Second semester grades came out this week. We got an email about it earlier in the week.
And no, I have not looked at them yet. And I am not about to.
Not looking at your grades is really liberating. I realized today that the reason I have been so cheery this past year is because I don't now what my grades are. A few of my would-be employers know what they are. :) And I had to print them out without looking at them. It didn't take that much will-power, actually.
Today, co-intern N and I snuck out of the office at 3:30 to go to the movies! We watched "Superman Returns". The verdict: the plot was bleh, but Brandon Routh was very good. He makes a fantastic superman, noble, handsome, confident, but vulnerable. There are a few surprises in the film too. I won't give any spoilers here. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it.
And now my 4-day long weekend begins! Boyfriends and I have plans to go up to the mountains in the North. I am really really looking forward to it.
:D This
:( Um, no work done today?
6/30/2006
6/27/2006
Another Day, Another Court Appearance...
First thing in the morning, one of the attorneys from our office, TK, came to my desk. "Want to do an arraignment proceeding in half an hour?"
Of course I said yes. TK was covering for another colleague who couldn't be there, and didn't even know the facts of the case himself. But in half an hour we figured out the (very simple) facts, he explained the proceeding to me, and I worked out (roughly) what I was supposed to say.
The proceeding this time was in a much smaller and less elaborate courtroom with a Magistrate judge. TK told me that the courtroom actually used to be a conference room until they remodeled it a few years ago. Everyone, including the defense attorney, was very nice, and kept on complimenting me.
All I had to do was to stand up and tell the defendant the maximum penalty for the offenses. The defendant was facing two counts with a combined maximum penalty of 20 years, $500,000, and 6 years of supervised release. And oh, $200 of special assessment fee. Must not forget that. Apparently that's like the MOST important thing I had to mention. (Just kidding, but when I did my change of plea proceeding last time with EG he certainly made it seem that way.)
The judge said "good job" after my speech, and I felt momentarily bad for the defendant. I mean, this is his life, and yet everyone is treating this like a training opportunity for a law student intern. How insulting.
I thought I did pretty well, until I returned to the office and realized that I forgot to mention one important part of the indictment, which outlines the government's forfeiture claims. TK said it didn't matter, but I felt bad. Damn. Oh well. Hopefully this won't give the defendant grounds for appeal.
Did a few other research projects in the meanwhile, and attended court proceeding for a mega RICO case. All very interesting.
:D my burgeoning litigation career. He he.
:( Really need to start reading law books! I haven't read any this summer yet!
Of course I said yes. TK was covering for another colleague who couldn't be there, and didn't even know the facts of the case himself. But in half an hour we figured out the (very simple) facts, he explained the proceeding to me, and I worked out (roughly) what I was supposed to say.
The proceeding this time was in a much smaller and less elaborate courtroom with a Magistrate judge. TK told me that the courtroom actually used to be a conference room until they remodeled it a few years ago. Everyone, including the defense attorney, was very nice, and kept on complimenting me.
All I had to do was to stand up and tell the defendant the maximum penalty for the offenses. The defendant was facing two counts with a combined maximum penalty of 20 years, $500,000, and 6 years of supervised release. And oh, $200 of special assessment fee. Must not forget that. Apparently that's like the MOST important thing I had to mention. (Just kidding, but when I did my change of plea proceeding last time with EG he certainly made it seem that way.)
The judge said "good job" after my speech, and I felt momentarily bad for the defendant. I mean, this is his life, and yet everyone is treating this like a training opportunity for a law student intern. How insulting.
I thought I did pretty well, until I returned to the office and realized that I forgot to mention one important part of the indictment, which outlines the government's forfeiture claims. TK said it didn't matter, but I felt bad. Damn. Oh well. Hopefully this won't give the defendant grounds for appeal.
Did a few other research projects in the meanwhile, and attended court proceeding for a mega RICO case. All very interesting.
:D my burgeoning litigation career. He he.
:( Really need to start reading law books! I haven't read any this summer yet!
6/26/2006
Birthday!
Happy birthday to me!
And thank you, my readers, for all your birthday wishes. :) I am quite thrilled to advance yet one more year in my mid-twenties-dom.
And a perfect day it was today. Boyfriend presented me with a rose as soon as I woke up, and helped me prepare my party with co-workers throughout the day. All my co-interns came to my apartment for my birthday. We had plenty of libation, yummy pizza, and a lot of good conversation, and topped off the evening with an excellent game of Taboo.
:D reconnecting with my long-lost friend L, whom I first met 10 years ago at a summer camp, and who showed up at my party today.
:( yet another year closer to the big three-O! Gulp.
And thank you, my readers, for all your birthday wishes. :) I am quite thrilled to advance yet one more year in my mid-twenties-dom.
And a perfect day it was today. Boyfriend presented me with a rose as soon as I woke up, and helped me prepare my party with co-workers throughout the day. All my co-interns came to my apartment for my birthday. We had plenty of libation, yummy pizza, and a lot of good conversation, and topped off the evening with an excellent game of Taboo.
:D reconnecting with my long-lost friend L, whom I first met 10 years ago at a summer camp, and who showed up at my party today.
:( yet another year closer to the big three-O! Gulp.
6/24/2006
Saturday
Still have not consolidated my loans. I have, however, began researching law firms for fall On Campus Interview, and made a preliminary list of 20 firms that I think I MIGHT be interested in working at. Right now, the list doesn't consist that many firm that's not in the Vault 20, but I have looked into a few mid-sized firms too.
Question: how do you know what a top "boutique firm" is? I suppose it helps to know what area you want to practice law in. But just in general, in the absence of any Vault-styled rankings, how does a newcomer to law know these things?
Rainy all day today, so Boyfriend and I took it very low-key. We had lunch at my favorite Thai restaurant, then came home and took a nap.
We then went to Costco and bought food, then came home while I drank a glass of white wine, read my corporations casebook and played monopoly. I'm still feeling tired so will probably go to sleep soon, even though it's weekend. I love those relaxing, low-key days.
:D We now have pictures on walls!
:( nothing, really.
Question: how do you know what a top "boutique firm" is? I suppose it helps to know what area you want to practice law in. But just in general, in the absence of any Vault-styled rankings, how does a newcomer to law know these things?
Rainy all day today, so Boyfriend and I took it very low-key. We had lunch at my favorite Thai restaurant, then came home and took a nap.
We then went to Costco and bought food, then came home while I drank a glass of white wine, read my corporations casebook and played monopoly. I'm still feeling tired so will probably go to sleep soon, even though it's weekend. I love those relaxing, low-key days.
:D We now have pictures on walls!
:( nothing, really.
6/23/2006
6/22/2006
GenCon!
It's official! I signed up for GenCon after ABS reminded me that tomorrow is the deadline for registration. Just got my event badge ($65) and signed up for a couple of scrabble tournaments. Will think about signing up for a massive Civilization game next. Perhaps I'll also see what ABS and his friends are up to and try to go to some of the same games.
Work today was very, er, unproductive, shall we say. The interns snuck out mid-morning to go to a nearby bar to watch the doomed US-Ghana game for the World Cup. We were not happy when we left the bar.
Had lunch with an attorney from the Federal Defender's office in N-Town. It was very interesting and informative. The attorney talked very candidly about his work, the good parts and the bad, and how an outsider perceives our office. I had a bacon cheeseburger and curly fries for lunch.
Later this afternoon, witnessed a semi-high-profile guilty plea for a map thief who stole some antique maps from, among others, the rare books library of my alma mater. The story apparently received some media attention, and there were hordes of cameramen and journalists waiting on the courthouse steps for the defendant. My fellow interns and I watched the commotion in the background, and I think I caught a glimpse of myself on the 6 o'clock evening news.
In the evening, Boyfriend and I went to a premium outlet mall about 30 minutes away from where we live. Finally bought some proper work shoes. So far this summer I have already spent over $1K on my wardrobe!
Sauteed beef liver for dinner. Yum.
:D IM with S made me feel semi warm and fuzzy.
:( Messy apartment. Need to clean up for the party on Monday!
Work today was very, er, unproductive, shall we say. The interns snuck out mid-morning to go to a nearby bar to watch the doomed US-Ghana game for the World Cup. We were not happy when we left the bar.
Had lunch with an attorney from the Federal Defender's office in N-Town. It was very interesting and informative. The attorney talked very candidly about his work, the good parts and the bad, and how an outsider perceives our office. I had a bacon cheeseburger and curly fries for lunch.
Later this afternoon, witnessed a semi-high-profile guilty plea for a map thief who stole some antique maps from, among others, the rare books library of my alma mater. The story apparently received some media attention, and there were hordes of cameramen and journalists waiting on the courthouse steps for the defendant. My fellow interns and I watched the commotion in the background, and I think I caught a glimpse of myself on the 6 o'clock evening news.
In the evening, Boyfriend and I went to a premium outlet mall about 30 minutes away from where we live. Finally bought some proper work shoes. So far this summer I have already spent over $1K on my wardrobe!
Sauteed beef liver for dinner. Yum.
:D IM with S made me feel semi warm and fuzzy.
:( Messy apartment. Need to clean up for the party on Monday!
6/21/2006
Classes for Next Fall!
I finally got to filling out my course lotteries today. These are not final decisions. The actual bids aren't due until July 7th, so I have a bit of time to mull over my selections. But here's my first draft:
1. Comparative Constitutional Law (with very famous prof who just came to my law school)
2. Empirical Studies of Economic Transformations (Seminar with strong emphasis on research paper writing with a very famous and very popular female prof)
3. Comparative Law: Globalization of Law in Historical Perspective (with super-famous genius prof)
4. Comparative Law: The Role of Law in Chinese Society (co-taught by 2 profs. This is kind of an impulse selection for me. Have never been interested in Chinese law, but... why not? right?)
5. Citizenship: Seminar (with semi-famous prof who was JUST snatched up by my law school from another famous law school. After the immigration appeals I'm doing this summer it should be pretty interesting.)
6. Bankruptcy (same prof as #2 - but a large lecture course.)
7. Intellectual Property Theory: Reading Group (Reading groups are only 1 credit, and no exams. It's all pass/fail. I know nothing about IP, but the prof is supposedly brilliant.)
8. Personal Values and Professional Character: Reading Group (This is co-taught by my super-annoying contracts prof and another person. I'm not sure about this one, but I sure care about "personal values" :) )
9. Law and Economics: Seminar (This is co-taught by the two law and econ gurus at the school. I used to be very excited about this seminar, but now I'm no longer so sure. Law and econ is powerful, but seems kind of cliched. Behavior law and econ seems to be the new thing. So.. I don't know.)
10. Immigration Law (Same prof as #5, but large lecture so I put it more towards the end.)
11. Political Economy of Modern Capitalism: Seminar (taught by my likeable civ pro prof and another person. Have my doubts about this, but may be worth it just so I can get to know her better.)
12. Theory Workshop (This is a yearlong seminar also taught by my civ pro prof. Also have my doubts about this. I heard that it's all about Marxism.)
13. Criminal Procedure: Advanced (I have no idea who this prof is. But this summer has definitely gotten me interested in crim law.)
14 Taxation: Current Issues in Tax Law: Seminar (yes, yes, I know I hated tax. And this is even taught by my tax prof from last semester, whom I also didn't like that much. Which is why I didn't rank this in the top 10. This IS a seminar, and perhaps that prof is better in small groups? Also, my tax course has got to be good for SOMETHING. Please God please...)
And finally...:
15. Moral Order and the Irrational: Readings in Nietzsche and Freud: Seminar (Don't ask. I don't know why either.)
1. Comparative Constitutional Law (with very famous prof who just came to my law school)
2. Empirical Studies of Economic Transformations (Seminar with strong emphasis on research paper writing with a very famous and very popular female prof)
3. Comparative Law: Globalization of Law in Historical Perspective (with super-famous genius prof)
4. Comparative Law: The Role of Law in Chinese Society (co-taught by 2 profs. This is kind of an impulse selection for me. Have never been interested in Chinese law, but... why not? right?)
5. Citizenship: Seminar (with semi-famous prof who was JUST snatched up by my law school from another famous law school. After the immigration appeals I'm doing this summer it should be pretty interesting.)
6. Bankruptcy (same prof as #2 - but a large lecture course.)
7. Intellectual Property Theory: Reading Group (Reading groups are only 1 credit, and no exams. It's all pass/fail. I know nothing about IP, but the prof is supposedly brilliant.)
8. Personal Values and Professional Character: Reading Group (This is co-taught by my super-annoying contracts prof and another person. I'm not sure about this one, but I sure care about "personal values" :) )
9. Law and Economics: Seminar (This is co-taught by the two law and econ gurus at the school. I used to be very excited about this seminar, but now I'm no longer so sure. Law and econ is powerful, but seems kind of cliched. Behavior law and econ seems to be the new thing. So.. I don't know.)
10. Immigration Law (Same prof as #5, but large lecture so I put it more towards the end.)
11. Political Economy of Modern Capitalism: Seminar (taught by my likeable civ pro prof and another person. Have my doubts about this, but may be worth it just so I can get to know her better.)
12. Theory Workshop (This is a yearlong seminar also taught by my civ pro prof. Also have my doubts about this. I heard that it's all about Marxism.)
13. Criminal Procedure: Advanced (I have no idea who this prof is. But this summer has definitely gotten me interested in crim law.)
14 Taxation: Current Issues in Tax Law: Seminar (yes, yes, I know I hated tax. And this is even taught by my tax prof from last semester, whom I also didn't like that much. Which is why I didn't rank this in the top 10. This IS a seminar, and perhaps that prof is better in small groups? Also, my tax course has got to be good for SOMETHING. Please God please...)
And finally...:
15. Moral Order and the Irrational: Readings in Nietzsche and Freud: Seminar (Don't ask. I don't know why either.)
Reflections on Summer Solstice
Happy Longest Day of the Year! Hope you guys did something useful with your daylight. :)
Work was busy today. A lot of things to do, which is good. I conferred with my supervising attorney on the brief I'm writing, and then worked a bit more on the research project about the gun case and also on an objection to the motion for a pro se defendant who is filing the motion from prison.
About that last case: I feel bad for the defendant. I wish I didn't have to write the objection, but sadly, after reviewing the law, I'm pretty convinced that she is incorrect on the merits.
Still, I feel bad. This is perhaps the first case this summer where I genuinely feel bad for the defendant and wish I could be doing something different. I suppose this kind of moral conflict will always happen when you are an attorney. Especially when you work for an employer, like a firm or the government, you can't always choose your clients, and sometimes you have to defend or prosecute someone or argue for a cause that you don't really believe in.
I need to give this more thought.
In othe rnews, after work these days, I'm absolutely brain dead and cannot get much done. Need to figure out a way to make this NOT true.
Had lunch at a very nice diner today near the office. I have always walked past it on my way to work and home, but it looked so unimpressive from the outside that I've never felt the urge to go in. It turned out to be very good: tasty sweet patato fries, crispy bacon, breakfast 'til 4:30 (for me, that last item is a prerequisite for any decent diner). I approve, and will definitely go back again.
Another inconsequential observation of the day: I need sandals -- sandals that look formal enough to go to court in, but still cool enough so I don't need to wear nylons all the time, because in this weather, the less I wear the better it is.
:D no humidity today - loved walking outside.
:( total listlessness in the evening and got nearly nothing done. I'm turning into a couch potato!
Work was busy today. A lot of things to do, which is good. I conferred with my supervising attorney on the brief I'm writing, and then worked a bit more on the research project about the gun case and also on an objection to the motion for a pro se defendant who is filing the motion from prison.
About that last case: I feel bad for the defendant. I wish I didn't have to write the objection, but sadly, after reviewing the law, I'm pretty convinced that she is incorrect on the merits.
Still, I feel bad. This is perhaps the first case this summer where I genuinely feel bad for the defendant and wish I could be doing something different. I suppose this kind of moral conflict will always happen when you are an attorney. Especially when you work for an employer, like a firm or the government, you can't always choose your clients, and sometimes you have to defend or prosecute someone or argue for a cause that you don't really believe in.
I need to give this more thought.
In othe rnews, after work these days, I'm absolutely brain dead and cannot get much done. Need to figure out a way to make this NOT true.
Had lunch at a very nice diner today near the office. I have always walked past it on my way to work and home, but it looked so unimpressive from the outside that I've never felt the urge to go in. It turned out to be very good: tasty sweet patato fries, crispy bacon, breakfast 'til 4:30 (for me, that last item is a prerequisite for any decent diner). I approve, and will definitely go back again.
Another inconsequential observation of the day: I need sandals -- sandals that look formal enough to go to court in, but still cool enough so I don't need to wear nylons all the time, because in this weather, the less I wear the better it is.
:D no humidity today - loved walking outside.
:( total listlessness in the evening and got nearly nothing done. I'm turning into a couch potato!
6/20/2006
Assignments, Yay!
I don't know about you, but when I don't have enough things to do at work, I get worried. I also get bored, but mostly, I get worried because I feel like I'm not given assignments because attorneys who worked with me previously were unhappy with my work, so they don't return. Since I usually don't get a lot of feedback, getting more work from the same attorney that I had worked with is often the only feedback I ever get. So I get happy when I receive assignments, and very worried when I have too little to do.
Which was why I had been kind of worried for the past few days at work. Not enough to do. Spent almost entire days watching ongoing trials in the courthouse nearby. It was interesting stuff, since the trial was about sexual harassment and quite a few whoppers came out during cross-examination. Just to give you an idea, the plaintiff admitted during cross-examination that she "brushed her hand" against the crotch of one of her co-workers! And when asked why, she muttered a few words about how she wanted to "fit in." WTH?
But, back to my discussion about work. While I greatly enjoy watching a live trial (the jury found for the defendant, by the way), I'd much rather watch the trial while I have a pile of paper waiting on my desk for me to review when I return. I don't want to spend whole days in the courtroom literally BECAUSE I have nothing to do.
Well today I received two new assignments. Yay. I even stayed until 5:30 to research for this one case. The cases are very itneresting, one about sentencing, the other about rules of evidence. Me very happy.
Which was why I had been kind of worried for the past few days at work. Not enough to do. Spent almost entire days watching ongoing trials in the courthouse nearby. It was interesting stuff, since the trial was about sexual harassment and quite a few whoppers came out during cross-examination. Just to give you an idea, the plaintiff admitted during cross-examination that she "brushed her hand" against the crotch of one of her co-workers! And when asked why, she muttered a few words about how she wanted to "fit in." WTH?
But, back to my discussion about work. While I greatly enjoy watching a live trial (the jury found for the defendant, by the way), I'd much rather watch the trial while I have a pile of paper waiting on my desk for me to review when I return. I don't want to spend whole days in the courtroom literally BECAUSE I have nothing to do.
Well today I received two new assignments. Yay. I even stayed until 5:30 to research for this one case. The cases are very itneresting, one about sentencing, the other about rules of evidence. Me very happy.
6/19/2006
Weekend at Home
This weekend I went home to NJ to spend Father's Day with my parents. It was a ton of fun, though also exhausting. I drove down on Saturday morning, and we had lunch at our favorite Szechuang restaurant, whose food is so spicy that it always made my stomach upset afterwards, but soooo yummy! After that, parents and I walked around in the Princeton campus near our house, and eventually went to a coffee shop that some famed writers and members of the literati frequented. Dad had a cappucino, while I had a latte. Yum.
For Father's Day, I got my parents a "cactus garden." Here's a photo of it taken by my dad. I got it at Costco with Boyfriend and actually got one for myself as well because it's so pretty I have always wanted to give my parents a plant, but they don't really know how to take care of them. So a cactus garden is the perfect solution. My parents loved it.
The weather just started getting hot this weekend, so walking around outside was not as pleasant as it could have been. After escaping to the coffee shop, we went home and drank some refreshing white wine that I picked out from a wine store near my parents' townhouse.
We spent the whole night talking about my experiencces in law school and at my internship, all of which my parents found fascinating. (My dad actually taped me speaking so he and Mom could review the notes later and possibly even write an article about it or two.)
The next day, we went shopping, and Mom and I each got a Zohari Petite suit. It would serve as my birthday present. Afterwards, we went strawberry picking at a local farm. The temperature was 95 degrees and it was very hot in teh afternon, and I got way tan, but it was SO MUCH FUN. Here's a photo of our crop.
I drove back from Jersey this morning and after a few mishaps, didn't get into work until nearly 11 AM. I was also so tired that I left very early, and then took a 4-hour nap as soon as I got home. Have just gotten up now and have been watching TV. Life is good.
:D a lot of strawberries in my fridge.
:( 100% humidity today.
For Father's Day, I got my parents a "cactus garden." Here's a photo of it taken by my dad. I got it at Costco with Boyfriend and actually got one for myself as well because it's so pretty I have always wanted to give my parents a plant, but they don't really know how to take care of them. So a cactus garden is the perfect solution. My parents loved it.
The weather just started getting hot this weekend, so walking around outside was not as pleasant as it could have been. After escaping to the coffee shop, we went home and drank some refreshing white wine that I picked out from a wine store near my parents' townhouse.
We spent the whole night talking about my experiencces in law school and at my internship, all of which my parents found fascinating. (My dad actually taped me speaking so he and Mom could review the notes later and possibly even write an article about it or two.)
The next day, we went shopping, and Mom and I each got a Zohari Petite suit. It would serve as my birthday present. Afterwards, we went strawberry picking at a local farm. The temperature was 95 degrees and it was very hot in teh afternon, and I got way tan, but it was SO MUCH FUN. Here's a photo of our crop.
I drove back from Jersey this morning and after a few mishaps, didn't get into work until nearly 11 AM. I was also so tired that I left very early, and then took a 4-hour nap as soon as I got home. Have just gotten up now and have been watching TV. Life is good.
:D a lot of strawberries in my fridge.
:( 100% humidity today.
6/14/2006
My Career as Litigator
So today marked my lackluster beginning to a career in litigation! I did a plea-change agreement myself. Actually, that just consisted of reading aloud a statement of facts to the court. Really neither complicated nor dramatic. But a milestone nonetheless, I guess.
The whole thing was rather anticlimactic. First of all, the proceeding began 40 minutes late. This is not unusual. So far every single proceeding that the interns have attended, except for the very first one, have begun late, and not just a little late, but in general between an hour and an hour and a half late. EG, the attorney who interviewed and hired me, was also my supervising attorney. He was annoyed because he had a brief that was due Friday, and he had spent the whole day on it. But now he had to wait listlessly in a courtroom.
The judge was this white-haired lady that reminded me of Sandra Day O'Connor. Grandmotherly in her appearance, but very forceful in her personality.
The case involved a drug sale. The man was a hispanic male in his 20s, perhpas my age, short, plump, and kind of dazed looking. He was held in jail before the proceeding, and was brought in by marshals wearing an orange jumpsuit. He didn't seem to know exactly what was going on. Didn't even speak English that well and required an interpreter.
The judge did most of the talking, and I found the whole thing oddly poignant. The entire proceeding consisted of making sure the defendant understood the rights he was giving up by pleading guilty, so the judge asked him questions regarding every single right that he was waiving. "Sir, do you understand that you have a right to trial with a jury? Do you understand that by pleading guilty you are giving up that right?" While the judge spoke, the interpreter would translate contemporaniously into the defendant's ears, and the defendant would answer, in a thick accent, "Yes." "Do you understand, sir, that you have a right to confront witnesses who testify against you? Do you understand that by pleading guilty you are waiving that right as well?" And then he would listen to the interpreter again and answer, "yes." So on and so forth.
And I felt sorry for the man, the defendant. He seemed genuinely confused at times, and chastened, defeated by life. He was going away for at least 4 or 5 years, for one single criminal act. He was my age and I felt sorry for him.
Sometimes he would get confused, as when the judge asked the defendant whether the government coerced him into pleading guilty or whether the government made any improper promise. Since the answer to every previous question had been "yes", the defendant began saying "yes," then had to say "I mean 'no.'" The judge was dissatisfied with that answer, and asked the question again, and amazingly the defendant answered incorrectly again, until he finally looked at his lawyer helplessly and his lawyer shook his head no, so the defendant answered "no."
Then it was my turn to recount the facts. I had written out a whole sheet of facts, and read it like a schoolgirl. They were doing me a favor by letting me do this. I was neither horrible nor brilliant. Just mediocre, average. It was the first time I spoke in open court. I was too nervous to really notice anything else, my supervising attorney behind me, the defendant and his attorney next to me. The interpretor somehow falling silent. I remember thinking "why isn't she translating my stuff?"
After that, the judge asked the defendant whether he agreed with the version of events. He said yes. The judge then accepted the guilty plea, set a sentencing date, and then the court was adjourned.
The whole thing was rather anticlimactic. First of all, the proceeding began 40 minutes late. This is not unusual. So far every single proceeding that the interns have attended, except for the very first one, have begun late, and not just a little late, but in general between an hour and an hour and a half late. EG, the attorney who interviewed and hired me, was also my supervising attorney. He was annoyed because he had a brief that was due Friday, and he had spent the whole day on it. But now he had to wait listlessly in a courtroom.
The judge was this white-haired lady that reminded me of Sandra Day O'Connor. Grandmotherly in her appearance, but very forceful in her personality.
The case involved a drug sale. The man was a hispanic male in his 20s, perhpas my age, short, plump, and kind of dazed looking. He was held in jail before the proceeding, and was brought in by marshals wearing an orange jumpsuit. He didn't seem to know exactly what was going on. Didn't even speak English that well and required an interpreter.
The judge did most of the talking, and I found the whole thing oddly poignant. The entire proceeding consisted of making sure the defendant understood the rights he was giving up by pleading guilty, so the judge asked him questions regarding every single right that he was waiving. "Sir, do you understand that you have a right to trial with a jury? Do you understand that by pleading guilty you are giving up that right?" While the judge spoke, the interpreter would translate contemporaniously into the defendant's ears, and the defendant would answer, in a thick accent, "Yes." "Do you understand, sir, that you have a right to confront witnesses who testify against you? Do you understand that by pleading guilty you are waiving that right as well?" And then he would listen to the interpreter again and answer, "yes." So on and so forth.
And I felt sorry for the man, the defendant. He seemed genuinely confused at times, and chastened, defeated by life. He was going away for at least 4 or 5 years, for one single criminal act. He was my age and I felt sorry for him.
Sometimes he would get confused, as when the judge asked the defendant whether the government coerced him into pleading guilty or whether the government made any improper promise. Since the answer to every previous question had been "yes", the defendant began saying "yes," then had to say "I mean 'no.'" The judge was dissatisfied with that answer, and asked the question again, and amazingly the defendant answered incorrectly again, until he finally looked at his lawyer helplessly and his lawyer shook his head no, so the defendant answered "no."
Then it was my turn to recount the facts. I had written out a whole sheet of facts, and read it like a schoolgirl. They were doing me a favor by letting me do this. I was neither horrible nor brilliant. Just mediocre, average. It was the first time I spoke in open court. I was too nervous to really notice anything else, my supervising attorney behind me, the defendant and his attorney next to me. The interpretor somehow falling silent. I remember thinking "why isn't she translating my stuff?"
After that, the judge asked the defendant whether he agreed with the version of events. He said yes. The judge then accepted the guilty plea, set a sentencing date, and then the court was adjourned.
6/13/2006
A New, Healthier Me
Am posting solely because it's 8 am, and I've already been up for 1.5 hours!
What I did with my morning: cuddled on the bed with Boyfriend a bit, then went out for a run around the square with him, then made breakfast and just finished eating it. Going to wash up now and go to work!
Work is good these days. I ran out of assignments briefly yesterday and made the mistake of telling people about it, and the internship coordinator now sends everyone with an assignment over to me. Did some research assignments yesterday and also began working on an appellate brief, which will probably take me a ton of time but thankfully is not due until August.
:D healthy!
:( tired already! Hehe.
What I did with my morning: cuddled on the bed with Boyfriend a bit, then went out for a run around the square with him, then made breakfast and just finished eating it. Going to wash up now and go to work!
Work is good these days. I ran out of assignments briefly yesterday and made the mistake of telling people about it, and the internship coordinator now sends everyone with an assignment over to me. Did some research assignments yesterday and also began working on an appellate brief, which will probably take me a ton of time but thankfully is not due until August.
:D healthy!
:( tired already! Hehe.
6/11/2006
Ahhhhhh Weekend
I was enjoying my weekend too much to interrupt it and post. Yesterday: reading, eatng good food, and watching TV. Today: visiting 2 local wineries, both of which surprisingly excellent; reading at Starbucks; exercising and shopping; vegging on the couch.
I have been vegging too much and really should start thinking about what classes I want to take in the fall. The deadline for the fall general classes lottery is in early July. I will post my choices once I have things figured out.
Tomorrow: work starts again. On Wednesday I get to speak in Court, and I'm already nervous about it.
:D White wines
:( Neck problem
I have been vegging too much and really should start thinking about what classes I want to take in the fall. The deadline for the fall general classes lottery is in early July. I will post my choices once I have things figured out.
Tomorrow: work starts again. On Wednesday I get to speak in Court, and I'm already nervous about it.
:D White wines
:( Neck problem
6/09/2006
Good Day
Work was AWESOME today. Sadly, I can't talk too much about substance. Suffice to say that we witnessed the beginning of a very big case for us, and all the attorneys in the office are so excited.
None of the interns had too much done today, because of the chaos and the excitement. We went to a press conference, a court detention hearing, and about 3 hours of waiting around for the above two events to happen. Yes, apparently, nothing happens on time in the justice system.
However, I did get to know our other interns a lot better.
Also, EG (our attorney intern coordinator) asked me whether I wanted to speak in court next week! It's only a plea-change hearing, but still. I'm so excited.
Tonight, Boyfriend and I went to a very hip Japanese restaurant, sat outside, and had great salmon nigiri and alaskan rolls. Yum.
:D Got ADORABLE Mary Janes for only $28 at massive sale.
:( Only 6 hours of sleep last night
None of the interns had too much done today, because of the chaos and the excitement. We went to a press conference, a court detention hearing, and about 3 hours of waiting around for the above two events to happen. Yes, apparently, nothing happens on time in the justice system.
However, I did get to know our other interns a lot better.
Also, EG (our attorney intern coordinator) asked me whether I wanted to speak in court next week! It's only a plea-change hearing, but still. I'm so excited.
Tonight, Boyfriend and I went to a very hip Japanese restaurant, sat outside, and had great salmon nigiri and alaskan rolls. Yum.
:D Got ADORABLE Mary Janes for only $28 at massive sale.
:( Only 6 hours of sleep last night
6/08/2006
Exhausted, but in a Good Mood
I worked late today. I was there almost by myself until 10:00 pm in the office. By then I think almost all the attorneys have left, except for some occasional foodsteps down the hall, but that may just be the custodians.
I feel very hard-working, being one of the last people to leave the office. :) I'm sure I won't feel the same after a few more nights of this.
I got new research assignments today, every bit as frustrating as the ones from yesterday. But I was more patient and expected more difficulty, and perhaps I AM improving in my research skills. I actually know how to write an actual Westlaw command now. Well, in any case, I was determined to find at least ONE relevant case, and finally, after like 8 hours of research today, I did find some authority. Yoo-hoo.
The case I'm working on goes to trial tomorrow. Actually it's jury selection, and then it will be trial time. All the interns are invited to go and watch. I'm kinda excited about that.
All the summer interns are getting closer with each other. All the guys in my group have very good personalities: stable, calm, outgoing, funny, etc. I really like this girl from an large state university law school, who is my age and very stable and elegant and quiet and self-assured. Another girl is extremely outgoing (perhaps too outgoing?) but has a good sense of humor as well.
Have also been chatting online a bit with friend Dickie over Gmail chat, which is the greatest invention ever. Hopefully, though, my employer is not monitoring my online usage since there's some embarrassing personal details being disclosed. :)
:D finally finding a relevant case after hours of reading irrelevant ones.
:) sprained my neck this morning somehow and it still feels weird 10 hours later.
I feel very hard-working, being one of the last people to leave the office. :) I'm sure I won't feel the same after a few more nights of this.
I got new research assignments today, every bit as frustrating as the ones from yesterday. But I was more patient and expected more difficulty, and perhaps I AM improving in my research skills. I actually know how to write an actual Westlaw command now. Well, in any case, I was determined to find at least ONE relevant case, and finally, after like 8 hours of research today, I did find some authority. Yoo-hoo.
The case I'm working on goes to trial tomorrow. Actually it's jury selection, and then it will be trial time. All the interns are invited to go and watch. I'm kinda excited about that.
All the summer interns are getting closer with each other. All the guys in my group have very good personalities: stable, calm, outgoing, funny, etc. I really like this girl from an large state university law school, who is my age and very stable and elegant and quiet and self-assured. Another girl is extremely outgoing (perhaps too outgoing?) but has a good sense of humor as well.
Have also been chatting online a bit with friend Dickie over Gmail chat, which is the greatest invention ever. Hopefully, though, my employer is not monitoring my online usage since there's some embarrassing personal details being disclosed. :)
:D finally finding a relevant case after hours of reading irrelevant ones.
:) sprained my neck this morning somehow and it still feels weird 10 hours later.
6/07/2006
Insecure
I am paranoid about how people at work think about me. I wonder if they all think that I'm ditzy and dumb.
Since beginning this job, I realized that law school doesn't really teach you very much practical things, like how to write a motion, or how to do actual research. From my conversation with ABS, he has the same impression. We are both concerned that we seem so clueless in our respective jobs, and that other people, even people from the same law school as we do, seem to know much more about these "practical" things like civil procedure than we do.
ABS said that he's annoyed at our civ pro professor, because apparently, we didn't learn anything useful in that class, like venue and class action suits. I'm mostly annoyed because we didn't learn anything from our lawyering classes. The type of research and the kind of "memos" we had to write for lawyering are completely different from the stuff we actually had to write in reality. Real lawyers apparently don't have time to read through long memos in the format of CRuPAC (Conclusion-Rule-Proof-Application-Conclusion). Most of the time they just want some cases that are on point.
Speaking of cases that are on point, today was a horrible day for research assignments. I got an assignment yesterday that seemed very simple, but whcih turned out to be a nightmare. When I tried to find relevant cases, no matter how hard I tried, i could not find anything that was exactly on point. After nearly two full days of work (I even skipped my lunch hour today to focus on this assignment) I had to admit defeat and wrote a memo to the assigning attorney (who is actually my freshman counselor -- something that increased my embarrassment) that I couldn't find anything. Now I'm terrified that he thinks I'm stupid. Argh.
:( Lack of knowledge about apparently basic legal skills.
:D Boyfriend's yummy dinner this evening.
Since beginning this job, I realized that law school doesn't really teach you very much practical things, like how to write a motion, or how to do actual research. From my conversation with ABS, he has the same impression. We are both concerned that we seem so clueless in our respective jobs, and that other people, even people from the same law school as we do, seem to know much more about these "practical" things like civil procedure than we do.
ABS said that he's annoyed at our civ pro professor, because apparently, we didn't learn anything useful in that class, like venue and class action suits. I'm mostly annoyed because we didn't learn anything from our lawyering classes. The type of research and the kind of "memos" we had to write for lawyering are completely different from the stuff we actually had to write in reality. Real lawyers apparently don't have time to read through long memos in the format of CRuPAC (Conclusion-Rule-Proof-Application-Conclusion). Most of the time they just want some cases that are on point.
Speaking of cases that are on point, today was a horrible day for research assignments. I got an assignment yesterday that seemed very simple, but whcih turned out to be a nightmare. When I tried to find relevant cases, no matter how hard I tried, i could not find anything that was exactly on point. After nearly two full days of work (I even skipped my lunch hour today to focus on this assignment) I had to admit defeat and wrote a memo to the assigning attorney (who is actually my freshman counselor -- something that increased my embarrassment) that I couldn't find anything. Now I'm terrified that he thinks I'm stupid. Argh.
:( Lack of knowledge about apparently basic legal skills.
:D Boyfriend's yummy dinner this evening.
6/06/2006
Formal Wear
One thing I don't like about working is how you have to dress up every day. Unlike the other two offices in the state, my office requires professional wear. Every day.
The men take it in strides, because I think men's formal wear is about 1,000 times more comfortable than women's. Perhaps the only thing men have to wear that even approaches the discomfort women have to suffer through is their tie. Boo-hoo. Women in comparison have to wear heels, stockings, a narrowly tailored skirt that makes it hard to walk, skirt that hug too tightly after you've eaten lunch and are bloated, shirts that bunch up inside your suit...
Speaking of shirts, this weekend I went shopping and got a whole bunch of silk shirts that at least are a joy to wear. Sadly, I was not so lucky with shoes. To this date, I'm not able to find a pair of formal heels that do not create huge blisters on my feet.
Some of the girl interns are rather lax on the definition of "formal." One girl did not wear a suit to work today, but just a blouse and a skirt. Another girl refused to wear high heels and instead wears comfy flats. I wore a pair of heels today that look very good but hurt my feet like hell. Perhaps I'll try to be a bit lax tomorrow too.
The men take it in strides, because I think men's formal wear is about 1,000 times more comfortable than women's. Perhaps the only thing men have to wear that even approaches the discomfort women have to suffer through is their tie. Boo-hoo. Women in comparison have to wear heels, stockings, a narrowly tailored skirt that makes it hard to walk, skirt that hug too tightly after you've eaten lunch and are bloated, shirts that bunch up inside your suit...
Speaking of shirts, this weekend I went shopping and got a whole bunch of silk shirts that at least are a joy to wear. Sadly, I was not so lucky with shoes. To this date, I'm not able to find a pair of formal heels that do not create huge blisters on my feet.
Some of the girl interns are rather lax on the definition of "formal." One girl did not wear a suit to work today, but just a blouse and a skirt. Another girl refused to wear high heels and instead wears comfy flats. I wore a pair of heels today that look very good but hurt my feet like hell. Perhaps I'll try to be a bit lax tomorrow too.
6/05/2006
Updates
The motion that I have been working on, which was supposedly a "simple legal issue," turned out to be this monstrous thing that took me more than 3 full days to research and write. I finally finished it this evening, having stayed for 2 hours longer than I had to. I think I was one of the last to leave the office. Talk about job dedication!
This marks the end of my work with financial litigation for a while. Tomorrow I start working on a criminal case.
My real mother's American husband passed away. I have never met him, but I felt sad for him nonetheless. Sniff.
:D I have been losing weight because I actually eat healthy food now, courtesy of Boyfriend.
:( The fact that I'm still awake. Need to sleep!
This marks the end of my work with financial litigation for a while. Tomorrow I start working on a criminal case.
My real mother's American husband passed away. I have never met him, but I felt sad for him nonetheless. Sniff.
:D I have been losing weight because I actually eat healthy food now, courtesy of Boyfriend.
:( The fact that I'm still awake. Need to sleep!
6/04/2006
Heaven
Guess what I've been doing all day?
Got up around noon. It was raining and Boyfriend went out and foraged for food while I played on-line monopoly and read. Talked to friend J for nearly an hour and a half. Then, around 9 we started watching the DVDs of the Fourth Season of 24 that we rented last Tuesday.
It's 6 hours later, and we (well, mostly me) are still watching.
:D Jack Bauer
:( weekend is too short.
Got up around noon. It was raining and Boyfriend went out and foraged for food while I played on-line monopoly and read. Talked to friend J for nearly an hour and a half. Then, around 9 we started watching the DVDs of the Fourth Season of 24 that we rented last Tuesday.
It's 6 hours later, and we (well, mostly me) are still watching.
:D Jack Bauer
:( weekend is too short.
6/02/2006
In Awe
I'm still in awe of how cool my internship is. The attorneys there seem to really enjoy their jobs. Today we had a brown bag lunch where the two people heading the two main departments here spoke to us and described what they do. It was fascinating to hear thier personal experiences and the cases they handled, but what was even more awesome was to hear how passionate they are about their jobs. They all seem very eager to mentor us, as well.
Spent the whole day researching and drafting motions. Next week I get to appear in court!
I am still in disbelief about the substantive work they actually let us do. It's one thing to research legal questions and drafting a memo. It's another altogether to draft indictments and trial memos and plea agreements! It's so cool it takes my breath away.
:D cafe right in the building I work. Food is pretty good too!
:( rainy, and 100% humidity.
Spent the whole day researching and drafting motions. Next week I get to appear in court!
I am still in disbelief about the substantive work they actually let us do. It's one thing to research legal questions and drafting a memo. It's another altogether to draft indictments and trial memos and plea agreements! It's so cool it takes my breath away.
:D cafe right in the building I work. Food is pretty good too!
:( rainy, and 100% humidity.
6/01/2006
My New Life
Happy International Children's Day! And pardon me for being away for a while. As an excuse, I'll just say that I have had the worst week of my life with Law Review competition, and the single Worst Day of My Life last Friday.
I don't want to go into details, because it is just too painful to recount, but let's just say that I ended up turning my LR competition entry 15 minutes late, for which there is probably some sort of penalty, though they refuse to be more concrete, and that I temporarily lost my ID card and wept in full view in the middle of the reference library while a very nice reference librarian photocopied stuff for me. Which reminds me. I should send him flowers.
Don't worry, everything is okay. Just more fun stories about law school to tell my grand kids. I have by now returned to my former cheerful self, but let's get on to the next topic before the bad memories come flooding back! :)
So, my new life has begun since this Tuesday! After a long weekend of sleeping, recuperating, and packing, I am now moved into Boyfriend's condo in N-Town and have started work on Tuesday!
Work has been fascinating, and definitely a whole other world from law school. There are seven interns in total at my office, mostly 1Ls, but 1 2L and 1 3L (!). Three girls and four boys. They all seem very nice, and scarily, they all seem like they know more than I do about the workings of the law. I feel like I have learned nothing but legal theory this past year, but my comrades actually seem to know about drafting motions and doing legal research and stuff like that.
Speaking of which, my office seems very short-handed, and they really do throw you into the water feet first. I began working almost right away on Tuesday, and my first assignment was (gulp) drafting a motion. A real, bonafide, actual motion that is going to get used in an actual court proceeding! I was too ashamed to say that I didn't know how, and I tried my best to copy the format and the language of the sample motions that I found, but still, I'm sure that my product was full of mistakes.
The attorney who gave me the first assignment is this cool lady with a statuesque figure and short hair. She was extra nice with me and tried to be reassuring. Her work mostly involves forfeitures and restitution and fines. So I have been struggling to remember stuff from my Ames brief, which is kind of about that topic. Who knew that all this stuff would come full circle?
Morale seems to be very good at my office, and most of the attorneys are only a little older than me. Surprisngly, my freshman counselor from college works at the office too. When he called out my name, I was so surprised that his name escaped me for a second. And then the memories came flooding back. It's kind of embarrassing, but I actually had a huge, obvious crush on him back in freshman year. :D Not anymore, of course.
It's great to see first-hand how much of the law you learn from the books is actually useful. It's also a little dismaying to see how little of the law we learn in 1L year is actually useful. So far, everything I have done has something to do with statutes, which we didn't do at all first year (well, other than in tax, that is). Although part of my work is to look up cases that interprete the statutes, it is definitely not the straight-up common law that we have been learning all year in the classrooms. Yes. The 1L curriculum needs reform, NOW!
Okay, enough for now. I have to be discreet here and not give away any particulars because it is against the rules and against the law. I could get prosecuted for violating the attorney-client privilege, some federal statutes, AND the confidentiality agreement that I signed. So I will only talk about work in a general way, but not about any cases. I'm sure you'd understand.
:D Work, probably.
:( Getting up at 8 every day. My body is NOT built for this...
I don't want to go into details, because it is just too painful to recount, but let's just say that I ended up turning my LR competition entry 15 minutes late, for which there is probably some sort of penalty, though they refuse to be more concrete, and that I temporarily lost my ID card and wept in full view in the middle of the reference library while a very nice reference librarian photocopied stuff for me. Which reminds me. I should send him flowers.
Don't worry, everything is okay. Just more fun stories about law school to tell my grand kids. I have by now returned to my former cheerful self, but let's get on to the next topic before the bad memories come flooding back! :)
So, my new life has begun since this Tuesday! After a long weekend of sleeping, recuperating, and packing, I am now moved into Boyfriend's condo in N-Town and have started work on Tuesday!
Work has been fascinating, and definitely a whole other world from law school. There are seven interns in total at my office, mostly 1Ls, but 1 2L and 1 3L (!). Three girls and four boys. They all seem very nice, and scarily, they all seem like they know more than I do about the workings of the law. I feel like I have learned nothing but legal theory this past year, but my comrades actually seem to know about drafting motions and doing legal research and stuff like that.
Speaking of which, my office seems very short-handed, and they really do throw you into the water feet first. I began working almost right away on Tuesday, and my first assignment was (gulp) drafting a motion. A real, bonafide, actual motion that is going to get used in an actual court proceeding! I was too ashamed to say that I didn't know how, and I tried my best to copy the format and the language of the sample motions that I found, but still, I'm sure that my product was full of mistakes.
The attorney who gave me the first assignment is this cool lady with a statuesque figure and short hair. She was extra nice with me and tried to be reassuring. Her work mostly involves forfeitures and restitution and fines. So I have been struggling to remember stuff from my Ames brief, which is kind of about that topic. Who knew that all this stuff would come full circle?
Morale seems to be very good at my office, and most of the attorneys are only a little older than me. Surprisngly, my freshman counselor from college works at the office too. When he called out my name, I was so surprised that his name escaped me for a second. And then the memories came flooding back. It's kind of embarrassing, but I actually had a huge, obvious crush on him back in freshman year. :D Not anymore, of course.
It's great to see first-hand how much of the law you learn from the books is actually useful. It's also a little dismaying to see how little of the law we learn in 1L year is actually useful. So far, everything I have done has something to do with statutes, which we didn't do at all first year (well, other than in tax, that is). Although part of my work is to look up cases that interprete the statutes, it is definitely not the straight-up common law that we have been learning all year in the classrooms. Yes. The 1L curriculum needs reform, NOW!
Okay, enough for now. I have to be discreet here and not give away any particulars because it is against the rules and against the law. I could get prosecuted for violating the attorney-client privilege, some federal statutes, AND the confidentiality agreement that I signed. So I will only talk about work in a general way, but not about any cases. I'm sure you'd understand.
:D Work, probably.
:( Getting up at 8 every day. My body is NOT built for this...
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