December Post: Controversy in Film

One of the most talked about films of this winter break is The Interview, due to the unrest it's controversial nature has caused. With regards to that, certain theaters and Sony have released the movie regardless of the threats. Certain questions have been posed through the rumors such as; was this all just hype? Is hacking the beginnings of a cyber war? Who is hacking? Does the US have a good enough defense system to prepare? 

All of this talk has definitely caused a large increase in people wanting to see exactly what was in this movie. Although it may not have been the creator's purpose to create such controversy, it definitely has worked in the favor. The Interview has brought in tenfolds more income than expected due to the unrest. 

I think that a good thing brought to attention by this situation is that technology can be extremely powerful to those in good hands, but are we prepared for what happens when it lands in the wrong hands? Food for thought. 

November Post: Ferguson Case

This video is a short analysis of the decision and jury information of the controversial Ferguson case. On Monday, the grand jury decided not to indict police officer Darren Wilson, 28, for the fatal shooting of an unarmed Michael Brown, 18. The decision on this case has caused large unrest in many places outside of Ferguson, Missouri as we see protests here in Los Angeles. The questioning factors are definitely the prosecutor's strange and unique handling of the case and also the number of jury members. Some reports say that there will be additional checks on the case, but for the most part, the grand jury's decision is the final decision. I think that there needs to be more attention to the handling of the case, the fact that this is not the only case like this, and what we can do to move from this. In a normal case, grand juries receive information about the case at the discretion of the prosecutor and specific charge is laid out. In this case, the jury was given so much evidence that they needed to have 25 meeting over the course of 3 months when usually it only takes a few days. Also, the prosecutor laid out 5 charges to be considered and the decision to prosecute up to the jury. There definitely needs to be more investigation on the strange way this case was handled. I think that the violence to the innocent people in the communities does not solve the problem, and that there needs to be change so that this does not keep happening.

Blog 10: EQ

Content

1.  I have reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ

2.  a.  What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss? 
No, it doesn't seem like it involves depth of research. It does argue for the most important way. The wording is okay. 

 b.  What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?
 YES. It talkes about research and is not a yes/no question, it's arguing for the most important way, and the wording makes sense.

 c.  What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer? 
YES, it argues for the most important way to satisfy the customer, requires research of hairstyles, and wording is correct. 

 d.  How can an anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain? Yes, it's not a yes/no question, requires research of chronic pain, and it is worded correctly. Also, it could be a little more specific.


3.  Based on your review of the rule of 3 and your experience with assessing four EQs, please write another draft EQ for your senior project.  The senior team will be meeting with students shortly for EQ revision and approval; you are expected to bring your research notebook to that meeting with your EQ draft written inside in pencil.

What is the most efficient way to get a client the best option out of a misdemeanor arraignment?

Blog 9: Lesson 1 Reflection

Content:

1. Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your Lesson 1 Presentation and why?
          
I am most proud of my explanation of what a Public Defender does and how it affects the clients because it was pretty accurate in accordance to the hours I spend working with them. I also think I was successful at making complex terms and rules understandable to the rest of the people in the class. 

2. Questions to Consider
       a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 1 Presentation (self-assessment)?

       AE       P          AP       CR       NC

       b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 1 component contract.

I deserve atleast a P because I did everything required, for example, my sources were cited, I talked about mentorship and research, and I addressed my EQ. All of these are found on the component contract. 

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 1?

I think what worked for me in Lesson 1 was definitely having a clear understanding of the terms and things I was saying because I was able to connect my research to my mentorship and explain them both.

4.  (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 1?

I would go back and organize a bit more, because I ran out of time. Also, I would have a more interesting hook. 

October Post: Juveniles and the Law

         An important aspect of my research is always looking at original text but I also like to read about how the law affects juveniles. I've only ever seen one case at my mentorship that involved a teenager, but they weren't the one being charged. So, when I read about how breaking the law can affect teenagers it's especially interesting to me because it relates to my age group. One thing I found interesting was the fact that if a teenager has to pay a fine but can't pay it, a judge can give them county jail time or even excuse the fine. I got this straight from the California Penal Code which is used at my mentorship by the lawyers and judges.

Blog 8 - Research and Working EQ

1.  What is your working EQ?

         What is the best way to defend a client in a misdemeanor case?

2.  What is a possible answer to your working EQ? Please write the answer in thesis format. 

      The best way to defend a client in a misdemeanor case is to use a plea bargain with the prosecution to get a defendant the least possible offense, or also check for conflicts in the office. 

3.  What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ?

Criminal Law Handbook by NOLO. 

4.  Who is your mentor, or where are you doing mentorship, and how does what you are doing relate to your working EQ?

Joseph Kang at the West Covina Courthouse, he taught me how to go through a case and I've witnessed him get multiple plea bargains. 

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval

To get your idea approved now, please answer the following questions:

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

      I plan to do more mentorship, either with the West Covina Courthouse, or finding another private law firm to get a different experience. I am currently calling and searching for another mentor. In the 30 hours, I will try to compare my experiences to my research in efforts to make connections between the actual use of criminal law to the intent of the law itself as I learn it. As far as adding a dimension of creativity, the more time I spend watching cases and hearing about them the more knowledge I have about certain aspects of law. Cases can be so different based on the people involved, I feel like by experiencing more cases I will have more to tell about my topic. Especially because I'll be able to give examples to the laws I have learned. 

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

     I know that pictures are not going to be the best thing to do since most of the information is confidential. I was thinking I could make a "journal" of what I learned. The journal would be in greater depth than what I have on my hours log. A lot of the things I learned from mentorship was just through day to day experience and just reading the cases and watching what people in the office do. So, I was thinking a notebook or journal that had my questions or my input about cases would be something I could use to compare to my research as well. 

3.  And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

    Basically, every lawyer I have spoken to simply stated that they wish they had gotten hands on experience before they became a lawyer themselves. Since more experience was something they all wanted I think that's the main thing I could do outside my research. Essentially, what I feel is best is that I get the knowledge I need (research) and use it to understand the experience I get (mentorship). The more of an understanding I get, the more I'll be able to grasp the job of a lawyer under the overarching branch of my topic which is Criminal Law. Thus, letting me achieve an understanding of how the law is interpreted and used. Which essentially is point of my research. 

September Spotlight

For my September post, I wanted it to be something I found to be valuable during this research period. This book has probably been my most prized resource so far in my research. I find it helpful because it gives information with the purpose to help people who do not have law degrees and find themselves in a tough situation, or in my case, trying to understand complex law procedures at a general level before digging into deeper research. I especially like this book because it goes through all the court processes I experienced during my mentorship. It has also opened my eyes to look for other sources about subtopics I have found in the book, Due to these reasons, I feel like this book deserves credit as a great source.

Blog 6 - Second Interview Preparation

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?

       My mentor is Joseph Kang, he works at the public defender's office at the West Covina Courthouse. 

2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background?

      

      1. When did you decide you wanted to be a Public Defender? Why?

      2. What college did you go to?

      3. What was your major(s) in college?

      4. Did you do any additional preparation for your field?

      5. What were the steps you took to become a Public Defender? 

 

Blog 5 - Mentorship Reflection

1. Mentorship question: Describe your experience in how you found your mentorship?  If you haven't found one yet, describe your experience so far in the search of a mentor.       I went to a senior presentation by Nisa last year and her topic was Public Defenders and I am really interested in law. So I asked her if I could get into contact with her mentor, who then got me in at the West Covina Courthouse so I could volunteer/work with the Public Defenders there. Then, I spent almost all summer gaining as much experience as possible. For example, I got to be in the courtroom and listen to many different cases that involve drugs, alcohol, and domestic violence. 

2. Research question: What has been your most important article you have read so far and why?

       Honestly, the most important article I got was one that went into great depth about expungements. I think this has been the most important article because at my mentorship I spent just about all summer helping people fill out expungement forms and I was given a general explanation of what they were but after reading the article, the information just made a lot more sense.

Into Perspective...

THE WEST COVINA COURTHOUSE! <- that's where I do my mentorship. Being there allowed me to see and hear things I would not in my normal day to day routine. I saw many kids my age and a little older go through hard times in life and get themselves into bad situations. Although I'm not a juvenile "delinquent", I got to witness firsthand what the reprecussions would be for some of the things that people my age would do. For example, one of the cases I got to sit in on was a Human Trafficking/Prostitution case and the victim was 16 years old. Although it is not a common thing to hear about with my peers, hearing her testify just gave me a wake up call on how lucky I am and just got me more focused on my actions. My point is, being at my mentorship awakened my thoughts of my own actions while I witnessed others being punished for theirs.

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

Content:

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  Why?
      I plan on interviewing my mentor (Joseph Kang), I want to interview my mentor first because he is the DIC of the office and has the most experience. He will be able to give me ideas of what to research and where to look.


2.  You have to ask 5 questions.  What additional questions do you plan to ask?  
      Aside from the listed 5,  I will ask: 

-What made you decide to become a public defender?
-What do you find most interesting about criminal law?
-As a public defender, how do you go about interpreting the law?
-In your day to day routine, what aspects of criminal do you most use?
-What are some common misconceptions of "criminal law" in your line of work?

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Working EQ

1. TOPIC CHOICE:  Criminal Law

2. FOCUS QUESTION FOR THIS MONTH: What are the difference aspects of criminal law and which should I focus on?

Summer Mentorship Component

1. Mentorship Log of Hours: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U_OnaYKV1C6vbmrtCa3HbKSmOO4ivYhlLfK9tLICoSo/edit#gid=0 

2. What is the contact name & number of where you volunteered?       

    -Joseph Kang; (626) 813-3460

3.  What questions were raised because of the 10 hours of experience?  List them.     

      -Do I want to be a Public Defender?

      -Why do the Public Defenders have to be appointed to a case before they help?

      -Is it actually helpful to go over a case with a client only moments before they go to court?

      - Is criminal law more interesting to me than business law? What are the differences?

4. What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

     -From my experience working at the Public Defender's office, the most important thing I learned is the time management of working from Monday through Thursday with a stable set of hours and tasks to accomplish. It also gave me a sense of how “adult life” is because I got to watch the lawyers and clerks throughout their days. I think that time management is the most important thing I learned because in the future I would like to be a lawyer, and I did not really know how the working lifestyle would be for them. In the process of volunteering I got to see the workload and how fast they go through cases and how to prioritize.

5. What is your senior project topic going to be?  How did what you did help you choose a topic?  Please explain.

      -My senior project topic is going to be Criminal Law because I volunteered at the West Covina Courthouse and all of the cases there involve Criminal Law and it's boundaries and uses. I decided to focus on the law itself as opposed to the public defender because in the future I do not want to become a Public Defender but Criminal Law is still intriguing.    

2-Hour Presentations

Senior Presentations

1.  What presentations did you see?
     
      -Teaching Biology, Educational Nonprofit Management, Creating a Franchise, Forensic Science, Teaching 1st Grade, Bikram Yoga, Public Defender, Computer Science, Angioplasty, Hippotherapy, Pharmaceutical, Linguistics, Hip Hop Dance Choreography, Theater Acting, Business Management, and Marine Biology. 


2.  What questions do you have that haven't been answered about the senior project? This can be about the senior project in general, any components or about a presentation topic you saw or what they said.  

      -In general, I'm confused about the talking time because some times there were people trying to make 30 minutes and others an hour. 
      -And, I was wondering how the overarching description can be so different from the presentation. Like, Business Management turned into How to Run a Spa basically. And Forensic Science became how to better prevent people from using drugs. 

3. What has the most important part of the senior project based on what you are seeing in the 2-hour presentations?

       -From what I saw was that they needed 3 answers and to choose the best one. And also they kept talking about sources so we are probably going to be graded on deep research. 

4. What topic are you considering doing and why?

      -I want to do something law related because I want to be a lawyer and the lawyers I have talked to say that they regret not having enough internships and experience. 

5. What are you doing for your summer mentorship?

      -At Nisa's Public Defender presentation I asked her if I could get into contact with her uncle who is a lawyer and do my internship with him. I emailed and await a response.