Representing People, Not Files
A supervisor at the Philadelphia public defender’s office used to tell us all the time that we were representing people, not files. This really got on our nerves. As one colleague put it: Maybe he needs to… Read More
Sometimes A Guilty Verdict Is a Win (At Least That Is What I Tell Myself)
Although Virginia juries have a reputation for being unforgiving, I have also been told that juries in Prince William County can be pretty unpredictable. Going into trial yesterday, my client was facing a mandatory 5-year sentence for… Read More
Life at the Prince William County Courthouse
We are in the cafeteria of the Prince William County courthouse in Virgina, at lunch during what is expected to be a one-day jury trial. At a table behind me is a judge holding forth to a… Read More
More on Joseph Rakofsky: The Story Keeps Getting Worse
“We really didn’t check him out. He said he was this and could do that. We thought he was telling the truth.” — Henrietta Watson, grandmother of defendant Dontrell Deaner The blogosphere has been abuzz the past week… Read More
Notes on a Lost Trial
Eleven months of wrangling comes to this: a two-day trial in D.C. Superior Court. The argument on pre-trial motions starts out well, and I find myself in the enviable position of sitting on the sidelines as the judge… Read More
On the True Value of a Law Degree
Over the last year or so, there has been a lot of talk on listservs and in the blawgosphere about the glut of new lawyers coming onto the market, about the expectations of these lawyers in terms of… Read More
On Carrying Pictures of Chairman Mao
For the most part, the Assistant U.S. Attorneys here in D.C. seem to have things right. For one thing, they return your phone calls, usually on the same day, and I have to give them credit for that…. Read More
On Jabbar Collins and Other Jailhouse Lawyers
I have only seen one “law library” at a prison, and I have to say I was not at all impressed. A converted broom closet with a broken chair and a rickety metal bookshelf, the library consisted mostly… Read More
You Should Be Translating, Not Interpreting
During an earlier life, I was a member of the U.S. delegations that negotiated the international ozone and climate treaties. The negotiations often lasted a couple of weeks, with the opening statements alone — from the 100 nations… Read More
Because Transcripts Can Be Unforgiving
When I was a public defender in Philadelphia, my office mate used to come across me reading transcripts from court hearings I had done and kid me. I thought I was being conscientious, working to make myself a… Read More
