By Taylor Smith
I spent my EJF Summer Fellowship working as a Legal Research Intern at the First Amendment Center, which is based in Nashville at Vanderbilt University but has a satellite office here in DC at the Newseum. The First Amendment Center is a non-partisan, non-litigating entity founded in 1991 by former USA Today editor John Siegenthaler for the purpose of educating the public, teachers, government policy makers, lawyers and students about the core freedoms protected by the First Amendment. The nexus between legal justice and my work rested on the theory that First Amendment rights must be asserted in order to have legal effect, and must be
known in order to be asserted. Considering that only four percent of Americans can name all of the individual rights guaranteed to them by the First Amendment, there is plenty of room for improvement in this area. Pursuant to that end, I spent my time researching and writing articles on three topics that my bosses asked me to write about: Justice Ginsburg’s record in First Amendment cases, public access to government-held information since 9/11, and the free exercise rights of divorced parents in child custody litigation.
I was originally attracted to the First Amendment Center in part because I felt that in the wake of the Citizens United decision, corporate speech rights were likely to become a hot-button issue, especially as the midterm elections loomed in the near future. As it turned out, the First Amendment was indeed all over the news this summer, but not in conjunction with debate over corporate speech rights. Instead, the media focused on the controversy over the free exercise rights of those planning to build a Muslim community center near Ground Zero and the free speech rights of those protesting the construction, including some who burned or threatened to burn the Qur’an.
That turn of events was somewhat of a letdown because in my estimation, the corporate
speech issue is fraught with legal ambiguity fit to be debated, while the “Ground Zero Mosque” issue was, legally speaking, an open-and-shut case: of course the First Amendment protects the builders’ right to build and the protesters’ right to protest. By contrast, there are complex and compelling arguments to be made on both sides of the corporate speech issue, and for that reason I wish it had received as much attention as the “Ground Zero Mosque” controversy. If it had, I think the public debate would have been much more interesting, and the First Amendment may have been highlighted to the general public as the complicated bundle of rights and judicial interpretations that it really is.
The most rewarding aspect of my internship was corresponding with Constitutional
experts, from whom I was usually soliciting a quote for an article. In that respect the internship was a hybrid between Constitutional law and journalism. It definitely afforded me the opportunity to do a large amount of research and writing. Although my work at the First Amendment Center was not as closely tied to legal justice as, say, keeping innocent people out of jail, I still felt that the organization and my contributions to it had social and civic value in line with the spirit of EJF. I sincerely appreciate the funding, and would recommend the First Amendment Center especially to anyone who enjoys writing in general and wants to do a lot of it over the summer.
Showing posts with label Washington DC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Washington DC. Show all posts
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Student Post: Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Chief Counsel
By Dustin Robinson
I spent this past summer as an intern with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Office of Chief Counsel. Surprisingly enough, I did very little, if any, work with drug issues: I was their civil litigation intern. In effect, my section functioned as the DEA’s lawyer in suits filed by both outside parties and DEA employees against the agency. For the most part, this resulted in Federal Tort Claims Act cases and employment discrimination cases (heavier on the latter, really). It was interesting to engage in what I and likely other law students infrequently consider: defense of a government agency.
The summer was essentially a crash course in employment law. As one who knew next to nothing about the area beforehand, I appreciated the willingness of the other attorneys to offer support and guidance. The employment context presented a particular conundrum of sorts: I wondered, as an EJF recipient, how it was that I was advancing social justice. I’d bet good money that a lot more EJF funding around the country goes to students working on behalf of plaintiffs in employment discrimination cases than to those who were in my position. The conclusion I reached, however, was that the integrity of employment law, the vitality of Title VII, and the legitimacy of the EEOC all turn on an effective balancing of the interests. Employment discrimination suits? Not always legitimate. The governmental workplace, in particular, makes it so incredibly easy for an employee to engage in EEO action that it becomes almost a matter of course anytime the slightest disciplinary action is taken against an employee (let alone the near impossibility of actually firing, or, in governmental parlance, “removing” someone). The inherent frivolity of a number of these suits would weaken public and institutional support for the viability of a legitimate discrimination suit.
All that being said, I was pleased to learn how vigilant governmental attorneys working for an agency’s defense are. There was no hesitation to settle a claim that seemed legitimate, there was a constant probing of the facts, there was a true loyalty to the DEA but also to the law. Having the opportunity to review documents with practicing attorneys, attend depositions with them, compose motions for summary judgment with them, was truly fulfilling. It’s often said, but never understood till experienced: you don’t appreciate your first year of law school until you actually take it into practice the following summer.
And, not to be left out, there were perks: a trip to the Supreme Court on a day that decisions were handed down, multiple field trips to the DEA training facilities at Quantico, and numerous workshops geared toward the interns. All in all, a worthwhile experience and glimpse into the inner legal workings of the federal government.
I spent this past summer as an intern with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Office of Chief Counsel. Surprisingly enough, I did very little, if any, work with drug issues: I was their civil litigation intern. In effect, my section functioned as the DEA’s lawyer in suits filed by both outside parties and DEA employees against the agency. For the most part, this resulted in Federal Tort Claims Act cases and employment discrimination cases (heavier on the latter, really). It was interesting to engage in what I and likely other law students infrequently consider: defense of a government agency.
The summer was essentially a crash course in employment law. As one who knew next to nothing about the area beforehand, I appreciated the willingness of the other attorneys to offer support and guidance. The employment context presented a particular conundrum of sorts: I wondered, as an EJF recipient, how it was that I was advancing social justice. I’d bet good money that a lot more EJF funding around the country goes to students working on behalf of plaintiffs in employment discrimination cases than to those who were in my position. The conclusion I reached, however, was that the integrity of employment law, the vitality of Title VII, and the legitimacy of the EEOC all turn on an effective balancing of the interests. Employment discrimination suits? Not always legitimate. The governmental workplace, in particular, makes it so incredibly easy for an employee to engage in EEO action that it becomes almost a matter of course anytime the slightest disciplinary action is taken against an employee (let alone the near impossibility of actually firing, or, in governmental parlance, “removing” someone). The inherent frivolity of a number of these suits would weaken public and institutional support for the viability of a legitimate discrimination suit.
All that being said, I was pleased to learn how vigilant governmental attorneys working for an agency’s defense are. There was no hesitation to settle a claim that seemed legitimate, there was a constant probing of the facts, there was a true loyalty to the DEA but also to the law. Having the opportunity to review documents with practicing attorneys, attend depositions with them, compose motions for summary judgment with them, was truly fulfilling. It’s often said, but never understood till experienced: you don’t appreciate your first year of law school until you actually take it into practice the following summer.
And, not to be left out, there were perks: a trip to the Supreme Court on a day that decisions were handed down, multiple field trips to the DEA training facilities at Quantico, and numerous workshops geared toward the interns. All in all, a worthwhile experience and glimpse into the inner legal workings of the federal government.
Student Post: U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Washington, DC
By Tasha LaSpina
This past summer, I interned for a magistrate judge at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and it was a great learning experience. My judge’s calendar at first consisted of only civil cases, but then she switched to a criminal docket later in the summer. The civil cases were usually employment discrimination claims that involved requests for attorney fees. The criminal cases tended to be sentencing hearings.
Most of my time over the summer was spent doing legal research and writing, which I then submitted to the judge in the form of internal memos or “Report and Recommendation” documents. After the judge had a chance to review my documents, we would discuss my findings and talk about the strongest and weakest aspects of particular arguments. What I enjoyed most about my internship was when, just before a hearing, the judge would call me into her chambers and ask me to imagine what I thought each side would say in response to a particular question from her. I really enjoyed the opportunity to talk through these scenarios with the judge, because these exercises helped me to learn to think on my feet and to improve my oral argument skills. I also liked having the opportunity to then attend the court proceeding for each case, to see if the parties did in fact raise the arguments that I had anticipated that they would give in response to the judge’s questions.
I also really enjoyed learning more about the inner workings of a federal courthouse, and having the chance to see judges, lawyers, marshals, and law clerks in action. The internship allowed me to get a great behind-the-scenes look at how federal cases are handled, and enabled me to gain the kind of hands-on experience that one cannot get from a classroom. In particular, because I had the opportunity to attend daily court proceedings, I was able to see a lot of different lawyering styles during the course of the summer, from government attorneys, defense lawyers, lawyers working on cases pro bono, and even a few pro se clients. It was great to observe the different communication styles, writing styles, and argument styles in action, and by the end of the summer I felt that I had picked up a few good tips about how to present myself in court. These tips that I picked up from the counsel I saw over the summer have already be an asset to me in my current clinical casework, and I know they will continue to help me in my future career as a prosecutor.
A judicial internship is a great learning experience for anyone considering a career in litigation or for any student who is thinking of clerking after graduation, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia was an especially exciting courthouse in which to intern, because of the many high-profile cases that are heard there each day. I'm grateful for the EJF funding that enabled me to spend my 2L summer pursuing this type of internship. I would not have been able to undertake this internship without EJF’s support.
This past summer, I interned for a magistrate judge at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and it was a great learning experience. My judge’s calendar at first consisted of only civil cases, but then she switched to a criminal docket later in the summer. The civil cases were usually employment discrimination claims that involved requests for attorney fees. The criminal cases tended to be sentencing hearings.
Most of my time over the summer was spent doing legal research and writing, which I then submitted to the judge in the form of internal memos or “Report and Recommendation” documents. After the judge had a chance to review my documents, we would discuss my findings and talk about the strongest and weakest aspects of particular arguments. What I enjoyed most about my internship was when, just before a hearing, the judge would call me into her chambers and ask me to imagine what I thought each side would say in response to a particular question from her. I really enjoyed the opportunity to talk through these scenarios with the judge, because these exercises helped me to learn to think on my feet and to improve my oral argument skills. I also liked having the opportunity to then attend the court proceeding for each case, to see if the parties did in fact raise the arguments that I had anticipated that they would give in response to the judge’s questions.
I also really enjoyed learning more about the inner workings of a federal courthouse, and having the chance to see judges, lawyers, marshals, and law clerks in action. The internship allowed me to get a great behind-the-scenes look at how federal cases are handled, and enabled me to gain the kind of hands-on experience that one cannot get from a classroom. In particular, because I had the opportunity to attend daily court proceedings, I was able to see a lot of different lawyering styles during the course of the summer, from government attorneys, defense lawyers, lawyers working on cases pro bono, and even a few pro se clients. It was great to observe the different communication styles, writing styles, and argument styles in action, and by the end of the summer I felt that I had picked up a few good tips about how to present myself in court. These tips that I picked up from the counsel I saw over the summer have already be an asset to me in my current clinical casework, and I know they will continue to help me in my future career as a prosecutor.
A judicial internship is a great learning experience for anyone considering a career in litigation or for any student who is thinking of clerking after graduation, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia was an especially exciting courthouse in which to intern, because of the many high-profile cases that are heard there each day. I'm grateful for the EJF funding that enabled me to spend my 2L summer pursuing this type of internship. I would not have been able to undertake this internship without EJF’s support.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
DC Superior Court
By Jennifer Forde
This summer I had the opportunity to intern at the DC Superior Court for an associate judge serving in the Court’s civil division. There I had the opportunity to gain a lot of exposure to various areas of civil litigation. My primary responsibilities were to help prepare the Judge for hearings by drafting outlines of the relevant legal issues and to write orders resolving various disputes.
I worked on a broad range of legal issues, but my largest project of the summer involved a very complex dispute over a series of contracts involving multiple plaintiffs. Getting through the case at first was challenging. It took me nearly a week to read through all the motions, memoranda, and exhibits, but once I finally understood the case and the applicable law, I felt good about giving the judge my opinion on how he should rule.
I also had the opportunity to observe hearings, bench trials, and jury trials. In addition to the in-court observations of cases of my assigned judge, I would sometimes observe the courtrooms of other judges hearing high profile cases. This was a great opportunity to see lawyers present oral argument before the court. I had the opportunity to see what were persuasive techniques and styles of presentation, and what was less effective.
I really enjoyed the assignments that I was given, and the opportunity to work closely with the judge was a huge privilege for me. I know that I have substantially improved my legal research and writing skills through my summer experience. I would like to thank all the EJF contributors for helping to fund my summer learning experience.
This summer I had the opportunity to intern at the DC Superior Court for an associate judge serving in the Court’s civil division. There I had the opportunity to gain a lot of exposure to various areas of civil litigation. My primary responsibilities were to help prepare the Judge for hearings by drafting outlines of the relevant legal issues and to write orders resolving various disputes.
I worked on a broad range of legal issues, but my largest project of the summer involved a very complex dispute over a series of contracts involving multiple plaintiffs. Getting through the case at first was challenging. It took me nearly a week to read through all the motions, memoranda, and exhibits, but once I finally understood the case and the applicable law, I felt good about giving the judge my opinion on how he should rule.
I also had the opportunity to observe hearings, bench trials, and jury trials. In addition to the in-court observations of cases of my assigned judge, I would sometimes observe the courtrooms of other judges hearing high profile cases. This was a great opportunity to see lawyers present oral argument before the court. I had the opportunity to see what were persuasive techniques and styles of presentation, and what was less effective.
I really enjoyed the assignments that I was given, and the opportunity to work closely with the judge was a huge privilege for me. I know that I have substantially improved my legal research and writing skills through my summer experience. I would like to thank all the EJF contributors for helping to fund my summer learning experience.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia
This summer, three EJF recipients interned at the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia (http://www.legalaiddc.org) Betsy worked in the public benefits unit and Drake and Jason both interned in the housing unit.
Betsy:
While I have assisted attorneys with interviewing clients, conducting research, writing briefs, and fact-finding for a variety of public benefits cases, the most exciting case I worked on this summer was an appeal to the federal district court for judicial review of a decision by the Social Security Administration (SSA) based on a due process claim. This case involved extensive research into the SSA’s regulations and policy statements, the judicial review provisions in the Social Security Act, and the federal cases interpreting these rules and laws, including the applicability of the Due Process Clause. I considered this case to be pretty unique, since most public benefits cases focus on administrative procedures and appeals, and extremely compelling, because the client is homeless and suffers from several serious disabilities. I am continuing to prepare research for the brief to be filed this fall and I am hopeful that the suit will be successful.
I’ve loved working with Legal Aid to assist clients who have faced difficult barriers to obtaining the benefits they need to survive and who otherwise could not afford legal help. This summer has revived my commitment to working as a public interest lawyer, and I am thankful for EJF’s support.
Jason:
For ten weeks at the Legal Aid Society of DC I assisted dedicated poverty attorneys representing low income clients in landlord-tenant and other civil matters in DC Superior Court and local administrative agencies. My responsibilities included drafting motions and memoranda, formulating trial strategies, and researching evidentiary issues. I also performed client housing inspections and had the opportunity to spend ample time at both Superior and Landlord Tenant Court shadowing Legal Aid attorneys in the many stages of trial practice.
Working at Legal Aid Society definitely helped me better understand the nature of public interest lawyering. I chose Legal Aid because I wanted to work on the frontlines of social justice and the organization did not disappoint. From listening and observing the uphill battle the majority of DC’s indigent population faces daily and the personal satisfaction I received from supporting them and helping them fight back, I know I will continue public interest lawyering.
Drake:
As an intern in the housing law unit, I helped serve low-income clients facing eviction and other housing crises. In the District of Columbia, like many jurisdictions, Landlord Tenant court is extremely difficult to navigate without a lawyer, especially for residents with disabilities, limited English proficiency, or limited knowledge of their housing rights. I witnessed first-hand the value a lawyer brings to low-income residents who were able to prevent eviction, secure repairs to dangerous and unlawful housing conditions, or negotiate more fairly with their landlords because of Legal Aid’s assistance.
While I am dedicated to building a career in direct legal services in the D.C. area upon graduation, it would have been more difficult for me to work at the Legal Aid Society without summer funding from the Equal Justice Foundation. The internship was invaluable for my future career. I learned local law and procedure, strategies for motions practice and navigating court proceedings, and best-practices for legal representation that I will carry with me upon graduation. It was an honor to work with such talented and dedicated attorneys and to make a small contribution to the ongoing work to increase access to justice for D.C.’s low-income residents.
Betsy:
While I have assisted attorneys with interviewing clients, conducting research, writing briefs, and fact-finding for a variety of public benefits cases, the most exciting case I worked on this summer was an appeal to the federal district court for judicial review of a decision by the Social Security Administration (SSA) based on a due process claim. This case involved extensive research into the SSA’s regulations and policy statements, the judicial review provisions in the Social Security Act, and the federal cases interpreting these rules and laws, including the applicability of the Due Process Clause. I considered this case to be pretty unique, since most public benefits cases focus on administrative procedures and appeals, and extremely compelling, because the client is homeless and suffers from several serious disabilities. I am continuing to prepare research for the brief to be filed this fall and I am hopeful that the suit will be successful.
I’ve loved working with Legal Aid to assist clients who have faced difficult barriers to obtaining the benefits they need to survive and who otherwise could not afford legal help. This summer has revived my commitment to working as a public interest lawyer, and I am thankful for EJF’s support.
Jason:
For ten weeks at the Legal Aid Society of DC I assisted dedicated poverty attorneys representing low income clients in landlord-tenant and other civil matters in DC Superior Court and local administrative agencies. My responsibilities included drafting motions and memoranda, formulating trial strategies, and researching evidentiary issues. I also performed client housing inspections and had the opportunity to spend ample time at both Superior and Landlord Tenant Court shadowing Legal Aid attorneys in the many stages of trial practice.
Working at Legal Aid Society definitely helped me better understand the nature of public interest lawyering. I chose Legal Aid because I wanted to work on the frontlines of social justice and the organization did not disappoint. From listening and observing the uphill battle the majority of DC’s indigent population faces daily and the personal satisfaction I received from supporting them and helping them fight back, I know I will continue public interest lawyering.
Drake:
As an intern in the housing law unit, I helped serve low-income clients facing eviction and other housing crises. In the District of Columbia, like many jurisdictions, Landlord Tenant court is extremely difficult to navigate without a lawyer, especially for residents with disabilities, limited English proficiency, or limited knowledge of their housing rights. I witnessed first-hand the value a lawyer brings to low-income residents who were able to prevent eviction, secure repairs to dangerous and unlawful housing conditions, or negotiate more fairly with their landlords because of Legal Aid’s assistance.
While I am dedicated to building a career in direct legal services in the D.C. area upon graduation, it would have been more difficult for me to work at the Legal Aid Society without summer funding from the Equal Justice Foundation. The internship was invaluable for my future career. I learned local law and procedure, strategies for motions practice and navigating court proceedings, and best-practices for legal representation that I will carry with me upon graduation. It was an honor to work with such talented and dedicated attorneys and to make a small contribution to the ongoing work to increase access to justice for D.C.’s low-income residents.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
National Health Law Program, Washington, D.C.
By Timothy Zhu
This summer I am interning for the National Health Law Program in its Washington, D.C. office. NHeLP engages in health care policy work for underrepresented and disadvantaged populations. Since my background from my undergraduate studies and prior work experience was heavily health care-related, accepting this position seemed like a natural transition for my first-year summer job.
The office is not particularly large, so there is a lot for interns like myself to do. Because health care reform is a cornerstone issue for the current Congress and White House, right off the bat we are afforded the opportunity to attend productive meetings with key Congressmen and leaders from various advocacy and community interest organizations. The NHeLP staff is on a first-name basis with many of them and do not hesitate to include us in these rapid developments. Thus far I have been drafting implementation guidelines to help hospitals meet federal accreditation requirements in order to be legally eligible for Medicare and Medicaid funding. I have also attended hearings on behalf of NHeLP, featuring a veritable Who’s Who of the health care reform movement, in order to record and relay the presentations and developments to staff members who were unable to personally attend.
Due to its public policy-oriented focus, the work schedule here often corresponds with that followed by the federal lawmakers. Consequently, there’s a strong sense of pride and obligation in serving as an essential cog in the machine to pass a monumental piece of legislation. And as the urgency of the legislative process picks up, so does the atmosphere here. That hardly seems to bother the people here—they are truly passionate about their work. They really love what they do, even if it means staying well into the evening every night of the week.
Finally, we work next door to other public interest organizations, namely the National Senior Citizens Law Center and the National Immigration Law Center, so I can have plenty of exposure to other public interest fields and interact with their staff and interns.
Washington, as you all know, is an expensive city to live in, and to that end the generous support of EJF has been essential. I want to thank all the contributors and volunteers who made EJF funding possible.
This summer I am interning for the National Health Law Program in its Washington, D.C. office. NHeLP engages in health care policy work for underrepresented and disadvantaged populations. Since my background from my undergraduate studies and prior work experience was heavily health care-related, accepting this position seemed like a natural transition for my first-year summer job.
The office is not particularly large, so there is a lot for interns like myself to do. Because health care reform is a cornerstone issue for the current Congress and White House, right off the bat we are afforded the opportunity to attend productive meetings with key Congressmen and leaders from various advocacy and community interest organizations. The NHeLP staff is on a first-name basis with many of them and do not hesitate to include us in these rapid developments. Thus far I have been drafting implementation guidelines to help hospitals meet federal accreditation requirements in order to be legally eligible for Medicare and Medicaid funding. I have also attended hearings on behalf of NHeLP, featuring a veritable Who’s Who of the health care reform movement, in order to record and relay the presentations and developments to staff members who were unable to personally attend.
Due to its public policy-oriented focus, the work schedule here often corresponds with that followed by the federal lawmakers. Consequently, there’s a strong sense of pride and obligation in serving as an essential cog in the machine to pass a monumental piece of legislation. And as the urgency of the legislative process picks up, so does the atmosphere here. That hardly seems to bother the people here—they are truly passionate about their work. They really love what they do, even if it means staying well into the evening every night of the week.
Finally, we work next door to other public interest organizations, namely the National Senior Citizens Law Center and the National Immigration Law Center, so I can have plenty of exposure to other public interest fields and interact with their staff and interns.
Washington, as you all know, is an expensive city to live in, and to that end the generous support of EJF has been essential. I want to thank all the contributors and volunteers who made EJF funding possible.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Environmental Law Institute
Your friendly blog-master, Kym Hunter, writes from Washington DC:
Working at the Environmental Law Institute this summer has been a wonderfully validating experience, showing me that I made the right decision in coming to law school. I loved my 1L year at Georgetown, but nonetheless there were times when I would sit in class and wonder how it was that this British, environmental scientist came to be sitting in class discussing search and seizure rights in the United States. This summer has allayed any former doubts I may have had and shown me just how enabling and empowering a legal education can be.
ELI is an independent, non-partisan education and policy research center located in Washington DC. A host of attorneys focus on a wide range of domestic and international environmental issues, resulting in a wonderfully varied work environment. During my time here I have co-authored a study on marine spatial management in Alaska, assisted in the development of new biodiversity laws for Grenada and St. Vincent, researched a range of issues and laws pertaining to offshore wind energy within the United States, written a memo on nanotechnology and much more besides. Not only have I had the opportunity to research and write about subjects I love this summer, but I have been able to see first hand how my legal education will help me better contribute to the environmental community. The summer has also been a tremendous education. A combination of ELI's summer seminar series and my own research activities have brought me into contact with most of the major environmental statutes and a number of interesting international and state approaches to environmental regulation.
As I plan to work in public interest for my foreseeable career Equal Justice Foundation assistance has been incredibly important this summer, allowing me to pursue my chosen path without being saddled by additional debt. The stipend also sends a clear signal that Georgetown values its public interest students - which is greatly appreciated.
Working at the Environmental Law Institute this summer has been a wonderfully validating experience, showing me that I made the right decision in coming to law school. I loved my 1L year at Georgetown, but nonetheless there were times when I would sit in class and wonder how it was that this British, environmental scientist came to be sitting in class discussing search and seizure rights in the United States. This summer has allayed any former doubts I may have had and shown me just how enabling and empowering a legal education can be.
ELI is an independent, non-partisan education and policy research center located in Washington DC. A host of attorneys focus on a wide range of domestic and international environmental issues, resulting in a wonderfully varied work environment. During my time here I have co-authored a study on marine spatial management in Alaska, assisted in the development of new biodiversity laws for Grenada and St. Vincent, researched a range of issues and laws pertaining to offshore wind energy within the United States, written a memo on nanotechnology and much more besides. Not only have I had the opportunity to research and write about subjects I love this summer, but I have been able to see first hand how my legal education will help me better contribute to the environmental community. The summer has also been a tremendous education. A combination of ELI's summer seminar series and my own research activities have brought me into contact with most of the major environmental statutes and a number of interesting international and state approaches to environmental regulation.
As I plan to work in public interest for my foreseeable career Equal Justice Foundation assistance has been incredibly important this summer, allowing me to pursue my chosen path without being saddled by additional debt. The stipend also sends a clear signal that Georgetown values its public interest students - which is greatly appreciated.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
Luis Rodriguez writes from D.C.
As a Georgetown University graduate student in law and public policy, I have spent the last eight months as an intern for the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP). I feel that my time here has contributed to ending the criminalization of homelessness through human rights law and public policy, although there is still a good deal of work to do.
Many cities across the US have shown a trend of criminalizing life-sustaining activities, such as sleeping and eating, that people experiencing homelessness must perform in public places as a result of having nowhere else to go.
NLCHP uses a human rights framework in arguing against the criminalization of homelessness, which focuses on protecting the fundamental human dignity of people experiencing homelessness. During my time here, I had the opportunity to prepare a memo arguing that a city ordinance that limits sharing food with homeless individuals in public places violates the human right to food. This summer, human rights fellow Allison Garren and I wrote memos arguing that a city's various measures criminalizing homelessness violate various human rights. Our memos will be used in future NLCHP litigation.
In addition to violating human rights and constitutional law, the criminalization of homelessness is harmful to public policy, as these measures are not the most constructive methods for ending homelessness. I have also had the opportunity to write an article presenting constructive alternatives to the criminalization of homelessness, which will be published in the near future. This article is based on the premise that cities should stop inappropriately using the criminal law system to remove homeless individuals from public spaces and start implementing more constructive alternatives that address the root causes of homelessness and poverty, such as providing non-coercive outreach services that engage people experiencing homelessness by providing them with low-barrier permanent supportive housing without any strings attached.
My experience with NLCHP has given me great opportunities to make progress on these important issues. I would like to thank Georgetown Law's Equal Justice Foundation for funding my internship this summer and NLCHP for giving me this opportunity. I hope I can be part of NLCHP's work to end homelessness in the future.
As a Georgetown University graduate student in law and public policy, I have spent the last eight months as an intern for the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP). I feel that my time here has contributed to ending the criminalization of homelessness through human rights law and public policy, although there is still a good deal of work to do.
Many cities across the US have shown a trend of criminalizing life-sustaining activities, such as sleeping and eating, that people experiencing homelessness must perform in public places as a result of having nowhere else to go.
NLCHP uses a human rights framework in arguing against the criminalization of homelessness, which focuses on protecting the fundamental human dignity of people experiencing homelessness. During my time here, I had the opportunity to prepare a memo arguing that a city ordinance that limits sharing food with homeless individuals in public places violates the human right to food. This summer, human rights fellow Allison Garren and I wrote memos arguing that a city's various measures criminalizing homelessness violate various human rights. Our memos will be used in future NLCHP litigation.
In addition to violating human rights and constitutional law, the criminalization of homelessness is harmful to public policy, as these measures are not the most constructive methods for ending homelessness. I have also had the opportunity to write an article presenting constructive alternatives to the criminalization of homelessness, which will be published in the near future. This article is based on the premise that cities should stop inappropriately using the criminal law system to remove homeless individuals from public spaces and start implementing more constructive alternatives that address the root causes of homelessness and poverty, such as providing non-coercive outreach services that engage people experiencing homelessness by providing them with low-barrier permanent supportive housing without any strings attached.
My experience with NLCHP has given me great opportunities to make progress on these important issues. I would like to thank Georgetown Law's Equal Justice Foundation for funding my internship this summer and NLCHP for giving me this opportunity. I hope I can be part of NLCHP's work to end homelessness in the future.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia
Jonathan Tucker writes about his experiences interning with the Housing Unit of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia
This summer was a fantastic experience. Interning with the Housing Unit of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia gave me an opportunity to help some of the most vulnerable in DC. Those who are impoverished have needs for legal services beyond the average citizen. By extending legal services, one helps clients resolve legal problems and acquire a restored self-respect and dignity.
Many of the clients I saw at Legal Aid clients were desperate for help. They were often on the brink of homelessness. Many had been taken advantage of. One client came in complaining of becoming sick given her apartment’s conditions. She was asked, what was the code violation? She responded, "I have mushrooms growing out of my carpet." Helping such individuals improve their lives brings mutual joy. This summer’s experiences also gave me confidence that I can help individuals in meaningful ways.
Some may say that with more than 110,000 - nearly one in five - District residents living below the federal poverty line, the need for help creates an overwhelming challenge for legal services. Yet, it should be noted that the work performed by at the Legal Aid Society of DC extends far beyond their clients. Through briefing the courts and making convincing arguments in court, systemic improvements occur as judges are educated and previously erroneous assertions in the common law can be whittled away. The District is fairly progressive, but it’s common law presents opportunities to improve conditions for the poor. By researching varied topics, such the equitable defenses of laches and clean hands, elements of an oral tenancy, accord and satisfaction, to name just a few, I helped individual clients and laid the potential ground work for providing greater justice to others.
For others interested in pursuing legal services I would recommend DC Legal Aid. The organization is managed with the efficiency of any large firm. However, the personalities make the work fun and enjoyable. Those who work at DC Legal Aid are not their for a pay check. They love their work and their dedication to it is reflected in infinite ways. I have no regrets to having dedicated my 2L summer as I did.
This summer was a fantastic experience. Interning with the Housing Unit of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia gave me an opportunity to help some of the most vulnerable in DC. Those who are impoverished have needs for legal services beyond the average citizen. By extending legal services, one helps clients resolve legal problems and acquire a restored self-respect and dignity.
Many of the clients I saw at Legal Aid clients were desperate for help. They were often on the brink of homelessness. Many had been taken advantage of. One client came in complaining of becoming sick given her apartment’s conditions. She was asked, what was the code violation? She responded, "I have mushrooms growing out of my carpet." Helping such individuals improve their lives brings mutual joy. This summer’s experiences also gave me confidence that I can help individuals in meaningful ways.
Some may say that with more than 110,000 - nearly one in five - District residents living below the federal poverty line, the need for help creates an overwhelming challenge for legal services. Yet, it should be noted that the work performed by at the Legal Aid Society of DC extends far beyond their clients. Through briefing the courts and making convincing arguments in court, systemic improvements occur as judges are educated and previously erroneous assertions in the common law can be whittled away. The District is fairly progressive, but it’s common law presents opportunities to improve conditions for the poor. By researching varied topics, such the equitable defenses of laches and clean hands, elements of an oral tenancy, accord and satisfaction, to name just a few, I helped individual clients and laid the potential ground work for providing greater justice to others.
For others interested in pursuing legal services I would recommend DC Legal Aid. The organization is managed with the efficiency of any large firm. However, the personalities make the work fun and enjoyable. Those who work at DC Legal Aid are not their for a pay check. They love their work and their dedication to it is reflected in infinite ways. I have no regrets to having dedicated my 2L summer as I did.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia
Justin Murray writes from DC:
The Equal Justice Foundation enabled me to work with the U.S. Attorney's Office to help prosecute bad guys. "Bad guys," you might ask? "Isn't that a little childish and simplistic?" Actually, they were by and large a bad lot, and mostly guys to boot. I worked in the Federal Major Crimes section, which handles many different kinds of crime. But I want to focus on one category of crimes that our office thankfully makes a high priority: sexual exploitation of children.
A tragic fact is that the vast majority of sex crimes against children never get reported. The children know that something wrong has happened to them, but they cannot process the meaning of the event until they are older; even then, memories are often repressed; and the child may view the event partially as his/her own fault, shrouding the event further in shame and silence.
The explosion of internet usage and web-based pornography has created vast new opportunities for child predators, such as pedophile chat and e-mail groups to exchange child erotica and technological know-how, and the stalking and solicitation of children in chat rooms and social groups like MySpace.
These very same developments have also created opportunities for law enforcement. Previously, child sex crimes were generally state crimes and relied upon reporting of the crime by the child victim. But the vast interstate flow of child pornography and internet solicitation has constitutionally enabled Congress to pass federal laws, often with (much needed) mandatory minimum penalties. Rather than waiting for the next child victim, undercover officers can enter chat sessions, posing as fellow pedophiles or as teenagers, to identify and lock down would-be child predators. It was a joy to spend the summer working with the U.S. Attorney's Office to prosecute these "bad guys" before they irreparably harm a child.
The Equal Justice Foundation enabled me to work with the U.S. Attorney's Office to help prosecute bad guys. "Bad guys," you might ask? "Isn't that a little childish and simplistic?" Actually, they were by and large a bad lot, and mostly guys to boot. I worked in the Federal Major Crimes section, which handles many different kinds of crime. But I want to focus on one category of crimes that our office thankfully makes a high priority: sexual exploitation of children.
A tragic fact is that the vast majority of sex crimes against children never get reported. The children know that something wrong has happened to them, but they cannot process the meaning of the event until they are older; even then, memories are often repressed; and the child may view the event partially as his/her own fault, shrouding the event further in shame and silence.
The explosion of internet usage and web-based pornography has created vast new opportunities for child predators, such as pedophile chat and e-mail groups to exchange child erotica and technological know-how, and the stalking and solicitation of children in chat rooms and social groups like MySpace.
These very same developments have also created opportunities for law enforcement. Previously, child sex crimes were generally state crimes and relied upon reporting of the crime by the child victim. But the vast interstate flow of child pornography and internet solicitation has constitutionally enabled Congress to pass federal laws, often with (much needed) mandatory minimum penalties. Rather than waiting for the next child victim, undercover officers can enter chat sessions, posing as fellow pedophiles or as teenagers, to identify and lock down would-be child predators. It was a joy to spend the summer working with the U.S. Attorney's Office to prosecute these "bad guys" before they irreparably harm a child.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Rebecca Project for Human Rights
Anna Carpenter shares her experiences:
This summer, I worked as a law clerk at the Rebecca Project for Human Rights (RPHR), a national legal and policy advocacy organization based in Washington, DC. RPHR works to promote policy reform, justice and dignity for vulnerable families. The organization works at the nexus of the child welfare, criminal justice, and substance abuse treatments systems that impact the lives of vulnerable families. RPHR works to address the pervasiveness of violence against women and girls, the draconian conditions that too often characterize maternal incarceration, and the dearth of access to health and healing for incarcerated mothers and their children—RPHR frames these issues in a human rights context.
I began working with RPHR during the spring semester, when I was enrolled in Professor Aiken's Motherhood and Criminality course. As part of that experiential learning class, I worked for RPHR and supported their work to send the shackling of pregnant incarcerated women. In the United States, most state and federal prisons engage in the horrible practice of shackling women during pregnancy and childbirth. Women are routinely shackled, with hard, heavy iron shackles, across their stomachs (including during transportation to the hospital while they are in labor), by their legs and by their wrists. Women are usually shackled to the hospital bed throughout
labor and childbirth. All of this, despite the presence of guards in the room and despite the fact that most incarcerated women are non-violent offenders.
This summer, I continued to work on the shackling issue by conducting national survey of state policies on shackling. I was also able to write an amicus brief for an 8th Circuit case where a civil rights claim was brought on behalf of a woman who was shackled in Arkansas. My time with RPHR has truly been gift in my personal and professional life. I respect and admire the staff and their approach to the work. I would encourage anyone seeking an amazing summer work experience to contact this inspiring organization.
This summer, I worked as a law clerk at the Rebecca Project for Human Rights (RPHR), a national legal and policy advocacy organization based in Washington, DC. RPHR works to promote policy reform, justice and dignity for vulnerable families. The organization works at the nexus of the child welfare, criminal justice, and substance abuse treatments systems that impact the lives of vulnerable families. RPHR works to address the pervasiveness of violence against women and girls, the draconian conditions that too often characterize maternal incarceration, and the dearth of access to health and healing for incarcerated mothers and their children—RPHR frames these issues in a human rights context.
I began working with RPHR during the spring semester, when I was enrolled in Professor Aiken's Motherhood and Criminality course. As part of that experiential learning class, I worked for RPHR and supported their work to send the shackling of pregnant incarcerated women. In the United States, most state and federal prisons engage in the horrible practice of shackling women during pregnancy and childbirth. Women are routinely shackled, with hard, heavy iron shackles, across their stomachs (including during transportation to the hospital while they are in labor), by their legs and by their wrists. Women are usually shackled to the hospital bed throughout
labor and childbirth. All of this, despite the presence of guards in the room and despite the fact that most incarcerated women are non-violent offenders.
This summer, I continued to work on the shackling issue by conducting national survey of state policies on shackling. I was also able to write an amicus brief for an 8th Circuit case where a civil rights claim was brought on behalf of a woman who was shackled in Arkansas. My time with RPHR has truly been gift in my personal and professional life. I respect and admire the staff and their approach to the work. I would encourage anyone seeking an amazing summer work experience to contact this inspiring organization.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia
Ryan Majerus writes from Washington DC,
I am working for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, in the Office of Professional Development. The principal responsibility of our office is teaching D.C. police officers federal constitutional principles. Everyday there are several dozen police officers in our office who are being trained in 4th, 5th, 6th Amendment law, as well as many other topics. After a few days in this office, it becomes very clear that law enforcement play the central role in the criminal justice system. Even after the arrest, they are often the chief witness, and the thoroughness of their documentation can make or break a case. The goal of our office is that when police officers are in the field arresting someone during a drug deal, gun fight, etc., that they will consider their actions carefully so as to ensure the evidence pertaining to the suspect is not excluded at trial.
Thus far I have played a role in several interesting projects. My boss, an Assistant U.S. Attorney, has given me three memos thus far to address unresolved issues raised by law enforcement in our training programs. I wrote a memo addressing whether children or adolescents, whom the police suspect committed a crime, are the sole individuals that can consent to a search of their bedroom, or whether a parent, guardian, or grandparent can effectively give consent to have their rooms searched. I also wrote a memo focused on the Sixth Amendment standard, and this week I am researching a memo regarding whether you can conduct a Search Incident to Arrest of an automobile after the arrested individual is taken from the scene. My
major project for the semester is focused on collecting opening and closing statements from the AUSA's in our office, sifting through them, and uploading the very best on our office's shared drive as a model for AUSA's to consider before they go to court.
I am working for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, in the Office of Professional Development. The principal responsibility of our office is teaching D.C. police officers federal constitutional principles. Everyday there are several dozen police officers in our office who are being trained in 4th, 5th, 6th Amendment law, as well as many other topics. After a few days in this office, it becomes very clear that law enforcement play the central role in the criminal justice system. Even after the arrest, they are often the chief witness, and the thoroughness of their documentation can make or break a case. The goal of our office is that when police officers are in the field arresting someone during a drug deal, gun fight, etc., that they will consider their actions carefully so as to ensure the evidence pertaining to the suspect is not excluded at trial.
Thus far I have played a role in several interesting projects. My boss, an Assistant U.S. Attorney, has given me three memos thus far to address unresolved issues raised by law enforcement in our training programs. I wrote a memo addressing whether children or adolescents, whom the police suspect committed a crime, are the sole individuals that can consent to a search of their bedroom, or whether a parent, guardian, or grandparent can effectively give consent to have their rooms searched. I also wrote a memo focused on the Sixth Amendment standard, and this week I am researching a memo regarding whether you can conduct a Search Incident to Arrest of an automobile after the arrested individual is taken from the scene. Mymajor project for the semester is focused on collecting opening and closing statements from the AUSA's in our office, sifting through them, and uploading the very best on our office's shared drive as a model for AUSA's to consider before they go to court.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Virginia
Pat McDermott shares his summer experiences:
This summer I have had the pleasure of interning in the chambers of
the Honorable Michael F. Urbanski, United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Virginia. It has been invaluable experience and I am indebted to Judge Urbanski and his Law Clerk, Yousri Omar, for all I have learned. As a magistrate judge, Judge Urbanski has many pretrial motions from a variety of civil cases (including the always dreadful denial of social security benefits appeals) referred to him and conducts almost of all of the pretrial hearings for criminal cases. Because magistrate judges are only allotted funds for one law clerk, my summer has been loaded with significant work.
In the first two weeks of my internship I drafted a memo to the judge on an insurance claim dispute, a memorandum opinion on a motion to quash a subpoena in an employment discrimination case, and an order on another motion to quash in an ERISA denial of benefits case. In between writing and researching these civil matters, I was able watch the judge in action at detention hearings in criminal prosecutions. These detention hearings occasionally included testimony from witnesses from both the prosecution and defense, as well as closing arguments from both sides. The judge would then determine whether the defendant should be detained, specifically, he must determine whether the defendant is a risk of flight or poses a danger to the community. In rare cases, the judge called a recess to see what the law clerk and I thought about the arguments. Although always appreciative of our thoughts, any disagreements were usually resolved with a friendly reminder from the judge that only one of our opinions mattered.
I also have been able to observe the mediations which the judge regularly conducts. During a mediation, both parties come to the courthouse where each side makes opening arguments and then divides into separate rooms. The judge then bounces back and forth between the rooms for the rest of the day, negotiating a settlement deal. As the skills and style necessary to securing a beneficial settlement for a client are much different in the mediation setting as opposed to winning a verdict in a courtroom setting, seeing these mediations first hand has been a highly interesting and educational experience.
I truly believe that one could not spend their summer in a more beneficial position than I have this summer as a judicial intern with Judge Urbanski. I have worked on a wide assortment of issues,including the marital communications privilege, a prisoner's claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a criminal contempt action, and a motion for attorney's fees. The work I did on practical, real-world applications of the law greatly improved my research, writing, and
communication skills. I benefited from the assistance and editing of the three different law clerks. I have seen many different styles of argument from lawyers and how effective each is in the eyes of a federal judge.
The generous grant I received from the Equal Justice Foundation continues to be an integral part of my unpaid internship this summer and I am extremely appreciative of this assistance.
This summer I have had the pleasure of interning in the chambers of
the Honorable Michael F. Urbanski, United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Virginia. It has been invaluable experience and I am indebted to Judge Urbanski and his Law Clerk, Yousri Omar, for all I have learned. As a magistrate judge, Judge Urbanski has many pretrial motions from a variety of civil cases (including the always dreadful denial of social security benefits appeals) referred to him and conducts almost of all of the pretrial hearings for criminal cases. Because magistrate judges are only allotted funds for one law clerk, my summer has been loaded with significant work.
In the first two weeks of my internship I drafted a memo to the judge on an insurance claim dispute, a memorandum opinion on a motion to quash a subpoena in an employment discrimination case, and an order on another motion to quash in an ERISA denial of benefits case. In between writing and researching these civil matters, I was able watch the judge in action at detention hearings in criminal prosecutions. These detention hearings occasionally included testimony from witnesses from both the prosecution and defense, as well as closing arguments from both sides. The judge would then determine whether the defendant should be detained, specifically, he must determine whether the defendant is a risk of flight or poses a danger to the community. In rare cases, the judge called a recess to see what the law clerk and I thought about the arguments. Although always appreciative of our thoughts, any disagreements were usually resolved with a friendly reminder from the judge that only one of our opinions mattered.
I also have been able to observe the mediations which the judge regularly conducts. During a mediation, both parties come to the courthouse where each side makes opening arguments and then divides into separate rooms. The judge then bounces back and forth between the rooms for the rest of the day, negotiating a settlement deal. As the skills and style necessary to securing a beneficial settlement for a client are much different in the mediation setting as opposed to winning a verdict in a courtroom setting, seeing these mediations first hand has been a highly interesting and educational experience.
I truly believe that one could not spend their summer in a more beneficial position than I have this summer as a judicial intern with Judge Urbanski. I have worked on a wide assortment of issues,including the marital communications privilege, a prisoner's claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a criminal contempt action, and a motion for attorney's fees. The work I did on practical, real-world applications of the law greatly improved my research, writing, and
communication skills. I benefited from the assistance and editing of the three different law clerks. I have seen many different styles of argument from lawyers and how effective each is in the eyes of a federal judge.
The generous grant I received from the Equal Justice Foundation continues to be an integral part of my unpaid internship this summer and I am extremely appreciative of this assistance.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
National Public Radio
Mike Sacks writes from DC:
My summer's adventure began with a cover letter that began, "My name is Mike Sacks and, sadly, I do not own a Nina Totin'Bag." Well, nearly eight months after I wrote that line, I still do not own the bag, but I did receive the next best thing: The Nina Totinternship.
From mid-May until late July, I was neck-deep in legal journalism and loved every moment of it. For the first month of my internship, my typical days started with going to the Supreme Court to watch the Justices hand down their opinions. We were in the final weeks of the term, but not until the very end did the Court announce their blockbusters. There, sitting in the alcove with other members of the Supreme Court press, I witnessed history being made as the justices issued their sweeping opinions and stinging dissents in the landmark cases of Heller v. District of Columbia and Boumediene v. Bush.
After Chief Justice Roberts banged his gavel for the final time this term, more work remained. Nina and I jumped right into the US District Court for the District of Columbia to cover the first post-Boumediene habeas hearings. There, the judges and lawyers, upon Justice Kennedy's decree, sought to carve procedural paths through Guantanamo's uncharted legal territory.
Although watching history being made on a near-daily basis was exciting, so too was the frenzy that followed: Nina and I would rush back to NPR, where I would help her digest the Court's 100-plus page decisions for a five-minute piece to be aired four hours after reading the opinions' first words. All the while, she and I would be conducting interviews with politicians, professors, lawyers, and experts as NPR's editors and producers polished the piece to perfection.
In the end, no matter what the story, one thing remained constant: Nina's final product always amounted to a true public service.
My summer's adventure began with a cover letter that began, "My name is Mike Sacks and, sadly, I do not own a Nina Totin'Bag." Well, nearly eight months after I wrote that line, I still do not own the bag, but I did receive the next best thing: The Nina Totinternship.
From mid-May until late July, I was neck-deep in legal journalism and loved every moment of it. For the first month of my internship, my typical days started with going to the Supreme Court to watch the Justices hand down their opinions. We were in the final weeks of the term, but not until the very end did the Court announce their blockbusters. There, sitting in the alcove with other members of the Supreme Court press, I witnessed history being made as the justices issued their sweeping opinions and stinging dissents in the landmark cases of Heller v. District of Columbia and Boumediene v. Bush.
After Chief Justice Roberts banged his gavel for the final time this term, more work remained. Nina and I jumped right into the US District Court for the District of Columbia to cover the first post-Boumediene habeas hearings. There, the judges and lawyers, upon Justice Kennedy's decree, sought to carve procedural paths through Guantanamo's uncharted legal territory.
Although watching history being made on a near-daily basis was exciting, so too was the frenzy that followed: Nina and I would rush back to NPR, where I would help her digest the Court's 100-plus page decisions for a five-minute piece to be aired four hours after reading the opinions' first words. All the while, she and I would be conducting interviews with politicians, professors, lawyers, and experts as NPR's editors and producers polished the piece to perfection.
In the end, no matter what the story, one thing remained constant: Nina's final product always amounted to a true public service.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Becca Richardson is spending her summer working for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:
Maybe I was just over-inundated during training, but it’s hard for me to explain my place in the EEOC without explaining a bit about the structure of the EEO process. As a caveat, I work in the Office of Federal Operations, which means I deal only with discrimination alleged against the federal government. The EEOC also deals with discrimination claims made against private entities, but I’m assuming that process works differently.
There are several statutes that prohibit employment discrimination: Title VII, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, national origin, color, religion or pregnancy; the Equal Pay Act, which prohibits pay discrimination on the basis of sex; the Americans with Disabilities Act (or the Rehab Act when charging the Federal Government with discrimination) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability; and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which, you guessed it, prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (as long as the discriminated person is 40 or over). If a person thinks she has been discriminated against, she may contact an EEO Counselor. The Counselor takes a report and may suggest some form of ADR, and then advises the individual of her right to file an official complaint. If she files a complaint, the complaint is investigated. If either the agency or the individual requests a hearing, the case may go before an EEOC Administrative Judge. The judge makes a finding and issues a decision. The agency then issues a final decision either implementing or appealing the judge’s decision. The individual who alleged discrimination can then appeal the agency’s final decision.
As a member of the Office of Federal Operation’s Appellate Review Program, I handle appeals from both agencies and individuals. Our office gets roughly a bajillion appeals every year*, and so our superiors put us to work right away on writing appeals. I was a little overwhelmed by my responsibility to begin with. However, we each work very closely with an experienced mentor attorney, and they are always there to step in when we confuse the applicable standard of review, or misapply a statute, or make other rookie mistakes. They are also excellent sounding boards, and my mentor attorney has been very helpful in helping me through every step of a more difficult decision I was assigned.
Overall, I have really enjoyed my summer with the EEOC. Everyone is very helpful and kind. The attorneys here are infinite sources of knowledge, and are very friendly - the entire office took my fellow interns and me out to a happy hour our first week here. I’ve had the opportunity to complete substantive work and have received a lot of feedback, which is (hopefully) enabling me to become a better writer and lawyer in general.
* I am clearly making this number up but just be informed that the number of appeals we receive is overwhelming. If that doesn’t satisfy you, I’m sure the EEOC website has some sort of information for you.
Maybe I was just over-inundated during training, but it’s hard for me to explain my place in the EEOC without explaining a bit about the structure of the EEO process. As a caveat, I work in the Office of Federal Operations, which means I deal only with discrimination alleged against the federal government. The EEOC also deals with discrimination claims made against private entities, but I’m assuming that process works differently.
There are several statutes that prohibit employment discrimination: Title VII, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, national origin, color, religion or pregnancy; the Equal Pay Act, which prohibits pay discrimination on the basis of sex; the Americans with Disabilities Act (or the Rehab Act when charging the Federal Government with discrimination) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability; and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which, you guessed it, prohibits discrimination on the basis of age (as long as the discriminated person is 40 or over). If a person thinks she has been discriminated against, she may contact an EEO Counselor. The Counselor takes a report and may suggest some form of ADR, and then advises the individual of her right to file an official complaint. If she files a complaint, the complaint is investigated. If either the agency or the individual requests a hearing, the case may go before an EEOC Administrative Judge. The judge makes a finding and issues a decision. The agency then issues a final decision either implementing or appealing the judge’s decision. The individual who alleged discrimination can then appeal the agency’s final decision. As a member of the Office of Federal Operation’s Appellate Review Program, I handle appeals from both agencies and individuals. Our office gets roughly a bajillion appeals every year*, and so our superiors put us to work right away on writing appeals. I was a little overwhelmed by my responsibility to begin with. However, we each work very closely with an experienced mentor attorney, and they are always there to step in when we confuse the applicable standard of review, or misapply a statute, or make other rookie mistakes. They are also excellent sounding boards, and my mentor attorney has been very helpful in helping me through every step of a more difficult decision I was assigned.
Overall, I have really enjoyed my summer with the EEOC. Everyone is very helpful and kind. The attorneys here are infinite sources of knowledge, and are very friendly - the entire office took my fellow interns and me out to a happy hour our first week here. I’ve had the opportunity to complete substantive work and have received a lot of feedback, which is (hopefully) enabling me to become a better writer and lawyer in general.
* I am clearly making this number up but just be informed that the number of appeals we receive is overwhelming. If that doesn’t satisfy you, I’m sure the EEOC website has some sort of information for you.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
National Women's Law Center
EJF Vice-President Anya Prince discusses her summer at the National Women's Law Center:
Currently, women make 77 cents to every man's dollar. Public interest law students make, on average, 0 cents to every law firm summer associate dollar. Thanks to the stipend provided by Georgetown's Equal Justice Foundation, this summer I am able to work towards pay equality for women while actually being paid for my summer, public interest work.
This summer I am working at the National Women's Law Center in the Employment and Education team. This opportunity has provided my with many chances to work for women's equality both in the workplace and in schools. For example, this week I was able to attend an exciting rally to raise awareness of the need to pass equal pay legislation in the Senate. At the rally I was fortunate to hear great women leaders of our time, Senator Barbara Mikulski, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Lily Ledbetter, speak about women's pay equity and their fight to get equal pay legislation through Congress.
Throughout the summer I have also been able to work on a variety of projects ranging from doing research on an appeal of a Title IX, athletic discrimination case to working towards ensuring that pregnant students are not discriminated against in their high school and college educations to writing posts for the NWLC Women'stake blog. I have really enjoyed working in the Washington realm of the mixture between law and policy. I have learned a great deal about how legal advocacy can be paired with policy work to affect meaningful change. Additionally, I have been able to participate in a few coalition meetings which have taught me the importance of working together with many public interest, civil rights organizations to champion broad, effective change.
My internship at NWLC has given me the opportunity to research and write about federal Title VII and Title IX cases, as well as dabble a bit in some of the state laws protecting women's rights. I have also been able to participate in the legislative process and help to research findings for proposed bills and work with Senator's offices to draft language for the bills. This breadth of knowledge I am gaining is invaluable. After this summer's work I look forward to a lifelong commitment of working in civil rights and employment rights.
I am thankful everyday that I go to work that I am able to participate in such an amazing organization with empowered and passionate women and men. As a rising 3L, it was intimidating to accept a public interest job instead of a firm job. However, the Equal Justice Foundation and its donors made this decision easier and I am so glad that I am able to have such a fulfilling summer.
Currently, women make 77 cents to every man's dollar. Public interest law students make, on average, 0 cents to every law firm summer associate dollar. Thanks to the stipend provided by Georgetown's Equal Justice Foundation, this summer I am able to work towards pay equality for women while actually being paid for my summer, public interest work.
This summer I am working at the National Women's Law Center in the Employment and Education team. This opportunity has provided my with many chances to work for women's equality both in the workplace and in schools. For example, this week I was able to attend an exciting rally to raise awareness of the need to pass equal pay legislation in the Senate. At the rally I was fortunate to hear great women leaders of our time, Senator Barbara Mikulski, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Lily Ledbetter, speak about women's pay equity and their fight to get equal pay legislation through Congress.
Throughout the summer I have also been able to work on a variety of projects ranging from doing research on an appeal of a Title IX, athletic discrimination case to working towards ensuring that pregnant students are not discriminated against in their high school and college educations to writing posts for the NWLC Women'stake blog. I have really enjoyed working in the Washington realm of the mixture between law and policy. I have learned a great deal about how legal advocacy can be paired with policy work to affect meaningful change. Additionally, I have been able to participate in a few coalition meetings which have taught me the importance of working together with many public interest, civil rights organizations to champion broad, effective change.
My internship at NWLC has given me the opportunity to research and write about federal Title VII and Title IX cases, as well as dabble a bit in some of the state laws protecting women's rights. I have also been able to participate in the legislative process and help to research findings for proposed bills and work with Senator's offices to draft language for the bills. This breadth of knowledge I am gaining is invaluable. After this summer's work I look forward to a lifelong commitment of working in civil rights and employment rights.
I am thankful everyday that I go to work that I am able to participate in such an amazing organization with empowered and passionate women and men. As a rising 3L, it was intimidating to accept a public interest job instead of a firm job. However, the Equal Justice Foundation and its donors made this decision easier and I am so glad that I am able to have such a fulfilling summer.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Government Accountability Project
Bryan Boroughs writes from DC
This summer I'm working at a non-profit whistleblower-protection firm called the Government Accountability Project (GAP). GAP represents clients who have “blown the whistle” on illegal government activity. Usually, these clients were government employees who saw a hidden and illegal danger to the public (faulty aircraft maintenance, poorly constructed levies, etc.). Whistleblowers regularly face harsh retaliation, ranging from termination to decades-long harassment, after bringing a danger to light. GAP helps these clients by helping them with the disclosure process, representing them during litigation, and lobbying for better whistleblower protection laws.
My work as a legal intern is split between litigation and legislative efforts. On the litigation side, I help with intake interviews and legal research. One of my assignments is to work with a client who blew the whistle on unsafe maintenance protocol at a nuclear site. Our client is a terrifically qualified nuclear mechanic who reported his employer for violating maintenance standards at a nuclear reactor. As you can imagine, violating nuclear maintenance standards could have caused catastrophic problems. Unfortunately, rather than being commended for making the plant safer, our client has been fired and blacklisted. He has over 25 years of outstanding work experience and glowing recommendations, but now he cannot find a job in the nuclear industry. So, GAP is helping him with legal action to stop the blacklisting.
On the legislative side, I’ve been helping with GAP’s efforts to get new whistle blower protection laws passed. There are several exciting bills right now in congress. One provides protection for federal employees, and others provide protection for certain industry employees (like food and drug safety or child product safety employees). At different points during the process, congressional staffers come to GAP with questions about the current needs for whistleblowers or the impact certain provisions would have. Helping respond to those questions has been one of my favorite parts of the internship.
This summer I'm working at a non-profit whistleblower-protection firm called the Government Accountability Project (GAP). GAP represents clients who have “blown the whistle” on illegal government activity. Usually, these clients were government employees who saw a hidden and illegal danger to the public (faulty aircraft maintenance, poorly constructed levies, etc.). Whistleblowers regularly face harsh retaliation, ranging from termination to decades-long harassment, after bringing a danger to light. GAP helps these clients by helping them with the disclosure process, representing them during litigation, and lobbying for better whistleblower protection laws.
My work as a legal intern is split between litigation and legislative efforts. On the litigation side, I help with intake interviews and legal research. One of my assignments is to work with a client who blew the whistle on unsafe maintenance protocol at a nuclear site. Our client is a terrifically qualified nuclear mechanic who reported his employer for violating maintenance standards at a nuclear reactor. As you can imagine, violating nuclear maintenance standards could have caused catastrophic problems. Unfortunately, rather than being commended for making the plant safer, our client has been fired and blacklisted. He has over 25 years of outstanding work experience and glowing recommendations, but now he cannot find a job in the nuclear industry. So, GAP is helping him with legal action to stop the blacklisting.
On the legislative side, I’ve been helping with GAP’s efforts to get new whistle blower protection laws passed. There are several exciting bills right now in congress. One provides protection for federal employees, and others provide protection for certain industry employees (like food and drug safety or child product safety employees). At different points during the process, congressional staffers come to GAP with questions about the current needs for whistleblowers or the impact certain provisions would have. Helping respond to those questions has been one of my favorite parts of the internship.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
National School Boards Association
EJF has made it possible for Laura Klein to intern this summer at the National School Boards Association (NSBA) in Alexandria, Virginia. NSBA is a federation of school board associations from across the country. I was initially interested in interning at NSBA because of my experience tutoring in a West Philadelphia middle school. As an intern in NSBA’s Office of General Counsel, I have had the opportunity to see the impact of both common law and legislation (like No Child Left Behind) on the day-to-day activities of school boards.
A lot of legislation impacts school boards. There is federal legislation affecting everything from employment of teachers to accommodating the needs of special education students. One of my most interesting projects has been researching legislation for reducing childhood obesity. I was interested to find out that physical education is not required by federal law, and when state law mandates it, some school districts just ignore those requirements because of weak enforcement mechanisms. I also learned that some states have cracked down on candy and other snacks in schools (one state even forbids candy from being used as a reward in classrooms!).
A big part of what NSBA’s Office of General Counsel does is get involved as amicus in Supreme Court cases that may impact school districts. On my second day, the office had a meeting to decide whether they should write an amicus brief in a case for which the Court had recently granted cert. I realized how much this internship differs from my pre-law school internships when the attorneys asked for my opinion on the matter! Since then we have had weekly meetings about amicus briefs, which has been a great education in the Supreme Court.
One of the more entertaining aspects of my job is a listserv for all the school board attorneys (both in-house and outside counsel) that are members of NSBA’s Council of School Attorneys. I believe there are about 600 attorneys on the listserv, and they put me on it for the summer so I could learn about education law. The attorneys send out the facts of situations that have arisen and ask the other attorneys for advice on how to proceed. The other attorneys give their opinions and the names of cases on point. The issues cover as broad a range of circumstances as you can imagine, from employment problems (can a school district fire a teacher who drunkenly resisted arrest at a local bar one weekend?) to First Amendment questions (can a church that uses school grounds for services on Sundays include wine in communion in violation of a school policy prohibiting alcohol on school grounds?).
I have genuinely enjoyed my time at NSBA’s Office of General Counsel. All the attorneys are very dedicated to what they do and have been extremely welcoming. My enthusiasm for practicing law has multiplied after just a month of applying the legal skills we learned last year to real-life situations.
A lot of legislation impacts school boards. There is federal legislation affecting everything from employment of teachers to accommodating the needs of special education students. One of my most interesting projects has been researching legislation for reducing childhood obesity. I was interested to find out that physical education is not required by federal law, and when state law mandates it, some school districts just ignore those requirements because of weak enforcement mechanisms. I also learned that some states have cracked down on candy and other snacks in schools (one state even forbids candy from being used as a reward in classrooms!).
A big part of what NSBA’s Office of General Counsel does is get involved as amicus in Supreme Court cases that may impact school districts. On my second day, the office had a meeting to decide whether they should write an amicus brief in a case for which the Court had recently granted cert. I realized how much this internship differs from my pre-law school internships when the attorneys asked for my opinion on the matter! Since then we have had weekly meetings about amicus briefs, which has been a great education in the Supreme Court.
One of the more entertaining aspects of my job is a listserv for all the school board attorneys (both in-house and outside counsel) that are members of NSBA’s Council of School Attorneys. I believe there are about 600 attorneys on the listserv, and they put me on it for the summer so I could learn about education law. The attorneys send out the facts of situations that have arisen and ask the other attorneys for advice on how to proceed. The other attorneys give their opinions and the names of cases on point. The issues cover as broad a range of circumstances as you can imagine, from employment problems (can a school district fire a teacher who drunkenly resisted arrest at a local bar one weekend?) to First Amendment questions (can a church that uses school grounds for services on Sundays include wine in communion in violation of a school policy prohibiting alcohol on school grounds?).
I have genuinely enjoyed my time at NSBA’s Office of General Counsel. All the attorneys are very dedicated to what they do and have been extremely welcoming. My enthusiasm for practicing law has multiplied after just a month of applying the legal skills we learned last year to real-life situations.
Law Offices of Jon W. Norris
Kathryn Gravely shares her experiences:
After working for the Public Defender Service (PDS) here in Washington, D.C., I am now working for a PDS alumni who went out on his own as a private criminal defense attorney and founded the Law Offices of Jon W. Norris. Mr. Norris is rated by his peers as one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the District of Columbia, as reported in Washingtonian and Super Lawyers Magazine. Mr. Norris’ practice is unique in that he does not advertise his services, but rather receives his client’s through referrals from clients and other attorneys. He also takes a number of pro-bono cases, as favors to D.C. Superior Court judges, and represents indigent individuals who are in need of a defense attorney. I had the opportunity to witness Mr. Norris’ most recent pro-bono case, a Felony 1 sexually abuse case, where the jury hung 11 to 1 not guilty. The government decided to dismiss the case the following week.
My job consists of law clerk and investigative duties. As a law clerk I am responsible for organizing case jackets for trial and making sure that the appropriate motions and discovery letters are filed. I work with two other law clerks in the Law Offices and each of us is assigned particular cases to work on. My investigator duties include serving subpoenas, finding and interviewing both government and defense witnesses, and taking statements from government witnesses.
In the end, I get to second chair any trial involving one of my cases and act as Mr. Norris’ assistant throughout the proceedings. This is an exciting opportunity that provides a lot of experience both inside the courtroom and within the Metropolitan community. It certainly has opened my eyes to a demanding world of anticipation, pressure, and skill as a trial attorney.
After working for the Public Defender Service (PDS) here in Washington, D.C., I am now working for a PDS alumni who went out on his own as a private criminal defense attorney and founded the Law Offices of Jon W. Norris. Mr. Norris is rated by his peers as one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the District of Columbia, as reported in Washingtonian and Super Lawyers Magazine. Mr. Norris’ practice is unique in that he does not advertise his services, but rather receives his client’s through referrals from clients and other attorneys. He also takes a number of pro-bono cases, as favors to D.C. Superior Court judges, and represents indigent individuals who are in need of a defense attorney. I had the opportunity to witness Mr. Norris’ most recent pro-bono case, a Felony 1 sexually abuse case, where the jury hung 11 to 1 not guilty. The government decided to dismiss the case the following week.
My job consists of law clerk and investigative duties. As a law clerk I am responsible for organizing case jackets for trial and making sure that the appropriate motions and discovery letters are filed. I work with two other law clerks in the Law Offices and each of us is assigned particular cases to work on. My investigator duties include serving subpoenas, finding and interviewing both government and defense witnesses, and taking statements from government witnesses.
In the end, I get to second chair any trial involving one of my cases and act as Mr. Norris’ assistant throughout the proceedings. This is an exciting opportunity that provides a lot of experience both inside the courtroom and within the Metropolitan community. It certainly has opened my eyes to a demanding world of anticipation, pressure, and skill as a trial attorney.
D.C. Superior Court
Britt Cass shares her experiences from a summer in DC:
I am now seven weeks in to my job as a judicial intern on the civil calendar at the D.C. Superior Court, and I can unequivocally say that this summer is flying by. I feel fortunate to be working in a small chambers—it’s only the judge, her administrative assistant, the law clerk, one other intern, and me here. This means that I have been able to interact with the judge and law clerk (both GULC alumnae!) every day on a variety of matters. They have both been great role models for me (I want to be them when I grow up!).
I was hoping to get a chance to see some trials and other matters before the court. This hope was not in vain; I have seen matters ranging from murder trials to wrongful death medical malpractice trials to Judge Judy-style bickering between neighbors who are seeking protective orders against each other. I have also witnessed quite a range of skill from lawyers. One day, I’m listening to one of the best orators I’ve ever encountered making a closing argument in defense of a doctor accused of malpractice; the next, I’m reading truly atrocious briefs (was my LRW professor fibbing when she said you had to be good at her subject to practice law?).
Before I started, I was nervous about my legal research and writing skills. However, it turned out that the many briefs and memos I have produced have increased my confidence and, I hope, refined my skills in legal writing. The subjects I have researched and written on have been as interesting and varied as the trials I talked about above. All the work I’ve done has been a great reminder of the fact that lawyers work to resolve serious problems for real people. The judge asks me to tell her how I think she should rule on each order I work on, and has actually agreed with me the majority of the time. This summer has opened my eyes to how interesting, challenging, and rewarding legal work can be. I am forever grateful to the Equal Justice Foundation for allowing me this opportunity, since without it, I’m pretty sure there’s no way I could have taken on this unpaid internship.
I am now seven weeks in to my job as a judicial intern on the civil calendar at the D.C. Superior Court, and I can unequivocally say that this summer is flying by. I feel fortunate to be working in a small chambers—it’s only the judge, her administrative assistant, the law clerk, one other intern, and me here. This means that I have been able to interact with the judge and law clerk (both GULC alumnae!) every day on a variety of matters. They have both been great role models for me (I want to be them when I grow up!).
I was hoping to get a chance to see some trials and other matters before the court. This hope was not in vain; I have seen matters ranging from murder trials to wrongful death medical malpractice trials to Judge Judy-style bickering between neighbors who are seeking protective orders against each other. I have also witnessed quite a range of skill from lawyers. One day, I’m listening to one of the best orators I’ve ever encountered making a closing argument in defense of a doctor accused of malpractice; the next, I’m reading truly atrocious briefs (was my LRW professor fibbing when she said you had to be good at her subject to practice law?).
Before I started, I was nervous about my legal research and writing skills. However, it turned out that the many briefs and memos I have produced have increased my confidence and, I hope, refined my skills in legal writing. The subjects I have researched and written on have been as interesting and varied as the trials I talked about above. All the work I’ve done has been a great reminder of the fact that lawyers work to resolve serious problems for real people. The judge asks me to tell her how I think she should rule on each order I work on, and has actually agreed with me the majority of the time. This summer has opened my eyes to how interesting, challenging, and rewarding legal work can be. I am forever grateful to the Equal Justice Foundation for allowing me this opportunity, since without it, I’m pretty sure there’s no way I could have taken on this unpaid internship.
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