| | |
|
SummerExperience 33 - 13 Jan 2012 - Main.IanSullivan
|
|
>
> |
| META TOPICPARENT | name="OldDiscussionMaterials" |
|---|
| | | I thought I would create this page to allow us to all share our experiences this summer because 1) I'm curious what everyone is up to, 2) I've already had lots of stuff happen which I want to share and 3) I think it could be helpful for us to share what we're learning and perhaps learn more together than any of us is learning individually.
These are just a few of my thoughts and I'm sure I'll be adding more, but I hope people really pick this up. |
|
|
SummerExperience 32 - 21 Jul 2010 - Main.CeciliaWang
|
| | I thought I would create this page to allow us to all share our experiences this summer because 1) I'm curious what everyone is up to, 2) I've already had lots of stuff happen which I want to share and 3) I think it could be helpful for us to share what we're learning and perhaps learn more together than any of us is learning individually.
These are just a few of my thoughts and I'm sure I'll be adding more, but I hope people really pick this up. | | | The most exciting case so far was the trial of the rather slick, egomaniacal man who stabbed his girlfriend 13 times and burned her with a crack pipe (yet she survived and was able to testify) and while in prison impregnated a prison guard. We had to listen to his prison conversations with his two other girlfriends for incriminating admissions. Quite entertaining in the way gross, overly sexualized and dumb movies are entertaining. The best part was when the defendant fake sobbed for ten whole very loud minutes about how much he loved the victim, how he’s found God and how Jesus must forgive him, while being cross-examined.
| |
>
> | EDIT: I now realize the incredibly slow movement of the court system. Recently I got a stack of cases to be heard on September 22 and it's incredible that so many lives will be in limbo until then (everyone must have an order of protection forbidding him or her from living at home and police officers do random home visits to make sure they're not). It's almost set up so that the best thing a person charged with misdemeanors or violations can do is to take the earliest offered plea and so be rid of the whole process. Every motion filed, every adjournment means a delay of a couple weeks. The goal seems not to be justice when 2009 cases over third degree assault or harassment charges are still being fought over. | | | -- CeciliaWang - 08 Jul 2010 |
|
|
SummerExperience 31 - 20 Jul 2010 - Main.GraceChan
|
| | I thought I would create this page to allow us to all share our experiences this summer because 1) I'm curious what everyone is up to, 2) I've already had lots of stuff happen which I want to share and 3) I think it could be helpful for us to share what we're learning and perhaps learn more together than any of us is learning individually.
These are just a few of my thoughts and I'm sure I'll be adding more, but I hope people really pick this up. | | | Incidentally, last week I went to a lecture on a specific immigration issue, and I learned that immigration litigators are sharing their notes and experiences on how some creative arguments and strategies are being received around the country over a secret, password-protected wiki.
-- AjKhandaker - 10 Jul 2010 | |
>
> |
Hi all. It's been very interesting reading all of your experiences, and I hope more people will continue to share. Here is mine:
I am working at the NY State Attorney General's Office this summer, primarily in the claims and litigation department, which handles lawsuits against the state (including a lot of personal injury). Like Nona, I am struck by the amount of resources trivial claims (some shamelessly meritless) can take up from the state. Out of curiosity, I looked up the amount of damages NY has paid out and learned that the state paid out more than $14 billion to plaintiffs in damages in 2008 (Pacific Research).
Another thing I'm struck by is the very slow speed of the judicial system. I'm handling cases now that were filed over four years ago. At witness preps, the most common answer seems to be "that was too long ago, and I don't remember." I attended an oral argument for a remand motion in the SDNY court when my job first started (an excellent experience), and we still have not heard back. I was aware of the slow turnaround times before, but experiencing its effects on a case firsthand is different.
In recommending settlement amounts, it is interesting to see how completely arbitrary damages can be, especially for "pain and suffering," and how wildly they vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction (note: if you get hurt due to someone else's negligence, get hurt in Bronx County). As others have mentioned, in recommending whether to settle or to go to trial in my memos, the tenor and substance of a judge's prior opinions are key things to consider.
Finally, the most interesting (and unexpected) part of my job has probably been learning about the state's prison system. I had a chance to visit Sing Sing the other week. The NYS AG handles many inmate cases; when one inmate is assaulted by another, for example, they sue the State for failure to protect. Prisoners also often file pro se cases against the State alleging procedural defects in disciplinary hearings within the prison, which is handled primarily by another intern, but which I hear about.
Overall, I'm learning a lot and enjoying my experience very much. I've been impressed by the amount of hands-on experience I've gotten here.
-- GraceChan - 20 Jul 2010 | | |
|
|
|
This site is powered by the TWiki collaboration platform.
All material on this collaboration platform is the property of the contributing authors.
All material marked as authored by Eben Moglen is available under the license terms CC-BY-SA version 4.
|
|
| | |
| |