So, I made the decision to switch rotations.

To someone outside of the NUSL-bubble, this probably sounds like a foreign language - switching rotations? What is a rotation and who cares if you switch it?

Well, it’s a NUSL thing and it is, to some people, sort of a big deal. After a first year of standard law school classes ends in May, the 1L class splits in half. Half of the class heads out on their first co-op and the other half heads into the first three months of their 2L classes. Although not etched in stone, over the last few decades each rotation has developed its own “character.�? Those who head out on co-op right away, the “Winter/Summer�? rotation, are assumed to be more “traditional�? law students. This is based on the fact that all other law schools besides NUSL send their students out looking for jobs in the summer months and therefore firms and certain governmental programs and scholarships have established programs for law students during the summers. Those who go on the “Fall/Spring�? rotation are generally the more “public interest�? minded students, thought to be so because they hold little interest in firm summers. Of course, like a lot of broad caricatures, these ideas have an inkling of truth and a lot of exceptions.

That said, I choose the Fall/Spring rotation for the same reasons a lot of people do - I didn’t want to compete with a huge group of law students from other schools, I wanted to be part of the “public interest�? group of students, most of my friends were Fall/Spring, and I didn’t have an interest in working at a firm. So why am I, to the dismay of some friends and confusion of others, crossing over to the “other�? rotation?

For me, it came down to choosing to be a summer associate at a firm. While I knew I could get co-op experience at a firm during another time in the year, I believed that “summering�? at a firm held two unique advantages: first, most firms hire permanently from their pool of summer associates. While being hired is definitely not guaranteed (especially at a small or medium firm), being a summer associate increases your chances. Second, I have been told by many people and have seen in my own experience, that having a summer associate position on your resume greatly increases your likelihood of obtaining a clerkship.

Of course none of this would have had any bearing on me if I hadn’t found a firm that I felt was right for me and that, amazingly enough, thought I was a good fit, too. I interviewed with one firm, developed a firm crush on that firm, and was offered a summer associate position with that firm - so I was lucky. It’s a medium-sized Boston firm, with a high number of female lawyers, both a criminal and civil practice, a good reputation amongst the lawyers I talked to, and an amazing commitment to pro bono and public interest work.

Despite my enthusiasm about the job, it's not an easy switch. Honestly, some people see it as a betrayal to work at a firm - any firm - when you claim to be committed to social justice. (I have lots more to say about this). On a day-to-day basis, its hard to think about being in classes with people I haven’t seen for a year or two, and hard to think of all my friends, clubs and groups continuing without me there.

But I know why I came to law school and what keeps me going - the chance to get the best legal education possible and become the most well-rounded lawyer I can, in order to serve my clients to the greatest extent. I came to Northeastern because I knew it would give me the chance to learn all aspects of the law, if I could just seize the opportunity. So I am.

So. After three months of class this winter, and another co-op in the spring (at the Federal Defenders office in Puerto Rico, where I plan on eating pastelitos and café until I can no longer stand), I will return and begin the last part of my law school career as a member of the Winter/Spring rotation. Wish me luck.

People sometimes question what it means for Northeastern to have a focus on social justice and public interest law. When answering this question, many focus on the requirement that students complete at least one public interest co-op and the required first year course, Lawyering Skills in the Social Context (LSSC). However, every once in a while, there is a class or a professor whose approach to the subject reminds me why Northeastern is a different kind of law school (at least on its best days).

Monday was my first day of Employment Law with Professor Karl Klare, one of NUSL’s most beloved professors and also one of the field’s oft-cited practitioners, http://www.leiterrankings.com/faculty/2007faculty_impact_areas.shtml#Labor. We began the semester with a look at some statistics, specifically, the number of people in the U.S. workforce, and the number of employees who are in unions. Prof. Klare next moved on to even more sobering numbers – the disparity in pay between men and women, between white employees and minority employees. We examined the shockingly low national minimum wage (barely $10,000 a year for an individual, and just over $20,000 for a family of four) and the staggering reality that few people could afford to rent an apartment, stock their fridges, or raise a family on this pay.

To some this may seem an obvious place to start. But to others, this focus on the employee and not the employer is a radical departure from traditional law school courses on employment law. Don’t get me wrong, we focus on the employer as well, and important questions about what the government can and should be expected to provide, and what burden should fall on the employer. However, we start with looking at the millions of Americans who are employees, and what it looks like to be part of the ever-growing U.S. workforce.

Granted, this sort of focus doesn’t happen as often as many here at NUSL wish it would. And, then again, it happens more often than other students want. In my opinion, it’s a remarkable part of what is unique about NUSL and a welcome reminder of why I chose to go here. Regardless of whether you are going to work for employers or employees (or, yes, both!), I can see no benefit as a lawyer, an advocate, or a voter, in burying your head in the sand about the state of the American worker.

The transition back into the life of a law student has been harder than I expected. The upside of the NUSL lifestyle, of always running to a different location, job, task, set of people, has a downside of...well, of always running to a different location, job, task, and set of people!

Just two weeks ago (!) a day in my life looked something like this: wake up around 7, walk three sunny miles to work (with a stop for coffee at my favorite bakery), spend the day in the beautiful federal courthouse working on cases at my own pace, helping clerks as needed, and joking around with my fellow externs. Come 5 or 6pm, leave, have dinner with a friend, and spend the rest of the night doing. . .whatever I wanted!

My days now look a little different. I wake up in the morning, and it’s dark and cold out. I jump out of bed (ok, drag myself out of bed) and think about everything I have planned for the day. Go to at least one, and sometimes two, fast-paced and challenging classes. Read dozens of pages of cases for each. Work in the CISP office. Run from meeting to meeting. Serve as a research assistant to a professor. Stop into Chicken Lou's for my customary dose of fried food. Try to keep up with everyone over email and the phone. And, finally, at 8 or 9, trudge home for a late dinner, a dose of trash TV, and some final bed time legal reading. Yep, life has changed.

Don't get me wrong, I know I'm very lucky that my full time job is learning. It’s pretty incredible. But it has surprised me how hard it is to get back in the swing of school. The semester seems quick too, with a holiday break in a few weeks (Florida, here I come!), and then the quick descent of finals.

So wish me luck! I hope to find some way to kick start my brain soon.

Oh, one final note: I missed it last year, but it looks like I’m going to be able to make the annual Reblaw conference this year. I’ve heard great things about it, and I’m already excited about attending this February. Check it out if you’re interested in social justice lawyers and law students: http://islandia.law.yale.edu/reblaw

In my last post, I mentioned CISP. The Cooperative Income Sharing Program (CISP) is a student-run, student-funded organization that provides money to students who choose unpaid or underpaid public interest co-ops. For each semester, students write an anonymous bit about their upcoming co-ops and why they believe they should be the recipients of CISP funding. The student body then votes on how they think the money should be distributed. CISP grant recipients may receive anywhere from $200 to $800 for their co-op, welcome assistance for those headed into yet another three months of unpaid work.

The money for these grants comes from the used books CISP sells (students come in and sell their no-longer-needed books, agreeing to donate a certain amount of the profit to CISP), as well as the annual Talent Show put on by the students, faculty, and staff at NUSL (always a fun time). Last and certainly not least, CISP sells all the official NUSL clothing and merchandise – while you can get general Northeastern gear at the University bookstore, CISP is the only place to get NUSL merch….which leads me to my plug! We have great new merchandise, just in time for the holidays, so stop by and grab your NUSL sweatshirts, mugs, and keychains. We’ll even sell you a tote bag to carry them home in. http://www.slaw.neu.edu/students/cisp/merchandise.html

We even take orders online or over the phone. And if I can't convince you, I'll leave it to these three guys:

Buy CISP!

I'm battling with a stubborn cold right now (or at least that’s what I assume it is, since I can't apparently be bothered to go to the doctor), so please excuse me if I'm all over the place.

A few prospective students have recently asked me about the feasibility of practicing outside Boston with a degree from NUSL, and I know this is a common concern. The best way to create connections outside of Boston, of course, is the co-op program (see Aisha’s blog for more, I think she’s done all of her co-ops in Atlanta!). However, beyond co-ops, the alumni network at NUSL is strong and nationwide. In addition to all the NUSL grads out there willing to talk, I have also recently realized that we have a very valuble resource in the faculty. And that’s why this week what’s on my mind is how much I love my professors at NUSL.

I have been struggling with trying to make connections in Florida, where I hope to move after graduation, and have turned to some professors for help. In the last few weeks, I have shot off emails to professors who practice, or teach, in areas of law I am interested in, asking if they might have connections in Florida they would be willing to speak with me about. The responses have been uniformly enthusiastic. Professors and administrators have given me names of lawyers, firms, judges and organizations they know in the area, helped me access lists and directories, and told me about NUSL alums they know working in South Florida. I’ve been bowled over not only by the feedback they have given me but also by their friendliness in responding. They really seem to see their place in the NUSL community not only as standing in front of a class a few times a week, but as being a general and accessible font of knowledge and experience to share with students. All of this is in-line with my experience at NUSL generally. During my time here, professors have been happy to have me on as a research assistant, welcoming of my ideas and concerns, and open to my various and ever-changing enthusiasms. I can’t think of one professor whose office door I would be afraid to knock on, and I can think of a half-dozen I say “hi�? to in the halls. Sure, class selection, the co-op program, a commitment to public interest law, and all the other things about NUSL are important to me….but day in and day out, friendly and welcoming faculty make law school just a little bit easier.

Ira and I were talking a few weeks ago about how one of the most common questions we get from prospective students is "How many hours a day do you work?"...and how hard it is to answer that question. It's hard to answer because I don’t think most of us think about it that way (it would probably be too overwhelming!) and also because it just varies so much. But it occurred to me today that I can still give you a sense of things. Below are two days, one during a regular week, and one during this week (the week before finals!). They are ripped pretty much verbatim from my planner so...enjoy!

Monday, December 10 (Non-Finals Time)

Wake up at 7, grab breakfast on the way to school (thanks Dunkin Donuts!)

8-12: Work in the CISP office, selling NUSL merch to people, inventorying used text books, and studying in between tasks. This is a work study job, so I get paid about $10 an hour.

12 – 1:30: Employment Law with Prof. Klare

2 – 3:40: Law and Economic Development with Prof. Danielson

I’m out of school by 4! Usually I’ll go home to drop off my books and take a walk. Back at home by 6, have dinner, watch some TV, and get in a few hours of studying. In bed by 11.

Tuesday, February 12 (Finals Time)

Wake up at 7, grab breakfast on the way to school

8-10: Table for CISP, get people to vote on which of their peers should receive co-op funding for public interest co-ops

10-12: An Employment Law study group with friends, going over a past exam

12-1: A meeting on loan forgiveness, and the new federal loan programs

1:45-3:15: Federal Courts class with Prof. Burnham

3:30-5: Work on finals outlines, discuss exam anxiety with friends.

5-6: Federal Courts study session with friends. Only get through about 1 page of notes (out of 50!). Wow.

6-8: Work in the CISP office.

8 onwards: Walk home, have dinner, talk on the phone to my boyfriend, catch up on emails, do reading for class tomorrow.

In bed by 11 or 12.

Hope this gave you some sense of being a law student! My advice would be to know your own tendencies before starting law school. If you’re someone who tends to over commit to activities (ahem), acknowledge that now so that you will avoid it in law school (especially 1L year!). If you are someone who studies well with others, make that happen, but if you aren’t, don’t try to participate in study groups just because you feel like you should. And don’t be afraid to change your strategy. One week my computer was broken, and I realized that without that hunk of plastic in front of me, I made a lot more eye contact with the professor and looked at the case a lot more closely (instead of the formatting on my computer). Once I realized that, I tried to incorporate those things into my class habits, even once my trusty computer was back. Bottom line: no one can tell you exactly what its going to be like to be in law school….and that’s why it’s important to know your priorities ahead of time. Want to spend a lot of time with your family? It’s probably best you try to avoid living far away, with a commute. Want to stay in shape? Schedule those work outs in. Most of all, go easy on yourself. All of us thought we would be the exception to the rule, the law student who can do it all. None of us can. The sooner you accept that, the happier you will be.

Hello from the offices of the Federal Public Defender in San Juan, Puerto Rico (Hato Ray, to be exact). I'm in my first week of co-op here, and loving it. Already I have watched oral arguments at the 1st Circuit, met with a number of District Court judges, interacted with Assistant United States Attorneys, and attended my first sentencing hearings...AND I've already been approved to visit the Federal Detention Center here in San Juan. Wow.

So I'm thrilled. The people here in the office are great - so enthusiastic about their work, and so welcoming. From what I have observed, the job of Federal Defender is incredibly active and varied, and more social than I expected. You have to be able to interact with clients and their families, field calls from different people all day, rush back and forth from the courthouse to meet with judges and opposing counsel, and still find time to conduct your legal research and writing! Attorneys here can have over 40 cases at one time. That would be a lot for anyone, but for attorneys who are passionate about providing great representation and are their clients only hope, it's even more pressure. I have so much respect for public defenders already, and these ones (who conduct themselves in two languages no less!) are only increasing my awe.

Other than work, the rest of PR is great too! I feel so lucky to be here. I get to hear both Spanish and English every day, enjoy nearly perfect weather, and be immersed in a new culture. Really, no complaints! It's probably the first time since I started law school that I haven't been whining.

Co-op is about so much more than the actual co-op you’re on. Maybe that sounds obvious, maybe it doesn’t. What I mean is that its also about finding out what type of place you enjoy being at (private, public), what area of law feels right to you, and, if you’re lucky enough to be in a new location, learning about the culture and legal intricacies of your surroundings. What’s piquing my interest right now, other than the fascinating process of learning about federal criminal law, is learning about the history of Puerto Rico, and the legal, cultural, and political relationship between this fascinating island and the rest of the United States.

On the state level, the primaries were held in Puerto Rico on Sunday, so the island has been chattering away about the race for Governor. I know I’m biased (I did prisoners rights work for 2 years before coming to law school), but the most exciting point for me has been the discovery that in Puerto Rico, prisoners are allowed to vote! In case you didn’t know, this is NOT the case in the rest of the United States. In fact, in many states, even after you have served your time, you are still denied the right to participate in elections. Personally, I think this is outrageous - even if convicted of a crime, I believe it is crucial to allow prisoners to maintain their involvement in democracy. Not only do I believe it’s the right thing to do in terms of civil and human rights, but I also believe it is a crucial element in the reentry of prisoners into society and in lessening the cultural gap between prisoners and the rest of society. But that’s for another, longer, conversation.

On the federal level, I have been undertaking an attempt to understand more about the political and legal relationship between the island of Puerto Rico and the federal government of the United States. In case you are unfamiliar (as I was, and still am to a great extent), here are a few important facts: Puerto Ricans are citizens of the United States (following passage of the Jones Act in 1917), however, they do not have the right to vote in federal elections. Puerto Rico’s only representative in Congress, the Resident Commissioner, does not have the right to vote on legislation. Puerto Ricans are ineligible for certain benefits under a number of federal programs. A 1980 case, Harris v. Rosario, upheld this disparate treatment, writing that Congress “may treat Puerto Ricans differently from the States so long as there is a rational basis for its actions.”

If you are interested in learning more about the history of Puerto Rico, and specifically the development of legal rights of Puerto Ricans, a great starting place for me has been First Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Juan R. Tourruella’s recent law review article, "The Insular Cases: The Establishment of A Regime of Political Apartheid." 29 U. Pa. J. Int'l L. 283 (Winter 2007). (The Insular Cases were a series of cases at the start of the 20th century which determined that only “fundamental” constitutional rights had been extended to Puerto Rico and other “unincorporated” territories. See also Elizabeth Vicens, "Application of the Federal Death Penalty Act to Puerto Rico: A New Test for the Locally Inapplicable Standard" 80 N.Y.U. K. Rev. 350 (April 2005), another great article). Judge Tourruella is in the fascinating position of being both Puerto Rican and a member of the federal judiciary. In stark terms, what this means is that while he holds one of the most influential and prestigious positions in the United States judiciary, he is not able to vote in the elections of the United States.

The history of the United States attitude towards Puerto Rico is rife with explicit racism. As Tourruella writes, for instance, “President Taft accused Puerto Rico’s elected leaders of irresponsibility and political immaturity, and stated that too much power had been given to Puerto Ricans ‘for their own good’.” 29 U. Pa. J. Int’l L. at 322-323. Many feel that this paternalistic attitude remains an undercurrent in Puerto Rican/U.S. relations. I continue to learn more, in the hopes of understanding this complex relationship.

I have been reading and rereading the powerful argument made by Justice Harlan in his dissent to one of The Insular Cases, and am impressed, as I often am, with Harlan’s forward-thinking stances. Justice Harlan writes: “Monarchical and despotic governments, unrestrained by written constitutions, may do with newly acquired territories what this Government may not do consistently with our fundamental law. To say otherwise is to concede that Congress may, by action taken outside of the Constitution, engraft upon our republican institutions a colonial system such as exists under monarchical governments. Surely such a result was never contemplated by the fathers of the Constitution . . . The idea that this country may acquire territories anywhere upon the earth, by conquest or treaty, and hold them as mere colonies or provinces - the people inhabiting them to enjoy only such rights as Congress chooses to accord them - is wholly inconsistent with the spirit and genius as well as with the words of the Constitution.”

My dad said today that he thinks reading of novels is an indicator of well-being. I would be inclined to agree.

Now that I'm not in school, I have returned to the world of novels and non-casebook reading generally. So far I've reread David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas," one of my all time favorite novels. It was just as great the third time around! After that I dove into "The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao," which I came to after hearing numerous interveiws with the author. In interveiws, Junot Diaz is charming, entertaining, thrillingly dorky, and incredibly astute. The book almost lived up to the author, and TBWLOW (wow) left me wanting to learn more about the Dominican Republic, and the Carribean in general. Now I have moved onto a colder climate, farther away from Puerto Rico but even closer to my heart - Alaska. Michael Chabon's book "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" has gotten a lot of good press, and so far it's living up to it. In addition to all this fiction, I have been slowly sifting through Mary Oliver's new book of poetry. She has been a favorite of mine for years and this newest collection is incredibly powerful.

Other than that, my freedom from law school time has been spent (when not at my co-op obviously) playing Guitar Hero 3, lying on the beach, and devouring all the good food Puerto Rico has to offer. It has been raining here for a few days though so, don't worry, it's not 100 percent perfect...

ps - I also wanted to give a shout out to the Givelber Adjucts program and the Daynard Fellows programs (named after two of my favorite professors!). They are two ways that the school (with student input) brings in awesome practitioners to talk to NUSL students about public interest work and I look forward to telling you more about this year's selections!

A few weeks ago I mentioned the Daynard Fellows program and since one of the Fellows is visiting right now, I thought it was a good time to fill you in on some details! Named after one of my favorite professors, Dick Daynard, the program was established in 2004 by Prof. Daynard and his wife. The Fellows Program brings two public interest law practitioners to the Northeastern campus each academic year for a three-day visit. The Fellows serve as role models for students, demonstrating how legal skills can be used in the “real world” and how a public interest career path might be formed. In addition to a talk open to the school and the public, the Fellows also meet with individual students and student groups, to answer specific questions.

This week NUSL welcomes our second 2008 Daynard Public Interest Visiting Fellow, NUSL alum Christina DeConcini ('88). Christina has spent 20 years representing, working with, and advocating on behalf of immigrants and refugees. Christina currently works on issues related to climate changes as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the World Resources Institute, an environmental think tank. Christina will be a valuable resource to students interested in immigration and refugee law issues; climate change legislation, the various political forces in this debate and prospects for enacting legislation; the notion of "environmental refugees" eventually being recognized for protective status; and generally "forging a career" after law school. I love that the Daynard Fellows are practitioners, not just academics, and give us a chance to get a sense of the law beyond the walls of the school.

Also an important part of the program is that the selection process for the Fellows includes students! Involvement in programs like this is a great way for students to take part in the curriculum and focus of the school, as well as to get a chance to see how the legal skills we are working to hard to learn may, eventually, help others.

Not much to report...but in a good way! I'm busy preparing for two trials that start next week (when it rains, it pours) and still loving learning about criminal law. In the last 24 hours I have written my first proposed jury instructions, and my first Rule 29 Motion for Judgment of Acquittal. Wow. These last weeks have had me grappling with sentencing (I don't think the courts have figured it out either yet, honestly), refreshing myself on Crawford and hearsay (luckily I had Evidence with a great professor, Judge Borenstein...not to mention Criminal Law with one of NUSL's favorites and finest, Prof. Givelber! If you come to NUSL, you should definitely try to take classes with both.), and parsing apart the word "knowingly." Oh, and of course I'm still making weekly trips to the beach. So, no complaints from me. In fact, I am so thrilled here, I have decided to apply for some clerkships with judges in Puerto Rico. As always with clerkships, it’s a long shot, but I thought I would give it a try. Wish me luck!

For the first time in my life, I am waiting while the jury deliberates on a case I have been working on for weeks. We have been in trial since Monday and today the jury was sent to determine their verdict. I cannot tell you how nervous I am.

I thought it would be easier to "read" the jury somehow - that I could look at their faces and chart their reaction to the trial, the evidence, the witnesses, our clients. But it's been impossible. I have no idea if they have been persuaded by our arguments or by the government's. No idea - even though I watched them go through the process of jury selection - how they feel about the crime our client is charged with, or how they feel about the trial process. It seems incredible that twelve people ever agree on such complex legal issues and complicated facts. And yet across the country, every day, hundreds of people are involved in this trial process. "A jury of your peers" is a real and living thing....and jury duty, despite all the jokes about it and people dying to get out of it, is a significant task.

And now all I can do is wait.

Wednesday around 4pm the jury came back with a decision. They found both defendants guilty of the charges against them. Since federal court is conducted in English here, while the defendants had earphones through which they could hear a translation of the verdict, their family members did not realize what was going on until the U.S. Marshalls came forward with the handcuffs. Then they started to wail. We took everything that was in the pockets of our client (they have to be empty to go into custody) and sat with our client's mother as he was led away and she sobbed. Then we walked her to her car where she turned to us and asked "Is that it?"

That’s it. Her son is now a federal prisoner, in the custody of the government. He will be sentenced in August and faces decades in prison.

It is impossible to convey the intensity of the trial experience. I learned more in those three days about criminal law, about my abilities as a lawyer, and, honestly, about people than I have in all of law school. It was an experience I will literally never forget.

Within the next week, I will officially be in my third year of law school. I can hardly believe it.

Transitions are always a bit hard for me - the last week of co-op I sort of lose my focus, start looking to where I am headed next, and generally feel a little "in between." With about a week left here in Puerto Rico and at the Federal Defenders, I am wrapping up some minor projects, saying good-bye to friends, and wondering when I will be back next. I head back to Boston next week and have a little time off before starting my summer co-op on the 2nd of June. Even though being out of school for six months sounds a little crazy to me, in reality it doesn't feel weird at all, since my co-ops are guaranteed to be different from each other, and I have already learned so much at the Defenders. This summer I will be at a mid-sized firm (25 attorneys) that does both civil and criminal litigation. I haven't worked at a firm before, so I'm excited to see what the "culture" is like, how they divvy up work, the case load of the attorneys, etc.

In addition to my upcoming co-op, I'm excited to be back in Boston. Co-op is good for helping you appreciate what you have back home - I'm thrilled to get back to my law school friends, a city I know and love, and an apartment filled with my stuff! The hard part is leaving behind cases that are still in the works, co-workers I'm used to seeing every day, new friends who I don't know when I will see again, and an island I've come to love. What's neat though, is that the closest friend I made on my first co-op in California, is here visiting me in Puerto Rico now. Proof that even brief friendships, made cross-country, can last. Pretty neat.

One of the projects I'm working on this summer is an annual pro bono event organized by the Anti Defamation League(ADL). Every summer the ADL organizes summer associates in law firms around the country to research and report back on current civil rights issues. Our memo, for instance, is a survey of hate crimes legislation in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. We have been working on the project independently for a number of weeks, and soon we will get together with students at other law firms and all present our findings. Here is the press release from 2007 (I couldn't find one for 2008). So far it’s been a good chance to see how pro bono efforts are handled at the firm, an occasion to brush up on my legislative research skills, and a long overdue education on hate crimes laws in the New England area.

In other news, here are some of the interesting, law-related items I've read this week:

Another interesting article from the Washington Post, written by a law professor at Georgetown.

A bizarre story from the New York Times on a man who pretended to be a federal agent...for months.

A more local legal dispute/(over Legal Sea Food adverstizements on the MBTA).

Have a great week!