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.

I chose to attend law school with an interest in working with victims of domestic violence. When I heard that the Domestic Violence Institute (DVI) was accepting applications for the Interview Advocates position I jumped on the opportunity. The Domestic Violence Institute at Northeastern University School of Law is an education, service and research organization dedicated to combating partner abuse. DVI has a unique interdisciplinary collaboration with the Boston Medical Center. Law students are placed in the Emergency Room located at the Boston Medical Center to interview women patients and assist in identifying victims of domestic violence in need of services.

Fortunately, my application was accepted and I was required to attend a two-day training. The two-day training was held at the law school and at the Boston Medical Center. Since DVI is open to all law students within the Boston area, it was a great opportunity to meet law students from various Boston law schools. The training also included a volunteer fair where many not-for-profit organizations located throughout the Boston area came to provide us with referral information. The fair was also organized to expose law students to various public-interest employers for prospective law-school internship opportunities.

As a volunteer for DVI, I committed to volunteer for 6 hours every other Thursday. Each volunteer is assigned to a group of three or four law students. I was assigned to a group of 3 law students; one student from Northeastern and the other from Boston College. The group is headed by a team leader who is an upper level student. The team leader's role is to guide us in gaining information and experience interviewing patients, and providing direct legal advocacy services to patients who identify as battered women.

So far, I have volunteered two nights and the experience is incomparable to what I have done before. What makes this experience unique is working in the Emergency Room(ER). As a volunteer, my main function is to interview women in the ER and ask for their thoughts on the issue of violence against women. The goal is to obtain information pertaining to womens' opinions about the issue of violence against women and to hopefully identify victims in need of services. What I enjoy about participating in the program is getting the opportunity to work with people again. After working in legal services for two years, I miss the client interaction. Volunteering at DVI will definitely help me improve my client interviewing skills. I also enjoy getting out of the law school routine for a couple hours to do other activities which helps me feel more grounded.

I am looking forward to the experience and hopefully I will share more as time progresses. For more information on the Domestic Violence Institute click on the following link: http://www.slaw.neu.edu/clinics/dvi.html

Mid-Point Mark

So far, I am half way through my first semester of law school and I made it this far without running to the hills! What have I accomplished thus far? I submitted my first legal memo a couple of weeks ago and am currently working on my second memo. I learned how to use Westlaw and Lexis Nexis to conduct legal research. I learned how to effectively read cases and note take. I attended a training session to learn how to educate the youth on their Fourth Amendment Rights and I volunteer for the Domestic Violence Institute. As time passes by the inevitable is unavoidable– final exams!

The majority of our grades are based on the final exam and a small percentage is based on class participation. A lot of pressure is placed on the final exams, but of course, Northeastern will not leave us out to dry. Next week the law school will be administrating a Practice Civil Procedure Exam to assist us in getting a little taste of what a final exam will be like. Thus, as a good law student should, I will spend most of this weekend studying for the practice exam and working on my second legal memo.

One of the benefits of attending Northeastern University School of Law is their grading system where there is no GPA and no class rank. Rather than alphabetic or numeric grades, the law school uses narrative evaluations from professors and co-op employers. This grading system cultivates an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect which helps me hone my skills through constructive feedback. The law school's grading policy was one of factors that attracted me to attend Northeastern University School of Law. Based on my nine week experience, the no GPA and no class rank policy definitely minimizes the competitive, cutthroat experience that is seen in most law schools. This grading policy makes preparing for the final exam a less stressful experience because the class is not competing with each other for ranking purposes. As a prospective law school student one should take into consideration what kind of school environment would be most conducive to your learning style. If anyone has any questions about the no grading and no ranking policy feel free to conduct me, the admissions office or check out the law school's website at http://www.slaw.neu.edu/affairs/requiredeg.html.

I felt so inspired after watching the Emmy Award Winner documentary named "Made in L.A./Hecho en L.A." The documentary follows three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles' garment sweatshops who sue retailer Forever 21 for labor rights violations. The documentary was shown at the law school by the Northeastern National Lawyers Guild Student Chapter. The documentary personally resonated with me because my mother worked in garment sweatshops for over 18 years. Seeing how hard my parents worked to support my sister and I is what motivates me to work hard. One of the main reasons why I chose to become an attorney was to work with individuals on immigration-related issues. Watching this documentary reminded me what a privilege it will be to work as an attorney and to have the capacity to impact an individual's life through my work. To learn more about the documentary check out the website at: http://www.madeinla.com/

Northeastern University School of Law (NUSL) is trying to expand their immigration law curriculum. Currently, the law school is in the process of interviewing candidates to fill a faculty position for immigration law. NUSL offers a couple of immigration courses like Immigration Law and Refugee and Asylum Law. In addition, NUSL students can also learn about immigration law by working with various Co-Op employers who focus in immigration law. The law students are also very active and have started a group that meets on a weekly basis to discuss various immigration law issues. Personally, I am all for creating an Immigration Law Clinic. Nonetheless, the law school does offer an array of law clinics in other legal areas like: Criminal Law, Domestic Violence, Poverty Law, Public Health and Prisoner's Rights. Check out the link for more information on NUSL's clinics: http://www.slaw.neu.edu/clinics/clinics.html

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!

Spring break has finally arrived and I couldn't be any happier. This semester is flying by so fast and I could sure use this week off to review all the materials that have been covered this semester. Spring break in law school is not truly a vacation but a work vacation (what an oxymoron). I will work on a summary judgment memo, review and organize my class notes, write essays for scholarships and finally work on the social justice project for LSSC. For a recap, LSSC (Legal Skills in the Social Context) is a unique course that operates in small "law offices" of approximately 14 students. In the spring semester, the law office works on a social justice project which entails an extensive real-world legal research project on behalf of a community-based or public service organization. The social justice project is a class in itself, so this semester I am enrolled in Contracts, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Legal Research and Writing and the Social Justice Project.

My law office is working on a social justice project focused on researching the various difficulties in beginning small businesses, specifically within the minority immigrant community of Worcester, MA. My law office is working on behalf of the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts ("LACCM") who has received various complaints from the Worcester minority immigrant community about the various difficulties of starting a small business. Our law office is split into smaller groups of 3 or 4 students working on a different aspect of the project. My group is responsible for conducting focus groups in Worcester, MA with minority immigrants who either started or attempted to open a small business. We have conducted two focus groups--one with African and African American entrepreneurs and the other with Hispanic entrepreneurs. In addition, we interviewed personnel from City Hall and various nonprofit organizations that assist entrepreneurs who want to open small businesses in Worcester, MA. At this point, I can't discuss our findings but the experience has made me appreciate the contributions small businesses really bring to a community.

So far, the experience of working in this project has taught me how to work in a group setting, how to interact with a client, and how to write and put together a publishable report detailing our findings using extensive legal and anecdotal field research. In April, our law office will hold an oral presentation to LACCM and to the entire law school about our report.

That is all for now … till next time!

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.

This time last year I was busy attending Open House events for the various law schools I was considering attending.  I can't stress enough how important it is to visit a law school before deciding which school to attend.  Attending Open House events played an integral part in my decision-making process.  Attending Northeastern’s Open House event last year solidified my decision to attend this school.  Northeastern was my top choice but I was concerned about relocating to Boston from New York.  But when I attended the Open House, all those worries washed away and were replaced with an affirmation that I finally found a school that felt “just right."  Now I know this may sound like a cliche but I really felt comfortable at this school.  I saw myself thriving at this institution because of the similar values we both shared such as our commitment to public interest and our belief in practical, hands-on learning. The school also offered campus housing which really eased my anxiety of moving here and finding a place to live. 

I talked to many current students and probed them on why they chose to attend Northeastern.  The faculty and staff were easy to talk to and I really appreciated how they were more than willing to answer my many questions about Northeastern or even about other law schools that I was considering to attend.  

Attending the Open House also allowed me to meet many of my potential classmates.  I was impressed on how many of the prospective students I met also shared a passion for public interest.  That was a stark contrast to the type of students I met in other law schools where I was a small minority who was interested in public interest law.  After attending the Open House, I felt more equipped in making a rational decision about what law school to attend. 

Again, I can't stress how important it is to attend Open House events.  Northeastern will be holding their Open House Event on April 4, 2009.  Here is the link to register for the event: http://www.northeastern.edu/law/admission/visit/info-sessions.html I also suggest that students attend the Diversity Reception, scheduled on April 3, 2009.  It is a great opportunity to mingle in an intimate setting with Northeastern's diverse student body.  Registration for this event is also found at the link above.  

I will be attending both the Diversity Reception and the Open House.  So to all my blog readers who plan to attend either of the events don't be shy and introduce yourself to me. 

Best Wishes to all! 

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.

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.

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.

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.. 

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!