This post is not actually about that change, it deserves a much deeper reflection to really express it in words; but each time I begin a new entry, I am reminded of the struggles it came to get this far...and damnit, I am proud.
Onto the summer. As I discussed in a previous post, I secured a paid internship at a criminal defense firm for the first half of summer. Working there was quite an eye opener. First, I am still not quite used to the idea that lawyers are people. Before you enter a profession that has a certain reputation for being difficult or hard to obtain, you generally believe that the people in that profession are some sort of elite squad. Going into my internship, I was nervous that the people in the office would eat me alive. I thought they would point out how much I didn't know, give me impossible assignments, and make me feel inferior because I was a novice in their field.
I was dead wrong.
Working at the legal office, I was greeted with nothing but excitement. The attorneys and paralegals, while they expected me to work and didn't want to spend time explaining the law (they expected me to research the statutes on my own), were completely open and put time aside to go over each and every assignment I turned in. They gave me access to the high-profile cases they were working on and let me observe how they proceed from start to finish. I attended client interviews, listened to billing calls, watched voir dire (jury selection process), watched DUI intake videos alongside our clients, wrote briefs that were actually turned in to a judge, observed the entire trail process and joined my attorneys in chambers...so many things I have only seen on television! I knew I would experience them one day, but when the day finally came, I had to make a conscious effort not to smile like the village idiot.
I can't talk much about the cases because of client confidentiality, but one of the most interesting ones I got to work on was the Schermerhorn trial. A man from Arlington (my home town) was convicted of continuous sexual assault of a child; meaning that at least (2) times, ranging over (30) days, he had sexual contact with a minor under the age of 17. The guy was in his 50s and the child was only 9 at the age of the first incident. I struggled a lot with this case; not only because it made me sick to my stomach every time I thought about the emotional trauma this put on everyone involved and, in the case it actually happened, the lasting mental anguish the victim would go through, but rather because I felt like the bad guy. My firm was representing this man. I turned this over in my head a few times before I walked into our senior attorney's office and asked him, "How can you sleep?" After getting over my boldness, he told me, "The case was not about whether the man was guilty or innocent. It is a defense attorney's job to ensure that the state meets its burden of proof. If, as an attorney, I were to go with my gut instinct of guilty or not guilty, then I would be doing my client, the court system, and the Constitution itself an injustice. If there is a shred of doubt that a man facing life in prison is innocent, then I must turn every stone to uncover the inconsistencies in the case. If I didn't, and I realized some time down the line that I made a mistake that cost a man his life, THEN I would definitely never sleep peacefully again." Needless to say, I learned more than how to make a legal file at that firm.
Besides the law firm, I also took (2) summer classes. Though I am used to being a busy person, I think I bit off more than I could chew with (6) credit hours and a part time work week over the course of 2 months. I took Oil and Gas and Marital Property. Oil and Gas is necessary for Texas lawyers because we bathe in oil and use it to grease our steaks, but I walked in with a chip on my shoulder since I am a hippie when it comes to clean renewable energy. Nevertheless, the professor was brilliant. He only teaches in the summer because he is an actual practicing oil and gas attorney for XTO. He did a wonderful job, and I received a great grade in the course. Marital property, on the other hand....let's just say I will NEVER deal with (or hopefully participate in) a divorce in Texas!
Well kids...that gets you through the first half of summer. I can't wait to write the next post about my study abroad in CROATIA! :)
