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.