City of Noblesville’s Post

A law student recently asked me what he should read to prepare for an Eighth Circuit internship. Getting to intern with a judge is an honor and a tremendous opportunity. I admired this student’s desire to bring the most value he could to the court and to make the most of his time there. Here are the three things I recommended. I would give the same advice to a law clerk or staff attorney soon to start with the court, and the final piece of advice is valuable for Eighth Circuit practitioners, too: 1. Read some or your judge’s opinions. This will give you a feel for his writing structure and his style. 2. Read the Eighth Circuit Rules and the Rules of Appellate Procedure. No explanation needed. - and - 3. Read the Eighth Circuit’s Internal Operating Procedures manual. It’s this third one that is most interesting and likely most helpful for someone about to work for the court. (I advised the student to start with it.) As the court says in the introduction, this resource “cover[s] the essential and practical processes of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, implementing the statutory mandates, the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedures, the Eighth Circuit’s local rules, and the customs and traditions of this court.” There is great value in knowing the customs and traditions of the court before which you practice. In many instances, these are unwritten and learned slowly through years of practice. But the Eighth Circuit makes this available on its website: https://lnkd.in/g9-QhEfr. This resource is a wealth of information, but it doesn’t contain everything about what Allison Orr Larsen and Neal Devins call the “personality” of the court. See “Circuit Personalities,” 108 Va. L. Rev. 1315 (2022), https://lnkd.in/gsaUNkZu. For that you have to work for or spend years practicing before the court. But this resource is a good starting place for someone about to work for or practice before the Eighth Circuit for the first time. I congratulate this law student on his internship and wish him well. Anyone else have any advice for those soon to intern with or work for a judge? #AppellateLinkedIn #FederalCourts #Clerkships #EighthCircuit

Law students, Part of what you need to learn, if you want to be in court, is how to conduct basic hearings without much notice. Law schools, run by academics, teach bad habits for the courtroom - namely that you will have time to "look it up." You won't. You actually need to memorize some things for court. Start with the Rules of Evidence. Then, the Rules of Procedure. These are your operating instructions for hearings and trial. For those of you who have internships this summer in firms where you are going to Court, I'd suggest reading the Rules of Evidence every night, or after you watch a hearing or examination. The Rules come alive in Court. Court allows you to make sense of the Rules because you are seeing them applied. #lawstudents

Being in courtrooms over the past month has made me realize that it's possible to remain completely calm even while observing criminal jury trials. During the first couple of days of my internship, I attended my first two hearings and vividly remember feeling extremely nervous and anxious about the cases. Although I wasn't the attorney defending the case, sitting on the defendant’s bench, or testifying under oath about the most shameful experience of my life, I still sensed the tension, emotions, and frustrations of all parties involved in the process. It was intriguing to witness how people sometimes create stories and exaggerate details, and to discern who was being truthful. After a couple of weeks, that initial stress dissipated, and I found myself increasingly comfortable spending time in the courtroom, observing everything from straightforward criminal hearings to lengthy jury trials on a variety of issues. I learned even to do some of my work assignments while observing. I became so accustomed to being present during hearings that I'm now considering attending more hearings at another court during the semester when I have time! Would anyone be interested if I compiled a general overview of errors that lawyers commonly make when submitting legal documents to the court? Or possible mistakes to watch out for while in the courtroom? I think that the fresh view might be useful for many because there is always the room for improvements. But, you tell me if you need it! #lawschool #lawclerks #judicialintern

Law students, You’ll lose cases, rulings, arguments, motions, appeals… Courts will reject your premises. Juries will disagree with your entire case. The law is primarily a binary outcome way to resolve disputes. This is especially true for cases that go to trial or head up on appeal. Someone wins. Someone loses. It’s not fun. It’s hard. The sterile, academic casebook method won’t and doesn’t prepare you for this reality. One of its failures. Another reason to go to court and watch and get an internship that puts you into the action. #lawstudents

If you're early in your career, my best advice is this— Say yes to opportunities.  I interned in a prosecutor's office during my 3rd year of law school. One morning, a prosecutor said: “I don’t feel like trying this case. Do you want to?” He was referring to a misdemeanor assault trial on the docket for later that morning. An actual jury trial in Boston, Massachusetts, was not at all what I expected during my internship. I didn't feel ready for a trial. At all. And I was so nervous. But of course I said yes. Thankfully, they didn’t just hand me the case file and wish me luck. The prosecutor responsible for the case was there guiding the proceeding, and opposing counsel was the new intern in the Public Defender’s office. We lost that trial. But afterward, the head prosecutor came by to talk to me. She'd sat in on the trial and told me I’d found my calling. I felt it too, even though I’d started law school intending to be a corporate attorney who never went to court. Instead, I've spent almost my entire career in court. Saying yes to that first terrifying, unexpected, and exhilarating chance to represent a client in court has guided my career. You might feel like you need to be totally ready before you can say yes to an opportunity to grow as a professional. But say yes anyway. Even when—or especially when—you feel like you're not ready.

We are excited to announce that our own Thad Spalding and summer intern Claire Moulton have been published in this month’s issue of #Headnotes by the Dallas Bar Association! Their article explores the new rule allowing appellants to file their own clerk’s records. This achievement not only highlights Thad’s expertise but also reflects the value emerging professionals like Claire bring to our team.  Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g4JqBdMi #DPSLawGroup #Headnotes #DallasBar #Appeals #AppellateLaw #DPSLawFirmNews #MentorshipInLaw #Internship

Meet DAME Legal's 2024 Summer Associates! We have Caroline Clifford, Louisiana State University, Roman Dario, University of Florida, Angie Nestoroska, Western University, Michael Lavinio, Lycoming College, Logan Zayas, University of Alabama, Justin Johnson, Rutgers University, and Christopher Birch, Indiana University (not pictured). Welcome to the DAME Legal team!#lawfirm #njlaw #newjersey #law #njlawyer #njlawyer #interns #associates #legalassociates

I had the honor of serving on a career panel today for my alma mater, Vermont Law and Graduate School. I have helped many law students over the years, and my take-home advice is always this: #lawschool is not trade school! Trade schools do a great job of placing students into their professions. If you train to be a carpenter or electrician, you are practically guaranteed a job after school (a reason, among many, why the trades are undervalued in our country). If you want a career in law after law school, you need to work for it. Students who take on internships, network, and hit the pavement have successful legal careers . . . 100% of the time. Those who do not do this heavy lifting often get stuck in unfulfilling careers. I've seen far too many law school graduates in such unfortunate positions. Law schools (especially mine) have not done enough to bridge the gap between a legal education and a legal career. This is why it is SO important for #lawyers to help the next generation break into our profession. #lawstudents #payitforward

Spotted on the train from Euston to Milton Keynes Central: an important reminder of the importance of careful drafting (and the significance of the humble comma). When most people are asked to imagine a barrister, they are likely to picture an advocate in a court room (probably wearing a wig and a gown, asking a series of damning questions). Drafting orders may not be glamorous, but it does require real skill. Public law children lawyers are often required to produce multiple orders for one hearing (case management orders, police disclosure orders, private children orders, injunctions, medical disclosure orders). The circumstances are often highly pressured (and arguably under-funded). So here’s to the lawyers drafting long and complicated orders this afternoon. May your commas be in the right places and may your colleagues appreciate your efforts. And if you are a mini-pupil or an intern this summer, always ask if you can read the draft orders. There is always learning to be done.

Attention all aspiring lawyers! Get ready to apply for our 1L programs starting November 15, 2024. Don't miss the chance to learn from experienced attorneys like Alondra Ulloa, who will be sharing her valuable insights and tips.  #LawStudents #LegalCareers