50% interned

Slow day today at work... the legal secretary who sits near me isn't here today (I don't have my own office; the other intern and I have desks in a large open space near the entrance). Also, one of the attorneys (unfortunately the one who gives us the most work) is out as well. I suppose that's what happens during the summer... but it means a lighter work load for us. Honestly, I would prefer to have more work and would prefer to be busier - it makes the day go by more quickly and it makes me feel more useful and productive.

The work I'm doing still mostly consists of legal research and writing. At this point I am halfway through the internship and so far I have written several memos, I have ghostwritten two letters, and I have worked on a few motions (one of which was submitted my first week here). I have also attended several city meetings and have been in court for several hearings and one jury selection. This seems to be a pretty accurate distribution of how the attorneys for the city spend their days (the ones on the civil side).

I am enjoying my time here, but I am looking forward to next summer. After taking Evidence as a 2L I can be certified, which means that I'll be allowed to be in court and actually do things. Next summer I think I'll be applying for clerkships and certified internships - mostly criminal jobs. At this point in my law school career, I have found criminal law to be the most interesting and to be the doctrinal area in which I perform the best. I also think I might try for an internship or externship during the fall or spring of my 3L year, but that's thinking pretty far ahead. Mostly, I like the fact that I have a plan. I do very well with plans.

On that note, I've been trying to schedule a time to visit home before the next semester starts. It's tough to plan around my schedule (end of this job, start of the school year - only a few weeks free in between) and C's (currently in DC, needs to pick another rotation/more permanent job once he returns) and my parents' schedule (they are planning to travel out of state during some of my free weeks). Lots to juggle.

BUT the good news... my baby brother (who will be 21 very shortly) is coming to visit! I've been in CA for two years and this will be my first brother-visit. It's very tough having a family so spread out (brothers are both on the east coast, I'm on the west coast, in-laws and parents are in the middle). He'll be out here for a long weekend at the end of July and I'm pretty pumped! Can't wait to show off my home-away-from-home!

K