Another Update: New Job
Finals and the writing competition were rough but I had to start work directly after. No rest for the wicked or something like that. My mom also came out to visit Mon-Thurs so I was working all day and then trying to show her the town by night. Not a lot of sleep happening. We went to see Fiddler on Broadway (which was very good) and we went to meet some distant relatives for dinner, one set at a diner in the bronx and the other at a fancy restaraunt in Grand Central Station. The only problem with my summer job so far is the commute. Brooklyn Legal Services is obvioulsy located in Brooklyn and it takes over an hour to get there. My first day I was actually late because it takes 3-4 trains to get to work and I kept taking the wrong transfer on the JMZ. I was 15 min late but my supervisor was 30 min late so it totally didn't matter. I have a nice enough office with a large desk, a phone, and a computer. I really get to play lawyer =) I had to share the office with another intern for a day but she got another space on the 3rd floor so the office is all mine now. We went to family court on my first day and I got thrown right into the thick of it. I have about 5 cases I'm working on now and I get to second chair everything. I also solo interviewed a client and am doing some major research on the constitutional rights of families under the 14th amendment due process clause to raise a unique argument in a custody case I'm working on. For most of the week I was the first one in and one of the last out of the office, even with the two hour round trip commute. They probably think I'm crazy. In addition to custody cases I have some domestic violence stuff and I'm starting a case in housing court on Monday. I expect to start doing HIV/AIDS cases midway through the summer. Our clients are a little different than what I'm used to. Most are minority women who have at least 4 of the following characteristics:
1) Domestic Violence Victim
2) Pregnant
3) On drugs (usualy a combination of cocaine and marijuana)
4) Have half a dozen kids, all in foster care
5) Unmarried
6) On wellfare
7) In rehab
Yeah, the clients are very different from the people I'm used to working with. It should broaden my horizons. After work Thurs my mom had left so I went to a Lag B'Omer party at a beautiful soho penthouse with the attorney I work with (she's awesome by the way). The party was a lot of fun and I met an optometrist visiting from Australia (they don't have undergrad there so she was only 24). We made plans to go to a broadway show on Saturday but because of shabbat she wasn't able to go out before 9 so we scrapped it (the shows all start at 8 or earlier). We went to the empire state building and Dangerfield's (a comedy club) instead. The ESB does have an incredible view and you are literally in the clouds. There were clouds swirling all around us and it was pretty windy. Fun though. Over a thousand feet up over the city. The club was fun too but the jokes were very off color and juvenile. We had great seats by the stage though. We went to the late-late show because she wasn't ready until 10 (also had to ditch plans to go to a party in the west village and the allegedly #1 pizza place, John's of Bleeker St.). As a result I didn't get home until 5. Somewhere along the line I turned 23 (I can't believe it's May 29th again already). Time to get up and figure out plans for the day now I suppose...
