on hand.

(3) Durable Write-On Page Tabs - the first year law student taking the required Civil Procedure course will thank you for the durable write-on page tabs. These tabs will help the law student organize and find certain pages and sections of the book, especially in Civil Procedure, where the Rules Book is the bible. These tabs will assist the law student in finding the appropriate rule in a nick of time during final exams.

(4) Coffee Travel Mug - there is nothing like a warm cup of coffee or tea to start off a day as a first year law student. I could not live without my coffee mug!!! There is nothing like sipping my coffee during my 8 a.m. class.

(5) Gift Card to a nearby Coffee Shop - Find out what coffee shop is near the law student's campus and buy gift cards from that coffee shop. The law student in your life will thank you for this gift on those late nights when caffeine is a necessity.

(6) Water Bottle- this helped me save money on purchasing water. I just filled my water bottle from the water fountain and went about my day.

(7) Backpack-last but definitely not least no law student should ever go without a durable backpack. I personally invested in a backpack that came with shock absorbent shoulder straps that distribute much of the weight from the heavy law books away from my shoulders and back.

This is not an exhaustive list but these are a few items that were essential in making my law school experience more pleasurable.

Till next time..

As a law student at the Domestic Violence Clinic, I am trained to be a advocate, and this service is so vital for the petitioners who come to court to file a restraining order, many for the first time.  The majority of the petitioners are women, specifically women of color who may not be fluent in English.

As part of the Domestic Violence Clinic, I visit the Dorchester Municipal Court twice a week.  Last week at the Dorchester Municipal Court, I worked with two clients who both filed restraining orders against their partners.  Working with victims of domestic violence is not a new experience for me but assisting them with filling out a complaint for a restraining order and standing with them as they speak to the judge is definitely a new experience.  

Both clients were afraid about the consequences of their actions and as their advocate, it was my job to inform them of the pros and cons of filing for a restraining order.  The most important question to ask a petitioner is how will the batterer/defendant react when he is notified of the restraining order.  The most dangerous time for a victim of domestic violence is when she decides to leave her partner/batterer. So, an important part of my job is to inform my clients about these dangers and create a safety plan with the client in case the batterer decides to retaliate.

My two clients did obtain a restraining order, but it is only valid for 10 days.  My next responsibility will be to prepare my clients for their next court date where the defendant will most likely appear to defend himself.  My clients both are seeking to obtain a one-year restraining order.  In order to accomplish this goal, I will work with my clients in obtaining any evidence that will support the incidents on their complaint and preparing them to speak with the judge. Wish me luck!!  

Till next time.. 

I apologize for my MIA status but I spent the few weeks of my remaining summer relaxing and catching up with family and friends.  But now I am back!!

The summer has ended and it is official: I am a 2L (second year law student).  I started school last Tuesday and what a hectic week it was.  I moved in to Boston last weekend and I love my new place located in Jamaica Plain.  I am subletting a friend's room who is currently in Quito, Ecuador working on her first Co-Op. My commute to school is only 15 minutes max and I am guaranteed a seat on the train every morning because I get on the first stop of the train.  I can't ask for anything better than that!

Unlike the courses of my first year in law school, which were chosen for me by the school, this year I had the full liberty to decide which courses to enroll into.  On Tuesday, I finalized my schedule and enrolled into the Domestic Violence Clinic, Family Law, Immigration Law and §1983 Litigation (learning how to sue police officers).   In addition, I will also be a teaching assistant for Professor Hackney's Torts Section.  

All my courses seem to be very exciting and it is apparent from the first week of class that the required reading for 2L courses is much less demanding compared to the 1L courses.  In addition to preparing for school, all 2L's across the country including myself are preparing for interviews with law firms for summer associate positions for next summer.  

I am very excited about all my courses but I am especially excited about the Domestic Violence Clinic.   As part of the Clinic, I attend class once a week and work at the Dorchester Municipal Court twice a week.  While at court, I will work as an advocate to assist victims of domestic violence with the process of applying for a restraining order. One of my responsibilities is to stand alongside a client as she/he petitions for a restraining order in court. One of my main reasons for wanting to be an attorney was to work with victims of domestic violence and now thanks to the Domestic Violence Clinic I will get a little taste of that experience.
Till next time.