On my first day of my Summer Law School Internship, I experienced my
first “LALALand” culture shock when I entered the ramp leading to the entrance
of the Santa Monica Freeway on my way to the Spring Street Courthouse and the
Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. … Why
were there traffic lights at the bottom entrance of the Freeway?? . . Am I supposed to stop at the entrance?!?.
. What happens if I don’t?? . . . Will I get a ticket on my first day as a
“Fed” clerk because I didn’t stop at the entrance? . Would I have enough money if I needed bail? Later that morning at
the office, I was told by a fellow clerk that the lights were “an LA thing”
that I would have to get used to. One problem
settled.
But there was more culture shock: what about the HUGH green signs designating the names of the streets as
you approached the intersections throughout the city?? I’d never seen signs that were so big and so convenient to read (Remember, I was born in New York
where the signs were either graffiti-ed over, or had been stolen years ago!). .
. Oh, there’s more. . what about those rather creative vanity plates like “CLNAIR,”
and “DVUS4EVER?” Nothing quite that clever back in D.C!
At work, I was assigned as a “general” law clerk in the Criminal
Division. My duties included reviewing pending files in search for missing
documents; making phone calls to perspective witnesses; and, even calling and
speaking with the defense attorneys on pending cases. My contact with the
various attorneys was by far the most interesting work that I was doing. Their
responses to my calls ranged from being solicitous and promising jobs after law
school (“gotta keep the AUSA’s happy! …maybe
my client will get a good deal if I treat this kind right!”), to rude (“you’re just a law student, what are you
talking about?!!”). Some were even downright nasty. However, coming from
New York, this kind of “back and forth” never fazed me. I’d heard it all
already. . “FUHGEDDABOUTIT, people!”
I was happy and busy and worked hard. However, I did find time to "play" during the summer of my summer internship. I went to both Dodger
and Angel baseball games during my summer (the trek from Santa Monica to
Anaheim was long, but all in a good cause – major league baseball). I also found time to go to many comedy clubs and was able to catch Jay Leno in person (I thought I was going to
die from laughter!). There was also the beach and experiencing lazy days in Venice just relaxing and taking in the boardwalk and the Pacific Ocean. All work and no play surely makes for a boring law student
and future lawyer.
On Fridays, I would often be allowed to leave the office
early with the hope of beating the traffic back to Santa Monica before “rush
hour.” A word to the wise coming from the East: this is impossible to do if you got on the road anytime after 2:00pm in the
afternoon. (Yes, I did say 2:00 pm). The Freeway is a complete parking lot on
a Friday afternoon (probably any day of the week these days).
My big break came when I was asked to assist then Assistant
U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ann Stoltz in a white collar crime case involving bribes for
business in the airline industry (Ms. Stoltz later was named to the bench and
went on to an illustrious career as a Superior Court Judge in Los Angeles). I
don’t remember the specifics of the case as I was, for the most part, the clerk
who transported the files and exhibits to the courtroom and only had limited
(if any) exposure to the pre-trial preparations. I was able to sit in the first row of the court room and learned so much about trial procedure by simply being able to watch and assist from time to time. In this regard, I could tell that it was a “big” case. Adding to the drama of the case was the fact
that, at the time, AUSA Stoltz was pregnant and the office even had a “backup”
team ready to try the case, should she not be able to do so.
Finally, on a beautiful sunny late July morning, it was time
for the trial to commence. There is nothing quite like a federal courthouse
courtroom. The huge eagle that usually rested above the judge’s chair gave the
room an aura of majesty. You were truly in the “big leagues” when trying a case
in Federal Court:
I can still scan the courtroom and see the two defense
tables. There were multiple defendants and each one had a “team” of lawyers who
all looked like the lawyers pictured above from the “LA Law” television series
of the eighties. Picture two tables of overachieving, well paid, Armani suited
(all men) lawyers on one side.
. . . Then there was the U.S. Government represented by a
pregnant woman, moving slowing into the courtroom, a youthful second chair, and a dorky looking law
school intern bringing up the rear with a shopping cart filled with documents,
exhibits, and files that the government was using to prosecute the case. . . It
seemed so uneven. The U.S. Government looked so overmatched in this gunfight. You
had to feel sorry for this uneven threesome, right?
Well, let me tell you, by the time AUSA Stoltz had presented
her case-in-chief and got through with the testifying defendants on cross-examination,
the case had been won! There was no reason even for the judge to even render
the verdict. . GUILTY! Ring 'em up!
One defendant had literally been left weeping bitterly on
the stand when AUSA Stoltz had finished with him and walked back to her seat at
the prosecution table. If the trial had been a heavyweight prize fight, the
defendants’ managers would each have thrown a towel into the “ring” before closing
arguments! The immortal words of fighter Roberto Duran would have resounded
through the court room – “No Mas!!!”). Great trial, great
experience.
-----
I had a wonderful experience in Los Angeles during my summer
internship. One thing that I obtained that was helpful was a writing sample and networking contacts, including Judge Stoltz who was kind enough to
provide me with a strong letter of recommendation which helped me (I believe)
to land my first job out of law school with the Kings County (Brooklyn, NY)
District Attorney’s Office. Don’t leave
your summer internship without having asked for the opportunity to do a legal
memo, or without a list of networking contacts -- attorneys and judges who may
be able to help you with your career.
Students, make the most out of your summer internships this
summer. Ask for work (especially research/legal writing kind of work! that will
translate into a writing sample!), and make sure you get feedback from your
supervisors as to the work you do. Finally, make those networking contacts – you
will have them for a lifetime. Some of these people may very well be
instrumental in making and/or changing your career and, thus, your life. It
worked for me.
Post-Script
I’ve read that Judge Stoltz has retired from the being a
full-time judge a few years ago. Wherever you are, Judge, I wish you well and
please know that I so grateful for having worked beside a real “pro.” You were kind, gratuitous and (oh
yea!) tenacious in the
courtroom.
