Law School Diary: Week 6 or 7
Dear Seattle University School of Law:
Either I’m late in reporting on week six or I’m on time for week seven. Either way, this is it.
I don’t know if this is a common experience for most 1Ls, but I’ve just gone through a self-doubt transformation. My self-doubt about mastering the material and competing with the other really, REALLY smart students has mostly gone away. In its place I found an even bigger doubt, that I’m not qualified (even in the smallest way) to advise people on matters that have a profound impact on their lives. Every decision I make, every minute of research I do and don’t do could vastly improve someone’s situation or screw them enormously.
Consider my first legal writing memo. We’ve been asked to evaluate whether the State can prove our fictional client stalked someone, so that a “supervising attorney” can advise the client whether he should take the State’s plea offer or not. I’ve meticulously researched the statute and relevant case law, laid out the likelihood that the State can prove each element. Now I have to come to some final conclusion about whether a jury will find him guilty or not and make a recommendation on how the attorney should advise the client.
Basically the client will have to choose between one of the following options:
- Facing the risk of being convicted of a class C felony. (The state has a moderately strong case. The right jury, sympathetic to someone living near a sex offender, might return a not-guilty verdict, though.) If convicted, he’ll spend several years in jail, likely lose his business, and leave his children without support.
- Alternately, he could take the plea bargain and move his family and home business for six months. He wouldn’t face jail time, but he’d have a record and significant expenses.
Obviously getting off scott-free is the best situation, but attempting to do that carries an enormous risk. I’m starting to get a better feel for the pressure defendants are under to accept plea offers. Yikes!
Let’s see…What else? I won lunch with a professor courtesy of a fundraising raffle held by Outlaws - SU’s gay, lesbian, bi and transgender law student organization. I put in a vote for my legal writing, contracts and civil procedure professors; I’ll know next week which one I get to have lunch with.
It’s also been the week of the sick. Lots of people are finally coming down with fall colds. With any luck I won’t catch it. (Reminder: wash your hands regularly!)
I think that’s it. Thanks and see ya next week.
-Carry
Comments:
Next entry: The "Usual Suspects" celebrate another kind of half-century
Previous entry: Sportbike NW: Day 3