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Law in Contemporary Society
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Continuation Chronicles-- By WilliamDavidWilliams - 25 Apr 2012Imagination TestMartha Tharaud believes that the efficacy of lawyering can be determined in assessing the amount the people that one can impact in terms of improving their living standards or quality of life. She doesn’t want workers to be afraid, and has used her courage since 1953 to help them as a labor lawyer. Although Martha Tharaud technically does not exist, she is reminiscent of Henry David Thoreau in her conviction for justice regardless of if she is ridiculed or is an outsider in terms of being a non-conformist. Henry David Thoreau stood up for John Brown despite the latter’s public ridicule and ultimate execution. Tharaud, Thoreau, and Brown all passed the imagination test. As I strive to pass this test as well, I have role models that I can use to help me on this path. Justice + Comfortable Life = Passing the Imagination TestWhy Do I Want to Pass the Imagination Test?I really believe that I have been engrained with the importance of justice since birth. In the midst of my life, I have seen a lot of pain. My mother told me that in spite of what had happened in my family’s history, she believed in me. Seeing my relatives still working in the fast food industry has made me want to fight harder. Knowing that I have not heard from my father since I was two years makes me wonder what societal constructs I can change to help prevent black men from giving into the media messages of treating women poorly. I have seen pain in my mom’s eyes from receiving no child support and in her fingers and in her feet from rheumatoid arthritis. The pain is not from splitting, however, and she has not used that as an excuse for not raising her children. Listening to her tell me stories of how her mother was treated as a domestic and how her great grandmother had to work as a domestic in white households as well, gave me more impetus to find ways to make things better. Becoming the first person in my family to graduate from college and giving back through participation in Teach for America, I have seen the importance of education to improving life chances. However, education would be more fruitful if the institutional injustice in public education was corrected. I have seen too many children suffer to sit through class because they had not had a good meal. There have been too many teachers that give up because struggling against the system has become too hard for them. In addition, kids such as Trayvon Martin are killed like my student and Oscar Grant because of institutionalized racism, whether conscious or not. These experiences have engrained in me a general sense of the need to work to help hundreds of thousands of people achieve their “civil rights,” but I still do not how exactly how that will take place.Passion SelectionI saw a position for “Civil Rights Summer Associate” on a public interest database this spring. I applied immediately, as I knew that this position could allow me to work in civil rights areas in a law firm during my 1L summer. The firm, Beldock, Levine, and Hoffman, LLP specializes in civil rights litigation in employment discrimination and police misconduct. Thankfully, I had some experience in the latter through my participation in the Frederick Douglass Moot Court that I could express in the interview. As far as the former, I have been working since high school and participated in a teacher's strike as part of a union, so I have some insight into employment sector issues. However, I have so much to learn, and thus knew that working at Beldock would be an wonderful opportunity for me to grow as a person and to gain the tools necessary for me to be the lawyer I need to be. Upon selection to work at this civil rights law firm, I realized that my entire life has led me to this position. In recognition of this and the effort to pass the imagination test, I decided to make my second paper a recognition of this objective and a set of “chronicles” in its continuation. Hopefully, in understanding how my past experiences have led me to where I am today, I can better determine through the chronicles how I should shape my future. When I start in May, I will chronicle each day of my first week working and update throughout the summer. It is my goal to borrow a license in a courageous and creative way during my time at the firm. I believe these chronicles will be an effective method of helping me track progress toward that endeavor.Taking Action –Update: May 11th, 2012 I was accepted into a class called Public Sector Structural Reform in K-12 Education. I had talked this over before I applied with Eben, and he said that passing the imagination test requires action. He is right. Although I still have to keep working on it, I realize that you need to figure out what makes you "tick" and follow that path despite conformity or possible ridicule. Robinson is principled, despite other immoral practices in his profession. He said "A real lawyer knows how to take care of a legal problem." I hope I am on this path to be a "real lawyer," as I strive for it each and every day. Tuesday, May 29th I couldn't believe that so much happened on my first day, and all throughout it I felt the passion that outweighed monetary or prestige concerns. First, I met with the office manager along with another intern who started today. We were given a tour of the firm and introduced to many of its partners and associates. I could tell they enjoyed working for Beldock. One of the partners even invited us to a court conference regarding a class action case suing the NYPD for its Stop and Frisk policy. Before attending the court conference, Myron Beldock, a founding member of the firm, gave me my first assignment dealing with police misconduct. Technically, our work hours are from 10 - 6:30 pm, but I already feel as if I should be working overtime. I felt like Robinson in the sense that I was working according to my values and thus it really felt as if I wasn't working at all. Wednesday, May 30th I poured over my assignment wanting to be ready if Mr. Beldock needed something or wanted an update on my progress. For the first time I learned about deposition digests and became reacquainted with the extensive time involved in litigation. My case involves a man named Cy Greene who was wrongfully convicted of felony murder and robbery in 1983. His convicted was overturned a few years ago but he still had to serve over 20 years in prison. Now, Mr. Beldock is suing the City/police in a civil action for the harm done. I spent the entire work day at my desk, which was a change of pace. Another attorney that I am assigned to came to check on me, which was great. I realize that interaction is important to me, as it helps to balance the solitude that also exists in this work. I talk about this class from time to time with the other two interns who are rising 3Ls. One of them has a friend who started his own firm too. I'm still working on the imagination test. I still think about my family back in North Carolina and wanting to help them more financially. We'll see where this path takes me, but I know I'm at the right place this summer. Thursday, May 31st A little of everything happened today. I did more prep work for the Cy Greene case, witnessed a will, attended a Lexis training, helped move materials to clear space, and listened to oral arguments in reference to summary judgment motions for arrests made during the 2004 Republican National Convention. I know I want to be a litigator. It is such a rush to articulate your views on a topic, and I could tell the lawyers doing so today felt that and enjoyed it. I was surprised the City's arguments were so bad. The lawyer representing the "City" was heavily criticized by the judge during his argument, even if some of the criticism was in a joking manner. At end, after much laughter, that lawyer attempted to thank the lawyers who assisted him and the judge said "this is not the Oscars." We went out for drinks to celebrate, although the judge may not issue a decision for months. I talked with another partner, Johnathan Moore, about what my dream law practice would be. I told him I could see myself working in a general civil rights law practice litigating hopefully even in front of the Supreme Court. He said Beldock is one of, if not the leading firm dealing with cutting edge civil rights issues in New York, and I told him that is why I was so thankful to have the opportunity to work for the firm. So much happened this week, but I still have so much to learn. I believe the law of attraction leads you where you need to be. I just need to soak up everything I can from this experience. Friday, June 1st I wanted to be ready when Mr. Beldock came to check in on my progress and thankfully I was prepared. My desk is walled off from the other interns/assistants working beside me, so I cannot see who is approaching unless I stand up. As I read a court transcript of the key witness' testimony in the Cy Greene case, a imposing figure appeared over my desk. It was not imposing because of stature, but because of the immense respect he has earned from me and countless others due to his life's work. He reminds me of Martha Tharaud. Mr. Beldock looked at me, told me to keep reading, and to meet him in a hour to give me my next assignment. Adrenaline was rushing through me as I was completely surprised. There is so much reading because of the myriad motions and depositions and decisions, but you just have to be patient and synthesize it because a lot is riding on what you are able to glean from the information. In an hour I stepped into Mr. Beldock's office and he directed me to his desk. He wanted to know what I had learned from the case, and I felt honored to tell him. He told me to read deposition digests or summaries from the two main detectives involved in the case and to pick up work for another case if my help was needed. Later that day, I decided to visit him again because of my decision to attend my former students' graduation in Oakland, California. I feel bad that I have to miss three days next week for it, but I knew I couldn't miss it. I thought Mr. Beldock might be mad, but he smiled and told me to take pictures. He inspires me. Today after the other interns left I was still in the office. Another partner said she was about to turn off the lights but she saw I was still working. I want to help Mr. Greene receive compensation for his wrongful conviction due to police misconduct. I want to be the best lawyer that I can be. Mr. Beldock told me that he was up at 1:30/2 am working on a case last night. He is at least in his 70s. He doesn't know this, but if he had asked me to stay up with him and help, I would have. This was an incredible week at Beldock. Incredible. (After this week's chronicles, I will edit to meet the 1000 word limit.)Hi William David, I'll also be taking that course (see you there!), and am very interested to hear how your work with your firm goes - keep the updates coming! Rohan Grey (Great. I'm looking forward to it. - WDW) You are entitled to restrict access to your paper if you want to. But we all derive immense benefit from reading one another's work, and I hope you won't feel the need unless the subject matter is personal and its disclosure would be harmful or undesirable. To restrict access to your paper simply delete the "#" character on the next two lines:
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