July 20, 2004
The Haps
My apologies for the lack of updates. The pace of my summer is quickening. Only 2 and half weeks left in chambers before I head out west to the beaches of Oregon for a much needed vacation.
I was able to sit through a jury trial (guns & drugs) from start to finish the week before last. It was eye-opening. Fairly miserable lawyering all around. I'm not entirely sure what the Defense's theory of the case was, but it certainly wasn't a very good one. Numerous questions about and discrepancies in the Governments case went unasked and unanswered, despite practically being lit up in flashing neon, and the Judge alluding to them with his infrequent words from the bench. The jury was out almost three days before returning a guilty verdict. For what it's worth, I believe the Defendant was probably not innocent, but any attorney worth her salt should have no problem making a stronger case for his being "not guilty." Now, the Defendant is facing 10 to 12, and he's only 23! I wish I thought he'd come out a better person in 8 or so years, but I'm not so confident.
I spent last week sorting through a "bulky pleading" in an employment discrimination case. The plaintiff may have a legal argument worthy of examination somewhere, but her attorneys certainly didn't shed any light on it. Note to self: when crafting a memorandum in opposition of summary judgment, don't bury the court in 1,000 pages of "evidence," and hope the interns can figure out your case.
This week I'm tying up loose ends and drafting some orders the judge issued based on my disposition recommendations, all in an effort to leave an empty plate when I leave here next month. Unfortunately (and also fortunately), the Judge has taken to assigning me new cases for that "should only take a minute" on a fairly regular basis. I'm sure I'll get through it all.
As for fall recruitment. My OCI firms are reviewed, rated, and finally ranked. My resume is up-to-date. I'm ready. I'll be sending out a few letters this week to some Portland, OR firms to see if I can land a couple interviews while I'm traveling in the area next month.
As for other school matters, my Law Fellow duties have begun and I will be spending the coming weekend writing the students' first memo and completing their research projects. These things don't need to be done until Law Fellow training next month, but I'm hoping to scratch them off the list before I head west.
That's all I can think of. I better get to work...
I was able to sit through a jury trial (guns & drugs) from start to finish the week before last. It was eye-opening. Fairly miserable lawyering all around. I'm not entirely sure what the Defense's theory of the case was, but it certainly wasn't a very good one. Numerous questions about and discrepancies in the Governments case went unasked and unanswered, despite practically being lit up in flashing neon, and the Judge alluding to them with his infrequent words from the bench. The jury was out almost three days before returning a guilty verdict. For what it's worth, I believe the Defendant was probably not innocent, but any attorney worth her salt should have no problem making a stronger case for his being "not guilty." Now, the Defendant is facing 10 to 12, and he's only 23! I wish I thought he'd come out a better person in 8 or so years, but I'm not so confident.
I spent last week sorting through a "bulky pleading" in an employment discrimination case. The plaintiff may have a legal argument worthy of examination somewhere, but her attorneys certainly didn't shed any light on it. Note to self: when crafting a memorandum in opposition of summary judgment, don't bury the court in 1,000 pages of "evidence," and hope the interns can figure out your case.
This week I'm tying up loose ends and drafting some orders the judge issued based on my disposition recommendations, all in an effort to leave an empty plate when I leave here next month. Unfortunately (and also fortunately), the Judge has taken to assigning me new cases for that "should only take a minute" on a fairly regular basis. I'm sure I'll get through it all.
As for fall recruitment. My OCI firms are reviewed, rated, and finally ranked. My resume is up-to-date. I'm ready. I'll be sending out a few letters this week to some Portland, OR firms to see if I can land a couple interviews while I'm traveling in the area next month.
As for other school matters, my Law Fellow duties have begun and I will be spending the coming weekend writing the students' first memo and completing their research projects. These things don't need to be done until Law Fellow training next month, but I'm hoping to scratch them off the list before I head west.
That's all I can think of. I better get to work...
