DaimirisGarcia's Journal

April 5, 2020 Journal Entry #2:

Before law school, the only lawyers I had ever seen in my life were those stereotypically portrayed in movies. There, the "phenotype" of a lawyer is very much similar to that detailed by Day in "All Great Problems Come From the Streets:" overconfident liars with expensive coats. Since starting at Columbia, I can say I have met a few lawyers made of this phenotype but also a few others that have been surprisingly different. I volunteer with an asylum clinic offered by pro bono lawyers at Davis Polk and they definitely do fit the style of lawyer that Day described on the metro. Narcissists and egomaniacs to say the least. Before COVID-19 was taken seriously, the other members of the clinic and I usually met once a week with the Davis Polk lawyers in their offices. We used to walk into the meeting room and the lawyers would not even look at us to say hello. They were constantly on their phones or talking amongst themselves. Then, we would all sit around a table and one of the lawyers would start giving a presentation. The presentation would end and there would still be no recognizance of our existence. They would say that we will meet again next week and walk out of the door with their phones in their hands. Though, I refuse to believe that this is the phenotype of all lawyers. I agree with Day in that there is an ethical obligation to serve clients and that not all public servants wish to continue the perpetuation of this stereotype. There are numerous professionals that are beacons of good lawyering, even though more often than not people are just "insolent and scared." These days I am more scared than anything else. As Moglen mentioned in class, the recession and depression make it difficult to think about the future. It has been difficult to learn in this immense wreckage because I have more worries than just simply going to class. My Cuban parents speak loudly and they are at home now at all times. Every time I turn on Zoom, I am petrified that my professor will hear them in the background. The vast majority of minority or low-income students do not have their own space or a quiet place to take a cold call. 
Plus, there are outside dangers that my family and I now have to face. My partner's mother, father, and sister have been diagnosed with the virus. They are French, living in the north of France, and my partner and I knew that when he moved to the U.S. he would not see his family for at least a couple months. The immigration paperwork has taken longer than we expected but we figured that at any point in time, in case of an emergency, he could always take a flight to France. Now, however, there is no such option. Even if my partner wanted to go to France, he is blocked by all means and heads of state. This is a new reality that we have to live with because it is difficult to know that your closest family members have fallen ill but even worse that you are an entire ocean away from them. We are constantly worried about them and checking on their medical results but, in the meantime, I have to sit for cold calls on Zoom. Yes, like Moglen said "the clownish gun to your head full of invisible bullets is gone," since grades are now pass/fail but I believe it is the innate perfectionism within me that does not allow me to miss class. I can see the drop in numbers of students participating but I have consumed the institutionalized rules and norms around me. I still feel like the gun is there even when it is not. I have also noticed and detested how many students pretend to be nonchalant about law school, as if they no longer read their assignments nor pay attention in class, but it is all a front. The same students saying that they have not read are answering all the professor's questions perfectly about the reading. They are rushing to get assignments turned in on time, they are the first to respond to professor's emails, and the first to sign up for additional work. Where is the indolence that you were talking about? What happened to your emphasis on "well being" over school work? Liars. This is where the nation divided comes into play more than ever before. While some students have the luxury of sitting at home and only focusing on their schoolwork, others have to worry about the socio-economic factors tied to their "nation." "...one nation of unemployed, of those who have had abortions, another of those who haven't, and then, of course, all those nations comprised of those either of upwardly mobile or mobilely downward economic status." I think what upsets me the most is that even when we are learning in class, there is no way of knowing if you are doing well or not. There is no feedback that could help offset the disparities between students that are lagging behind and those that have been raised with a casebook in their hands. How are we supposed to be prepared for exams when we have just been reading cases all year and referencing legal theory? Where is the practical application of the black letter law that we have learned and are supposed to apply to real life practice? Why is it that we had more feedback in primary school on the knowledge of the colors but not on the knowledge of law? I am asking all of these questions without truly expecting a response because the answers are nonexistent. The answers will require larger systemic change that might not be feasible in the time that I am in law school. Personally, I am just upset because it seems to me that everyone is pretending to know what they are doing and that they put up this front and label it as "lawyering."

-- DaimirisGarcia - 05 Apr 2020

March 28,2020 Journal Entry #1:

These past couple of days I have related a lot to Dudley and Stephens. I have not turned into a cannibal as of yet, but I have related with being lost at sea. I don't think I have the same candor as Dudley, and I cannot seem to understand why they were so honest about the "murder." If they had not said anything, there would not have been anyone to know about Richard Parker. I guess the most compelling reason I got from the book was that the owners of the ships wanted to know why it sank. Though, I also realized it must have been part of the sea culture. Dudley and Stephens did not seem remorseful by any account and were surprised they were even arrested. The vices of sailors must have been left on their own, unchecked at that time and perhaps it was common to kill to survive in the culture of seamen. When things are turned upside down, the system adapts. I don't think we have ever been able to relate more to this story than today. Today, we are lost at sea and everything seems upside down. As was mentioned in class this week, the very first sentence that popped out at me while reading the book was that there was a cholera outbreak at Falmouth that prompted all visitors to check in at customs. Cholera killed thousands in its peak and continues to kill in Africa today. We are living in a difficult moment because of the uncertainty that is before us. Within a couple of days, I went from a small, dark apartment in Queens to my hometown in Florida. Before leaving, I sat down and asked myself a number of questions. The uncertainty was getting to me. I had already bought a roundtrip ticket from New York to Florida for spring break. I had already made a small carry on bag with essentials for a week when I received the email from Columbia that classes would be moved online for the entire semester. That is when the real anxiety came in. I didn't know how bad this epidemic would get and I didn't know if it was safe to board a flight anymore. I called my brother, father, mother, friends and they were giving me all kinds of advice. Some were worried about the exposure to COVID-19 on the plane and others wanted me home as soon as possible. I decided to replace that carry-on with a checked bag, put on a mask, and got on that plane. I don't think I have ever seen so many people with masks, gloves, wipes, and hand sanitizer in my life. I thought I was going to be the "odd one" wiping down my seat but everyone around me was doing so and even expecting me to do so as well. After arriving in Miami, my parents decided it was best for me to go into self-quarantine. I had just come from a "red zone" which has now become the epicenter of COVID-19 in the U.S. From the moment I arrived home, I have worn a mask and gloves around my parents at all times. They serve me breakfast, lunch, and dinner on plastic plates which they leave in front of my door so that I don't have to get too close. Fortunately, I am allowed to leave my room to go to the backyard to get some fresh air. I even have my old car at home so I can take a drive and go anywhere I want. It has actually been pretty nice and given me a chance to focus on my studies. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be in these living conditions and not in others that are more turbulent. Though I do not want to "cover the sun with my thumb" as the Cuban proverb says. It has been difficult to be far away from friends and family, especially those that have been diagnosed with COVID-19. I am constantly worried about them and praying that they do not develop any more dangerous underlying symptoms. My mother was forced to go on furlough and my home has lost a source of income. Plus, I don't think I will ever forget my dad's eyes when I landed in the airport and wasn't able to give him a hug. He won't say it, or show it for that manner, but I know his eyes were watery that night. And now I am adapting to a new form of learning that I have never experienced before: Zoom. I think I have been able to understand the material just as much as if I were in class and I have a lot of more time to study because the commute is out of the equation. Though, I really appreciated being able to ask professors questions after class or even listen to other students make arguments. Especially in Law and Contemporary Society where student discussions with Professor Moglen were the best part of the class, or should I say Professor Moglen's inquisitive probing into student's minds when they wanted to make a point that might have not been well thought out. Though, I'm glad my parents are being strict about self-quarantine because they are definitely at a dangerous age and have dangerous pre-existing conditions. If I were an asymptomatic carrier I would never forgive myself for transmitting it to them. The last day of the 14 day mark is tomorrow and I am excited to see what is going to happen next. Will this be the first time we hug? Is it safe? Is it a good idea? I'm still not sure. But I would like to sit on the sofa with them and watch a movie like old times. I think I am most looking forward to returning to "old times". Though, I don't think the world will ever be like "old times" again. COVID-19 has really changed the entire structure we had in a place and this was not necessarily ill-founded. We need a functioning healthcare system and free medical care for all and it is about time that the American people realize the importance of this. It is just unfortunate that an epidemic had to occur to raise some eyebrows, and it is more unfortunate that even despite the epidemic, some eyebrows will stay down. Things have been turned upside down and I wonder what is the new culture and system that is going to arise? Is it going to be cannibalism? I think not but it will definitely be something new and adapted to the circumstances of the time. Much like the common law.

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