Which qualities determine which attorney will be better than others?

Which qualities determine which attorney will be better than others?


* Why did you select this as your essential question?
I am currently working with two criminal justice lawyers.  One is younger and very eager to get stuff done.  He works quickly and has a more aggressive approach to each case.  The other takes a slower and more thoughtful route to each case.  He looks at and analyzes everything about the case.  Both are very successful in their field.  So, I want to know if there a shared quality both of them have, or if there isn't really one set thing that makes the perfect lawyer. 

* What excites you most about finding the answer to this essential question?
Everyone in world has heard an adult say to a kid that argues, that he would make a great attorney.  But, I don't think that's true.  I don't see arguing as the real source of great lawyers.  I think that a lawyer can not have to argue, and simply present a well-crafted and well-spoken position in a case.  But, there may be more debate in a courtroom than I know about.  So, I want to know what happens in a courtroom and what would be the best way to perform it.  

* Do you feel that this question accurately reflects a desire/need that you have to find out more about this topic?
Yes.  This topic leads into research about lawyers and what goes on in a courtroom.  Also, this will help for the future, because I will know what qualities I should grow and improve in order to be the best.   In researching this question, I will hopefully come to understand lawyers better and understand why you would want to become one.  Because, even though I currently believe I want to be a lawyer, that can change.  So, this will help guide me into making that decision. 

Article Reflection

1. Provide the link (below) to the article in your reflection. 
   http://growingleaders.com/blog/first-soft-skill-develop-students/
    
2. Discuss several challenges youth may face in the workplace.
    Many youths lack the emotional ability to work.  Either they are too forward, loud, self-absorbed, or they lack self-awareness.  This makes them unsuitable candidates in a profession.  Many young people develop these characteristics as they grow up.  Children are always told they are special snowflakes, when in reality they are just like everyone else.  However, because they grow up with the "special snowflake" mindset, they believe that they are better than everyone else and only their beliefs matter.  This means that they believe their ideas are best, their look is ideal, and their abilities are supreme.  Who would want to work with someone so egotistical. 
   
   
3. Discuss social intelligence.
   Social intelligence is understanding what is going on with others around and acting accordingly.  This means understanding and being empathetic and also knowing the correct time and place to say whatever it is one is to say.  Social intelligence also includes knowing how to carry yourself in any given situation, which is to say knowing when to be confident and in charge and when to be quiet and ready to listen. 
   
4. Why is social intelligence important?
   Social intelligence is important because we have to understand the social ques that delegate our understanding of others current feelings in a situation.  If we cannot figure out how others feel, than we may come across as rude and unfriendly, which isn't just bad for the workplace, but is is bad for all of life.
   
   
   
5. Name one thing that spoke to you personally about the article.
   Being a decent human being.  This article is generally saying that young people are too boastful and believe that they are worth more than they are.  Because of this belief, people are loosing social intelligence.  So, basically the article is saying that people need to get a grip on reality and be more understanding towards others.

Criminal Defense PowerPoint

Here is a link to download my powerpoint over criminal defense lawyers.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/adq2v2sv1cysftg/Private%20Public%20Defender.pptx?dl=0

Nov 7th

 How you feel they are a “partner in your education

I feel that my employers are a partner in my education because they assist me and go out of their way to find tasks for me, that are new and part of their attorney job.  I want to learn how to be an attorney.  So, every time I am assigned a new job that is relevant and part the lawyer role I learn a little more about what the job entails.  Both attorneys know I want to learn how to be an attorney, and both will try to find even small parts of their job that I can assist them with.  For example, just recently one had a case that he needed someone to call a witness who phoned in a 911 call to subpoena him.  He asked me to make the call.  I've never done this, nor really knew what it meant to be subpoenaed.  So, obviously I learned what it was I was doing.  I do tasks like like this often and each time I learn something new, and all of that wouldn't be possible without the attorneys.




Have you learned about new jobs or careers while at your internship?  If so, what are they and what are your thoughts about them?
  I have learned that there are lot of jobs you don't think about.  When you think about the judicial system you think of the judge, prosecute, defense attorney, and the person on trial.  But, in order for the system to go on, you have to set up the paperwork with the Solicitor, the DA or Solicitor's secretary.  You have to create a subpoena for each witness.  Check in with the prosecutor, which means getting pleading and piece of discovery from their paralegal.  To me, all of these jobs are very important, but at the same time they are very boring.  They do the same thing every day.  Bot, never the less, these jobs are crucial to the process and keep the system afloat.
What have you done that has made your supervisor’s life easier?

I can do part of the paralegal's work.  I file, take paperwork to and from courthouses, the jail, and other places around Georgia, and I help with the small things around the office.  For the attorneys, I do research to assist them with their cases.  Which means, that instead of having to take time out of their day to go down to the courthouse to go inside the law library, I can do that for them.  I also, save them the expense of having to learn how to do something more "new age."  For example, just recently I was given the job of making a 100 slide PowerPoint for one of the attorney's presentation.  He will give me the information, but he isn't great at using PowerPoint.  So, I will make it for him.

Mentorship Write Up

My Profile: 

I always belonged to the honors or higher learning programs at whichever level of school I belonged too.  I did participate in sports at one point, mainly soccer, up until 8th grade.  After that I focused solely on academics.  So, in high school I took all the ap classes and honors classes I could; I even took a few Criminal Justice classes at Lanier Technical College.  In high school, I tried doing I few things.  I was in the band freshmen year; I played clarinet at the time and was first chair all middle school and that year in high school, but I didn't feel like I fit in with the rest of people in the band.  However, I continue to play the piano on my own.  Sophomore year I auditioned for an after school club called "Mock Trial."  I made the team and have been in it since.  Our team won district two years in a row and hope to win state this year.   

My Mentorship:
Last year, my junior year of high school, my AP literature teacher, who also was my Mock Trial coach, told me about a new help wanted listing on the school's website.  It was for an internship at a law firm.  I was fortunate enough to get an interview.  Obviously I was nervous at the interview.  An attorney is not someone you want questioning you about your character and who you are.  But, I had become decent at speaking over my time with Mock Trial, and I was able to perform well in the interview.  I became an intern that Summer in 2016 and have worked at the firm since.  I enjoy working for the firm greatly.  It's been increasingly interesting as I'm increasingly allowed to do more and more for the firm.  Now, I traval over Georgia to the surrounding counties' courthouses to deliver pleadings and motions.  I also do research for the two attorneys I work for.  I have learned how to use Westlaw, which is a program that all lawyers use to look up laws and previous court cases.  I'm very happy to know that I'll be able to continue to work for the law firm for a few more monthes until I head off to college. 

My future:  

Next year I plan to start college.  I have been picking up skills that are useful in everyday situations, like speaking to new people in a formal setting and how to travel.  However, the big take-away from the internship will be experience in being an attorney.  Maybe not mext year, but in a few years from now I'll be taking a class on material that I've already been introduced to on the job.  So, in a small way, I'll be ahead of the game, which in law school will be essential to my success. 

                              

Oct 24th

How has your perception of the internship/organization changed since you started the internship?

 I have come to understand more about how private public attorneys think.  At first, I assumed that the attorneys I would be working for were stern, scary people.  However, over the course of my internship thus far, I learned that the attorneys I work for are very nice people who wish to help people through tough times.

What is surprising you about this internship?

How interesting it is and what I'm allowed to do.  I had at first believed that I would be a "coffee boy."  But this is not the case.  I run all over Georgia going to different courthouses to deliver pleadings, I research laws and previous cases that could be used in a current client's case, and I file and do other day-to-day activities that are not as fun.  

What have you learned from the routine or boring parts of the internship?

I have learned that while going to court and speaking with clients and doing the more interesting stuff is a big part of being an attorney, another big portion is a great deal of paper work and other somewhat tedious tasks.  

Reflection: Oct 17

Reflection

How does the book or article fit into your potential research?  What does it add to your paper or ideas?

The article I chose, which was over the lack of public defenders for the state to use, fits into my research over if I really do want to be an attorney.  It adds the possible control the state and condition of the city has over an attorney's employment and freedoms over his own work.  While this isn't a magnanimous issue because it only effects areas that are impoverished, I have seen, in my own internship, how even private public defenders help the state.  So, the article adds to the deciding factors of not going into law.

Was the source helpful to you? Does the source relate to your potential topic?

Yes, the source shed light on a subject I had never thought of, previously.  Yes, while the article is not preciously about going into law and more-so about the condition of a few counties in Louisiana, it still provides plenty of information for my topic. 

How and where can you use this source in your potential research project?

I can use this source as a factor in my against section.  My research question, is going to be something similar to: Should I become an attorney?  The article I found will be used to give a negative perspective on public defenders, therefore it will say why I should not become an attorney.  To be precise, the article says that public defenders are underfunded in the judicial system, which leads to an unjust judge and an unjust trial system.  The people in this unjust system are either stuck in judgement purgatory never to be given a trial or rushed through their own trial and not given a fair chance to prove their own innocence.  Also, because of the unjust system, private attorneys are being used to work on public cases.  

Graphic Organizer Oct 10

Name: Kyle Butler                “In Louisiana, the Poor Lack Legal Defense”

Source #____ Bibliography (MLA or APA) 10 pts	Robertson, C. (2016). In Louisiana, the Poor Lack Legal Defense. Retrieved October 16, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/us/in-louisiana-the-poor-lack-legal-defense.html?_r=0
Annotation: (Describe ALL info. that might be important for your paper. Explain to the reader and/or summarize what might be found in this source) 35 pts	Poor cities are losing funding for public defenders, so the cities end up with an extreme lack of attorneys.  Because people do not have an attorney, they’re court dates are postponed indefinitely.  In the town of Abbeville, LA, the list of people who are waiting for their public defender is over 2,300 people.  Judges are ordering private lawyers to represent people for free.  Courts are reviving less money.  Judges are rushing to finish cases, one case lasted 1-2 minutes and ended with a 52,000-dollar bond.
Potential Quotes: (Are there any significant quotes you can use or paraphrase from this source?) 15 pts	“I’m the public defender in Vermilion Parish, right now the only public defender,” “because he had no lawyer, had no court date scheduled for the foreseeable future” “The number of tickets filed in Louisiana courts dropped by more than a quarter between 2009 and 2014” “Without a lawyer, he cannot make the case for a bail reduction. Without getting out of jail, he cannot go back to work. And so he waits.”
Assessment: (Analyze and explain why this source is credible) 15 pts	This source is credible because of the news company, The New York Times, the statistics used and quotations of individuals in the community.  The article gives information by using a quote from a man who has gone through the system with no attorney, it gives the statistics on how many districts in LA have attorney waiting lists, 7 of 42, and how many people are on those lists, 2300. The article also uses well known and respected people, for example the Orleans Parish chief public defender is quoted in the article.
Reflection: (How will you potentially use it?) 25 pts	I will use this article to say why you should or shouldn’t go in law and what the possible future is for any lawyer.  This article points out how even private attorneys are at risk of being affected by the state’s lack of funding, which being the area I want to go into, is a big issue.  The article also shows how unfair the justice system can be and how people go with an unfair trial that is biased against them, solely for the purpose of saving time and money.

Ethics Assignment

   The work ethics assignment was taking a survey that asked what you thought of yourself when it came to having certain qualities, such as being devoted, pleasant, and conscientious.  In truth, this wasn't a very good way conducting a test, because no one would put that they are not dependable or that they are not pleasant.  You don't think ill of yourself, typically.  However, the test did make you think about how you truly are to others around you, so score aside, you do earnestly look at yourself and judge whether what you do is ethically right or wrong.
   I learned, based of the readings provided and the test, that I am an ethically good person.  I am dependable and hard working.  This will help in a professional environment because my employers will be able to trust me and keep me on their team as a valued member.  If I continue my current values I would be able to help any company and act as a good employee.

Communication

   Why is Each Situation Different?
With communication, each situation that you communicate to someone in will always be different.  This is due to the medium used to communicate, i.e. if you are using a phone to text, an in person, verbal conversation, or even if you are using an abnormal way of talking such as morse code or sign language.  Beside the medium, each conversation you have will be different because the topic will vary, the way you feel at the moment determines how reprehensible you are to other's ideas, the person you are communicating with may change, and the way other's feel changes how they communicate.  For example, if someone is in an angry mood, they typically aren't going to want to communicate for a long period of time and generally do not want their ideas questioned.  However, on the flip-side, someone who is nothing but happy, he will communicate with others for long periods of time, if need be and be open to topics and ideas.
   What are the expectations of each person?
The expectations of the receiving end of communication changes per person, and more broadly the type of person.  A friend would expect to communicate using a less formal tone and with open honesty about the topics.  A family member would expect to hear the truth of a situation but with a more formal tone, yet loving, tone.  A potential employer would expect a very formal tone that says only good things that would help their company.
   Points to consider when talking to your mentor
Points to consider when talking to your mentor would be to be calm, loud, and clear in your speech.  In actual conversation, you should speak formally and to-the-point to best not take up too much of your mentor's time.  Also, you should be cheerful and not too serious to the point where you ruin the atmosphere of the company.

Sunday, September 11th Getting Ready for your Mentoship

Summary and Reflections on "Getting Ready for your Mentorship"

Summary- The article starts out by telling the reader to do everything he can in his upcoming internship because doing so will only help you in the long run.  The article then leads into tips about your beginnings on the job, which include simple tasks such as being on time, talk to your employer, figure out what you will be doing, and how to act professionally.   The article also points out the obvious "dos and don'ts" of an internship.  The "dos" consist of being on time, working hard, being positive, respect others, etc, while the "don'ts" include being late, being laze, disrespectful, dress inappropriately, and so on.  Finally, how to end your internship is appropriately the last topic in the article.  It tells the reader that you can possibly earn credit for your internship and that you should leave with all paper work completed, at least a week's notice, and and "in the works" projects finished.

Reflections-  The article is pretty obvious for the most part.  Your internship matters because you can use it on a later resume to help get in colleges or jobs.  Everyone knows you should be on-time, show respect, and work hard in a professional setting.  I have had my internship for a few months now and have tried my best to adhere to this code from the get-go.   It is true that you should use your internship to learn about what it is you want to do in the future, so doing your best work and immersing yourself in the job will allow you to understand better what your future job may entail. One new thing I learned from this article was that you can get a certificate for your internship at career.fsu.edu/cip.  So, overall the article is good for general notes about an internship and how to act.

Aug 29th Kyle's Blog

     In this video, I am showing that I am a leader because I take the initiative to do work, put information into an excel spreadsheet, that I was not told to do.  I also am able to see that doing this work would help the entire workforce and help improve the job.

2A-

Reflection:   In Russo's talk, he mentions how people do care about the problems plaguing society, however the reason why no one chooses to change the world is that they don't care.  I don't believe you should care about everything; if you do than you wouldn't be able to focus on one problem and solve it.  So, you must choose one issue that you devote yourself too in order to help change the problem and find a solution.  This is the only way for things to change, and if everyone finds that one thing then the world will change as a whole.

Statement-  I hope to be able to change how people are treated by going through the court systems and challenging the current laws and limitations that bind us.

Reflection on the Getting to Know Your Mentor handout and podcast-
-The tips pointed out in the two pieces were very similar.  Be kind and confident in your new job.  Don't slack off or act inappropriately.  The biggest goal to make in order to be successful in your internship is to be hardworking.  As long as you try to do everything your mentor tells you to do to the best of your ability, you'll be fine.  Also, what the "Knowing Your Mentor" handout more so informs upon are the questions your new employers will have for you.  But, from what I've experienced so far in my internship, is that when answering a question, just speak loudly, clearly, and don't beat around the bush in order to best communicate your thoughts.  The gist of it is to act similar to how you would in a classroom of a teacher you respect.  Dress like you're going to a job, because you are.  Be positive and active.  Tell the truth.  Be a good a person.
   *What do you envision gaining from your mentorship? What actions will you take to ensure you get the most from your experiences? How is this preparing you for the future?

  In my mentorship, I hope to learn if I really do want to become an attorney.  I want to see what the job entails, meaning who I would have to talk to, what I do every day, if I like what I would have to do, and every other aspect of the work.  In order to best generate an understanding of my mentor's work, I will work hard and complete every task so I will be able to experience everything I can in the amount of time I have.  If I truly do wish to become an attorney, it is an early start in knowing what I should be good at, or what I should better.  This also helps me by providing the valuable experience of working in a professional setting that isn't a typical teenager, minimum wage job. (i.e. fast food or clothing)