Laurinda, 3L

Good news! I am employed for the summer (hence the title). This summer I will be a "research analyst" for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Boston.

For those who want to apply next year, I warn you that the application process is extremely difficult. Everything is done online. I remember allotting an hour to do the application and it took me the afternoon.

Because Northeastern has a unique take on grading, I had to request my evaluations be translated into a single buzzword that explained the evaluation. Not very surprisingly, buzzwords went down the line very similarly to the ways A, B, C, etc. would. In addition, there was a specific paragraph that explained the use of buzzwords. This is a very important paragraph. I think I copied and pasted that paragraph at least 10 times on the transcript.

In addition, the online application included a page for honors such as moot court, mock trial, journals, and reviews. Because the year is broken into quarters, NUSL did not previously have journals or reviews. (Moot court is done within the clubs and only just has really taken off).

Thankfully, NUSL just started a new journal which I had earlier signed up for. Otherwise, that page tends to be very sparse.

Still in the end, it turned out well as I got a phone interview with DC and an interview with Boston.

And I've been wanting to work for SEC Boston since they came to speak at the first semester co-op panels.

Everyone have a great day now.

Posted by Laurinda at 10:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As the title states, it is my last week working in Judge Young's chambers. I absolutely adored working here and recommend the experience to anyone.

Judge Young is different from other judges in that chambers is filled to capacity with clerks and interns. (2 law clerks, 2 international law clerks, 4 total interns). I think this co-op differs greatly from my last one in that I worked and interacted with people a lot more (and not just because it was clearly more people in a smaller space). I got a chance to work with the clerks and improve my bluebooking skills. I am a lot better using signals. This is especially true since I had no experience using signals before. (i.e. see and see also). I also am more equipped with being thrown cases and issues that I was not familiar with before and researching the heck out of them.

In a quick recap of:

What I've written -

2 ERISA bench memos.
1 Habeas case
1 social security disability benefits memo that became an opinion. I am so proud of this one because it's all my own work (ofc with some edits from the Judge and the clerks) and it's on westlaw! I, ofc, printed a copy for my parents to post on the refrigerator.

I probably would have written more if Xmas and New Year's wasn't in the middle of my co-op ... not that I am complaining as I still wrote a lot ...

What I've seen -
1 patent trial - v. boring but the attys have excellent powerpoint skills and are very suave oralists
1 criminal trial - The defense atty was effective but very much a dramatis personae
1 hostile work environment - Small town politics and lawyers (v. soap opera-y)
1st Cir. hearings - some cases were very interesting ...

last week the 1st Cir sat and one of the Judge's cases was up on appeal.

The case was Guzzi v. Anderson (?).

It was about an orthodox Catholic prisoner who wanted kosher meals. The prisoner wasn't associated with any known churches and the prison had been giving him kosher meals before realizing that he wasn't of Jewish descent and began giving him regular meals. The prisoner ofc wasn't having any of that (perhaps Kosher prison meals are tastier?) and sued stating that because he was orthodox catholic he should get kosher meals. The prisoner was represented by an amicus at the hearing who I thought had a good argument that the process was not as good as it ought be. But the prison also had a good argument that the prisoner had not provided any proof, scripture, anything that showed that as an orthodox catholic, his religion required him to have kosher meals.

It being a difficult question, the 1st Cir. requested that they try to settle.

Otherwise ... Happy Valentine's Day ...

Posted by Laurinda at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you are reading this in one of the 24 states that have their primaries -- Go Vote!

On Co-op news:

I certainly will vote as soon as work is over. Although I am worried that I am not correctly registered in my hometown. I am fairly sure I changed the address last year, but we shall see.

In other news, the trial ended today on directed verdict. This is especially rare because the Judge firmly believes in the jury system.

And after (currently) working for the Judge, I can see why. The jurors take time out of their normal day (although they don't have a choice if they are selected from the pool) and they take notes and definitely pay attention. They even ask questions during the process.

2 interesting quotes/phrases from the trial:

"The suspenders of policy on the pants of language"

and

"Hatching the dragon that I need to seek to slay later"

In Academic news:

Classes start the first week in March. I am registered for Professional Responsibility, Admin, Secured Transactions and am still between International Business and Modern Real Estate Development.

Otherwise, I have no other news to report so ending as I began -- Yay Voting

Posted by Laurinda at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi all,

This week Judge Young presided over two cases and one finished.

The first case was a social security fraud case. The jury came back with a guilty verdict. What was interesting in that case was that although my gut instinct and the bulk of the evidence said that he was guilty, I thought that the prosecution had made an error that could possibly maybe inject un poquito amount of doubt. In a criminal case that doubt must be reasonable. The error was that the prosecution failed to ask during a deposition of a woman in Puerto Rico (played in trial) for her ID. In a case of social security identity theft, I thought this was a vey glaring error.

In other news, last week Judge Young went to BC Law to do the motions session. This gives law students an opportunity to see actual lawyering, a motions session, and ask the Judge questions afterwards.

The Judge happens to have 5 female law clerks and interns and 2 male law clerks and interns. By happenstance, the guys couldn't make it to BC. The Judge of course made clear that he had male clerks before the Q&A session where he introduced everyone. And someone actually had the gall to ask the Judge why all his clerks were female!

Unbeknownst to me, someone I knew from middle school and elementary school and hadn't seen since then was attending that class. He came up to me afterwards and we caught up for a bit. It's such a small world! Or at least Boston is small enough that occurrences like that become regular.

In other other news, I am so busy! Even with two weeks left, I need to write a bench memo due today and pick up another case for the next motions sessions!

Still working for a judge is a ton of fun. One of my memos became an opinion! It's on Westlaw!! I'm so proud.

Posted by Laurinda at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)