Children's Law Center of Mass

One of the reasons I chose Northeastern is its co-op program. Here I am, less than halfway through my fall academic quarter, and I'm applying for winter quarter co-ops. It makes time fly by! Thankfully, this application and interview process went off without a hitch. I went through our online list of employers and sorted it by (family law/juveniles) (non-profits) (located in Boston) and came in with a list of about 15 places I was interested in. Northeastern has a resource room with binders full of reviews by students who previously did co-ops with each employer. Most of mine had a bunch of reviews, so I was able to pick places that involve a lot of client contact and other things I am interested in. Once I narrowed it to about 15 places, I met with my co-op advisor. He helped explain which ones had a possibility of funding, and suggested a few places I hadn't considered yet.

Justin helped me narrow it to ten and rank them before I submitted my applications. I'm glad I put so much thought into where I wanted to work, because I was lucky enough to hear from four of my ten places in the first four days.

I was really excited to hear from the Children's Law Center of Massachusetts. It was first on my list and when I interviewed there it felt like a perfect fit. Except for the 30+ minute drive up to Lynn on the North Shore, the position is perfect for what I want to do. I even said at the end of the interview, "Please hire me right away because I have more interviews lined up, and you're my first choice." There's a strict rule that if you are offered a position by a judge, you must take it.

I heard back that afternoon, and accepted immediately! I'll start working for CLC after Thanksgiving - the winter quarter is Dec-Jan-Feb.

Fall Classes

I'm four weeks into my terrifyingly short 11 week quarter, and classes are going pretty well. I am taking:

Negotiation
with Baker
We discuss negotiation tactics, like considering creative third-way solutions that are win-win, and do mini-negotiations in every other class. I am loving this class so far and the skills are useful in real life.

Strategic Litigation
with Daynard, who I wrote about last year
We have done a TON of reading on tobacco litigation and class action cases, and a few cases that have to do with asbestos or faulty medical devices. Instead of an exam, I'm writing a paper and presenting to the class about the possibility of litigation against football/hockey/lacrosse helmet manufacturers. If anyone has any experience or knowledge in this field, let me know!

Family Law
with Pitchal
Family law is pretty interesting, but it doesn't hurt that our professor, who looks remarkably like Buster from Arrested Development, makes references to pop culture to keep everyone awake. We've read Britney Spears' divorce case and Barry Bonds' pre-nup, and the class is confirming my interest in working in family law. Hopefully I will be using some of the things I learn this fall on my winter co-op - I'm considering a bunch of child/family law placements.

Evidence
with Judge Borenstein
The professor worked as an attorney for 15+ years and as a judge for 20 years, so he has a ton of experience to share with us. He gives us real-life examples of evidence that he's permitted or not allowed in his court. Evidence has a lot of rules to memorize, but I'm sure I'll be using it for years to come.

Wedding I: Jud and Lani in DC

Just a few short weeks after moving to Boston, we headed back to DC for Jud and Lani's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and a great chance to see everyone again. There were fifteen guys from the GW men's team, a full side, and a few from the women's team.