Pay attention to not only to what you say but also how it looks.

Typography might sound like the kind of thing that only skinny hipsters with thick rimmed glasses would talk about with words like kerning, and en dash, and pica--not a fuzzy critter that lives on rocky slopes--but it is really a useful thing for everybody to be aware of.  If it hurts to look at what your write, no one will pay attention long enough to get your point.  This is a battle in resumes and cover letters as well as legal pleadings and documents.

Fortunately, the internet has come to the rescue in the guise of attorney Matthew Butterick with Typography for Lawyers (also available in dead tree version). I cannot say I agree with everything he says, but then I have been known to wear thick rimmed glasses...

(via Swiss Miss)

Words, speech, and a free press.

There are some words that make public interest lawyers get out of bed in the morning ready to fight:

Note the contrast between:

"Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government."

via the US Supreme Court NY Times v. US 1971

and:

Referring to publishing WikiLeaks releases:  “To me the New York Times has committed at least an act of bad citizenship, but whether they have committed a crime is a matter of discussion for the justice department.” Senator Joe Lieberman 2010

via Daring Fireball 

Success and Happiness

Why I don’t care about success

"So forget about “success”, and just find joy, passion, love, awesome-ness right now, in this moment. *That* is a success you can achieve, without any self-help course, without any method. Just go out and do it."

via: Zen Habits

Grammar can be fun!

Bad grammar is the bane of pedantic internet trolls and the source of 47%* of those soul-sucking blog comment that I detest.  Grammar can also be the bane of the cover letter and the cause of your application promptly reaching the soul-sucking recycle bin**, so it is important to pay attention and, when in doubt, check the rules.

Fortunately, sometimes the internet gives something back; when it comes to grammar those gifts from the internet can be lovely.  You can check out some fun web comics from theoatmeal.com where you can learn about grammar along with information about kittens riding goats, bacon hats, hairy knuckles, out-drinking pandas, the dangers of leapfrogging a unicorn, and bears:

• learn about semicolons,
• learn about i.e.,
• learn about words you might be misspelling, and
• learn about apostrophes. 

If you are after grammar advice on a variety of topics, I like

• Paul Brian's Common Errors in English Usage*** and
• Grammar Girl.

*Not scientifically verified.
**The recycle bin only sucks souls when your application ends up there, at all other times it is the source of light and joy in the universe, much like a double rainbow or kittens.
***Also available in book form. I remember when all we had was the internet in book form, we called it the library, and we used Ethel the reference librarian instead of Google...oh days of yore.

Wisdom from blog comments

Sometimes a million monkeys randomly banging away on blog comment boxes do produce a little wisdom, no Shakespeare, but still wisdom.  I typically find blog comments to be the largest waste of time and bandwidth on the internet; for some reason this is particularly true of legal blog comments:  sound and fury in abundance but completely devoid of significance--perhaps it is Shakespeare after all.  Against my better judgement, today, I read the comments on an ABA article.  Along with the usual comment induced heightening of my blood pressure and thoughts that rhyme with "LaRouche Swag" and "Back Sass,"  came the unusual feeling that someone had struck on a moment of ever so slight enlightenment:

"Atticus Finch didn’t work in a law factory and probably made just enough to feed his family. If new attorneys are willing to accept that, they can all be Atticus Finches, too. Want to fight for justice in the courtroom? Become a prosecutor or a public defender or start your own solo practice."  --quote some person called MAC in a blog comment

 Delivery of legal services to the poor depends on countless hours performed by private attorneys in big firms, and many people augment the fulfillment they normally get from a larger firm job with pro bono work and community involvement.  Often those larger firm attorneys are able to give larger contributions to pro bono work and the community because of the money and resources at their disposal.  But there is more to the job of a large firm attorney than what they do in their unbilled time.

New lawyers can and do make profound contributions to justice while working at larger firms, but--pay attention, this is the important part--if your purpose and drive is to help the helpless, to protect the innocent or the innocent victims, or to save the world, you are likely to feel unfulfilled and unhappy if your work's main motivation and driving force is not the same.  At the end of the day, the master of the large firm attorney is the paying client, not the pro bono client.

If you came to law school because you want to stand on the side of the Tom Robinsons of the world, if you believe Boo Radley deserves his dignity, then make sure your work's purpose is standing up for Tom Robinson or delivering dignity to Boo Radley.  If you take a public service or public interest position, debt be damned, your reward will follow, it may not be in the form of dollars, but trust that your reward will follow.

What Public Interest Lawyers Believe

Everyone is full of grace and beauty.

Reporting Your Volunteer Hours FAQ

Q1: When must my hours be reported?

A1: Monday April 5, 2010.

Q2: My form says hours are due April 2, 2010, are you sure they are due on Monday?

A2: I am sure, you hours are due Monday April 5, 2010. Do not panic; if you ask nicely, and you completed your time before April 1, Bill will probably accept your form later, but you might not be in time for the awards lunch.

Q3: Form? Where do I get a form to report my hours with?

A3: http://www.lclark.edu/livewhale/download/?id=97

Q4: How many hours do I need for an honors award?

A4: 30 hours.

Q5: What do I get if I report 30 or more hours?

A5: You receive an honors certificate (suitable for framing), recognition in the graduation program (suitable for impressing parents), designation on your transcript(suitable for noting on your resume), and lunch at noon on April 15th (suitable for eating, it is delicious Indian food).

Q6: I do not have 30 hours and I am thinking of not bothering reporting my hours, should I report them?

A6: Yes, you should report your time even if you have less than 30 hours. Your time counts toward the school's annual total reported to the Oregon State Bar--if enough people report, we can beat University of Oregon in total hours given. Also, you time can be accumulated toward the Public Interest Certificate if you are headed in that direction. Plus, if you report your hours, Bill will be happy and you will feel like a pillar of your community.

Q7: What counts?

A7: Almost anything that you do for a non-profit, church, social group, court, bar association, government office, or campaign will count as either community service or pro bono time. Have someone sign off on the time you have put in, and Bill will sort it out.

Q8: I volunteered all last summer, does that count?

A8: Yes, report your time.

Q9: What about time I put into the PILP Auction or for another student group?

A9: Generally, student group work does not count. The exception is, if the work has primarily an off-campus effect, then it can count. Things like project work for NEDC, NLG legal observing, some projects with EJA and SALDF, mentoring and supporting the mentoring program through BLSA and MLSA, putting in extra hours at the clinic, and helping with the VITA tax program count. If you can point to someone off campus who directly benefits from your work, you can probably convince Bill that it should count.

Q10: What if I put in more hours than required by my paid internship or more at clinic than required for credit?

A10: If you put in extra time and you do not receive pay or credit for that extra time, it counts and you should have your time signed off on.

Q11: I keep getting eaten by the Grue, what do I do?

A11: Try staying in the light or taking a light with you into dark places and the Gures will never bother you.

Q12: Grue? What are you on about?

A12: Before there were internets, there were electronic bulletin boards and usenet with FAQs like this for things like ZORK. No computer should be without one.

Q13: Hey shut up about the Grue, is there anything else I should know about volunteer hours?

A13: You bet, you can find it all in the Handbook http://www.lclark.edu/livewhale/download/?id=96