Diana, 2L

Hello everyone,

Thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule to read my blog. The goal of this blog is to inform you, the lovely audience, about the Northeastern University School of Law (NUSL) experience from the perspective of a current law school student. Let me start by briefly introducing myself. I'm from the Garden State, also known as New Jersey, and graduated from college five years ago. The first three years out of college I worked as a financial analyst for an insurance company. For the last two years, I worked as a legal advocate assisting victims of domestic violence. My experience as a legal advocate is what motivated me to attend law school.

I cannot believe I actually started law school. Sometimes I have to pinch myself just to make sure I am not dreaming. As I walk down the halls of Dockser and Cargill, I remember the feeling I got when I first stepped foot inside the law school; it just felt right being at this school. After studying for the LSAT, completing law school applications, and finally having to make a decision on what law school to attend, it's almost surreal that I have actually began this journey called law school.

I chose to attend Northeastern for two main reasons: for their commitment in promoting public interest law and for their famous Co-op program. I am amazed by the diverse student body and by the faculty's enthusiasm and energy in teaching the courses. As a 1L, I have no control in choosing my first year courses. I am taking the following courses this Fall Semester: Torts, Property, Civil Procedure and Legal Skills in Social Context, also known as Legal Research & Writing.

With only a couple weeks of experience as a 1L, I am learning day by day the unique qualities of Northeastern. The Legal Skills in Social Context course is very unique to Northeastern. The 1L class is broken into groups known as law offices, which consist of approximately 12 students in each office. The course is comprised of two parts: one is the Legal Writing and Research component and the other is a Social Justice Component. In the Social Justice Component, each law office will work together as a group on a research project for either a community-based or public-service organization. The opportunity to work with a client in a group setting as a first-year law student is unheard of in any other law school legal writing curriculum. For more information on this course, please click on the link: http://www.slaw.neu.edu/course/lssc.html.

It is Co-Op time. What is a Co-Op you may ask? A Co-Op refers to a work period under the Cooperative Legal Education Program. Under this program, law students complete a traditional first year of academic study and then, for the remaining two years, law students alternate every three-months between working full time as a legal intern and attending classes on a full-time basis. As a graduation requirement, law students need to complete four cooperative work quarters, which means upon graduation a Northeastern law student will have close to one year of legal work experience.

This month all 1L's had to select a Co-Op rotation preference, which means I could work during the summer and winter quarter, which is what I selected, or work during the fall and spring quarter. Personally, I picked the summer and winter rotation because I am eager to return to the work force to start acquiring some relevant legal work experience. The Co-Op program is one of the main reasons why I chose to attend Northeastern because I learn best through hands-on experience.

Last week the Co-Op department gave all the 1L's who selected the summer/winter rotation a four-page list of participating Co-Op employers from across the country who are hiring summer interns. The list is so overwhelming! So many choices in various practice areas and location. The Co-Op department also maintains separate lists for International Co-Op opportunities, summer fellowships, and opportunities to work with non-participating employers. On November 12th, I am required to submit applications to no more than twelve employers. I have narrowed down my selection to either interning for a judge or working in legal services doing immigration law or domestic violence work. Since I've been busy studying for the practice exam and working on my second legal memo, I haven't had enough time to research prospective employers. But I assure you that once I submit my second legal memo on Tuesday, I will head to the Co-Op office and start conducting my research on prospective employers. The options are limitless and I could intern anywhere around the world. Where do I start? I will keep you posted on the process.

Winter weather has arrived and I couldn't be less prepared for it. This week has been hectic and I am glad it is over. My mother underwent an operation and luckily she recuperated without any complications. I had a fourteen page transition memo due this week that I worked on with a group. I was fortune to have a great group and we completed the memo without a problem. In addition, I received my first interview request with a Co-Op employer for a summer internship. The Co-Op employer is a New York not-for-profit law firm that handles appeals and post-conviction proceedings on behalf of criminal defendants. Wish me luck on the interview! Last but not least final exams are only three weeks away. Sorry I don't have much to say but I promise I will next week. Got to go to work on outlines.

The weather is getting colder and it snowed for the first time on Sunday. Where was I when it was snowing, cooped up with my classmates studying for final exams.  I've been preparing outlines and working on practice exams.  Tomorrow I will take my first final exam and it will be on Property.  Wish me luck!  On Monday I have a Torts exam and on Wednesday a Civil Procedure exam.  I will be officially done on Wednesday.  I can't believe it!  

Two weeks ago, I spoke as a panelist at the NUSL's Open House and it felt awkward being on the other side of the table as a law school student.  I remember this time last year preparing my law school applications and now here I am preparing for final exams.  To all of my readers who are preparing law school applications good luck!  Northeastern is a great place so make sure to apply. 

Our class schedule for next year has been posted and I will be taking Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Legal Research and Writing and the Social Justice Program.  In the Social Justice Program, I, in a group of 12 students, will be doing a real-world legal research project on behalf of a  public service organization.  Specifically, our group project will be focused on how the City of Worcester can create legal incentives and programs or preferences for minority-owned businesses.  The project will entail research on the legal issues presented by municipal preferences for minority-owned businesses.  I am very excited about working on the project. 

I also have other good news. I accepted a Co-Op opportunity to work in El Paso, Texas. Two weeks ago I interviewed with a Co-Op employer named Paso del Norte, Civil Rights Project located in El Paso, TX.  They are a pro bono civil rights impact litigation organization that has a VAWA program which assists immigrant victims of domestic violence to obtain work permits.  They also work on law enforcement misconduct cases involving excessive force, illegal immigration enforcement activities by local law enforcement, and racial profiling.  I am very excited about the opportunity because one of my goals was to use one of my Co-Op's to work by the border on immigration legal issues.  Texas here I come!  

That is all for now.  Let me return to studying my outlines. Wish me luck!

While waiting in between sessions of the American Bar Association(ABA) Judicial Clerkship Conference today, I noticed the notes I had written in my padfolio. These notes included my first interview with the nonprofit legal services I worked with before coming to law school. I remember feeling so nervous about that interview because I really wanted to convince the attorneys that I wanted this position to see what lawyers did before I took the big step in applying to law school. Now, three years later, I am at this ABA Judicial Clerkship Conference, which encourages law school students to consider applying for Judicial Clerkship, and I can't believe how far I have come. Its amazing how far a dream can take you!

I'm at this conference thanks to CLEO who sponsored me to be here. The ABA Judicial Clerkship Program (JCP) encourages students to pursue clerkship opportunities while introducing judges to students whom they might not ordinarily consider as potential clerks. JCP is designed to bring judges and under represented law students together through structured networking activities. Approximately 50 judges from across the country are participating at this conference with the goal to motivate under represented law students to apply to judicial clerkships.

Honestly, I think it would a great opportunity to clerk for a judge after law school because the experience really hones research and legal writing skills. Unfortunately, I lack the confidence in my legal writing ability because I just started writing in that capacity. I just have to remember that with persistence and hard work my legal writing ability will improve.

On another note, I found a place to live in El Paso, TX for my summer Co-op. What a relief! Can you believe the rent is only $400 a month and it includes all utilities and furniture. All I need to bring with me is my luggage full of clothes. I will keep you posted on future updates about my first summer Co-op!

I met a murderer last week in my Criminal Law class. My Criminal Law professor, Dan Williams, brought in a speaker who was convicted of murder and was supposed to be sentenced to death in Georgia's electrical chair in 1974. He spent sixteen and half years on death-row and was spared seven hours prior to the execution. This was the first time I knowingly met someone who committed murder. I know that the topic of death penalty can be a highly contested issue but I strongly believe it's a practice that should be banned. It was interesting to get a prospective about the death penalty from someone who actually survived and lived to tell about it. I will not go into the details of this man's case but I really appreciated the experience of hearing his story. It brought another element to my understanding of the material that no book or movie could ever contribute.

This experience, in addition to the class readings and discussions, truly has me thinking about doing a Co-Op in death penalty work. I really enjoy my Criminal Law course, and Professor Williams has an impressive criminal law experience such as representing Mumia Abu Jamal, and winning the death penalty appeal in New York that resulted in the ending of capital punishment in that state. For more information on Professor Williams check out the following link:
http://www.northeastern.edu/law/academics/faculty/directory/williams-d.html

On another note, this week I finally finished my summary judgment memo and will focus on finalizing my social justice project. My law office is scheduled to present our research study to our client organization and to the Northeastern community on April 1, 2009.

Till next time.

Wow! Believe it or not, the end of my first year is creeping up. I don't know where the time went. Wait…I do! I spent it studying for hours without end. In a couple of weeks, I will have to pack, move my belongings to an apartment in Jamaica Plain, and fly out to El Paso, TX to start my Co-Op.

Speaking of Co-Op, today I submitted my Co-Op funding application. The law school offers free funding for students who do a public interest unpaid Co-Op. I also applied for other scholarships. Cross your fingers… hopefully I get some funding because I need to pay off some bills.

The law students at Northeastern are very active in organizing events to expose and educate students on different cultural issues. On Tuesday, I attended my first Passover Seder which was organized by Northeastern’s law student organization Jewish Law Student Association. I wish I took pictures so I can demonstrate how nicely organized this event was. In addition, the Latino Law Student Association (LALSA) in conjunction with many other student organizations is conducting a fundraiser to raise money to purchase undergarments for women in detention centers. Sadly, many of the women living in detention centers are only provided with one pair of underwear. For more information on this issue check out this link: http://www.amnestyusa.org/immigrant-detention/page.do?id=1641031

That is all for now till next time.

This weekend has been a mix of working on outlines and getting to know Boston a little bit more. On Monday, April 20th, I went to Brookline, MA to watch the Boston Marathon. A friend of mine organized a marathon party at her house and we stood by the curbside to watch the marathon runners run by the 23rd mile mark. Watching all these marathon runners accomplish their goal was so inspirational. Below is a picture from the marathon just to share the great experience. The Boston Marathon is the oldest marathon in the country and the whole city shuts down to support the marathon runners. After watching my first ever marathon, I was hooked! Running a marathon is on my to do list. Thanks Boston for the inspiration. Watching the marathon runners work so hard to accomplish their goal of reaching the finish line got me so pumped up for final exams. If these marathon runners could accomplish such a physical feat of running 26.2 miles, I truly could complete my feat of successfully completing my final exams.

Speaking of final exams, my first year in law school is almost over. I just finished my last classes as a first year law student. This following week is considered "reading week" and it's dedicated to working on outlines and taking practice exams. Final exams are scheduled to start on May 4th and will conclude on May 8th. Then before I know it, on May 16th, I fly out to El Paso, TX to start working at my first Co-Op.

Till next time..

I apologize for the absence but between studying for finals and preparing for my trip to El Paso, Tx I've had no time to blog. But now I am back and prepared to blog about my first Co-Op experience. I purchased a camera so expect more pictures on my blog.

I am currently at LaGuardia Airport in NYC waiting for my flight to El Paso, Tx. I am very excited to start my Co-Op on Monday. Honestly, I am a little nervous about my skills and capabilities, but I will keep a positive attitude and just appreciate the learning experience. The whole purpose of a Co-Op is to hone my skills so I will jump in without hesitation.

First Year of law school is over! I am still recovering and trying to get acclimated to normal life. My last final was a eight hour take home exam for Criminal Justice. Following the exam, I proceeded to prepare for my move to Jamaica Plain, MA where I will live when I return in the fall.

My mother and sister came to visit for two days and I focused on doing some tourist things in Boston. We did the Duck Tour of Boston, (I highly recommend this tour because it includes a land and water tour of Boston). I arrived to NJ on Tuesday and focused on preparing for my trip to El Paso, Tx, by shopping at NYC for some work attire. It felt so good to return to NYC. I relished in the experience of walking around NYC. It felt good hearing the sounds of the honking horns from the taxicabs and the rustling of the subways. Oh home sweet home!

El Paso updates to come soon!

I've been in El Paso, TX for almost two weeks.  I am living at a place called Casa Puente which provides short-term housing to volunteers who come to El Paso.  The Director of Casa Puente was nice enough to pick me up from the airport.  Upon arriving at Casa Puente, I met three other housemates who are also doing volunteer work at El Paso.  Two of my housemates are law students at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and one is an undergrad student at Georgetown University. They are also interning at a non-profit legal service provider that assists persons seeking asylum and children detained by the government. Luckily, Casa Puente is centrally located near the downtown area of El Paso, it's close to the Juarez Border and its only six blocks from my job.

In Casa Puente, I have my own room and share a bathroom with one other person.  The house comes fully furnished, I only had to bring clothes, shoes, and toiletries.  There is a fully stocked kitchen and a barbeque grill on the porch.  To top it off the rent is only $400 a month.  I spent the first Sunday grilling some kabobs and drinking some homemade sangria!

I am working at Paso Del Norte Civil Rights Project (PDNCRP).  Check out their website for more information: www.TexasCivilRightsProject.org. PDNCRP focuses on litigating issues involving Civil Rights, Disability Rights, Immigrant Rights, Prisoners Rights and Economic Justice issues.  There are four law clerks including myself working at this organization for the summer. 

My first day consisted of a training program followed by reading the training binder. The rest of the week I worked mainly on legal research pertaining to ADA issues (American with Disabilities Act) and on domestic violence issues.  Due to confidentiality obligations, I can't elaborate too much on the specifics of my assignments but I will try to share as much as I can. In addition, I visited the Federal Courthouse in El Paso to witness my supervisor being sworn into a new district in Texas.  Just to clarify, in order for an attorney to practice in a certain district he/she has to be sworn in by a Federal Judge. 

This is it for now. Till next time and enjoy some of the El Paso pictures located below.

My House in El Paso, TX.   

My job at El Paso, TX.

Mural inside the office.

This week one of my supervisors at work took us to Immigration Court to observe proceedings for unaccompanied minors. Unaccompanied minors are individuals who are all under the age of 18 and cross the US/Mexican border all by themselves. Escaping political persecution or fleeing war, abusive families or other dangerous conditions in their home countries, these children -- ranging in age from toddlers to teenagers -- arrive in the US unaccompanied by their parents or legal guardians. All of the children are either from Central America or Mexico. El Paso, TX has three detention centers specifically for unaccompanied minors. It is important to note that these children are held in detention for administrative reasons, not as punishment for criminal behavior. Most of these children are either being voluntarily deported or reunified with family here in the states. Observing these minors in court brought this issue up close and personal. The youngest children I saw at this court were two sisters who were ten and eight years old. In this type of immigration proceeding, a child is not guaranteed a lawyer but is being represented by lawyers who work for the Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services, Inc. These two sisters had no other option but to accept voluntary deportation, which allows them to return to the U.S. only if they have proper legal documentation.
This experience puts another face to the issues of immigration. It isn't just adults who are affected by our immigration laws.

I am half way through my first summer co-op. This past weekend my employer had their annual fund raiser that was attended by many attorneys and politicians from El Paso. At the fundraiser event many individuals were honored for working to protect and defend human rights in the El Paso community such as but not limited to individuals in activism opposing the border wall. The event was a success thanks to the hard work and tedious planning of the staff.

Furthermore, I've done two "Know Your Civil Rights" presentations at the Mexican Consulate focused on immigrants who are harassed by ICE agents or police officers. See below for some pictures from the presentation. I also observed an oral argument at the State of Texas Court of Appeals: Eighth Court of Appeals. The plaintiffs in the case I observed sued the City of El Paso for violating their constitutional right to procedural due process. The plaintiffs were "flood disaster victims" who lost their homes due to a flood back in 2006. These plaintiffs filed for flood disaster relief but the City of El Paso never reviewed their applications and were never granted flood relief. My supervisor, Briana Stone partnered up with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid and represented the plaintiffs in this case. It's an amazing experience to see the use of constitutional doctrines in real life away from the casebook and classroom experience.

Last weekend I visited Detroit, Michigan for the first time to attend a conference organized by CLEO (Council for Legal Educational Opportunity). At the conference I was fortunate enough to interview with organizations and law firms for internship opportunities for next summer. It was also a great opportunity to catch up with friends who attend various law schools across the country.

Till time everyone.

How fast this summer is passing by. I have one more week left before the end of my summer co-op.

In honor of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), every July my supervisor sues private businesses and the government for not compiling with the ADA. Specifically, she sues these entities for whose buildings are not accessible to people with disabilities. In preparing for these lawsuits in the past two weeks, I have worked on pleadings and discovery requests for these lawsuits.

In addition to working on ADA cases, I also had the opportunity to accompany my supervisor to meet a prospective client being held in a detention center. Last week I interviewed a prospective client at the Otero County Detention Center who wants to sue the detention facility for not providing her with adequate medical treatment.

In other news, last week I attended a fundraiser event where my supervisor, Briana Stone (2006 NUSL Alum), was awarded the Community Security Award for her civil rights work. Ms. Stone was granted this award for her stupendous work as the attorney on a case where 14 plaintiffs sued Otero County, N.M. Deputy Sheriffs for racial profiling, unlawful stops, and other civil-rights violations while targeting undocumented immigrants in Chaparral (a city in New Mexico).

The lawsuit stemmed from incidents in which the deputies harassed, interrogated residents, and searched homes in Chaparral while trying to find undocumented immigrants in 2007 and 2008. The case was settled and the deputies agreed to not inquire about a person's immigration status in minor cases, not to "hold" a person who is not under arrest for federal immigration officers, and the department will accept the matricula consular (consulate-issued identification card) as a valid ID.

It has been an honor to work with my supervisor and her staff who do such great work for the El Paso community. Thanks to Paso Del Norte Civil Rights project, I've worked on projects that dealt with a wide variety of civil rights issues affecting groups such as the LGBT community, people with disabilities, immigrants, victims of domestic violence, prisoners and workers' rights.

See the picture below taken at the award dinner. In the picture is also another NUSL Alum, Loni Hodge (2006 NUSL Alum) who works as a public defender at Las Cruses, N.M. In addition, Chris Benoit is the lawyer in charge of the workers' rights project for Paso Del Norte Civil Rights Project. Veronica Carbajal works as an attorney for Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid and Chloe Walker is my co-worker who is also a rising 2L and currently attends University of Houston School of Law.

Until next time.

From Left to Right: Loni J. Hodge, Veronica Carbajal, Briana Stone, Chloe Walker, Me, Chris Benoit.

I can't believe I completed my first Co-Op. I finished my first Co-Op by filing two lawsuits. As my last assignment, I worked on the pleadings and discovery requests for two lawsuits involving violations of the American with Disabilities Act.

One lawsuit involved suing the biggest mall in El Paso, Cielo Vista Mall, for not providing accessible pathways to people with disabilities. The second lawsuit was against a famous El Paso taco chain, Chico's Tacos, for not providing accessible seating or restrooms for people with disabilities.

I worked on the two lawsuits from beginning to end which is very rare to accomplish in a summer internship because of the short time span. I conducted field investigative work, interviewed the plaintiffs, wrote the pleadings, discovery requests and filed the lawsuits in court. To top it off, Paso Del Norte Civil Rights Project in conjunction with another organization, Desert ADAPT, protested at the Cielo Vista Mall on July 29, 2009.

Below is a news article and a video from the protest aired on the nightly news in El Paso. I come out on the video.

Link to the News Article
http://www.kvia.com/global/story.asp?s=10816118

Link to the Video

This officially marks the end of a great Co-Op experience. This Co-Op has taught me that the best part of being a lawyer is advocating for individuals who want to enforce their rights. At this Co-Op, I advocated for individuals that included, persons with disabilities who wanted to enjoy equal access to business establishments, for a transsexual to be granted HIV medication and hormone treatment while being detained at a detention center, and for victims of domestic violence to be granted immigration relief for being a victim of a crime. Thank you Paso Del Norte Civil Rights Project for allowing me to experience the role of being an attorney.

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!!

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!