Blog 17: Answer 3

Content:

• EQ: What strategy is most beneficial to defend a client in a misdemeanor case?
• Answer #3 (Write in a complete sentence like a thesis statement)*

The strategy that is most beneficial to defend a client in a misdemeanor case is to have confidence and a commanding presence while communicating.

• 3 details to support the answer (a detail is a fact and an example)

In trials, a defense attorney has to convince a jury that the client is not guilty of the charges brought up by the prosecution. If the attorney is unable to speak with confidence and communicate his/her case then they will significantly lose the jurors.

This also happens during arraignments, a defense lawyer must speak with each of the clients and speak with the judge. They must communicate to the judge that the client understands the charges as well as represent their client. 

Lawyers spend almost the entirety of the day speaking with witnesses, translators, judges, and other people who work in the courthouse. In order to successfully defend a client, especially through the trial process, they must be able to take command of the courtroom and present the information necessary.

• The research source (s) to support your details and answer

Alot of my "research" for this came through being at my mentorship and witnessing what each lawyer had to do throughout the day. So I would cite my mentorship, the Public Defender's Office at the West Covina Courthouse.

• Concluding Sentence

In summation, my third and final strategy I to be found beneficial to defend a client in a misdemeanor case is to be able to communicate with a clear and commanding presence. I found this by spending time at my mentorship and witnessing what the lawyers had to do the most, which was communicate. 

Blog 11: Holiday Project Update

Content:

1.  It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school.  What did you do over the break with your senior project?
       
        I finally got back into contact with my mentorship and they are working on getting another approval for me to go there and help out. 
   

2.  What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why?  What was the source of what you learned?

        As far as learning, I truly realized that for me to be able to help that it was not as easy and just going in there and helping. I took my job seriously before, but now it's more important because I know that I am trusted to be able to work with confidential information. The source of how I learned this was because it was so hard to get back into contact with my mentor and I am barely being able to get more experience again.

3.  If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers for your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

      I would want to talk to a lawyer, preferably the ones in my mentorship or other public defenders. Simply because my EQ has to do with their job responsibilities and they are the most educated and experienced about what they do. 

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 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 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.

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?

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.