I started today off by doing some reading for jurisprudence. The material was so dense that I had to read it last night and then wake up early today to re-read it. After reviewing the assigned reading, I had a coffee and read the latest issue of The New Republic, which just arrived and (as an aside) had a very disturbing photo morph cover. Before I knew it, it was time to hit the road. My first class of the day - legal interviewing and counseling - was about to start. I really like this class; I have been conducting interviews ever since I got involved in the domestic violence institute as a 1L and now have a great opportunity to think about what I have learned in the past two and a half years. I am enjoying the retrospective that this class provides and am discovering changes that I can make to make my interviews better.

After legal interviewing and counseling, I had to rush over to NUSL's clinic offices, which are currently located a few minutes from the law school building. Once there, I met the professor who runs the domestic violence clinic for lunch. We had lunch together with her teaching fellow. We spent our time talking about the Dorchester Court project, which I involved in this quarter. I had a great time talking with this professor. She is one of my favorite NUSL personalities and is my most valued mentor. It was great to talk things through with her, but I had to literally run out of the building; jurisprudence was beginning in seven minutes.

Shortly after jurisprudence, I was in civil trial practice. During today's class, we covered direct and cross examinations. I was assigned to conduct a direct examination, which I thought went pretty smoothly. Although I hit a few snags, I think I have come a long way from where I was just a few months ago. One of the things that has really helped me get more comfortable in a courtroom setting is the National Trial Competition. Truth be told, I wish I were only a 2L so that I can do it again! I will have an opportunity for some more experimenting with courtroom advocacy in a "safe" setting this weekend, when I participate in a a trial advocacy workshop.

When I got home, my wife and I had some dinner and finished watching The Staircase, which is a six-hour documentary about North Carolina v. Peterson, which was a high-profile murder case that took place in the fall of 2003. For all you prospective students with a Netflix account, I would highly recommend putting it on your queue. The documentary was riveting and allows its audience a real inside perspective into the criminal defense team. If you're interested in the case, you can check out the CourtTV website here, but be aware that it contains major spoilers. I thought The Staircase was phenomenal and I am going to recommend it to all my friends.

Now I have to do my reading for tomorrow. I had better get going!

Posted by Martin at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This week has been exciting and busy. I have met law school friends for an intimate dinner, sat as a judge for two colleagues representing NUSL at a moot court competition in which I competed last year, and discussed the District of Columbia v. Heller case with friends. I have been also occupied with school work and extracurricular activities. I have started teaching high school students about the constitution, though the Marshall-Brennan program.

I also received a comment on this blog! I thought I would share my response as the answer might interest others. The question was:

What exactly are your duties as a team leader for the NUSL Domestic Violence Institute? Does the school grant you some type of scholarship when you participate as a team leader?

In terms of my duties as team leader, I oversee the efforts of a team of two first-year students, who work a six-hour shift every other week. During each shift, we go into the emergency department of Boston Medical Center ("BMC"). BMC is a large non-profit hospital and serves a diverse community of patients. During our shifts we interview women in the emergency department about their thoughts and opinions on domestic violence. When I conducted such interviews as a first-year law student, I found it tremendously instructive. I learned a lot about building rapport with all sorts of people. When our interviewees disclose experience with domestic violence, we offer our services as advocates. In addition, the nursing staff frequently refer to us patients who are hospitalized as a result of domestic violence. Accordingly, the program has two components: interviewing and advocacy.

In terms of the remuneration that I receive for serving as a team leader, I receive no compensation. In fact, I think this is one of my favorites aspects of the program. The program has a large number of students participating in it, particularly first-year law students (who are usually strapped for spare time). The fact that the program enjoys an enthusiastic level of participation, despite the lack of academic credit, tuition assistance, or other compensation really speaks to the social justice values that many students bring to NUSL. In fair disclosure, though, I should also add that although the program is run by NUSL, students from other Boston schools participate. For instance, both of my team members go to different schools in Boston. If you want more information about the Domestic Violence Institute, you can go here.

Posted by Martin at 12:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The spring quarter is already in its second week of classes and I am quite busy. Things have been moving along quickly; classes are already in full swing. I am enjoying being in school for my last academic quarter. It's nice to be able to see friends right before graduating from NUSL and leaving Boston. Speaking of leaving Boston, my wife and I are going apartment-hunting this weekend. It's amazing how much further money goes in smaller cities. For instance, for a little more than what we're paying now for a modest one bedroom, we can get a spacious three bedroom apartment with washer/dryer, dishwasher, parking garage, etc. Of course, there are a lot of things that I will miss about Boston. Probably at the top of the list is its vibrant sense of community. As such, I am trying to soak it all in before we leave.

This past weekend, for instance, my wife and I got together with some of our non-law school friends, who hosted a party at their house in Dorchester. It was a lot of fun. I particularly enjoyed talking with Scott, my wife's best friend's husband. He recently became a dad, and we discussed some of the issues that concern recent parents. In particular, we spent a bit of time talking about schools and racial diversity. I told him about the Seattle schools case, a recent Supreme Court decision, which held that school districts cannot use race in assigning students to particular schools. Scott had not heard of this case, so I enjoyed sharing it with him and telling him about how the Supreme Court has recently approached racial diversity in K-12 classrooms.

As my wife and I drove home from that party, I was thinking about how pervasive the law is in American life. No matter what topic is discussed at a dinner party, the law is usually somehow implicated. It's interesting to be entering a profession with such expansive reach. I cannot wait to be a *real* lawyer!

Posted by Martin at 9:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This week has been terrific. I am back in classes, which feels great. I am very happy with my selection of courses. For my last quarter, I have foresworn doctrinal courses in favor of ones that are more practical and/or more fun. I am taking legal interviewing and counseling, jurisprudence, teaching the constitution, advanced legal research, and civil trial practice. I think this quarter is going to be my best one ever. On a bittersweet note, it will be my last quarter of law school ever! It's hard to believe that my time at NUSL has flown by so quickly. In a few short months, I will be a law school graduate and student of the bar exam.

Until then, my focus will be on savoring these remaining weeks of living in Boston. Over break, I prioritized this top ten list of things I want to do before moving from Boston:

1. Take a drive to the Norman Rockwell Museum in the Berkshires.
2. At the Norman Rockwell Museum, buy a print for my soon-to-be office.
3. Have one last pizza at Pizzeria Regina.
4. Go for Thai food at Brown Sugar with my wife.
5. Visit the spring flowers in the Back Bay Fens.
6. Walk down to the North End on a lazy Sunday.
7. Give my dad one last tour of Boston.
8. Spend an afternoon reading in the Copley Library courtyard.
9. Tour the MFA.
10. Go to a Celtics game.

Boston is a terrific city and it makes me a bit sad to think that I will be leaving it soon. My light class schedule, though, will hopefully afford me a little extra time to bask in its culture.

Posted by Martin at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)