Legal Aid on Purpose

As an intern at CVLAS this summer, I think I’ve probably gained more real-world knowledge about the practice of the law than I ever will in law school. I’ve gotten to represent clients before the Virginia Employment Commission, observe courtroom proceedings and client meetings, and write briefs and memos for all kinds of different cases.

The summer has been enlightening and rewarding in a lot of ways. For instance, one of the first clients I encountered was a woman who was about to lose her home and be sued for rent she didn’t owe. At the trial, the judge read a bench memo, listened to a great oral argument from my supervising attorney, and ultimately ruled in favor of our client. And I wrote that bench memo. It was a really amazing feeling to know I had done something to help someone who really needed and deserved it.

On the other hand though, my introduction to the realities of our justice system has been eye-opening in some pretty disappointing ways. Maggie said in an earlier blog post that “the law doesn’t always provide justice,” and even though I think we all know that on some level, it can be really hard to see in action. It’s infuriating to see public benefits agencies deny or withdraw help from people who really need it, even though the whole point of public benefits programs is to help people who really need it. It’s discouraging to see landlords who treat their tenants as nuisances or liabilities, rather than people. It’s heartbreaking when a client’s situation is so bad that the best result in a case is a protective order or a divorce.

And I think, for me, the hardest thing about all of the difficult cases that I’ve seen come through our office this summer is how the deck always seems to be stacked against our clients. About a month ago, we listened to speech from Larry Harley, the 2011 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year. He pointed out that one of the most frustrating things about our society is that “we expect everyone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but then we turn around and take away their boots.” But he said something else as well—that he is a legal aid lawyer on purpose. And that really resonated with me, because after 9 weeks at CVLAS I’ve come to see how crucial free legal services are for people who have no other options. I can’t imagine where our clients would be if the amazing lawyers and staff of CVLAS weren’t there to make sure that those clients don’t fall through the cracks.

As my internship is starting to wind down, I’ve done a lot of reflecting; about the cases I’ve helped with this summer, about the ups and downs of our justice system, and about the type of lawyer I want to be one day. It’s been challenging, educational, and ultimately, really, really wonderful. I’m so glad I’ve had the chance to spend a summer working with people who are legal aid lawyers on purpose. As long as people like Steve, Marty, Doris, Chris, and Freddie are a part of the legal field, I’m still pretty sure that it’s a field I will be proud to join one day.

You know, provided I pass that pesky Bar thing…

Jail House Rock

Last Friday all of the interns got to take a field trip to the Richmond City Jail. We were incredibly excited to go, since none of us had ever actually been to a correctional facility before (probably a good thing). We got a full tour of the building and an overview of all of the planning and procedures it takes to run a jail. It was definitely an eye-opening experience in a lot of ways, and a really great experience for a group of future lawyers. One thing that stuck out to all of us in particular was hearing about an inmate who actually got to graduate high school despite being incarcerated. Here's a link to the story. It's pretty heartwarming.

Also, here are some fun facts about jail, for those of you who are interested:

- Jails are usually run by cities or counties, while prisons and penitentiaries are run by federal and state governments.

- If your sentence is 12 months or less, you go to jail; if it is more than twelve months, you go to prison (this is also the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony).

- Some states have actually started contracting out prisons to private companies. There is a lot of debate about the possibly ethical issues that this raises, but proponents say it could help alleviate the problem of overcrowding.

- Speaking of debates over prison conditions, our partners at the Legal Aid Justice Center have a history of fighting for prison reform in the US. Here's a cool article from a couple of years ago.

Happy Wednesday...

...here's another legal intern blog! The interns at the Virginia Poverty Law Center have a fantastic consumer protection blog that you should absolutely check out if you are interested in Virginia poverty law issues (which you probably are, since you are reading this blog to begin with).

Check it out here and on our sidebar.

Justice?

At Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, the attorneys represent clients in civil matters. An attorney's caseload might include matters in family law, landlord/tenant, or unemployment insurance. For a full list of the services at CVLAS, see here. This means that attorneys here don't handle criminal matters; indigent criminal clients are generally represented by public defenders.

However, the interns' work on civil cases does not preempt their interest in criminal matters. Like much of America, the interns have been caught up in the Casey Anthony trial. We all watched the reading of the verdict today, and we have had many debates on the outcome. Why are we so fascinated? Is it because, as law students, we are unconsciously drawn to all things legal? Is it because we have nothing better to do with our spare time without massive law school reading assignments? Or is it because, like most Americans, we want to see justice done? Although all of these are probably true, I think the last is the most important reason we care so much about this trial and the work we do each day.

As interns, we have begun to see behind the scenes of our justice system. I believe many of us have found that it is not the efficient, effective, and (dare I say it?) fair process we hoped it would be. As United State Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. once said, "This is a court of law . . . not a court of justice." After a difficult hearing in which our client lost, one of the CVLAS attorneys counseled his client that "the law doesn't always provide justice."

This may be true, but in only a few short months, the interns have seen justice done. An unlawfully evicted family of four was returned to their home. A former employee who lost his job through no fault of his own received unemployment insurance so that he could feed his family while he worked to find a new position. A hardworking mother of two young children obtained a protective order against her abusive boyfriend, ensuring that her family would no longer have to suffer domestic abuse at his hands.

The interns have met incredible people who are committed to justice: CVLAS attorneys and support staff, judges, clients, and yes, even opposing counsel. Our justice system may not perfect, but we rely on it to make our society a better place. With these people fighting for fairness and equality, I believe that America becomes greater each day. This is why we are in law school, and it is why we intern with legal aid. We may or may not agree with the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial today, but we remain steadfast in our belief in the American legal system. While it does not always provide a perfect solution, more often than not, it does provide justice.