The Law and it's Process

Four components of the Capstone Project are   critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. Having my mentor explain the mechanics that go into every case he prepares, forced me to think more critically when trying to process everything he was telling me. I learned how to understand this overall process better and also see the critical thinking that comes along with the job itself. Communication, I was able to communicate with different types of people during my hours, different lawyers and judges whom all had different opinions. My mentor himself emphasized the importance of communication in law, and the sole purpose is to communicate your argument. I was also able to collaborate with different lawyers, as they helped me understand the process better and show me aspects of their job. I was able to also see the collaboration of my mentor and another lawyer whom he was working with on his case. I learned that collaboration does not end with this project, and will...

For my last time meeting with my mentor, we just went back to his law firm and he introduced to more people who worked there. We sat down and he showed me his schedule, and future cases he had coming up. He said some of them were in San Jose, and said that part of being a lawyer is commuting to a lot of places for your trials. He taught me how to file some of his papers and how to make some calls to the clients. He told me communication is huge aspect of being a lawyer, and if you don't know how to communicate then you're not doing your job. He told me it's mixed with a lot of time management, pressure, and a sense of competitiveness. He said it's a lot of commitment to become a lawyer, but in the end he enjoys his job. He showed me what you need to do to become one. You have to get bachelors degree, then you have to go to law school, pass the bar exam. It's a lot of work to become one, but he seems to like it. From this I was able to learn the steps to take to actu...

Another brief yet interesting day. My mentor and I went back to the courthouse in Hayward to speak with one of the judges about his current case. He simply needed to make an appearance with his client and ask to reschedule some dates. The other lawyer failed to have his client show up, which is why the dates needed to be changed. My mentor, however, was busy on all available days, so the judge asked my mentor to hire someone to show up in his place. My mentor then asked me to wait inside the courtroom as he went to the back of the room to get some files. As I sat down, another trial was happening before me. It was those glass windows again, and there was an inmate in his orange jumpsuit standing behind the glass window. He was speaking to the judge directly and he asked his lawyer to hand the judge a handwritten letter. The judge quickly skimmed through the letter and put it down. The man then asked if he could say something. He said something along the lines of "I don't deser...

This day my mentor needed to meet up with a lawyer he was working with for a case. So we drove down to a courthouse in San Francisco, and went through the same process. We sat in the lobby and they explained to me the premise of this new case. I began understanding the legal aspects of it more, rather than just the "story" that comes with a case. I learned more about the options each side has, and what my mentor, as a lawyer, is trying to do to get the better end of the stick for his client. They told me about the different statements made by each side, and how it all comes together in the end. The case he had received dealt with a group of people living in a certain area facing discrimination based on race. Those people had been living in that area for years, and recently faced violent confrontation from security in that area. The people are pressing charges for the treatment, and my mentor is defending them in it. It's more complicated then it seems, but I've been a...

This day with my mentor was brief, as he just needed to file a paper at one of the courthouses. He wanted to show me the process of filing the case paper. So we walked into the courthouse in San Francisco, and we went to this part of the lobby that had signs that read "Criminal" and "Family." My mentor told me the case he was filing for was criminal, so we waited for them to call our number to go file the paper. When we finally went inside, there was a lady behind a glass window sitting in her desk. My mentor handed her the paper, as the lady simply needed to stamp it and turn it in. However, she said she could not stamp it, because it was not the original file. My mentor told her that the prosecutor had taken the original file, but the lady said she still needed it. So my mentor explained to me that he needed to speak to the district attorney in order to get the original file with the signature. So we walked back into the courtroom, and my mentor had to try to get ...

Today my mentor and I drove out to Hayward for the court case involving the woman supposedly killing her business partner. On the drive there, my mentor gave me more insight on the case, and he explained to me how the courtroom would be set up. He told me in the courthouse in Hayward, his client would be behind a glass window, rather than with him. When we arrived into the courthouse, the regular procedure began. You go through this metal detector, so we had to remove some of our items and place it on the tray. Afterwards, we find the courtroom and check the paper that is taped on the wall next to it. His case was last on the list so we waited outside the courtroom. Later it opened and we both went inside. I sat next to a couple of other lawyers in the room. From across the room, on the right of the judge's podium was the glass window my mentor had mentioned. Behind the glass window were inmates in their orange jumpsuits speaking to their lawyers. Tony Serra and my mentor spoke to ...

Today I went to my mentor's law firm to discuss another case he has received. His client is a woman who is charged with murder for supposedly hiring hit men to kill her former business partner. Apparently she and her business partner sold marijuana and recently were facing issues with the business. My mentor explained that his client could also be sentenced to the death, so the case is pretty serious. He explained that there is no direct connection between his client and the hit-men, just a phone call that was illegally uncovered.While he was explaining the premise of the case, he received a phone call. After he hung up, he explained to me that it was the mother of his client and she was asking him how everything was. It's crazy to imagine having your own kid be sentenced to death, and this rests on the case and how the lawyers perform. My mentor then introduced me to Tony Serra, a lawyer he is working with on the case. My mentor explained to me that Tony Serra is a very famous...

Today my mentor and I went to the courthouse in San Francisco for an appearance. As we entered the courtroom, I sat down next to other lawyers who were there. My mentor then took us to a room behind the courtroom before the trial begun. In that room was the judge, who was sitting at his desk, along with other lawyers. My mentor introduced me to the judge and the judge asked me questions about my project and my future plans. He wished me luck if I ever wanted to pursue a career as a lawyer. Although I wasn't planning on becoming a lawyer in the future, it was nice to have a judge give his blessing. After 30 minutes of lawyers talking among themselves, we all went back into the courtroom. The judge then put on his robe and the trial began. It was a bit difficult to follow what was going on, as it was only the first appearance of the case. There was a lot of negotiating between my mentor, the other lawyer, and the judge. Afterwards, my mentor and I sat in the hall and he told me what ...

Third day, I went to my mentor's law firm in San Francisco. He introduced me to more lawyers he worked alongside with. They were all very nice, and some looked very stressed out. My mentor told me stress is a factor that comes along with being a lawyer, but it is avoidable in some cases. He told me about a case that he had coming up involving a DUI. He was defending the man who got a DUI for the third time in nine years. My mentor told me the background information of the case and how he planned to defend him. It was interesting to see all the factors that went along with the case. For example, my mentor told me the man had just gotten a divorce and had attempted suicide. These factors all played a part in the case, and could possibly effect his sentencing. It was interesting to see how all these pieces came together as my mentor presented his defense. He told me the first court appearance was scheduled on March 10. Although we just spent the day talking with the other lawyers and ...

Second day meeting with my mentor, we went to the Superior Court of California in San Francisco, a courthouse where he needed to make an appearance. He showed me the exterior of the courthouse, and how he needed to make an appearance to speak with the judge about his case. As we waited outside the room, I noticed many lawyers dressed in suits, carrying files and briefcases. It was interesting to see all these lawyers in this same place at once, about to present their case. My mentor then greeted another lawyer, and he introduced me to her. He said they went to law school together, and it had been a while since they had seen each other. Once the room opened, he told me to sit inside the courtroom. There were many different people sitting around me, those who have gone through this process before. The judge did sort of a roll call, seeing which lawyers were present and if their clients were there too. When called on, my mentor told the judge that he would like to reschedule their appeara...

The first day I met with my mentor and we drove to his office in San Francisco. It was at Pier 5 Offices, a law firm filled with offices for independent lawyers in the Bay Area. He gave me a tour of the office, and introduced me to other lawyers he worked alongside. Since it was my first day, we just sat it in his office and spoke about his job. I asked him questions about being a lawyer, how he came to become one, and if it was ever his first choice. He told me the story of how he chose this career, stating it was never in his mindset to become a lawyer during his high school years. He said he initially wanted to be a musician and how throughout his college years he eventually realized he wanted to be a lawyer. He gave me insight into the process in becoming a lawyer, the schooling he went through, and the stress that comes along with the job. I always knew being a lawyer was stressful, but hearing it come from him made it seem not that bad. He told me about the different colleges he ...