It's been really great reading everyone's posts- I like getting an impression of both what issues I've had in common with other people's experiences (diving into legal research), and what types of experiences I'm not getting (most obviously, time in a courtroom; I was supposed to go to one trial about two kids lighting a dog on fire, but it got pushed back).

As I think a couple people have said, one thing that is striking is how often your work will not be fully read, and how important it is to keep things concise on account of this. For my first five or six memos, I did the research and then just started writing, which resulted in lengthy and not well organized memos. Then I remembered the advice we got about planning out every sentence and really thinking about what you're going to write before you write it, which has resulted in work product which is much more succinct and clear.

Another thread from class which is readily apparent here is how important the judge is to the success of the case, and how much many lawyers would pay just to know who their judge will be and what makes them tick. (Side question: Has anyone working for a judge or prosecutor already picked up on their tendencies such that you can predict how they will rule or what cases they will prosecute?) Especially in a field like animal law, where people are usually really supportive or completely antithetical, knowing your judge (or prosecutor, if you're pushing criminal charges) makes all the difference.

Or at least theoretically could make all the difference. We had a case a few years ago where the judge was totally on board with the case, given the egregious cruelty which had been caught by an undercover investigator. Despite the overwhelming evidence against the defendants, the judge ruled not guilty. She had been pushing a settlement the whole time, and eventually called my boss and said she knew they were guilty, but there was nothing she could do. Translation: she was an elected judge in a heavy agriculture county, and could not afford to upset the farm community. While I hope this is the exception to the rule, it certainly makes me think that law is, in fact, politics.

-- RorySkaggs - 09 Jul 2010