Ira, 3L

Welcome to the Northeastern University School of Law Blogs! As one of two 1Ls blogging this year, I want start off by giving you a sense of where I am now (busy, busy, busy) to where I was last year (busy, busy, busy). A year ago, I was working a full-time job, volunteering, and applying to law schools. I applied early admission, early decision, and just plain early to the schools on my list. Feel free to follow my example. Or not. Fast-forward to the present: I'm finishing my second full month at Northeastern, and, as you read above, I find the pace maintaining at a full-tilt. Or faster. Of course, I don't imagine anyone seriously considering committing their lives to three years of law school--as I imagine many of you are now so considering--would have any fantasies about it not being a heavy and deadline-ridden workload.

You may ask, then, how am I--as a 1L--finding time to write this blog? Honestly, I just sleep a little less. There is no rest for the weary, after all.

You may also ask, what is the first year like in law school--you know, besides all the "busy" and the "go, go, go?" What is the meat of it? What should I expect?

First, expect a lot of reading. That is a standard law student answer, but that's because reading is a staple and the answer holds true. Secondly, know that the professors and the administrators and your fellow students will expect a lot of initiative out of you. Your success, at the end of the day, is up to you. Even in the many group projects, your success is reliant upon how much you put into it. Everyone is here to help and, as far as I've witnessed at Northeastern thus far, is totally approachable when your have questions or problems. Yet, they are training future lawyers and thusly expect a higher level of responsibility and effort.

As a 1L you take a standard first-year curriculum. At Northeastern, you take a standard first-year curriculum and then some. This semester we all take Civil Procedure, Tort Law, and Property Law, and a course titled Legal Skills in Social Context (LSSC). I'll talk a bit more about LSSC in the next blog, but know for now that it is an intensive course--emphasis on INTENSIVELY time-consuming--that teaches in-depth legal research and writing while examining the social aspects and application of the law. Unlike research and writing courses at other law schools, LSSC is unique in that it stems straight out of Northeastern's commitment to public interest law and public service. Again, more on this later.

Monday, at or around the mid-point in our semester, all 1Ls took a Torts practice exam. Many considered it a mid-term and prepared for it accordingly. Many are now drained from having studied Torts exclusively this past weekend and neglected other pressing assignments. "Many" could be a code-name for "Ira." Honestly, I actually fall somewhere in between being totally drained and very glad it is over. A benefit to the practice exam was recapping everything we've studied in American tort law to date. It's amazing how many cases one can read in two months.

To wrap up, a word or two on living in Boston in the eyes of an out-of-towner. I moved from North Carolina where I lived the majority of my life, did my undergraduate studies, and worked. It's too easy to turn a cliche and say that the Northeast is totally different from the Southeast. I mean, it's true and it isn't. Some things are the same, some are not: people still drive like maniacs; the seasons still go Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall. Yet, people do indeed talk faster and behave with more of a hurry up North. It's not unfortunate, just noticeable. Also, quite inconveniently, you can't buy beer in grocery stores. I haven't discovered yet if this is a singular Boston or State of Massachusetts practice. Stay tuned. Either way, it made two stops out of one. More stops when you're in the city--on foot or in car--is not always a cool situation.

Lastly, just imagine living in Boston when the Red Sox win baseball championships. For those of you not familiar with what Franklin Street in Chapel Hill looks like after Carolina wins big at basketball--picture pandemonium.

Personally, I'm an Atlanta Braves fan. Always have been. Despite my fervent disapproval of the designated hitter rule, Atlanta is in the National League and I'm not barred from from liking Boston. It helps that I don't like George Steinbrenner, the Steinbrenner family, and by extension the Yankees. Other than those exceptions, I just dig baseball in general.

But I'm SO glad it's over. And I know many other 1Ls who agree. Now we can get some work done without either 1.) pretending to do it while watching the games, or 2.) actually doing the work and wishing we were watching the games. Interestingly, this all around the time that the upper-level students tell us is the threshold of the first-year--that week or couple of weeks when nearly every 1L feels like their reaching their capacity for assignments, projects, lack of sleep, stress, coffee ingestion. A couple blokes in Civil Procedure with me see no end in sight, because now football season starts in full swing. Luckily for me I don't dig football.

Don't get the impression, though, that the first year of law school is only about work, increasing your coffee intake by 300%, and making hard choices about the trade-offs outside of studies. It's not. At Northeastern, speficically, 1Ls really are the force behind the show. With half of the upper-level students gone on co-ops every three months, it's really difficult for there to be any continuity of effort in student activities. So, a lot of onus is put on the 1Ls to keep things going. This creates an interesting working dynamic.

Yesterday I was at a meeting for Dean Spieler's Ad Hoc International Programming Committee. I'm not on the Committee officially, but, hey, it's Ad Hoc and the Chair--Professor Hope Lewis--invited me. I'm the 1L Co-Chair of the International Law Society (ILS). The purpose of the Committee, mandated by the Dean, is to examine the possibility of increasing international opportunities into the curriculum, co-operative education, and the academic setting at Northeastern. "International opportunities" is very vague, but just know the Committee is basically drafting a memorandum--to be distributed to the law school's administration and faculty at large--to propose increasing the number of international classes offered and establishing study abroad programs and partnerships with foreign institutions and universities.

Awesome. The Committee is working on it. They've got it under control. Why am I at the meeting? Shouldn't I be in the library somewhere reading Supreme Court Cases on the claim preclusion (or res judicata depending on your vintage)?

Yes, yes I should. But there is much more to do at Northeastern--especially as 1Ls--that doesn't compete with your scholastic duties as much as you would think. My major platform in ILS consists of exactly the same issues with which the Committee is involved. Northeastern has some great core international law classes, but they need to be offered every quarter for upper-level students and most of them are not. Taking a class on, say, European Union Laws could be quite central in getting a co-op internship or securing post-graduation employment. More so than not totally conflicting with the 1L lifestyle, this dynamic that co-op creates forces first-year students to be active.

No. It forces us to be proactive. We know that upper-levels and the faculty are there for guidance and support, but these opportunities to shape our education and take part in more than just our studies are out there waiting for us.

A short post today:

It's tough to be a 1L and keep apprised of the goings-on in the world. Even if your homepage is set to The New York Times or BBC.com. Some news, though, makes it through the sand-bag walls created by the readings for Property, Torts, Civil Procedure and LSSC. The devolving and frightening situation in Pakistan, for example.

A few weeks ago I heard that the lawyers of Pakistan were protesting in the streets again--uspet that President Gen. Musharraf dismissed the country's Chief Judge. Again. The protests were getting violent. Clashes with the police ensued. This all seemed a repeat of earlier this year--lawyer protests at the tail-end of winter. Click here to see pictures from that conflict.

Looking at those pictures, it all seems like a farce: lawyers in suits and ties in the streets, hurling stones and being beaten by baton-wielding police. A true clash of law and order. It's like something out of a Monty Python bit.

That got me thinking about two interrelated things: 1.) the way lawyers are perceived generally. I mean, if asked to describe lawyerly characteristics--"physically threatening" certainly wouldn't top the list. And, 2.) how indicative these actions are of the Pakistani lawyers' dedication to the role of the judicial system and the rule of law.

More to come...

Why do you want to go to law school?

No, scratch that. Why do YOU want to become a lawyer?

I mean--that is what the first question comes down to, right? Isn't that the meat of it? Isn't that what all the admissions offices--the law schools--are really asking you on your application? Why do YOU want to become a lawyer?

Now, to be fair, not everyone who goes and finishes law school becomes a lawyer. Some go into the private business sector without taking the bar--e.g., working as consultants--or take equally lucrative positions elsewhere. I've heard that there are even certain people who are solely interested in legal scholarship and academia. I'm not totally clear on whether you need to be a licensed attorney or have practiced to teach, but that's a little immaterial to the scope of this blog. The bulk of law students do take the bar and practice law in at least one of the fifty-one jurisdictions in the United States. But, why?

Why does anyone want to be a lawyer? Isn't there, like, an uncountable number of lawyers already? Does the world need more? I was certainly asked these questions by friends and family when I applied to law schools. The reasons I continue to give and the reasons I've heard from fellow students are varied: money, a particularly appealing area of the law, perceived job security, the "professional" status of the profession, family pressure (e.g., your dad or mom is a lawyer and wants you to follow in their steps). Interestingly, some students simply provide that "they thought it was a good idea." (Note that this list is in no way comprehensive and does not reflect my actual reasons. It is meant, only, to be a rainbow).

Some, of course, always bring up the money aspect. Lawyers make a lot of money, right? Yes and no. I'm sure most of you already know that. I worked for a Public Defender's office for two and a half years before coming to law school and I can say with complete certitude that those attorneys did not make anywhere near what they could have if they worked for a large firm. Or, heck, even if they opened up a small practice focusing solely on traffic and DWI/DUI cases. Yet, despite the fact that they were making a small percentage of what they could earn in a corporate gig--they still made more money than me. In that way, I think, the income is all about your own perception.

But, it doesn't end there. Everyone wants to make money, after all. If I, for example, was only concerned with making money I would have never finished undergrad. at Carolina and just kept working construction and home installation. There's a lot of money to be made in construction.

Yet, no one wants to be doing something they don't enjoy. Or, at least, not for very long. Money is money. It's definitely important to pay the bills (and the enormous law school debt), but life is far too short for unhappiness.

I want to be a lawyer because lawyers have unfounded potential to be instruments of social change. The law is, after all, around and within everything we do. You can't even build a porch on your own house on your own land without making sure you're following proper zoning laws and municipal ordinances (which, by the way, we just learned in Property are generally favored as prime methods to govern land-use). If the law--in any culture--permeates society in this way, think about the cutting edge work those practicing law get to do! Intellectual Property Law, for example, is becoming more and more important as our culture shifts so much of its resources and knowledge to the internet.

Again, why do YOU want to be a lawyer?

In other news, it snowed for the first time in Boston yesterday. Snow in the South is incidental (unless you live in the mountains)--especially when you grew up near the coast like I did. Now, I live in Mission Hill and got to enjoy my mile walk to school as the snowflakes fell down around me. It didn't stick to the ground and stopped by noon, but was great. I keep waiting for the deluge, though...some blizzard to roll in and give me the New England winter so many friends told me I could expect. Then, when it is negative 15 degrees (or colder) and I have to walk on the street because the plows pushed the snow up on the sidewalk, I'll let you know how my walks to school are going. I bet I'll still think they're great.

Two more things:

1.) Have a Happy Thanksgiving. If you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, please enjoy whatever break your employer or school has given you.

If you aren't employed and don't go to school...well...just try to enjoy yourself. :)

2.) Following Leon's example: please note that there is a link in the bottom right, under the blog, to leave comments. Leave a comment, post questions, ask me to transfer large sums of your money from a Nigerian bank--whatever is your fancy. If you leave a comment, I will most definitely respond.

So, I'm going to Phoenix for my first co-op. And, it appears, I'm going to make a road-trip out of getting there.

My last real road-trip was after graduating high school: a three-week trek from North Carolina to Toronto and Montreal in a 1978 VW Bus with two of my best friends. It was good times, but now I'll be driving a PT Cruiser. And this time, unlike the last, I hope I can make it to my destination and back without having to manually switch out the entire engine.

Irregardless--after not hearing from the other judicial employer for whom I also desired to work, I called the Staff Attorney's Office at the Arizona Supreme Court and accepted their offer. My duties this summer will include researching cases and providing information to help the Supreme Court decide which cases to hear, attending all oral arguments in front of the Supreme Court, participating in state committee meetings that discuss the future of Arizona's judicial and legal system, and, possibly, working on projects assigned by the Chief Justice and the associate justices of the Court. I'm also assured that, as there is somewhat of a lighter caseload in the summer, I may have the opportunity to do self-directed projects of my own interest.

I'm stoked.

"One down, two to go." That's what my girlfriend told me when I called her after finishing my Civ Pro exam. I think she'll be happier than I am once exams are over. Pretty positive.

So, I'm done with my first ever law school exam. It was four hours long, the proctor seemed like somewhat of a tool, and I did...well, on second thought, I'm not going to describe my performance on the exam. Two reasons: One, they ask us to not discuss the subject matter of the exam with anyone else for some time after exams end (in case anyone has to take a make-up due to unforeseen circumstances--like, say, being stuck in a plow-created snowdrift on the other side of Boston); and, two, the exams are quasi-anonymously completed and anonymously graded. I'd like it to stay that way. We're each assigned a five-digit number (which doesn't make it totally anonymous) and the professors don't know who completed the exam until after they've finished grading.

This system of anonymity is linked to a relatively new way of taking exams at NUSL. At least, I hope it's new, because a lot of kinks are still being worked out. These "kinks," I think, are creating a lot of the stress that goes into exams. The safest way to know that none of the technology supplied or provided will fail us while taking the tests is to write in a bluebook by hand.

Like many, I decided to take the exam on my laptop. Some do choose to write it out, and many choose to take them on the school's computers.

But me--my own laptop. And a Mac, at that. What a rebel, huh? Don't get any ideas, though, the exam software disables any other programs from operating or even being accessed while the exam is in progress.

Anyway, Macs have slightly different instructions and they interface with the exam software in slightly different ways. This causes some frustrations because a lot of people couldn't get the software to download properly (some PCs too) and had to start the exam late. I do say this, though, the computer services folks at the law school were on hand and doing their best to solve all problems. I can only imagine it's tough to deal with strung-out 1Ls who have had little sleep in days while they've studied for exams, and who don't want any more anxiety than studying for Civ Pro often causes.

Luckily, I had no problems with the software. The exam, though, well I'll tell you about that next semester when I get the evaluations back.

About a year or so before I even filled out a law school application I read Scott Turow's "1L" at the recommendation of a colleague. For those of you who don't know the book (or can't surmise it's subject matter from the title), Turow describes his first semester as a 1L at Harvard Law School. Of the many memorable points in the novel, he closes by briefly describing the start of his spring semester.

Turow rehashes in quick fashion everything he felt he'd learned during "the" first semester, and then discusses how the second would be different: he'd make time to read the paper at least once a week; read a book for pleasure; spend more time with his wife; and, in general, take things easier. He mentions knowing he would have time for these because his grades didn't qualify him to be on the Law Review, but forcefully notes that irregardless of the circumstances he would make time. That his life would not be all about law school.

I thought of this on my walk to school today and realized a great difference between our situations: Scott Turow didn't have a huge LSSC project in the offing.

My analysis ended there because I don't like to analogize when too many factors come into play. E.g., Turow reluctantly went to Harvard (he disliked stodginess and the 'good ol' boy system' if I recall) in the 1970s, and I'm proudly at Northeastern (bastion of Experiential Learning and Public Interest) in 2008.

So all that remains of that thought, then, is the LSSC project. Today 1Ls began school three days before classes resume, entering into an "intensive first week" of our project. We essentially have a steep learning curve to overcome and little time in which to do it. All deadlines and program expectations were laid out, on top of our client agency's expectations and project interests. To me it all seemed like some great desert sea, an ocean of sand dune-deadlines. Whenever we reach the summit of one dune, we have but uncovered and put in sight the next one to be scaled--dead ahead.

It sounds gloomy, like some Sisyphean objective merely created to work and exhaust us. Yet, I know it's not. And, like all great treks where the journey is many-obstacled and seems endless, I know that the end is more than the destination. We will all come away, I think, greater somehow and more knowledgeable than we can now fathom.

Mapped against this, pragmatically, we will also have done what lawyers do: represented our client to the best of our ability and delivered the information and the advocacy asked of us.

As my group's project is for the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, I'm off to research info. on the state and federal governmental responses to homelessness...with my eyes on the dune ahead.

More to come...

I'm going to review this past week in reverse. No real reason--just enjoy the ride.

We had Monday off due to a somewhat expected Snow Day. Sadly, like many 1Ls, I spent most of it working on my group's LSSC project. Truly sad, because I was hoping to go sledding down some of the larger hills near where I live. This could have posed a problem because 1) I don't own a sled, and 2) I planned to go sledding with my dog (a 140lb. Great Dane). Irregardless, that didn't happen.

As I mentioned in my last blog, the previous subcommittee in which I formed a part researched the governmental response across the United States to homelessness. Since Friday, we split up into different research subcommittees based on foreign countries to be analyzed. I am now one of three researching the state of homelessness in South Africa. We're working vigorously, planning our week out down to the hour. We must compile our information with the other four subcommittees' information on their own individual countries and have it prepared for review by next Thursday.

Note that this is only a preliminary step and an introductory look at the countries we chose to research. We have much more work to do before our presentation to our client-organization at the end of March-early April.

Last Wednesday the International Law Society (ILS) hosted an Immigration Law Conference with five panelists. The event was planned by ILS and co-sponsored by the Queer Caucus (QC), the Business Law Interest Group (BIG), the Asian and Pacific Islanders Law Students Association (APALSA), the Latin-American Law Students Association (LALSA), and the NUSL Co-Op Office. It seems to have been a big hit and had a fairly good showing. Our panelists came and spoke on the status of immigration laws and policies in America and the paths to reform. We had three lawyers, a social worker, and a policy analyst all working in different areas of immigration law.

Later this week (seriously, I intend to write a second blog this week), I want to discuss some of the more enlightening cases we're studying in our classes.

In Criminal Law we've just finished discussing the need for prohibited or unlawful conduct (basically, a "crime") to be specifically written down and accessible in a statute in some form or another. The basic (read--very basic) premise is that one needs the opportunity to know ahead of time that a certain type of act should not be done. Why? Because the will of people--that is, the legislature--decided that it should not be done.

We read a California case from 1970, Keeler v. Keeler(go ahead, click on it), where a husband brutally beat his (soon to be ex) wife for cheating on him. Due to the beating and its severity the baby, with which she was eight months pregnant from the other man, died. Note that the wife lived. The prosecutor brought a murder charge for the killing of the baby and he was convicted. Ultimately, however, the Supreme Court of California overturned the conviction because there was a question whether or not an unborn fetus counted as a human being. Basically, under the homicide law passed by the legislature of California in 1850, the unborn fetus was not considered to count as a human being. So, can the husband be convicted of taking the life of someone or something that never lived?

The court decided that it was the role of the legislature (as the democratically elected majority) to define an unborn fetus as living or not living and not the role of unelected judges.

Now, I in no way intend to start a debate on whether or not the Court's legal opinion in this case is correct OR when life truly begins. I described this jarring case because--for me personally--it has been very relevant. My hometown, Jacksonville, North Carolina, has been a hot-spot of media attention for the past week and a half after a pregnant female marine went missing and they later found what they believe to be the remains of her and her fetus buried in the alleged murderer's back yard. Sparing you any more details (for you can always read the news article at the link if you don't already know), the burial site is but a mile from my mother's house. If that wasn't relevant enough, there is a lot of talk around town (and I imagine in the District Attorney's Office) of whether they will ultimately indict for the murder of the unborn baby. I don't recall from my two years working in a Public Defender's office in North Carolina whether there is a law in the state making the murder of a pregnant woman (and her fetus) a double homicide.

There are a lot of presuppositions in that last paragraph (e.g., that we or the authorities know who the murderer is; that it actually was a murder; that they'll ever catch their suspect), but such is the nature of the criminal justice system, the nature of our media, and the nature of our humanity.

In lighter and more refreshing news, I'm going skiing tomorrow. This is somewhat of a delight for an out of towner who generally grew up near the coast--to be able to drive an hour and go skiing. Well, skiing that doesn't involve water. It's great, especially with all the fresh snow.

I hope everyone has a pleasant holiday weekend!

Tonight the Office of Career Services is hosting a networking event that brings NUSL students and alumni together over drinks, snacks and a shelter from the delightfully rough weather we're experiencing. Looking at the list of alumni (organized by their practice area), it looks like they've assembled approximately 100 alums. Yours truly will be in attendance.

I can't honestly tell you how such events go because, frankly, I've never been to one. Yet, I think my relative inexperience at such a venue matches well with my overall networking experience in my past professional (and personal) life, to give some advice to those soon to be attending law school.

Whether you're now deciding between schools, eagerly awaiting responses, studying for the LSAT, or just thinking about it...realize that to a great degree it is massively important who you know. To some this maxim may seem trivial, but I think it's hugely important to state and read it with clarity. So, go ahead--read the previous sentence again.

I use to fiercely resist the notion that I needed to put any weight on who I know or how they can help me in the future. That, after all, seemed to me the essence of networking. Why should I hobnob? Couldn't I get by on what I know, how well I know it and have proven this?

I don't normally dig dealing in extremes, so it suffices to say that getting by on what you know alone is unlikely. And highly improbable. If who you know (and, honestly, what they know about you) didn't matter, why would employers ask for references or written recommendations? Moreover, how many times have you asked a friend about the details of someone they know better than you?

It may be sad to some, but it's true. I don't look at it as hobnobbing, and I recommend that you don't either. For, in the end, it's not really about getting ahead or schmoozing. Networking is about making connections and getting to know.

That being said, realize now who you know and who you want to get to know. Even if you don't realize yet what field of law piques your interest. Getting to know the Town Attorney or In-House Counsel of your parent's employer or your professor will help shape that interest. Getting to know anyone, really. Everyone you meet could be a part of that network. This may seem (and may really be) overly simplistic, but it bears witness.

Before I start into the thick of this blog, I want to let all those know that the undergraduate program of Northeastern University is having a panel for all pre-law students, students that may be interested in law school, long-time graduates thinking about going to law school, etc. The focus of the panel will be on taking the LSAT, applying to law schools, personal essays, etc. It is open to anyone interested, not just NU students, and is Monday, February 25th at 5.30pm in 105 Shillman Hall. If you're not from NU and want directions, please feel free to comment on this blog and leave your email address.

The Connections networking event on Wednesday went well. The Offices of Career Services and Alumni Relations provided a list of alumni attending prior to the event, so I did my research and talked to the few people practicing in the areas that specifically interest me and those working in areas that may interest me in the future (e.g., labor and employment law).

I spent great chunks of my time at the "Government" table and at the "Criminal Defense" table. At the former, I spoke with a couple attorneys working in the Mass. Attorney General's office about what they do as Asst. Attorney Generals, how the different divisions of the AG's office work together, whether they ever bring cases into federal court, etc. I also spoke with a Naval JAG attorney who described the benefits and detriments he saw in being a military lawyer.

An anecdotal tangent: as I finished talking with the JAG attorney, a classmate of his from 2004 came up to say hello. The classmate worked at a large Boston firm. He mentioned all the rain and snow we've been having to the JAG attorney, then said, "Yeah, it's my week to shovel the patio." Both the JAG attorney and I thought his tone was joking and he was being sarcastic, but--as his behavior seemed more serious and straight about the matter--we inquired further. The classmate mentioned something about the "partners not having shovels" then changed the subject.

If he was serious (and, frankly, I still don't know), that scenario is frightening. I'm all for helping out whenever and wherever possible, and fully support the co-operative lifestyle, but I doubt that all the attorneys rotated "facilities services duties" every week. I'd be hugely unhappy if I had to take time out of researching and investigating whatever case I'd been assigned to shovel the firm's patio. Maybe the fellow was joking, or maybe they had a big group meeting and took volunteers because paying another company to do it was just getting too expensive. Maybe not. Maybe those are the things you sign yourself up for with some firms.

Anyway, the chat with the criminal defense lawyers at the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) (essentially, they're the public defenders) went well. As I worked for a public defender's office in NC, they recommended I not apply until the end of my second year--if I was interested--as certain offices give certified 3Ls cases to actually represent in court. As I expected, interning with them before I was certified would give me little more experience than I have already with a Public Defender's Office.

This weekend is a long one with President's Day on Monday, but I'll be spending most of it studying and working on the LSSC project. Given the pleasantly warm weather we have outside today, though, I think my dog and I are going to go for a run.

Honestly, law school is terrible on keeping a regular exercise regimen.

The work here at law school continues. Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Contracts, Researching South Africa's post-Apartheid guarantee of housing to all its citizens, etc, etc. Next week is "Spring Break," but don't let that fool you. Most of us 1Ls already plan to jump face-to-the-fire into our LSSC projects, reading for our core classes, and our research and writing assignments in the offing. There's also been some talk of starting outlines.

So, wanting a softer subject, I thought some would enjoy a list of famous lawyers not primarily known for being lawyers:

Thomas Jefferson
Abraham Lincoln
Mohandas Gandhi
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Franz Kafka
Nelson Mandela
Rev. Al Sharpton
Ben Stein (yes, that Ben Stein)

Enjoy.

Last week was "Spring Break" for the 1Ls, and also marked the end of exams for 2Ls and 3Ls who are now on their co-ops. Like many things surrounding the study of law, the words "Spring" + "Break" are artifices. The weather was cold, snowy and often blustery, and I took few breaks in my studies and many projects until this past weekend. Now, it is true that I just moved to Boston in August. Perhaps this time of year is about as "Spring" as it gets here. If so, I am saddened and hold out hopes for what of the Summer I will see before heading to Phoenix.

This past weekend, though, I took a break from reading for classes and working on my LSSC project to attend the Robert Cover Public Interest Law Retreat. This year it was in Petersborough, New Hampshire. If asked to describe it in just one word, I would choose "life-changing." Before you argue: it is one word. Trust me, there is a hyphen in there.

The retreat brought together about twenty practitioners and professors of public interest law and approximately sixty students. We attended issue-specific workshops, heard motivational addresses, and participated in a lot of informal talks. I had great discussions with a former public defender, a county attorney, a litigator who fought on the side of government and corporate whistleblowers, and an attorney who brought cases in Washington, D.C. on behalf of prisoners, and many others. Moreover, it was fantastic to get to know students from other law schools. I met some wonderful people, and, honestly, learned a good deal about myself.

As a bonus, the whole shebang was held at an outdoor education center (read: "camp"), which was veritably picturesque with the snow and the clear nighttime skies. In between all our scheduled activities, we even had an opportunity to go cross-country skiing or snow-shoeing on the frozen lake.

Now back from this retreat, I am head-first and neck deep in finishing the LSSC project. I am swimming through treatises on the socio-economic rights possessed by children in South Africa, specifically analyzing whether they have a right to housing over and above adults. Additionally, in Constitutional Law (which I recently learned many schools do not teach until the second year) we are studying the War Powers of Congress, the President, and the role the federal courts have in managing those powers enumerated under the Constitution. We've talked a great deal in the past week about the authorizations to go to war in Iraq, the blank-check for the use of force in Vietnam, etc. It is really amazing stuff. I'll tell you more later, but, for the moment, I head back into it.

I thought I'd take a break from describing all the yadda yadda school work that not only plagues most of my waking life, but--through this blog--part of yours too, and talk about finding housing in Boston.

If you are from Boston, please feel free to read on and add comments to add to the general discourse. Or to disagree with anything I've written below.

If you're not from Boston and have finding housing in this city on your list of things to do, fear not. I too am not originally from Boston. Originally, I had to find housing from 800 miles away.

First, your best resource is craigslist.com. Whatever listing you find on craigslist, make sure to note whether the property will be rented with "fee", "half fee," or "no fee." Usually, the fee is one month's rent. So, if you find a nice one bedroom or studio for around $1050/month, you can expect to pay first, last, deposit, plus fee in the order of $4200 to move in. If you rent from a realtor, that is.

Usually, realtors charge fees of some sort. Massachusetts law prohibits owners from charging fees. For my first apartment, I was lucky enough to rent from a realtor who owned the particular building in which I was interested in living.

Next, really research the area around Boston and decide where you do and don't want to live. My classmates are spread out throughout Boston, and the farther out you live, the more in transportation costs you will have. The bus and train systems in Boston are pretty nice to have around, in my opinion, but there is nothing wrong with finding a place within walking distance either.

In that same vein, another option is to live in one of the dorms. They are very near the campus and I'm sure they're affordable. As I have a dog, that wasn't an option--but it's certainly out there.

A quick note on landlords: it's tough to know with what kind of landlord you're going to end up. Especially if you're moving in from out of town. If feasible, I would come to Boston and visit some places and find a decent or tolerable landlord. There are definitely some good and bad ones out there. I would never recommend renting an apartment sight-unseen or from a landlord unmet, but if you're moving from, say, Nebraska and you only have enough airfare to get here in August...you might want to contact one of the Student Ambassadors or current NUSL students and ask them about good properties that meet your needs. Not to endorse any one student ambassador, but Josh Dicksinson is a 3L and very knowledgeable. He is a good guy and knows a lot of about Boston.

Unless you know a NUSL 1L personally, though, I'd stick with contacting the upper levels. We're so sick with yadda yadda school work we're about to burst.

...in a short period of time.

My law office finished the bulk of our project. We're putting the finishing touches on it now and preparing it for our presentation Friday, March 28th. After that we're done. Done, done, done. Well, mostly done. I'm sure the program and powers that be will find something for us to do as we run up to exams.

This past Saturday was Barrister's Ball, affectionately and detractingly referred to as "Law School Prom." It was a good time, and nice to relax, drink, and dance the frustrations of LSSC and studying away. It was also great because the Ball is for more than just 1Ls; we got to see the upper-level students who haunt the building and (I believe) hide in the shadows. Seriously, we rarely see them. I believe that they don't go to class.

I am moving into a new place--hence the blog last week about housing issues in Boston. I'll be moving soon, but at least I've finally found a place for me and my 140 lb. great dane. A word of advice on this to future incoming class: this period of time, February - May of your 1L year at Northeastern, is the worst, worst, worst, WORST time you could try to move while in law school. Did I mention it sucks? Trying to balance law school, life, housing, life, law school and law school are not an easy task. I'm not sure if it's wholly possible. So, if given the choice, avoid it.

In other news: it's still snowing in Boston. True, it's light snow and quickly turns to rain. But, for someone who lived most of their lives in the South, snow in late March is a bit much. Moreover, I can't even imagine what the rain will be like in April.

That's all I got for now. I'm sure there is more, but I'm a little exhausted. Perhaps I'll get out a supplemental blog tomorrow...or early next week.

Apologies for the lack of blog last week; it was the run-up to our LSSC presentation and preparation consumed nearly every waking moment. I think, at times, I forgot to eat.

The presentation and debrief with our client and professors went really well. It is still a little surreal that we're done with the project, and...honestly...have a huge chunk of free time to...well, read and study for our other classes and work on our oral arguments for our Research and Writing course. I may even have time to call friends and family to let them know that I am indeed still alive.

At the risk of sounding like I was somehow encouraged or paid to write the following: Despite my supreme exhaustion and frustration with LSSC and (gleeful) happiness now that it is over, I cannot underline enough the valuable skills I now have because of the program. If nothing else, I certainly learned how to avoid a nervous breakdown for me and others. I also now have a great deal of skill in researching foreign law and international treaties that will definitely make its way onto my resume.

In other news, as soon as I finished the presentation and Con Law on Friday I left town and headed south. I was very recently invited to the Barrister's Ball (aka Law School Prom) at Georgetown Law, and took the opportunity to stay in DC and environs to see family and friends. And meet new friends. It was incredibly relaxing, rejuvenating, and...to milk a more utilitarian adjective...fantastic. I write it again: it was fantastic.

More than one Georgetown student I met told me that they wish they went to Northeastern instead. Hearing this had an interesting and momentarily paralyzing effect on me: it made me think about the nicely polished rejection letter I received from Georgetown over a year and half ago (I'm willing to admit here that Georgetown was my first choice); about how, regardless, I was glad before their comments that I came to Northeastern with its unique program; and how certain I am that those people will likely be fantastic attorneys no matter where they went to school. Each law school is different, and there is some truth to their reputations and, yes, even the rankings--BUT each law school still prepares you to become a lawyer. It is up to you to find out what kind of lawyer (or, more broadly, what to do with your law degree) and pursue that path.

As always, things are in flux here at Northeastern. Wait, I'm not even sure I know what "flux" really means. Is that even the right word here? Flux capacitor?

Okay, I looked it up: "continuous change." It was the right word choice, after all. Interesting archaic definition, though. As in, "Joey came down a bad case of the flux. He was out all afternoon."

Anyway, despite being done with my huge LSSC project I still feel like I'm trying to keep my head above water. Not a good feeling as one is heading towards exams (three weeks left). Luckily, I bit the bullet and stayed up all of last night to do some catch up and finish this other LSSC project we have due. That's right, other LSSC project. It's a research and writing assignment--a legal brief for or against a motion in a fake employment discrimination case. The motion was due today, noon, and will be followed up by oral arguments this coming Monday.

I must admit that I'm excited about the oral arguments, as it will put me back (in some ways) where I love to be...in the courtroom. I worked as child advocate and, quite separately, with a public defender's office for three years before law school and spent a good deal of time in court. Of course, on Monday it will be a fake courtroom with a fake judge...but it will all be real enough to be a welcome change from the routine of law school.

Overall, the general theme (as I'm sure it generally has been) is business. Read that as "busy-ness." With a double meaning of "business." But it's not all work and no play. Besides the catharsis that the oral argument is likely to be, there are also some really great legal events going on around Boston this month. For example, next week I'll be attending an event at New England School of Law on careers and projects in International Pro Bono Law.

And the weather is getting warmer by and by. I imagine I'll enjoy a nice week, maybe two of spring-like weather before BAM--summer. Or, alternatively, BAM--my move to Phoenix.

One last disparate note: For those of you who have commented in the past week, my apologies for not replying as of yet. An email is in the offing.

The title to this blog frames what has been an instructional week for me.

On Monday, my law office finished (perhaps for real, this time) LSSC with our oral arguments. As I may have described in an earlier entry, we were split individually into attorneys for the plaintiff and defendant for an employment discrimination case. Our oral arguments were the culmination of two months of research and legal writing, preceded slightly by motions and memoranda we had to file with the judge. I had the honor of giving my oral argument twice, as there were more attorneys for the defendant.

To note, the oral arguments were restricted to ten minutes (which is a short, short time to explain anything with the words "legal," "standard," and "discrimination" in your thesis) and, as we were addressing a "judge," we had to be prepared to be repeatedly interrupted with questions.

Both experiences for me were very instructional, as the two classmates against whom I argued took very different takes on the legal issues in question. So, I had to draft two slightly different arguments in opposition. Moreover, I learned a great deal more about speaking in front of a judge. For example, when the judge gets you slightly off your intended track and asks you a question for which you have no immediate answer...don't fumble through your words and end by saying -- "I have no clue, Your Honor."

Ultimately, I answered the question through talking it out. But, I should have said "Your Honor, I need a moment to think on that question" or some derivative thereof.

All in all, the oral arguments came out well and I enjoyed doing them.

That same afternoon I went to a panel downtown at the Boston Bar Association on International Pro Bono opportunities. It was very informative. There were several people, including the the current Chief Judge of the Massachusetts Court of Appeals, who have served on different International Criminal Tribunals (East Timor, Yugoslavia, Cambodia), election observation programs, large American firms that do pro bono work abroad, and more.

There wasn't much of an opportunity for a meet and greet, and, being a 1-L, I had to bolt to get some work done, but I got great notes on resources and places to look for internships and jobs post graduation.

Quite separately, the weather is beautiful here in Boston right now. The winter feels like its finally trailing off. Just in time for what could be an amazing weekend.

This will likely be my last blog to you amidst the classes of my first-year of law school.

Although some of you readers out there may have not read that sentence with the gravity it actually carries, I'm going to give a few moments of literary silence to let that sentence sink in...in the honor of my fellow 1Ls and all those 1Ls who have come and gone.

...end of first-year of law school....

Granted, the end of classes is merely the beginning of exams. But, law school exams are a whole different beast that must be overcome quite separately from the bridge we students had to cross to get here. The important point, I think, is that once we're preparing for and taking exams...we are in fact on the other side of the bridge. Whether or not they let us through the gate, well...that's the beast of it.

Several fellow classmates have mentioned the sheer difficulty in studying in the weather with which Boston has been blessed in the past week. Who wants to be inside and studious when Sunshine beckons us towards adventures and livelihoods that have little to do with the Uniform Commercial Code or issues of federalism and state sovereignty? Studying for exams was certainly much easier during the winter when the weather outside was much less inviting.

Well, notwithstanding Boston's current sunshine (and the Sunshine come and gone), I'm glad I didn't go to law school closer to the Equator. And, considering the lovely weather without these walls, I imagine this is why the powers that be construct law school buildings without big, expansive windows.

Contrary to those feeling torn between the weather and their studies, though, I actually find the majesty of Spring invigorating and helpful towards studying. Perhaps it's the general nature of the season to re-energize and I'm just finding it easier to channel it towards studying. Perhaps it's because baseball season is the best season (and Smoltz is now a member of the 3,000 club).

Anyway, exams will soon be over and I'll be headed to Phoenix to work for the Supreme Court there. I look forward to the chance to do appellate work and to hike some of the beautiful canyons in Arizona.

Tonight, I'm attending a meeting on "Justice for Northeastern University Janitors." (Note: if you go to that link, I wouldn't sign the petition UNLESS you're a member of the NU community AND have already not signed it.) I've been trying to go to these weekly meetings since about February, and now have finally made the time. No excuses, I just didn't have going to the meeting high on my list amidst all other law school goings-on. That doesn't mean I don't support the cause. In fact, I hope to attend the rally and march on the university president's house this Saturday.

More to come. Until next week...

I'll spare everyone the always exciting minutiae of the mental marathon that is studying for law school exams and get on to with what I have been distracting myself. Considering that very realistic picture, though, this blog will be short.

First, the end of classes was great. My last class, Constitutional Law, was wrapped up awesomely. I left it honestly feeling whole and complete. To paraphrase one of the last things Professor Adler said to us: The law tries to boil life down, make it abstract, and pretend that it--the law--operates in a perfect world. One of your best tools as a lawyer is fearlessness in the face of such abstraction. Keep an eye on the real world...a world that is not abstract or perfect.

Secondly, my first Seder dinner at the law school was great. See Wen's (second) blog--"Passover Seder" on the whole experience. I think she does a great job of describing it from the point of view of someone not Jewish at their first Seder. Also, I similarly learned that I don't dig gefilte fish.

Lastly, I spent part of this weekend at a rally in front of the $7.5 million dollar home of the President of Northeastern University. The Justice for Janitor's Coalition rallied with students, student groups, janitors, faculty, local members of state congress, the media, and the public to protest the wages and lack of healthcare under which many of the employees of our facility services must work. The rally went strong all weekend, through rain and sunshine, and collected nearly 900 letters of support from the community for the cause. And the fight continues. Go here to see a Northeastern University TV (NUTV) two-part documentary about it: Part One, and Part Two.

If you click on any of the other links provided in that paragraph you should see some great press coverage of this weekend's rally.

Best of luck to my fellow law students--at Northeastern and other law schools--

The title to this blog really paints the portrait, but the picture is admittedly incomplete for you non-law school readers who haven't been on this two week journey. So, let me take you there.

Last I wrote, I had two exams left: Criminal Law and Contracts. They both went, and I hope they went well. Crim was a bit of a frustration, because the professor determined that we did not need the full four hours typically allotted for law school exams at NUSL. Instead, s/he made the decision that we would do fine with two-and-a-half. There are pros and cons to this, of course. Presumably, if the time is cut almost in half the tested subject matter would also be cut in half. Presumably. The morning of the exam, moments before starting, we were informed that the Professor made a last minute decision (i.e., right before we arrived) that we may in fact need a full three hours for the exams.

After completing the exam, rich in byzantine hypotheticals where the characters arguably commit over ten crimes on one another and we're asked to explain how they should be charged, I am unsure if anything about the exam was truly changed to reflect the shortened timespan. Perhaps the professor's mind just changed.

Contracts, in all honestly, is kind of a blur. It was half multiple choice and half essay and, as I mentioned in my last blog, spanned four-and-a-half hours. I certainly practiced doing multiple choice questions for Contracts, and it seemed very foreign. As an English major in undergrad., who also studied History, Anthropology and foreign languages, I had not taken a multiple choice exam in a long time. Well, other than the LSAT. And my memory on that too was kind of a blur.

Since exams I've had a wonderful Summer break, now soon coming to a close. I spent part of it in D.C.--where I had a wonderful and relaxing time--and in North Carolina--where I visited family. Friday, very early in the a.m., I drive southwest towards Phoenix. Next Tuesday I start my internship at the Supreme Court, and I am really excited. The drive will be one long haul without any time to stop and smell the scenic roses. There will be plenty of that once I get to my post in Arizona.

The relaxing time in between exams and my internship in the offing hasn't totally been law-free. Firstly, I'm not sure if anything is really law free. Except maybe anarchy. Maybe. Secondly, the US Supreme Court has come down with some really exciting decisions in the past week and a half, not least to mention the (hopefully) monumental decision out of California on same-sex marriage.

More to come next week after my first day at the AZ Supreme Court. I hope all the best for everyone's summers too--wherever you are.

Starting my second day of work today, and all goes well as the temperature rises. Literally, not figuratively. I was assigned my first project yesterday, and so far it's pretty interesting. The case comes to the Supreme Court as an appeal from a competency hearing where, at trial, a judge decides that a defendant is or is not competent to face his/her criminal charges. For those unfamiliar, in most jurisdictions if a court finds a criminal defendant incompetent to stand trial, it can do any number of things that do not involve going to trial. They could dismiss the case altogether, put the person into rehabilitation and bring the charges back against them when s/he is sane or competent, or even have that person committed. But not proceed with trial. Why? Because courts have long held that those who are not fully aware of what they are doing or what is going on are not going to benefit from being punished. One point of punishment is to deter the person from doing it again, and if you are incompetent then you don't have the facility to understand why you're being punished. If you even understand that.

Interesting stuff, and I had a lot to learn about the Arizona appellate system in one day. Due to ethics concerns and matters of judicial and simple fairness, I cannot say much more than that about the case I'm working on.

Otherwise, the trip out to Arizona was nice. And quick. I made it here from central North Carolina in just over forty-two hours--including sleeping. I didn't speed (much); just drove at a steady pace and kept my eyes on the horizon. Despite making good time as I traveled through North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and into Arizona, I saw some amazing sights and landscapes along the way. Somewhere outside of Amarillo, for example, an artist had constructed an exhibit of five or six cars buried nose first in the flat, dusty ground. The cars were equidistant and all leaning at the exact same angle, like trees after a hurricane. It was a sight to see, especially seemingly so far out of town.

My time here in Arizona will be well spent, I think. I've yet to make it deep downtown, but I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunity for that. Our supervisors have given us no rigid work schedule, leaving us quite autonomous as to the time we keep. To comply with Northeastern's co-op requirements, I must work at least thirty-five hours a week. The powers that be at the Arizona Supreme Court say that as long as I'm getting my work done and am generally in the office and accessible for those thirty-five hours, they don't care when I do them. The traditional summer court intern thing to do seems to be to work them Monday through Thursday and take Friday off.

That'll do just nicely.

More to come...

First, I must note the divine irony of the current situtation. When I chose to come to Phoenix for my summer internship, many wished me the best and lamented that I was heading to the wrong locale for summer time. After all, in the Winter one wants to be warm. In the Summer, cool. Right? And there I was, gleefully choosing to head to the desert where 110+ degree weather is not uncommon at the apex of the season.

And here I am now in just such a climate. Where are those who regretted my choice? Most of them are on the East Coast, undergoing record-breaking heat indices and soaring temperatures. In short, living through a heat wave. With humidity in the upper 80-90%. Humidity in Phoenix hovers around 10%.

Not that I'm gloating. :) We're all subject to global warming, after all. As a brief digression, my flitting talk of weather here overlooks the serious crises going on due to weather around the world. In our own country, for example, California recently declared a statewide period of drought. They haven't done that since 1991. And, those in the upper Midwest and West are experiencing frightening tornadoes, thunderstorms, and floods that just keep on rising.

Regarding the particular situation here, however, I do have some advantages to bearing all this heat. And no, it's not purely the air conditioning piped in at the Supreme Court. I actually try to go outside during the day and experience the weather--assuming the smog blowing in from California makes the air breathable. No, my relative advantage was growing up in the South. If you can deal with Southern and coastal humidity in August, so far it seems you can deal with temperature extremes.

Well, we'll see. I'll keep you apprised if my mind changes any when the thermometer busts above 120. So far, I really enjoy the heat. And do my best to stay hydrated.

In other not-quite-exciting news, the work at the Arizona Supreme Court continues. I must admit that at times I am a little bored sitting behind a desk researching cases and writing memoranda all day long. I'm used to being in the field and being in the courtroom--or, at the least, being on my feet. That being said, I am enjoying the change and attempting to appreciate it for all it's worth. I am certainly learning a lot and meeting great people. Oral Arguments at the Court are scheduled in a couple of weeks and on the docket are three death penalty cases (which, in Arizona, get appealed directly from the trial court to the Supreme Court) that will likely bring up issues pursuant to the US Supreme Court's decision in Baze v. Rees. Also, we'll get to hear a child custody dispute involving an American Indian child. The case raises serious questions over the conflict between state and federal child welfare laws.

On a final note: What, you may be asking, have I seen of the wonderous Phoenix? Where are your pictures of my time out west?

I've seen the freeway, readers. And my camera is broken.

More to come...

...and I'm only twenty-seven years old.

And, oh, to look back on the days in reverence when we all grudgingly paid $2.50 at the pump! And you could shred up dollar bills and boil them down to gold. Alas days of yore.

Now on an unpaid co-op, I commute to and from work everyday. Over thirty miles each way. I make no bones about being on an unpaid internship, I chose this path for myself. As such, I also recently chose to kick driving to and from work everyday and hop on the bus. Before moving out here I was told from one or two Phoenixians that they don't have a particularly grand public transportation system. Perhaps they didn't, but a municipality gets pretty inventive when gas prices rocket past the cost to buy a gallon of milk (in most areas) and its residents stop driving and show up in droves at bus stops. Like yours truly.

The buses here seem to be all run on natural gas, I hear tell they are planning to commission more buses for many routes, and the powers that be are testing out a light rail system that could be operational in 2009.

It feels good to ride the bus: the trip takes just as long, I am saving hugely on my energy costs, reducing my carbon footprint, and I get to people watch and read.

Yesterday I was finishing the paper, The Arizona Republic, on the ride home. As per usual, many of the stories were about what sore shape this country is in. Gas prices, unemployment, airlines, Iraq, Iran, flooding, food prices, etc, etc. The sensationalism of TV news does indeed carry over somewhat into the more tangible and scripted, printed paper. Or perhaps it's vice-versa; I am no journalistic historian, but printed news doesn't get to use live footage, audio and a ten minute loop in its presentation.

Anyway, as I reflected on all this heralding of doom and gloom, I thought about the persistent questions that were not asked in some of these stories. For example, a recent article about tax incentives highlighted a current bill in Arizona's state House of Representatives that would give tax breaks of varying sort to companies that would bring jobs to different parts of the state. The lawmakers in support of the bill highlighted how Arizona, like many states, has had crippling budget deficits in past years, and are looking towards a record deficit this year. Thus, they argue, the state needs this tax incentive package so companies will come here, set up shop, and put money into the economy. They note that the first jobs will sprout up in construction, a good start to providing good jobs to the hardworking.

These tax incentives are common throughout the country. In fact, Northeastern's own Professor Enrich has been working on his own, and with Ralph Nader and his people, for a few years in contesting the constitutionality of states to do this. He has already taken the matter to the US Supreme Court once, which got shot down on other legal grounds.

As I read the article, I wondered where were the questions the reporter didn't ask (or perhaps, simply, didn't publish the answers). How exactly are these tax incentives going to boost the state economy? Is there some data or economic models they can show us behind that claim? Won't the state budget take a hit from the taxes it is not taking in from the deals? Are they relying too heavily on the taxes they'll take out of workers' paychecks, and a hope that employed workers who may have to commute to work every day and pay astronomical healthcare costs will have enough money left over to recycle it back into the state economy?

Articles like that, of vital and necessary questions unanswered or unreported, joined in my mind with others that seem to profess how the entire country is going to hell in a handbasket and the end is nigh. They made me think of conversations I've had with some who hear the same news and take on self-defeatist attitudes. They made me think about how there is a lot of work to be done in this country, while questioning whether that work could ever be done. Go back and read the paper from any decade past and see how they seem to be struggling with the same questions on similar (or the same issues). They made me think about how we could lower the unemployment rate in this country down to marginal rates, increase voter participation to over 75% of the electorate, and cure cancer--and something else would come up.

These thoughts are not self-defeatist on my part, they're energizing. Because, after all--if there is work to do, then there is work to do. And it made me glad that I chose a profession that gives one unique abilities (and, occasionally, access) to be an instrument of social change.

We finished the election case and the justices issued a preliminary ruling on the matter. I'm not positive if they've sent copies of the order to the parties, so I'll keep all details under wrap for the time being. While my supervisor and I worked quickly on an election case with a three day timetable, three more cases were appealed up from the Superior Court. Unluckily for my colleague interns who were assigned the cases, they had a two day timetable. Three of the election cases, including mine, were all heard and decided on at the same time. Quick and hotly contested business, these judicial decisions in election matters.

Otherwise, I've been working on a death penalty case which has come to the Court seeking post-conviction relief. There are very strict rules about when and how a criminal defendant can appeal his conviction for post-conviction relief--which is something different than just outright appealing the conviction after the judge or jury has ruled you are guilty. For the ease of explanation, most defendants appeal for post-conviction relief when new information comes to light that raises questions of their guilt and responsibility--information that was unavailable or was hidden during trial. Or, say, new information comes to light about the constitutionality of the trial proceedings--as in, the prosecutor or defense counsel had DNA evidence that would prove the defendant was not the true culprit--but they suppresed the evidence and told no one. None of the above are reasons that my case is now on appeal, and of course I cannot go into detail.

Confidentiality can be a real downer for my blogging.

I am also working on a case, with another intern, that deals with the constitutionality (under both the Arizona constitution and the sacred of sacreds) of school voucher programs. As I also cannot describe the particulars of this case, and any description of school vouchers may be impermissibly touching on issues I am currently researching, a New York Times article from 1999 describes a proposed school voucher program in New York City and gives a good and short treatise on the relevant issues. And how seriously controversial these issues can be.

In other happenings, and for a slight light moment, I was reading some online blogs about this year's presidential campaign. It's tough not to be a bit of a political junkie in such an election year, but I tend to be a bit of a political junkie no matter the year or election. Nonetheless, I came across a story that made me nearly spit up my dinner. No lie. Actor Stephen Baldwin, in a quasi-interview (he did the talking) on Fox News (of the "We Report Very Little of Worth, You Decidedly Listen" reputation), told the world that if Barack Obama is elected president in November, he is going to leave the country.

1.) I am not taking a stance or endorsing any candidate for president on this school-sponsored blog. This is about Stevie Baldwin.
2.) Who, I was unaware, was still in this country.

Now, to be fair, Stephen Baldwin had stellar roles in "The Usual Suspects," "Bio-Dome," and...well...little else of cinematic value, and as a recent born-again Christian he has started a community outreach program for kids. I read that the program is targeted towards urban youth--mostly skaters--and, although his program is a little heavy on the proselytizing, it's doing good work by keeping some kids away from drugs and out of jail. Way to go Stephen.

However, forgive me if I take no moment of remorseful reflection on the sad state of affairs if Stephen Baldwin leaves the country. I don't think the order of things and the universe as we know it will topple over if and when he goes ex-patriot.

Though, and perhaps this gets to the sheer selfish audacity of his comment, I bet those kids in his community outreach program will surely suffer.

Once, I too said the same words about Bush when he ran for reelection in 2004. Allthough, I told only my friend next to me and not the Fox News watching audience.

My point is this, and it's larger than me or Stephen Baldwin: Just because you don't like the way things are looking or the way things may turn out--these are not reasons to throw in the towel. We, luckily, still live in a society where we don't have to be afraid to speak up about our discontent or disagreement with the powers that be. We can still make efforts for a better tomorrow, even if we're displeased with the today. Things are not so bad that we necessarily need to be concerned about living our lives "underground," or move to a culture where our views are more readily accepted. Today, you can be a card-carrying communist with a Joey Stalin mustache and sit on the bus next to a capitalistic businesswoman and have no fear that she's going to turn you in.

Stephen, do what I had to do: get over yourself, stay home and work for a better today and tomorrow. The kids will appreciate it.

Happy Belated Independence Day to everyone. I spent my long weekend in DC, and had a great time. I saw fireworks at the Capitol, visited the relocated and newly redesigned Newseum (which has an impressive exhibit on the First Amendment), had some delicious Ethiopian food, and more.

Now back in Phoenix, it's back to business as usual. I have thirty days left in Arizona and plan on making the best of it. In a couple weeks I head to Las Vegas for a friend's wedding, and will attempt to lose very, very little money at the casino. I'm not much of a gambler, but I do dig Kenny Rogers and friendly-poker games with friends. I also have some family staying in Vegas, so I am quite lucky to get the chance to see them.

Work progresses. I just finished writing a memo on a first-degree murder appeal, where the defendant is asking the court for a new trial, and am diving headlong into the school voucher case on which I am working with another intern. The school voucher case raises several constitutional issues, both for the U.S. Constitution and the Arizona Constitution. It's a very interesting case, with both parties unhappy about the Court of Appeals opinion on the matter.

Thinking about my internship ending inevitably hones my focus on classes resuming in late August. We start registering for classes next Monday, and the final information we students need to properly register was just posted this afternoon. Above all, I would really like to take Evidence, First Amendment Law, and the Seminar on Balancing Liberty and Security in the Post-9/11 America. The many other classes available that I need to take to stay within the number of credit hours necessary to graduate are up for grabs. I'll let you know how it comes out.

Otherwise, I am spending my days catching up on my reading and exercise and conditioning. I usually make some regular time to scan The New York Times and Washington Post, occasionally flit through the Arizona Republic and BBC.co.uk. Regularly, though, I'm reading Gideon's Trumpet by Anthony Lewis, The Chomsky-Foucault Debate, and trying to catch up on my Leaves of Grass.

Oh! And I was recently quite lucky and honored to be chosen as a Student Editor for the upcoming school year for the Quarterly, the International Law Students Association periodical. Currently, I'm researching and writing the increased role victims of mass atrocities and war crimes have under the international criminal justice system--specifically in proceedings at the International Criminal Court. It may sound a little esoteric, but it's interesting stuff.

More to come...

So far, I've made it safely through three-fourths of my journey back to Boston. Currently visiting my family in North Carolina, I arrived after a four day trip from Phoenix across the country. Before I left I went to a Diamondback/Braves baseball game. The Braves routed the D-backs 11-5. It was glorious. The Braves are extremely unlikely to make it to the playoffs this year, while the D-backs are almost a shoe-in, but that's a beauty of baseball. No matter the standings, every game is new. And for that game, the Braves played, for a short time, like a championship team.

Along the way I stopped and saw the Grand Canyon for the third time in my life (first as an adult), saw my sister in Oklahoma, had some fantastic Jamaican food and corn bread at a market in Nashville, and saw the tip of the Smoky Mountains and buzzed Mount Le Conte from a helicopter.

Soon, I'll be back in Boston and preparing for school, which starts a week and a half from now. Our class lists were finally posted, and the book lists are slowly coming to light. If professors have chosen to publish their book lists outside their offices, as opposed to making them available to the Office of Academic and Student Affairs, I, like many students returning from co-op, won't know anything until we get back to town. When I discovered the classes I will (most likely) take, I immediately ordered books. Despite my advice to you in a previous blog to always buy used, so far most of my books have been new editions. Unfortunate for the pocketbook. What was used was still pricey, especially as many cheaper copies were already bought by other law students who knew their schedules and required books earlier, and I paid more in shipping in hopes that the books will get to me before classes start.

Also, since my last blog, I applied for an internship for next Summer. Again, this competitive internship, if obtained, could lead to a job after graduation. If I get an interview (cross your fingers, folks), the organization's reps will be here on campus the first few weeks of classes. I am, admittedly, somewhat anxious.

Additionally, I had that interview for an internship this Winter. It was somewhat ironic to have the internship interview while still at my Summer co-op, in the middle of the work day. But, such seems to be the life of a NUSL student. No rest for the weary. The interview seemed to go really well, and yesterday, I received an offer. Again, I cannot divulge anything specific yet, but all will surface soon. Currently, I am waiting on word from other potential employers before I accept or reject.

For now, I am enjoying my last few days of vacation and, like much of the rest of the world, keeping one eye on the Olympics.

Last Friday I went through a mock-interview with a Public Defender. That is, a fake interview where a Public Defender interviewed me as if I was really applying for a job with her agency.

It went well. The main difference I noticed was the number and weight of ethical questions asked, as opposed to questions I was asked during the mock-interview with a firm. The Public Defender asked questions like, "how do you feel about representing someone who is accused of sexually assaulting another person?" Or, "could you cross-examine a victim of domestic violence on the stand, who has visible bruises on his/her face, when your client is the one charged with brutally beating him/her?"

Good questions, which I think are crucial to ask someone applying to be or professing their desire to be a criminal defense advocate--especially a Public Defender. When I worked for a Public Defender's Office in North Carolina, I definitely worked with a lot of great attorneys who confronted these sort of questions every day.

In this same vein, it turns out all the practice interviewing will be helpful. I have an interview in the next couple weeks. Wish me luck!

More to come...

Apologies up front, but this blog is going to be on the shorter side. Extreme side of shorter side.

If this in any way upsets you, loyal reader, you have my full permission to curse my name and immediately quit reading until next week. By next week, unless the powers that be are merely finding things for me to do, I may have a spare moment or two to write a longer, more thoughtful blog.

As of now I have some reading and writing to do. No arithmetic. Not today (in fact, I was a fake expert witness in fake trial today. A medical examiner, I refused to do math on the stand. Flat out refused).

Anyway, if you've read this far into my rambling blog, take comfort in the following quotation from the movie, "They Might Be Giants."

"Of course, [Don Quixote] carried it a bit too far. He thought that every windmill was a giant. That's insane. But, thinking that they might be...Well, all the best minds used to think the world was flat. But, what if it isn't? It might be round. And bread mold might be medicine. If we never looked at things and thought of what they might be, why, we'd all still be out there in the tall grass with the apes."

This quotation brings me comfort, folks. And, honestly, it helps me study the law.

Go ahead, wikipedia the movie. You'll be surprised to know that it is, after all, related to the band of the same name.

More to come...

October 21, 2008. 10.14pm. I just read a news report, two emails, and multiple Facebook status messages that are reacting to the recent weather report predicting snow flurries this evening. While I'm tempted to sit back and await with glee the onset of winter conditions here in Boston, I have just a bit too much going on.

Exams for us upper levels are in just under four weeks. And it feels like we just broke into the syllabus. Plus, this week, I am in the full swing of interviews with government and public interest internships for next summer. I am really excited, but I have six in two days. Two on Thursday, Four on Friday. The ones on Thursday I plan on fitting in between classes. Friday, however, will likely just be an exhausting day.

These should be my last interviews for a while, so I'll let you know how they go. If I'm able to secure a job with one of them, perhaps I can finally divulge with whom I have been interviewing all this time. I am excited to discuss it, and talk in-depth about how the interviews go (and have gone). Until then, I won't share too much and prejudice myself--lest some curious potential employer does a Google search on me and finds this blog.

Also, elections are coming up in 2 weeks. I sent in my absentee ballot to North Carolina, but I cannot wait until Election Day.

And the world is watching. While Bush will be President until late January, we all know that America (heck, Earth as we know it in a geopolitical sense) will be a very different place on Wednesday, November 5th.

Regardless of who is elected. Seriously. What a powerful feeling, the sense that we stand on a precipice of tomorrow.

It's been a week of powerful legal headlines, as well. Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens was convicted in Federal Court. Just today, Massachusetts State Senator Dianne Wilkerson was arrested for allegedly accepting $23,500 in bribes from undercover FBI agents and others. The Boston Globe has published photos that do actually seem to show her accepting wads of money. Those who follow Mass politics will remember that she is on the ballot next week, as a write-in candidate (having been beaten in the Democratic Primary Election Cycle by Sonia Chang-Diaz). This may be hefty on the tongue-in-cheek side of things, but this does not look good for her re-election.

Also, the Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that the state sex offender law, namely its requirements of an address for registry purposes, is unconstitutional as applied to Georgia's homeless population.

In news more particular to this (occasionally) hard-working 2L, I accepted an offer to work for the Public Defenders Service's Trial Division in DC next Summer. Check out their website and all they do here. I am very excited at this prime opportunity and honor to work for such a renowned office, although it puts me away from Boston for yet another co-op. As of this moment, I just finalized my plans for my third co-op before I have even started my second.

As Ferris Bueller famously said, "[law school] goes by fast. If you don't stop and take a look around every once a while, you might miss it."

What a busy, momentous week it has been.

This past Saturday I phonebanked for the Obama/Biden Campaign, calling Democratic and undecided voters in New Hampshire. My main goals, of course, were to get out the vote and arrange rides to the polls. Classmates of mine spent four days in New Hampshire, which has same-day registration, and helped register 1400 new voters.

I'm told Obama won that particular district in New Hampshire by 1500 votes.

So, if there was ever any doubt (and there has been plenty), EVERY vote counts.

Regarding President-elect Obama, I will be in DC during the inauguration. I have yet to line up housing. This process, as a law student living on loans (with a giant dog -- a 4 year old great dane) who is so far going on an internship away from Boston every three months, has been frustrating. It hasn't gotten any less worrisome as my mind is slowly turning towards other things--like exams.

I fear not, however. I'll find housing in DC. And, while I can be assured that it will not in any way be affordable, I am sure I will ultimately bring my dog, work for the Justice Department, and live in DC during the transition to the Obama presidency.

Despite the upcoming exams, I will be blogging next week. Forgive me if I am late by a day or two, loyal readers, as I have a mock trial and a mock oral argument in front of three actual Massachusetts Appeals Court judges in the middle of the week next week.

After that, only three more exams to go.

More to come...

First year seems like a lightyear away, sometimes. Last year, during Thanksgiving break, I was studying for my upcoming exams and attempting to slave over my outlines.

So much has happened since then.

Now, having just finished exams, I am attempting to enjoy my Thanksgiving break before I start my co-op at the Justice Department. I left Boston on Monday night, drove 12 hours down the East Coast to North Carolina, picked up my little sister from college, and then another 3 hours to my parents' places. I love driving, but, after doing that trip and being awake for 37 hours, I am happy to not be driving anymore.

The quick approaching start to my second co-op is exciting, and I look forward to it. I hope to do some great work and learn a good deal. Plus, I'll be in DC (which is a great city), and I'll be there during the inauguration and the transition. However, while many ring the bells of joy at being out of Boston for the winter, I'm going to miss it. A lot. For a lot of reasons.

One in particular.

Yet, I'll also miss Boston for a lot of the reasons that people are glad to leave. I like snow. I like winter weather. On the one hand, it's a fantastic reminder of why summer is so great. On the other, what greater impetus does one need to wrap up before a fireplace or in the warmth of your apartment with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

In other news, since I will now be on co-op and won't be reading for classes all the time, I brought a suitcase full of books. A reading list to catch up on. "Look Homeward Angel," "The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and the "Chomsky-Foucault Debate" start off the adventure.

However, I will still be doing law school stuff. I am participating in moot court with a 3L, and we have to write our appellate brief by January 16th. This year, the American Constitution Society's moot court questions revolve around the First Amendment AND issues of national security law. Both are classes I just finished taking, and two subjects near and dear to my heart.

Otherwise, I'll make sure to keep you filled in on the goings on at the DOJ and in living and playing in DC. I'm not sure how much playing I'll be doing, but adventures and side-quests always seem to make themselves known at the most opportune times.

Welcome back from Thanksgiving everyone! I hope everyone took full advantage of the one day a year where it's at least a little more permissible to glutton one's self a panoply of sleep-inducing food. Personally, I'm a big fan of stuffing and gravy.

I just completed my second day of my second co-op, in a small windowless office of a Department of Justice building in downtown DC. The attorneys, investigators and other support staff here at the Civil Rights Division are extraordinarily nice, helpful, and brilliant. While I spent my first day going over and over very byzantine paperwork that asked the same questions repeatedly in different places (even on the same form), and wrapping my mind around the sometimes seemingly needless labyrinth structure of the federal government, I am now settling down into two projects. The projects are great, involve mostly questions of constitutional and statutory interpretation--very cutting edge work. And, even though I cannot discuss any details of my work whatsoever due to its sensitive and privileged nature, you can find a great overview and description of what the Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section does here.

Otherwise, I am getting to know the DC public transportation system--i.e., the Metro, and, as I live in Alexandria for the next ten and a half weeks, the DASH bus system. Here's a little lesson I learned last night: if you decide to go out drinking with co-workers until 7.30pm, perhaps you should check and see if the local bus system runs on a shorter schedule and route and will not pick you up at the Pentagon Metro station (thereby causing you to not get home until 9.40pm). Lesson learned.

Best of luck to all 1Ls as they ramp into exams, all other law students who will be doing the same, all potential applicants who may be diligently and frustrating working on their applications, and to everyone else as the winter fast approaches.

For me--I cannot wait until December 18th. I'm looking forward to it and that weekend like no other time before. Stay tuned...

Yesterday I went on a run through downtown DC during lunch. Have to get it in somewhere. Despite the blistery cold and the sprinkling rain, it was a good run. DC is full of great landmarks and my route circuited some.

For example, not far from where I work is Ford's Theatre where Lincoln was assassinated. And then, right across the street was the house where he died. Both, I believe, are now part of the National Park Service--they are both definitely national historic sites--and keep at least a quarter of that block on 10th Street NW in nineteenth century garb. Eventually I made my way back to Pennsylvania Avenue, where I ran by the White House. Nearly every one of us has seen the casa blanca, whether in person or in picture. And, aside from housing and serving as the office for one of the most powerful positions in the world, it does look very much like a giant white mansion. I've always thought so, anyway. In the past few years, all my trips to DC that took me by the White House got me no closer than across or down the street from the fence. The police usually had road blocks up on the far side of the street and would not let pedestrians go any closer. Yesterday, however, I ran right up to the fence and watched the construction of stands--The Inaugural Stands. The construction company had even hung up a sign stating so.

It made me wonder what Bush must think as he looks out his office or bedroom window and sees them building a miniature, wooden stadium to the incoming president-elect.

Seeing these sites, and others, brought up memories of traveling and a desire to do some more. One thing I love to do, whether I'm visiting a place for the first time or just walking my dog through familiar streets, is to get a sense of the history of the place. To think about the people that walked, lived, loved, argued, procrastinated, and even died on the spots in and in the places where I'm visiting. While Boston has a sheer panoply of historical sites (both officially recognized and informally known), and I think it will take me years to become familiar with them all, I suppose a beautiful aspect of the co-op system is getting to travel and take these historical walkabouts. Or, perhaps, as Toni Morrison might say, "rememories."

A friend of mine is in Phnom Penh, Cambodia right now, and another is in Nigeria. I can only imagine what fantastic runs they have on their lunch breaks.

Holden Caulfield.

Holden, the narrator and anti-hero of J.D. Salinger's seminal novel The Catcher in the Rye was the first topic on my meeting's agenda yesterday. An attorney and I met to discuss a facility in Mississippi we are going to visit at the end of this month. I was just assigned to the case and asked to tour the facility as part of its inspection for compliance with a long-standing court order, and very much needed to be brought up to speed. The supervising attorney and I started off, naturally, with small talk about one another's holiday breaks. She read The Catcher in the Rye over her break and, according to her own words, was now in a general malaise having quite the existential experience.

I could empathize: I am reading Look Homeward, Angel which is filled with its own existential questions as it charts the protagonist's life from his birth at the turn of the 20th Century. We talked briefly about how both books actually portray America's own existential crises in the time period during which both books are set, and then that sent off my thoughts in three different directions.

First, as ever-changing and growing humans and animals experimenting and defining our own consciousness, aren't we always have a bit of an existential experience?

Two, our talk of knowing one's self (or one's ability to actually do so) at the same time one is trying to figure out a direction as time evermore passes is incredibly poignant as we near Inauguration Day and America will swear in a new Administration--one very much promising change.

Three, Here, at the Dep't of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section, aren't we in the business of forcing identity crises and systemic meta-analyses of a state agency's purpose when we investigate their practice and policy of treating institutionalized persons? By threatening federal lawsuits, injunctive relief on high from the Civil Rights Division of the United States government's legal arm, are we not forcing these institutions, facilities, agencies, and States to look at themselves and ask, "what are we doing? Is this how we want to treat these individuals?"

Fyodor Dostoyevsky reportedly said, "The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons."

Similarly, Winston Churchill is quoted as claiming that "you measure the degree of civilisation of a society by how it treats its weakest members."

I'm not positive that the answer to my above question (my third direction of thought from the Holden Caulfield conversation, if you're keeping track), is yes. But it does spur food-for-thought. A buffet for thinking. As the DOJ we are forcing States and their agencies to look at how they're operating with regards to standards and constitutional liberties recognized and set down either by the Framers, the US Supreme Court, Congress, or, in some views, the Almighty deity. Food-for definite-thought.

Back at work this morning, after a blissful four-day weekend. Naturally, as a federal employee, I had Monday, Rev. King's observed birthday off. The government was also kind enough to give us Tuesday, the inaugural day. I am convinced that giving us off Tuesday was more a strategic, security concern than anything else (to keep us out of our office buildings and away from the windows, which are near or on Pennsylvania Avenue--the parade route). Nonetheless, I enjoyed the day off.

Especially as I was able to sit in my pajamas, stay in out of the blistery cold, drink coffee, and talk on the phone to loved ones for hours. Being away from home, on co-op, and with the holidays and travel, I had not heard a lovely voice in a while.

The Inauguration on Tuesday was fantastic. Bitterly cold and packed with millions of people, but overall fantastic. The air was electrified with hope and happiness, and was overwhelmingly inspiring. I am proud to say that I was there, for myself and for my family and friends who could not make it to DC, on the National Mall, a witness to many, many firsts and to history.

Now, I return to the Department of Justice, trying to zip through work piled on my desk before I leave at week's end for Mississippi to help inspect a facility. I'll be gone on-site all next week, but should still be in a fine area of urban wireless to send updates. We shall see.

Stay warm everyone, and if you love the snow (as I do) and are in snowy areas...please enjoy. Make snow angels and snow demons. If you're a fan of Calvin & Hobbes, make snow goons.

Not a lot to write for this blog, as not a lot is going on. Just wrapping up the final week of vacation before classes begin on Monday. Have been spending most of my time reconnecting with friends over cheap beer, looking for a part-time job (because it is a sad truth that school loans just don't cut it--especially in this economy), and, most recently, reading for next week's classes. Federal Courts (mainly, issues of federalism and separation of powers) so far is very interesting and I look forward to it, but I try not to have any illusions about what is to come. The subject is universally considered to be mired in complexity (aka mind-boggling confusing), and, by some, pointlessly and unnecessarily so. Many students and the professor consider it the hardest class in law school.

Despite advice by some otherwise, I've decided to add a fourth class to my courseload for the coming quarter. I really, really want to take International and Foreign Legal Research, a two credit course that meets once a week. It will definitely be more work and take away some time from my other classes, but I'm up for the challenge and think it will be worth it.

More to come...

Most likely going to trial in less than two weeks. As I wrote in an earlier blog, my group's case in the Criminal Advocacy Clinic was scheduled for Pretrial Conference in the District Court this past Friday. At court, our client adamantly told us that s/he wants to plead not guilty and would take no deal offered by the District Attorney. So, we scheduled our trial date.

Two weeks is a ridiculously short time to prepare for trial, especially for hiring an investigator (for which we successfully moved the court for funds) to gather evidence and start interviewing, preparing witnesses, interviewing other witnesses, writing openings and closings, rewriting, rehearsing, etc, etc, etc.

It will be a busy two weeks, but I look forward to it. Such is the life of living on your feet.

Otherwise, I've been closely following the NCAA Basketball Playoffs. Interesting, really, is my keen attention because I'm not a huge fan of basketball. But I do like competition (which would explain why I didn't really care until March Madness descended upon us). And I did go to Carolina, whose highly talented team will be playing tomorrow for yet another Championship title!

You know who won't be playing? Who lost early on? Well...lots of teams...but specifically Duke. And Coach K.

First, congrats to Carolina for winning the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship! Their fifth title. I lived in Chapel Hill for about eight years, during undergrad and afterwards, and can say that I witnessed this (or a slightly lesser version) on several occasions. We Chapel Hillians know how to celebrate. And riot.

Second, I've been ill and under the weather for the past several days. For at least a day and half I was incapacitated. Unfortunate, truly, because law school doesn't really afford time off. I'm feeling a little better today, so will spend a great deal of time catching up; especially with trial at the end of this week.

I just started outlining for federal courts, which is my one in-class exam this quarter. Fun times. Outlining is a reminder of the dwindling down of the term--my Fed Cts exam is May 12 at 9am. Four hours long--and causes a tightening panic in the chest of many. But soon it will be over and we'll all either be back to co-op or graduating.

I must say that while I have only had one full quarter outside of being a 1L, this quarter is the busiest I have felt since my first year. It could be Federal Courts, which many, including the professor, consider to be the hardest class in law school. Or it could be the mixture of that and the Criminal Advocacy Clinic (plus one more class) on my weekly schedule.

Right now I am also working with a group to pitch ideas to the Journal staff for next year's topic. We have to research a topic that our large committee approved, write a memo and give a brief presentation on why that topic is important enough to focus a whole journal and a symposium around it. So as not to divulge any information early, I'll let you know how it goes.

Also, in the Criminal Advocacy Clinic, we go back to trial this Thursday. One of our witnesses could not be present two weeks ago and we asked for a continuance. Interesting game of chess trial is, and, once it's over, I'll go more into why. Right now, I could potentially (however unlikely) affect future moves if I discuss in detail now. Just know that trial is a crazy, crazy time. And worth it. I recommend the clinic if you're interested.

Yesterday was perhaps the warmest day of the year so far in Boston. I believe the temps got into the mid-80s if not higher. My fiancee and I had lunch by the harbor, walked near the water, then spent the rest of our evening at the library doing work. C'est la vie when you're a grad student.

Of note, tomorrow evening I should be going to a training seminar on sentencing advocacy for lawyers representing criminal defendants in federal court. The seminar is hosted by District Court Judge Nancy Gertner, and, while I am not yet a lawyer representing federal defendants, clinic students were invited. I look forward to it!

Hope everyone is having a great start to their summer. Or at least a pleasantly mediocre and uneventful one, if that's what you were looking for.

I just finished my third day at the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia. The first week is all training--really intense training. Everyone at PDS I've met is brilliant (quite intimidatingly so), and extremely approachable and helpful. While most interns are working for one or two attorneys in one division (e.g., Trial Division, Community Defender Division, Parole Division), I am actually one of two interns working for both the Trial Division and the Appeals Division. Today, us interns working in the Appeals Division skipped out on one training session (with approval, don't worry) to attend oral arguments in the DC Court of Appeals.

Monday we officially start working and I expect it to be immensely intense, and am really looking forward to it. As they should, PDS seems to approach work and work product as "how dare you bring me anything less than your very best + 10." I appreciate that spartan regimen, especially as our day in and day out work is a matter of someone's liberty.

Otherwise, I had a nice vacation with my fiancee. We celebrated her birthday, visited my family in North Carolina (via roadtrip), then settled into my place in Virginia. Visiting my family was great. Plus, it was a nice break from law school before I dove straight into my internship. Outside of working I'm spending time researching and preparing to apply for clerkships, reading books I've been trying to finish around law studies, having intriguing philosophical and political conversations with my five roommates, exercising (yay for law school not getting in the way), and longingly missing my loved one and friends.

More to come...

So, it's my second week of internship, but my first full week of actual, hands-on work. The last week of training, as I described in the prior blog, was fairly intense. This week has been a little calmer thus far, but only a little. So far I've gotten three assignments, all great, none of which I can discuss. Not at all whatsoever.

I can say this, though: working for PDS and in the criminal law field reaffirms my love for it that was but a seed planted before I came to law school. Law school has opened up my eyes and introduced me to many other areas of the law that are fascinating and interesting, and, as always, I have a lot left to learn, but criminal law and civil rights drive me. And public interest drives me.

To add shape and description to the co-op and how it ratchets things up a bit more than I've previously experienced with internships, however: in addition to our actual work on cases, all eighty-five or so interns are split up into trial practice groups (TPGs). These TPGs meet several times over the course of the internship and will seemingly function very much like the Criminal Trial Practice classes I've taken. I welcome this practice, the chance to continue learning trial advocacy skills, and learning from other points of view. My TPG meets tomorrow evening, and today around 6pm we were sent our hypothetical for tomorrow.

Outside of work itself, I am beginning the long and (hopefully) quite thorough process of applying for clerkships. Putting in for both federal and state level clerkships, I am lining up those who'll write my letters of recommendation, researching the judges to whom I may be interested in applying and (if successful) working under. As applications for clerkships starting August 2010 are due this fall, I am actually glad to currently be on internship. If I spent all day in class and then much of my evenings reading, I would likely be overwhelmed and exhausted with the sheer administrative effort required by applying for clerkships. Thankfully, I went to a great and informative workshop put on by NUSL's Career Services Office.

Also, I am reading a ton. Gladly and beautifully. I missed novels and poetry. Having just finished Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe, I am now reading the entire Harry Potter series. I'd never read them before and, having become hooked recently on the movies, am determined to read through the sixth book before the latest movie comes out next month. Moreover, I have a stack of books I'm looking forward to reading after Potter (in no particular order): a mystery novel I found in the bargain bin, Slipping into Darkness by Peter Blauner; The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera; The Sound and the Fury by Faulkner; The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria; and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

Hope everyone else is having a great summer as well!

As they often do, things go on with relative repetition. Here and there. For the most part.

Co-op at the Public Defender Service is keeping me fairly, and happily, busy. With some common regularity, as I also work in the Trial Division, there is an emergency or a rush to get matters ready for trial. Yesterday, for example, I spent quickly fleeting hours trying to transcribe a video interview for a trial starting that day. Normally, one would not leave such potentially helpful information un-transcribed until the last minute. However, just as normal, the US Attorney's Office did not give us the potentially exculpatory (or at least quite helpful) video until the evening (and I mean evening) before the trial.

In my work for the Appellate Division, I was recently assigned to write an appellate brief. This is a great opportunity, portends to be great experience, and has me excited. I have written a couple briefs before and welcome the additional experience.

The rest of my time is spent finding a break in the rain to go for a run, reading and reading and reading Harry Potter (mid-way through the fourth book), and watching baseball--specifically, the Atlanta Braves. Thankfully, the Braves are doing a little better than a month ago. Let's hope it holds out. I tried watching a Nationals' game the other day when the Braves was a rain-out, but they were just awful. I speak as a fan knowing I still could not do half of what those players do every day, but, still, they were awful.

Oh, yeah. And like everyone else, I am eagerly awaiting exam results.

Quick blog this week, folks. Between co-op, the clinic case that I am still working on in Boston, applying for clerkships, and trying to have some semblance of a life outside of the halls of justice (e.g., occasionally going for a run or watching a baseball game on TV), I have very little time and words to spare.

My fiancée came to DC this past weekend and we had a blissful time. While an obvious statement to many, it deserves proclamation: the separation of long-distance is not fun on a relationship, if even only for three months, and if even with the luxury of modern technology. I'm really glad she got to come to stay and we got to do fun things around Northern Virginia and DC. I'm buying a ticket soon to see her once more before the internship is over.

Despite my interests in international law, especially international criminal law, and my desire to go abroad, I am positive I am going to do my next and final co-op in Boston. I would like to be in Boston, and be with her, for longer than three months at a jaunt. Perhaps I will take an international-law or global human rights-focused internship in the winter. Regardless, as a Senior Lawyer at the UN once told me, if you want to be a lawyer in the international sphere, be a lawyer. Any experience helps as long as you don't lose sight of your goals.

Wow. I feel drained. Drained from writing my resume over and over again, in different formats, in different font, in different words carefully chosen to hit the reader's brain-pan in ways that evoke surety and acceptance and interest. To be totally clear, I haven't been simply writing and rewriting my resume. That was certainly a part of it; no, I have been for repeatedly listing out everything academic, professional, or alluring that I have done since 1999. On clerkship applications. On resumes for post-graduate jobs. Cover letters. In conversations and informal interviews. Emails.

Whew. The juggernaut of applying for post-grad jobs and clerkships is similar I think to staring in the mirror. Trying on different outfits you own. Standing in different poses at different angles. Staring in the mirror. Imaging how you look to the person soon to be staring back at you. Except, quite naturally, the mirror is really more of a darkly, tinted window. It reflects, but not fully. And eventually you get tired of looking.

No rest for the wicked, that is for sure.

Oh! Also, the powers that be published course evaluations yesterday. I must say, I am really pleased. The narrative evaluations were not only clear and constructive, but I earned pretty high marks. After quickly folding those into my applications (see above), I am now left to think about the courses I would like to take next quarter.

Of those being offered, here is what I want to take: International Criminal Law, International Law, Professional Responsibility, and Section 1983 Litigation. That's only 11 credit hours, so I may not be able to stop there. I may get independent study credits for another project and thus would clear the present hurdle of taking 12 hours. But I'd also like to take Immigration Law or Family Law. So, perhaps I'll sign up for one of those. My hesitancy in taking five courses, four of them substantive, is the amount of reading and work they'll provide on top of my editorial duties on the Journal and as a legal, research and writing Teaching Assistant to incoming 1Ls. So, we'll see what happens.

In other news, I finally finished the Harry Potter series this past weekend. It was wonderful and sad to finish. Now I'm ready to see the upcoming film, and, now that I am one of the recently indoctrinated, I have started to lie to the ignorant about how the story ends. Mwahaha.

Now I'm pouring my way through The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Next on my list: Kite Runner.

As I sat down to type out this blog, thinking over the past week and a half (apologies for the late entry--I was in Boston, see below), I realized that soon I will have been typing a blog for all three years of law school.

That means I've been in law school for almost three years. And I have only two academic quarters and one co-op left. Wow.

I'm sure a great number of people--if not nearly all--have had the "wow" moment I just had, but the ordinariness of its feeling does not lessen it in the slightest. I was in a much different place a year ago, not to speak of just before starting law school. Back when I had no solid idea of what LSSC means or where I would end up doing my co-ops.

Looking backwards always makes me turn around and look forward. All that empty, excited, hopeful feeling of what lay ahead. A feeling of pioneering into the unknown that is your future. I have that feeling a lot these days as I apply for post-grad jobs and for clerkships. I know I've mentioned much of this before--more or less--in previous blogs, but it cannot be overstated that this is much of what I've done and continue to do this summer. Apply, apply, apply. Focus on where I will be come August of next year. All eyes forward, all hands on deck.

That being said, I did travel to Boston this past weekend and spent the majority of my time focusing on the here and now. Thursday I did meet with a professor or two in my efforts towards gaining a clerkship, and, quite separately, did do some work for the Admissions Office which doubled as advertising myself to potential employers with an internet signal, and did write a cover letter here and there, but the rest of my time (and there was a lot) was spent with my fiancee. We just got a new apartment, with a great balcony overlooking the forest, and we just relaxed our time away. It was wonderful; this morning, before catching a plane back to DC, we had breakfast on the balcony and saw two deer at a far off watering hole.

I have eighteen days left in DC. In that time I have two projects that must be completed asap, clerkship applications to ready for submission, and a couple of job applications to see through. For example, on July 27 I began my interviews (1st of 3) with the Public Defender Service in DC. Conveniently, that's the same day I register for classes. I'll let you know how they go.

More to come...

It seems that every blog I write lately begins with "this is going to be a short one." Or, something along the lines of "uh...crazy busy. No time to describe why." Or that's what hits the tin brain pan whenever I put my fingers to the keys.

I am still banging out this appellate brief, and hope to have it done by the end of today. Nearly one full week left of co-op, then I head--blissfully--back to Boston.

Here is a sampling of what's been in the news and on my mind lately:

Terror suspects indicted in North Carolina, my home state

Obama's continuation of Bush's policy of indefinitely detaining but not trying terror suspects at Gitmo

Palin's emotional, but nonsensical exit speech...and Shatner performing it as poetry

Endorsing Judge Sotomayor

Meanwhile, clerkship applications are ongoing as are concurrent searches for post-grad work. Two days ago, I had a particularly horrific interview experience with my current co-op employer, the Public Defender Service in DC. I think I held my own, but we'll see if I make it to the next round. More on that later...

Hope all are having a great wind-down to their summers. Incoming 1Ls: you especially need to have a great one. Memories and time with friends and family are important now, as you will be relatively unreachable for about eight months.

I made it safely back to Boston and have been here a full week. I am heading to Maine tomorrow for a little R&R. Yet, as with almost all R&Rs in this culture, I am bringing work with me. I am still working on my appellate brief (see earlier blogs), and finalizing my federal clerkship applications.

On Wednesday we finally had some disposition to my clinic case that has been ongoing since March. As mentioned in previous blogs, I was part of a three-person team representing a client in Boston Municipal Court (Roxbury). Since April we have been continuing the start date of our trial for a variety of reasons (e.g., witnesses were no-shows). Wednesday was the big day. We were planning on going forward with trial come hell or high water. Then, right after calendar call, the Asst. District Attorney agreed to dismiss the case. Case closed and our client served. We got the disposition he wanted. A fantastic feeling: My first win.

In other news, I still have very little idea what I am taking for classes in the Fall. Today was the close of "Pre-registration," and now all wait for the publishing of lottery lists for limited enrollment classes. It seems like more and more classes are limited enrollment every year. The lists are expected to come out approximately 11 days before classes start, and, as per the usual at NUSL, not being on a lottery list (and thus not secured a spot in the class) means you need to show up and see if you can get in the class. Which means I have to come by the books to read for the first day, without actually buying them. Frustrating.

I can say this, though, it looks very much like I will be taking Professional Responsibility, Disability Law, and Trusts and Estates. I hope very much to take International Criminal Law AND Section 1983 Litigation (suing the cops and the Government for doing bad things "in the name of the law"), but I think I will only be able to take one. After all, adding both would make five classes on top of being a TA for the first-years' writing class and the Managing Editor of the Journal. We'll see. If I get lucky maybe I'll give it a go and see if I can handle it. If so, then I'd only have to take two classes my final quarter. And that, ladies and gents, would be golden.

...but it's terribly difficult to ever completely escape law school.

The Office of Academic & Student Affairs published the lottery list for classes with limited enrollment. I got into every class for which I registered but one. So, it looks like my courselist for the fall is: Professional Responsibility, Section 1983 Litigation, International Criminal Law, and Trusts & Estates.

I'm psyched. We've already received our first day assignments for Section 1983 Lit., and I have a great deal to read and prepare for my first week as a TA in the Research & Writing class.

Plus, the work on the Journal is ever-sharpening and piling on. It's going to be a busy quarter as we work toward publication.

At the beach, while getting sunburned and going for sweltering, wonderful and exhausting runs, I've been spending the remainder reading and grilling. I finished "An Unbearable Lightness of Being," by Milan Kundera, and am near the end of "Slipping into Darkness," a crime/mystery novel, by Peter Blauner. Having plowed through the Harry Potter Series while on co-op, this quarter may mark my most well-read since before law school.

Back from Maine, six days until classes start.

I have all my books and most first-day assignments and will (with a little sadness and a bit of countering excitement) soon start reading for next week. I am also a TA for the Legal Research and Writing component of first-years' LSSC course, and have to read all that they read. Good times. Let the onslaught juggernaut of the quarter officially begin.

Around making my way through The Kite Runner, which I've nearly completed, and which is powerful and fantastic, I am still sending out resumes and cover letters for post-grad jobs and for clerkships. As of last night around 2am, I sent out the last and final of my clerkship applications.

I wish there was confetti to celebrate: I now have applications in for federal and state clerkships. And now I must play the waiting game. Good thing I'll be busy.

As far as post-grad jobs go, I am applying to them like a fiend. Jobs I would all love, but essentially contingency plans in the event I don't get a clerkship. I even have one interview already, scheduled for mid-September. Hopefully, I will soon have others lined up. I am eager to write about all of them specifically--jobs and clerkships--and specific trials and tribulations and bumps I encountered while applying, but I am over-eager to not damn myself. I will write about it all once there are decisions one way or the other. What I can say at this juncture--start early. Some advised that I started way too early, researching in the spring and early summer, contacting my recommenders in the spring and having them pump out drafts by mid-summer. I disagree. When you are applying to clerkships, and then start applying for jobs simultaneously, and, then at NUSL, start applying for Winter co-op the moment you're back into classes, the earlier you can feasibly start the better.

Alright, I'm off to the gym. Or to The Kite Runner, we'll see which grabs me first. Last night I wanted to read the book, couldn't wait to sit down and grab it, then I got sidetracked with putting a final gloss on a writing sample, eating pizza and watching the original "Ghostbusters." What a fantastic, fantastic film. I think it might be the first movie I ever remember watching.

More to come...

Late, yet again. For those readers that wait with bated breath every Wednesday for my newest blog (if you even knew that Wednesday is our official deadline), I apologize. I have no excuse for my general tardiness, merely an over-developed and occasionally dysfunctional system of re-prioritizing and procrastinating. But in almost two years, blogging about my law school experience has yet to fall by the wayside. And this week is not the week for it to start.

Well, sort of. This week I am determined--DETERMINED, I tell you--to write about something other than law school or the law. Or being a lawyer. Or applying to be a lawyer. Or even being in court. No, law school and the law permeates so much of my life--so much of law students' and lawyers' lives--that I am often given mandates at parties to not talk about the law. Not about class, not about legislation, not about representing people in court. Of course, when you spend almost every waking hour for nigh three years of living and breathing the law, it is somewhat understandable that there is a difficulty to detach.

After sitting at my computer for a good ten minutes, trying hard to come up with something other than the law to discuss, thinking things like, "Dear lord, hopefully I was more interesting than this before law school. Hopefully, I had awesome, riveting things to talk about before I only spouted statutes, cases, rights and reasonable standards," I decided that what is needed--what the world needs--is comedy. Good old-fashioned, satirical, offensive comedy.

However, this being a school-sponsored blog, offensiveness and ribaldry is probably not the way to go. No matter how funny. So, instead, here's a story. If you find it even marginally funny, I can be hired for birthdays, weddings, bar/bat mitzvah's and the like. Just contact me through the comment system below.

Note: Offensive jokes cost more due to the liability of people throwing things at me and the general damage to my public character and reputation.

As many readers likely know, I have a Great Dane. Emmitt is a massive dog both in proportions and personality. He turns five years old next month (about 1/2 to 3/4 of a Dane's average lifespan), but is still very much all puppy. Emmitt weighs in around 140 lbs., but the ridge of his back comes above my kitchen counter tops. In short, he is a pony. A pony that quite naively believes every living creature is his friend.

Taking Emmitt for walks is always a publicizing event. As one cannot help but notice him--nearly three and a half feet tall at the shoulder and dark grey with splotches of black all over his coat and milky white feet--people often stop to gawk, ask if I have a saddle for him, ask if he's a horse. People even stop in traffic. It doesn't help that an extra-tall Great Dane can put his face in your face without jumping, and is not afraid of cars.

One day, I'm walking him through the neighborhood when we happen upon a woman taking her four-year old daughter for a walk. The woman asks what kind of dog he is, and then if her daughter can pet him. "Brave," I think to myself. Most people admire/stare/study from a good distance. I make Emmitt sit down. He's a smart, gentle dog. He took to training real easy and complies. As he sits there, just about eye to eye with this little girl, she starts petting him on the head and cheek with an open, stiff palm. Almost an abrasive rubbing, like someone who doesn't know how to softly pet. I figure, what the heck, it's a little girl and she's enjoying herself. Emmitt is a good sport.

Then, as she continues to pat at his face, he looks up at me confused. Then back down at the little girl. Then up at me, then back down. He seems to not be sure what exactly is going on. Suddenly, as she continues to pet away, Emmitt raises a paw and punches the little girl right in the face.

It wasn't malicious, or even playful as I've seen him do with dogs. He stayed seated the entire time. Emmitt raised his paw and mimicked the four-year-old, patting her in the cheek just like she kept doing to him. He literally mirrored her movement back. I think he thought that's what he was supposed to do.

I, however, freaked. I was positive the mother was going to sue me, call the police, get angry and yell. After all, when we picked her little girl up off the ground she had a slight abrasion on her cheek where my dog had just Jack Johnson-ed her.

The little girl never cried, the mother laughed it off (laughs which I returned nervously), and then finished their walk. I apologized again and then Emmitt and I high-tailed it out of there. We now live 750 miles and seven states away.

My dog punched a four-year-old in the face.

October is the post-season in Major League Baseball. This is what it all comes down to. As Joe Posnanski recently wrote in Sports Illustrated:

"ANYTHING can happen in October. Who was the best team this year? Who cares?

...

Just in the last dozen years, we have seen the Boston Red Sox come back from a three games to zero deficit, we have seen TWO Florida Marlins teams sneak in as wildcards and win the World Series, we have seen a 116-win Seattle Mariners team lose in the first round. How about the 2006 Cardinals? They lost nine of their last 12 games and looked like they might pull off the most spectacular collapse in more than two decades. They hold on, make it to the playoffs with 83 wins, win a playoff round, then beat the Mets in seven games, and then take out Detroit in the World Series.

...

It can happen -- anything can happen -- because baseball is like that. The best NFL teams win 80 to 90 percent of the time. The best NBA teams win about 75 to 80 percent of the time. The best college basketball and football teams win 90 to 100 percent of the time.

But in baseball, great teams only win about six out of 10. So you can do the math: It's a whole lot easier in baseball to take three out of five or four out of seven from a great team. Call it magic. Call it luck. Call me irresponsible. But you never know where it's going to go. I once asked Brooks Robinson if he thought his '69 Orioles were better than the Miracle Mets. He smiled and said the eight words that might best describe October baseball: 'It doesn't matter what I think. They won.'"

That's what makes baseball so great, and that's also why I tell my friends never to bet money on baseball. It's too unpredictable. And too fantastic. Who wants prediction when you can have edge-of-your seat frustration and anticipation from one pitch to the next?

As I get pumped thinking about the playoffs and thinking about the Red Sox (despite lamenting that my favorite National Leaguers, the Braves, had a long walk home with their heads hanging down), I realized that being a 3L feels a lot similar to a constant October. Applying for post-grad jobs, clerkships, fellowships, co-ops, taking classes, looking out onto a hazy horizon of your future (which may be hazier than you thought even if you got an offer from a firm)--it is all post-season. What could happen? Who looked like they had great chances at a job and were all lined up last week? Who cares? One great interview, one day, could change it all.

Stay tuned. Go strong, go well, or go home. Go Sox.

So, the Sox lost it.

I'll go ahead and say it and get it out of the way: They deserved to lose. October being October, and all things being equal, the way they were playing in the post-season I'm fairly positive they wouldn't have made it to the trophy.

Oh well, there's always next year. Sad weekend for Boston and much of New England, though, to see the Sox, Pats, and Bruins all go down in a three day hat trick.

Let's all just collectively hope the Steinbrenner family doesn't get another ring.

Things are status quo in law school. Reading, researching, writing, editing, working on the Journal, applying for post-graduate positions. Interestingly, there is a general fog of starting the quarter lifting around the law school. I can tell that everyone is starting to realize (or, at the least, allow themselves to be aware) that we only have a month before exams. To butcher a quote from a friend of mine: there are two kinds of people in the world--those who feel ready for exams, and liars.

Currently, while ignoring the threat of exams, I am working on a teaching outline for my 1L research and writing class. Tonight I am going to lead the first-years through some helpful research tools and tactics. Also, researching on my own, I am working on a memo for my Section 1983 course. Section 1983 refers to the federal civil rights statute that allows individuals to sue the government and government officials for tramping over their rights. My topic is on the confluence of the First Amendment and retaliatory arrests (e.g., after speeding through a school zone, for which he was not stopped or cited, a bloke flips a cop the bird. The cop then stops him and arrests him for speeding. Constitutional? We'll find out!).

I realized not too long ago that I am now entering my fifth set of law school exams. If you tack on the LSAT, MPRE, and that practice exam we took during 1L, I'm well past half a dozen.

And, even though I have the pattern and general tempo of law school exams down (i.e., vigorous studying, outlining, practice questions/essays, caffeine, and foods rich in carbohydrates, sugar, and peanut butter), I am, in a word, exhausted. Call it 3L-itis. Call it ready to be done. Perhaps those two things equal one another. Regardless, with this set of exams, one more in the Spring, and then at least one bar ahead of me, I am still in the tunnel.

I recently completed my take-home exam for International Criminal Justice. Great class; I recommend it for everyone regardless of your interests. You will learn more than just the role and existence of tribunals and the International Criminal Court, but, overwhelmingly, about the rule of law and how one goes about creating it and willing it to continue and live.

Left is an in-class exam tomorrow in Professional Responsibility and another take-home for Trusts & Estates. I'll talk more about the exams in a couple weeks after all extensions will likely have passed.

In more uplifting news, I received some news from the co-op office that I am eligible to receive work-study while I am on co-op this Winter. Receiving a steady paycheck where one was not expected, which also doubles at replacing some of my loans I would ultimately have to pay back, is a cherry on top of the awesome co-op I will likely have.

Lastly, what I look forward to most right now, is the gym. I have already arranged for sparring matches over the Winter, and I have literally been having daydreams about running through the trails near my house or having Rocky montages (replete with jump roping). It. Will. Be. Glorious.