I am a second-year law student at the University of Washington, and I am interested in clerking for your chambers for the 2017–2018 term. Your diverse background working as a prosecutor, Assistant United States Attorney, and in private practice is one I admire. I have attempted to follow a similarly diverse path by working and volunteering in various settings. I believe this breadth of experience and my well-balanced academic record give me the necessary tools to excel as a clerk. I decided to attend law school only after working as a legal assistant for a general practitioner and learning that many areas of the law piqued my interest. Since matriculating to the University of Washington, I have continued to explore various areas of the law, working as a law clerk for a public interest organization, serving as a lay advocate in a tribal court, and, in the coming months, I will be working as a summer associate at Cascadia Law Group. These experiences, and others, have allowed me to work with a diverse set of laws, from immigration to administrative law and criminal defense to environmental law. …show more content…
As a lay advocate for the Tulalip Tribal Court, I built my advocacy and trial skills by representing indigent clients charged with assaults and other misdemeanors. This experience taught me not only how to draft motions in limine, negotiate plea deals, and engage in pre-trial practice, but it also provided me insight into a tribal justice system and cross-jurisdictional issues. As a law clerk for the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), I often wrestled with complex federal and state law questions. For example, I worked with the attorneys at EPIC, and outside counsel, researching grounds for an appeal on a case of first impression: whether the attorney fees provision of the Equal Access to Justice Act applied to state agencies following federal delegation. This appeal is pending before the Ninth
Wilcox, B. (1996). Dennis Banks runs for justice on behalf or American Indian Rights. Metro, 14-20.Retrieved January 20, 2005, from http://siouxme.com/lodge/banks.html
The School of Law offers engaging classroom instruction across a wide spectrum of courses that appeal to students with disparate interests (University of California Los Angeles. “The UCLA School of Law”). The first-year curriculum focuses on embracing incoming students with a variety of courses that introduces the students to vast range of legal subjects. The course work concentrates on the overview of major common law subjects and constitutional law by providing students more skill-centered experience combined with elements of legal writing and research courses. Crimin...
Remy, Richard C., Gary E. Clayton, and John J. Patrick. "Supreme Court Cases." Civics Today. Columbus, Ohio: Glencoe, 2008. 796. Print.
The paralegal field is thought to be a high paced glorious career of working alongside an attorney and getting recognition for their work. In reality a paralegal job is nothing like Erin Brockovich (A movie where a paralegal was able to investigate and played an immense part in winning a large case) envisioned from the movie. Becoming a paralegal is appealing because it allows a quick entrance into a professional career field and offers a wide range of daily and career experiences. However, the work-life balance can be poor, the career path often stagnates without continuing education, and the pay is insufficient for the work load. Also, while there are a wide range of paralegal jobs there is also competition and an applicant must possess the ability to step right into the role with little or no training. While expecting much of the work to be comparable to administrative work and document reading.
Vine Deloria, Jr. and Clifford M. Lytle, American Indians, American Justice (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1983) 99.
As I became more involved with campus life, I couldn’t find a way to immerse myself in preparing for a career in law. While I knew why I wanted a law degree, I couldn’t conceptualize what I wanted to do with it. Prior to college life, my familiarity with the legal system was by way of internships with judges and lawyers. Clearly, that traditional route perked my interest but not my passion. Living with the athletes affirmed my interest in their culture. I began to immerse myself in subjects surro...
One-L, by Scott Turow, outlines the experience of attending Harvard Law School as a first year law-student. Turow weaves his experiences with those around him, and intertwines the professors of Harvard law, as well as their lectures. Initially, Turow enters Harvard law in a bit of disarray and awe. As a world of hornbooks, treatises, law-reviews, group studies, and legal terminology unfold beyond comprehension; Turow is confronted with the task of maintaining sanity. Time appears to be the most important variable, as Turow begins to study for contracts, torts, property, civil procedure, and criminal law; because time is so precious, one key-highlight for law-students is to balance family. Moreover, Turow is part of section-1, and two of his
My major is Paralegal Studies and I expect to graduate with an Associates of Arts degree in December of this year. Many years ago, as an investigator for both a private company and a county agency, I was introduced to the legal field. Recently, I was awarded the opportunity to attend college, so I decided I wanted to reenter the legal profession as a paralegal. The paralegal profession appeals to me, because I enjoy the processes of developing a case, as well as its legal aspects. A paralegal is involved in a case from the beginning to the end; from the initial client interview to assisting the attorney during the client’s trial or the settlement process. My goal is to become a paralegal for a solo practitioner or a small firm in my local area who represent clients in different areas of the law.
Oct 1993. Retrieved November 18, 2010. Vol. 79. 134 pages (Document ID: 0747-0088) Published by American Bar Association
Smith, C. E. (2004). Public defenders. In T. Hall, U.S. Legal System (pp. 567-572-). [Ebscohost]. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook
“It took a lot of discipline, hard work and dedication. At a young age, I was determined to be successful. In the eighth grade, I made history by becoming a member of the inaugural class at the world-renowned STEM Early College at North Carolina A&T State University. Yes this was a great accomplishment, but as I went through high school I learned you don’t gain understanding of the course material by taking notes and paying attention in class alone, but rather studying the course material and being able to apply it in various real-life situations. My sophomore year, I made history once again by becoming the first high school student to acquire an internship with Elon Law School. I knew this would be the perfect opportunity for me to test if I wanted to be in the law profession, and gain some insight on what really goes on in a law office or non-profit. They denied my request at first because I was not qualified to care for clients due to my lack of law knowledge. However, later they were able to develop a personal research internship, which gave be the same type of hands on experience without the need of the knowledge taught in law
I was born into a traditional Hispanic family in Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States. This conventional family pattern follows a patriarchal hierarchy in which the father is the head of the household and responsible for all major decisions for the family.
Becoming a paralegal is a popular choice because it is a rewarding career that has many advantages. Paralegals develop an extensive knowledge base that can make them invaluable assets to the firms or organizations they work for. Moreover, paralegals have the opportunity to engage in meaningful work that helps others. Ultimately, being a paralegal is a beneficial position that now pays more than ever before and paves the way for career advancement.
I was told that my desire to enter the field of public interest would wane after my first year of community service. On the contrary, the realization of the power which a lawyer possesses has reinforced my desire to enter this arena. An advocate's work can have far reaching consequences. This is clearly true in public interest law, where the purpose is not simply to correct a wrong done in the past between two parties, but to alter the disparate treatment of an often under-represented class.
College isn't just a great opportunity,but can also be life changing. Attending Harvard University will be one of the greatest opportunity for me, due to their vast activities and outstanding educational programs.