Author: will_hankins

Today was my last day. We spent the morning copying files and getting organized for the rest of the week. Around noon we left for the courthouse. We had a trial for a domestic violence case and then we had another trial for a DUI. We then pulled files and contacted clients about their cases for the rest of the afternoon.

Today we met with 2 clients at the office. One of them was trying to apply to be a firefighter so we needed to get his hit and run expunged from his record so he would get accepted. Our second client wanted to work out a plea deal that would help avoid her going to jail. She was in a position where going to jail, even for a small amount of time, would severely mess up her employment and her relationships. We spent the rest of the day reviewing legal precedents that may help him in his federal cases.

Today we didn’t have much work to do at the courthouse. We had no cases today so Mr. McCoppin just went to the courthouse to collect paperwork and then met me at the office. We spent the day going through his federal cases and reviewing the evidence provided by the prosecutors for those cases. I made copies of motions he intended to file and stapled them together in packets for the defendant, the prosecutor, the judge, and Mr. McCoppin.

Today we left for court very early. We had a full day so we needed to get a head start. We met at the office at 8:30 and then got to court around 9 and didn’t leave until 5. We were joined today by a 3rd-year law student named Michael. Throughout the day we discussed rules of evidence and the objections that defense attorneys can make including hearsay, relevancy, and leading. We also met with 2 DUI clients and one domestic abuse client.

Today was my first day so we didn’t do much. We first toured the office so I could get oriented. I learned how to use the computer system and the copier/printer. We printed all of the files we needed for court and then left the office around noon. When we got to court we walked around the entire courthouse and talked about what each courthouse floor was dedicated to. We then met with a DUI client and left for the day.