« November 2005 | Main | February 2006 »
January 29, 2006
divine angst: looking at it all differently
http://divineangst.blawgcoop.com/archives/2006/01/looking_at_it_a.html I'm thinking perhaps your link to e spat goes to the wrong post -- it goes to TGIF, but she seems to have had more of a perspective shift in the post after that. Yes? But, and so, also, never forget what an artificial and just plain strange environment law school is. If you're feeling off-track, out of the loop, or like you're doing something wrong, that's a GOOD thing! Stay outside the tiny little exercise wheel that will be your peers' rat race and you'll be much happier in the long run -- almost guaranteed.Posted by mowabb at 10:05 AM
buzzwords: Check out how awesome the law students at Georgetown are!
http://tonguebutnodoor.net/monica/archives/2006/01/check_out_how_a.html Hey, how come you just get love in your comments about this and I just get heckling? I feel so, um, singled out. Or something. Be that as it may, someone expressed wonder the other day that this Georgetown protest drew so much attention, and it did quite a bit of press. I was thinking the reason for that (and the reason it made so many of us so happy) is that it's so rare that anyone in the Bush administration actually has to see or hear dissent of any kind. As far as we know, they have no clue people protest their every speech and appearance b/c at nearly every appearance the protestors are kept so far on the margins that neither the object of the protest nor the media eyes and ears can even see or hear them. But at this Georgetown event, the protest was loud and clear, front and center. No wonder it gives us hope!Posted by mowabb at 08:23 AM
January 28, 2006
Ditzy Genius: Spill
http://ditzygenius.blogspot.com/2006/01/spill.html Tell us more about the public defender dream. Why is it fading? What are the alternatives? Job searching is *hard* and I don't like it!Posted by mowabb at 01:48 PM
Preaching to the Perverted: So Long TAL
http://www.gulbransen.net/preaching/2006/01/so_long_tal.html Man, you scared me for a minute there -- I thought we were losing the show completely or something. I mean, it's a shame that Glass is leaving Chicago, but it would be more of a shame if the show was going off the air or becoming tv-only. The good side may be that if they do a tv-version it will be a good candidate for dvd release so you can watch it that way, probably.Posted by mowabb at 01:37 PM
Jeremy Richey’s Blawg » Law Student Registration Application
http://www.jeremyrichey.com/2006/01/23/law-student-registration-application/ This is a scam, plain and simple. I know other states do simple things, but it’s ridiculous. At least that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!Posted by mowabb at 01:34 PM
Gideon's Guardians: Protective Slime Coating
http://gideonsguardians.blogspot.com/2006/01/protective-slime-coating.html Clients have a right to STFU. I love it. Maybe if cops read the Miranda in that form people would be more likely to exercise their rights. Ok, maybe not...Posted by mowabb at 11:42 AM
Woman of the Law: zealous vs fruitless vs useless advocacy
http://womanofthelaw.blogspot.com/2006/01/zealous-vs-fruitless-vs-useless.html#comments Thank you for this post. I don't even have a job yet, but after interning and doing clinic cases I have seen the same tension between what you know you *could* do vs. what experienced attorneys tell you you *should* (or should not) do. What springs to mind for me is the one contempt hearing I had. Going into it, my supervisor said, “nobody ever wins these; the judge always finds probable cause.” He didn't in any way suggest I shouldn't make the best argument I could make, but he “knew” we would lose. Lo and behold, the judge did *not* find probable cause. So yeah, most of our arguments are losers, but what about that one time that they work? I understand asking to stay a bench warrant might be different, but you know, this is one of those things that is so infrequently done that I didn't even know you *could* do it until I read this post. I will almost certainly try it the next time a client fails to appear!Posted by mowabb at 11:25 AM
Tales of a Public Defender Investigator: New Legal Series!
http://pdinvestigator.blogspot.com/2006/01/new-legal-series.html I'm so sick of this “law and order” tv crap. It's always about the cops and prosecutors as our saviors and heros. Gag me. That's why I've been loving “Prison Break” (which is currently on a break until March) -- its heroes are two convicts in prison plus a team of criminal defense attorneys on the outside trying to get them out b/c they were wrongly convicted. We're talking awesome television. Meanwhile, Dick Wolf can stick his stupid “praise the prosecution” schtick right up his @#$%^. ;-)Posted by mowabb at 11:01 AM
the court interpreter » Hairy Colloquy
http://interpreter.wordpress.com/2006/01/19/hairy-colloquy/ Is this the post you meant on Blonde Justice? If so, I just thought I'd add the link to make it easier for your readers to find the praise of court interpreters. She also wrote about interpreters here. I will also second (or third) those who think you should keep posting here -- you offer terrific insights into an important profession that too few know much about.Posted by mowabb at 09:22 AM
Arbitrary and Capricious: WA: pd funding's bad, it's statewide
http://skellywright.blogspot.com/2006/01/wa-pd-fundings-bad-its-statewide.html Here's an idea for the county (and the state): Don't seek death. I love this quote from the article: “We have 25 homicide cases coming through our system. They are costly, particularly the death penalty cases,” said Harold Delia, administrative consultant for Yakima County courts. “The question is does the community want us to plea those out and save the money or do they want justice? This is what it costs.” How is it justice to bankrupt communities and waste millions of dollars trying to kill people? Where's the justice in that? And they don't have to “plea” anyone out -- that's not the choice they face. The choice is probably life in prison or death, so Mr. Della is full of crap. I mean, I'm all for giving courts and public defenders plenty of resources to do their jobs well, but throwing millions at prosecution just so the state can kill someone? Fuhgheddaboudit.Posted by mowabb at 09:05 AM
January 27, 2006
WonL: I write a blog, but am I really a blogger?
http://wonl.blogspot.com/2006/01/i-write-blog-but-am-i-really-blogger.html You expressed almost exactly something I've long felt and never resolved. I generally keep the blogging world clearly separated from the the “real” world except with my closest family and friends who “know me” in both worlds or ways. It's odd when the two worlds collide. And I wonder if you'll find -- if you continue to develop friendships with people you meet through your blog -- that the separation will continue. Your blog friends will still be your blog friends, separate from the rest of your life, at least until you invite some blog friends and some “real life” friends to get together for the same event and are forced to explain to your “real life” friends how you know all these crazy blog people. That has only happened to me once and I just didn't answer the question. Are our blogs reasons to be embarrassed? I don't think yours is, and perhaps its time I “owned” mine, as well. Hmm... Anyway, good for you for going to that happy hour. I thought about it for about 10 seconds. Now that I know you were there I wish I'd gone!Posted by mowabb at 11:28 AM