I feel like "dry clean only" should just be a suggestion. You know? But I'm not willing to risk it with my only solid black suit jacket.

Work today was hardcore. The attorneys in our unit suddenly decided it was time to start soliciting us for help. I think they had some sort of meeting about it, but I'm a conspiracy theorist. I got two "emergencies" today: one a case going to trial tomorrow, and the other is research for legislation being drafted tomorrow that we, as an organization, get a say in. I found all the info I needed at the Department of Labor website, but it was undated and had no citations. Awesome. So I'm going through seven states, statute by statute, updating a five year old chart. Fantastic.

I'm going to court tomorrow on that case, also, so I need to have court appropriate attire. Too bad all my court appropriate attire was sitting in a ball at the bottom of my closet. Hence the dry cleaning remark.

Meanwhile, I've somehow lost a tape of a hearing, have a new client to interview on Thursday, and another appeal that I've been sitting on for over a week because I was told it wasn't urgent and I should do other things first. 'Cept I'm done in two and a half weeks.

So I've got a bit of a tension ache in my back, and can't decide what I want more: a massage or a hug.

Today I met with three seperate "sets" of clients (1, group of 3, 1) over a period of a few hours. They all don't speak English, so they were grouped together on a day when the Portugeuse language interpreter would be in. This wasn't my first client contact on this co-op, but it was the most intense.

I'm not even seeing the worst cases, and this is some sad stuff. These are people who haven't done anything wrong, who are afraid to go to lawyers because they think they'll be deported, who are completely and utterly taken advantage of, and who are usually trying to support themselves and their family and working damned hard to do it. Like a woman that came to this country and started working seventy hours right away, and got the shaft in vacation time and wages before having her job taken away from her with no reason or notice.

It's not like someone like that (and I bet there are a lot of someones like that) is in here leeching off of anyone or trying to ruin anyone's way of life.

And it really puts it into perspective when I complain about staying at my co-op an hour or two extra (oh, wah, 42 hours of work in a week).

Which isn't to say that I'll stop complaining. After all, I'm American and self-important (whether I'm implying that those two things are somehow linked is up to you). The world revolves around me and me alone for most of the day. For a few hours today it revolved around other people, which is how it ought to work when one has clients, I think. At least I'm capable of doing that.

[The time is currently 3:06 pm]

The first day of co-op is always a hard one. You don't really know anyone in the office, unless you happen to start with another co-op student at the same time. You're not prepared for any of the eventualities of the day; you don't know when to wake up in order to get to the office "on time" (if you even know what "on time" is), you don't know how long you can take for lunch, or when you can leave.

Usually the first day of co-op for me is a lonely one. This time is the same. I actually know one of the attorneys in the office, because she graduated from my school last year and we were in the QC together. But she's been pretty busy all day, and we were never much more than acquaintances. And the other co-op student, who I'm actually friends with, doesn't start until next week. So it's just me today, and I ate lunch alone, and I'm hanging out in an office alone.

There's plenty to be done here, I'd imagine. I was given an assignment pretty quickly, but it's a fairly easy research assignment. The problem is that I can't yet log onto the computers and there's no other way to access the internet, which I need to do to complete the assignment. I'd need to do that to finish any assignment, really, so I don't see any point in asking for more work that I can't complete. So I'm hanging out, running slowly through some briefs, reading some saved web pages. Slow stuff. Two hours left.

Anyway, this is assignment is so straightforward that I'll actually feel bad if it's not done relatively soon, so I may do some work at home tonight. Bleeeech.

I went to a hearing earlier this morning with an old school, self-proclaimed femme from the same part of the city as me. She's pretty cool. So are most of the people in the office, so far.

It's different to be doing civil work. It's not slower, I guess (nothing could be slower than the US Attorney's Office I was at for my first co-op). It's just... different. It's weird to be doing this and thinking to myself that it's a very different kind of important legal work. Is criminal law more exciting? I don't know. Probably at the trial level. But now I'm working on something that's going to go t the SJC, and that's not so bad.

I took a late lunch (which I prefer, because the last part of the day always runs slowest), and as I was packing up and thinking to myself that I've almost got one day down I realized that this isn't like all the other co-ops I've had. After this is over, I don't go back to school. After this is over, I study for the Bar and then, hopefully, do this same thing over and over again for forty years.

Forty years is a really long time, and I don't think I got enough sleep last night to deal with it properly.

This'll be posted when I get home from work later today.

[Someone logged me on on her account. So I wrote a silly letter. And putzed around on a research site. And made a phone call. Ew. And then home, and here I am.]

So I cancelled my interview with the AG. Initially I was just going to suck it up and go, but the weather today is absolutely disgusting. Actually, initially I was going to cancel. Then I decided to go. Then I went outside to drive Kate to the airport, and was half-soaked by the time I hit her car. Not good go-downtown-in-a-suit weather.

I called a few minutes ago, and appologized and said that I have an offer. I didn't say I was going to take it, but then she asked. And then asked where it was. And I said. And she said she has friends there. And now I feel like "oh, crap, I lied," even though there's still a good shot I'd take the offer. I also feel like "oh, crap, do you think she'll call the co-op office and I'll be bound to this somehow?" because an employer called the co-op office on Kelly and she got ratted out, and Kelly got in trouble. Then again, she broke a way worse rule (I don't even know if I really broke a rule... just probably did something bad that borders on not ethical?), even though it's just as dumb of one.

Anyway. At least the woman was nice and congratulated me. I only mildly feel like I want to throw up.

I actually got a full night of sleep last night. And yet I feel more tired than I've felt in weeks. Maybe I'm getting sick. Maybe it's the end of the quarter. Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song. No, wait, that's not it.

I got an offer for a co-op from Greater Boston Legal Services, and am considering cancelling my interview with the AG's office tomorrow. I just don't want to work for a government agency if I'm not working for the DoL. I've got plenty of government agencies under my belt. Listen to me talk like I'm all special and experienced when really I'm just a little 3L from a second tier law school in Boston. Go me.

I also really don't want to get dressed up in a suit and slog through rainy, gross weather for a job I don't really want. It's two-fold, of course.

So. The thing is, I wouldn't take the AG's job anyway. So why should I waste anyone's time? Sigh. In real life, I'd just cancel. But co-op isn't real life, so I have to check with the co-op office before I do anything. Down with the co-op office and their hypocritical rules. Which I'd go into, but probably be kicked out of school for violating some rule that won't exist until they find my blog.

Ahem. Sorry.

I jsut got a hair cut. Not much different from my last hair cut. But my hair had become unruly, so this is good.

Tomorrow I have a co-op interview with a place called Greater Boston Legal Services. I set up the interview via email, and was told by the hed-hirey-lady that I should think of them as "family," and I can "wear jeans or whatever," so there's no need to "dust off" my interview suit.

This may be the greatest job in the world.

I've also got another co-op interview on Friday, with the MA Attorney General's office, in the Fair Labor Practices division. That's cool.

I actually have a feeling it'll be a toss up between GBLS and Dept. of Labor. Though, they won't be getting back to me until at least Tuesday.

"Why's that?" You may ask.

Weeeeelllll, I made it to the second round of interviews for the clerkship, and am meeting with both of the Admin. Judges on Tuesday. This is once again about both the co-op and the job, but just to make it to round two for the job is totally awesome. I'm psyched. Trying not to get my hopes up, but psyched.

So. Co-op stuff is looking good. Job stuff is looking good. I'm really tired. I think my insomnia may be catching up to me.

I also find a website with basically all the info I need for my EU paper systematically organized. Rock on for writing about digital copyright; all the info's on the web, and it's official. Or the next best thing in the legal profession: from Harvard. Huzzah.

I honestly don't understand my own insanity sometimes.

This morning I had a nice 10 minute chat with 1L. About 5 minutes ago, I was unable to make eye contact. Huh?

I need a nap. I'm writing about Holographic Wills, and they're way less exciting than the name would imply. (I think I'll start a band and name it Holographic Wills. And I'll play kazoo.)

The one co-op that I really really really wanted (and thought I might actually have a shot at, since it's a criminal law firm) is giving 5 interviews, none of which are to me, and only one of which is to a 3L. Oh well. Time for co-op anxiety. The wonderful rollercoaster of co-op time.

The applications are in. Now I'm procrastinating on the three one-ish page assignments due in, oh, an hour. Well, technically at the end of class which is in three hours... so I could probably write them in class and then print them. And by probably, we all know that means I'll be writing them in class and scampering to the library to print them out afterwards. Then I get to do the two for next week, since I won't be here. Whee. I need a nap. Instead, I shall have beer! After class! Though I need to pack! Yay!


I'm ready to come out about my dislike of the mainstream Christmas. Oh my God, I must be a crazy secularist! I hate God! Down with God! Up with sodomy!

I just think it's a little much. A little too much music, a little too many Merry Christmases everywhere, and this year a little too much righteous indignation about saying things like "Merry Christmas" and all that. I don't want to take the Christ out of Christmas (I think America did that just fine on its own), I just want to take the Christmas out of my life. I'd like to have the option, you know? And not having the option makes me a little cranky. I'd really like the option with all religious holidays, thanks, Christian or otherwise.

But, like our system of government (which I really put much more effort into disliking), I'm stuck with it. But I'm still allowed to complain, I think. For now, anyway.

Had a dinner get together tonight. Now the people who didn't get invited who read this can officially get mad at me (get in line, Nneoma's already mad). Look, I just can't invite 900 people to my house. I've never had that many people really want to come to my house before. I suck. I'll feel guilty about it for years, so there's really no need to be mad at me.

I got to talk to the 1L I have a silly crush on today. The best part was that she spoke with me, thus proving that, contrary to my beliefs, she knows I'm alive. Woohoo. I forgot to ask her if she's going to the party on Friday, but other than that it was a succesful conversation in which 1) I didn't make too much of an ass of myself and 2) she laughed at my jokes. Score!

My hair's at an odd length right now. A little longer and it'll curl again, but it's just long enough to be annoyingly fluffy. I look like a chuzzle (an addictive and oddly dirty game).

That's all. Co-op applications are due tomorrow and I've still got to narrow my choices down to 10 from 13. I've probably got no chance at 2 of the places, but I'm going to try anyway.

I think that's all.

Getting my old comment notifications from a week+ ago is freaking me out. My brain can't take non-linear thinking right now, okay?!?

So, uh, Alex Cabot's back. I can't decide if that's good or bad. Or somewhere in between. Probably in between. I love Alex, so I'm glad she's randomly being unprotected. But... the extreme unliklihood of this ever happening ever... well, it doesn't bode well for the show. Yound ADAs on high profile cases? Yeah right. Alex brought back from Witness Protection and given a job as beareau chief in some department even though she hasn't practiced for several years? Oookay. The FBI honestly letting her go back to the same office, same city, etc.? Sure.

Plus it's going to be about their personal lives.. so they'll probably straightify her and hook her up with some annoying ass that works with her. I mean, can't you imagine the dumb standard plotlines? Boss sleeps with underling. Badness ensues. Like ER except L&O. And that's the reason I stopped watching ER (the unbelievibility plus the suckitude of all the hetero people dancing around being ridiculously hetero... you can have relationships outside of the ER, people).

Erm.

Then again, how will I be able to resist a show about young ADAs in New York that premieres the same year I'll probably start a job as a young ADA in Boston (hopefully... lotsa hurdles before that, but I can hope)?

Plus, uh, I love Alex Cabot.

In other news, I may have accidentally pretended that it actually snowed as promised and skipped Labor Law this morning. Oops. I've also got my applications for next quarter narrowed to 13 (I'm limited to 10) which are pretty evenly balanced between criminal law firms and labor law firms. I'll probably get absolutely no interviews, but a girl can dream.

I should do laundry, but I really really don't feel like it. But I'm really really running out of socks.

Today a juror was excused from the panel. Generally, courts don't like to excuse jurors from a panel in the midst of trial unless there's a really good reason. There was a really good reason.

You may remember me talking about how the family of the victim (and their friends) come into court and are sort of sketchy. The judge can't kick them out (and I don't know that she wanted to) because it's a public trial and, more importantly, they're the victim's family (though the friends are a bit sketchy).

Yesterday, one of the jurors was approached by someone that had been in the gallery, who used to be her client. As soon as she realized that the woman was a sitting in our particular court, watching our particular trial, she shut her mouth and walked away.

Today, a different juror was approached in the hallway by a woman that she recognized as having been sitting in the gallery all morning. This juror wasn't as smart as the other juror: she actually had a five minute conversation with the woman. The woman was a friend of a friend of the juror, but the juror said she didn't really recognize her as a friend of a friend until she was introduced that way. During that time, the woman told the juror that she was friends of the family, knew the family from church, and that the victim's mother used to teach at the juror's daughter's school. She asked the juror several times why she hadn't exempted herself from the case and how she could continue to work on it. The juror told the judge (and us) that she felt a bit pressured.

I have two words, which I'll bold, underline, and cap: JURY TAMPERING.

For the love of snap. First off, the juror shouldn't have even had the conversation with the woman, having recognized her as a member of the gallery.

But the woman should not, under any cricumstances, have approached a juror in the case. Let alone start talking about the victim's family. This is the stuff mistrials are made of.

Right now, a mistrial would probably benefit the family (though, really, they're technically not - and shouldn't be - a party to the case), because it's not going well for the prosecution. As a matter of fact, when this juror was excused, the mother of the victim shook her head and quite loudly said, "She didn't even know her name." The mother knew that the juror had been approached. The mother wanted the juror to stay on.

Messed up.

That's two jurors approached in the span of two days.

Messed up.

The judge had the jury leave, and told the gallery that jury tampering is something she takes very seriously. If she declares a mistrial (because jurors continue to be approached), my supervisor is going to argue that jeopardy has attached and the defendant can't be retried, particularly since she's raised her concerns several times to the court that the defendant may not be getting a fair trial. I'm tempted to look up the case law about it now, because I really wouldn't be surprised if the family used that tactic now that they realize that talking to jurors will get them kicked off. However, if the jurors just walk away, it'll be okay. Hopefully.

It's so fascinating to be involved in this. And so frightening how little regard some people have for the justice system.

So I wrote a kickass motion to (basically) allow a psychotherapist to testify, despite privilege.* It was seven pages and took a lot of pain (cranky supervisor = lots o'edits). And the ADA's motion to exclude the testimony? Half a page, and not even discussing the main important caselaw that I cited (he was stuck on "privilege survives death" and I was arguing "privilege has already been waived by the big fat written waiver of the parents, and even if it wasn't waived, the Consitutional rights of the defendant outweigh the privilege, so nyah).

And his argument on hearsay sucked. I mean, granted, I don't completely understand the particular exception I was writing about (uh, if it goes to show state of mind, it's not necessarily being used for the truth, and so it's not really hearsay and so you don't need the exception... maybe), but... wait. Now I've confused myself.

I freaking hate hearsay.

Anyway, we won the motion. Huzzah huzzah. The judge even threw in a little "even if the privilege wasn't waived, and I think it may have been," to smack down the ADA a little.

Being a trial attorney is fun.

*No worries to those of you who regularly see a psychotherapist and consort, willfully or otherwise, with criminal defendants. It usually won't be introduced into evidence unless it's super relevant and necessary to the defendant's right to a fair trial.

I got my grades today. I think this past summer was my best quarter thus far. Or maybe spring. But back to back good quarters. Wahoo. I didn't bomb International Law. I'm going to have to thank Jack, Alexis, and Megan for that. Seriously. It's good to have friends that know stuff. At least I feel like I helped Alexis and Megan with Evidence... I'll have to teach Jack IP or something. Yeah, right.

Anyway. Three of the four classes I want to take this coming quarter conflict with each other. Great job by Northeastern. Plus my commencement is on a Friday. WTF. As if I'm not going to have enough trouble getting my dad to come.

I realized this weekend that I'm really getting fantastic experience on my co-op (despite my negativity about certain things). My supervising attorney's spent eight years (with a small break) as a PD and this is her first homicide. I'm basically second chairing a homicide case as a third year law student. Hopefully that'll look somewhat impressive on my resume. A girl can dream.

So obviously I can't talk a lot about the specifics of what's happening (or at least I think I can't... not really sure), but I have to say that jury selection is pretty much a trip. It's really interesting what assumptions that people make when they hear certain things. For example, when they hear that there's going to be DNA evidence, they assume that it ties the defendant to the crime, not that it exhonerates him. Or, scarily, that if someone is arrested, that must go towards a showing that he did it.

I think that sometimes I take the presumption of innocence for granted. More than half of the panel of 18 agreed with the sentiment that if the defendant was arrested for murder, chances are he was somehow involved. And yet only five minutes before, they'd all nodded their heads when the judge asked if they understood what it meant to be innocent until proven guilty. Wow.

Meanwhile I scribble down notes about the jurors: what they do, where they're from, spouse and child info, etc. as well as how they react to the questions, how they react to other juror's answers, that sort of thing. I have no idea how to process all of the information that I'm getting, though I've at least started to see the qualities that my attorney is looking for (or not looking for). I've begun to form opinions on who should stay and who should go, and why I think that way.

This is the sort of experience that I've been looking for, and the sort that they just can't teach you in law school. It's odd and barely legal and requires a lot of analysis of humans and their behaviors, none of which I'm very good at, so it's definitely hard. But so far it's been a learning experience.

We haven't even gotten to the pre-emptory challenges yet.

How it works, if you're interested: There are two sorts of ways for jurors to get off a panel, at this point (this is after the judge has polled them to see if there are any schedule hardships). Removal for cause, which is when they're removed by the judge, when the attorneys stipulate agreement, because of some reason that would stand in the way of them being fair and impartial. The second is a pre-emptory challenge, which I think I'm misspelling, which is when an attorney asks to have a juror removed. There are a limited number of those, and they have to be used strategically. Because this is a murder case, each side gets 20. The trick at this stage is to get the judge to remove someone for cause that we want off anyway, thus saving a pre-emptory challenge.

In addition, each side is allowed a period of voir dire, which is when the attorney can actually chat with the jury and ask them questions and gauge their answers. Basically all day today, besides the roll call and the thirty minutes waiting for the janitor to clean up the vomit of one of the jurors, was defense voir dire.

Every time a juror is dismissed for cause (at this point, or for a pre-emptory challenge later), they're replaced by someone else from the jury pool and voir dire can take place on them. So even though the Prosecution got in about 15 minutes of voir dire, a couple of jurors got kicked off for cause and we got to do voir dire again. Since that basically consisted of going over the main themes of the case with those new jurors, it took awhile.

I don't think the jury likes my attorney very much (she has a tendency to mispronounce names, ask confusing questions, and seem like she's condescending), but I haven't really seen them interact with the ADA yet. Chances are they won't like him, either. Who wants to sit on a jury for 7-8 weeks? It's not like it's a very fun prospect. Unless you're crazy like me.

I wrote a badass Massiah motion (asking to have some statements suppressed because there was a jailhouse informant working as a government agent), and then my supervisor skewered it in oral arguments. I mean absolutely skewered. It makes sense, since I'm the one that wrote it, but she could've done a midly better job of prepping for the inevitable arguments. It was so all-over-the-place that the ADA didn't even bother responding to two of the cases I cited (that I thought were pretty good).

So, anyway, we lost. Which is fine, and I think the judge had made her decision prior to the oral arguments anyway (did I mention badass?), and I actually disagree with the ruling in part: certain of the statements so totally should have been excluded, for various factual reasons. But part of it is sort of spot on the law: the informant went to the police of his own volition (the first time; there were other times, and I think that's what should've been excluded, but hey). I was definitely stretching the law a bit, but I think it was a decent argument.

The worst part (besides the fact that I could've smoked the oral argument) was that my supervisor then called the judge stupid. WTF?

[ Interupting the serious post to say: Thank Jeebus for Manny Ramirez. 4-3. Let's go. Two more. Can't lose this game. End of baseball tangent. ]

Anyway. She called the judge stupid (to me, not in front of the judge) because she didn't like the decision. Come on. She went off on this whole "you know, I notice she takes awhile to think about decisions that are pretty simple." Which is true, sure, but SHE'S A JUDGE! She has to judge! Not make snap decisions!

It was just sort of disheartening. I've heard attorneys mutter and joke about judges, usually before trials or an argument, but this was just out there. Particularly because she's been all back and forth ("I'm so excited to have this judge." "Oh, this is going to suck." "This judge is great.") and gets all cranky when things don't go her way. "She's not so bright." Please. Please.

So today was a bad day at work. I was considering reqarding myself for survival by buying a burrito, but I think I should be able to live without it. I'll have some pasta or something. I eat too much these days, and don't exercise enough. Who knew I'd ever say that?

Today, my supervising attorney asked me in a very not-happy voice: "Don't you have anything to do? Didn't I assign you something?" to which I replied, "Uh, well you had mentioned making up a resume for [the main prosecution witness]." But, I added mentally, that sounded sort of dumb and more something you want your graphics person to do than your legal intern.

"Okay, go get to work on that."

Yeah, it's okay, I don't need to help you research HIPAA or how to get around it, I'm sure one brain is better than two on that. Same for the standing issue with the motion you made. Just send me on downstairs and have me make a resume that you may or may not use as a graphic in your closing argument. Rock on.

And the worst part is that everyone thinks I'm so blessed to be working on a murder case.

Uh, yeah, if I were more than a glorified gopher. I'd rather be in misdemeanors, arguing my own cases (even if they don't make it to trial), or even elsewhere in felonies, working like crazy on the silliest little thing, because it's all a learning process.

My supervising attorney was kind enough to lecture me about how in criminal law they have something similar to a summary judgment in civil law. Which I learned on the first day of Criminal Law in my first year. I could understand someone not remembering that if they haven't done anything else criminal since then, but... hello? Did she read my resume? Which, by the way, is nicer than the prosecution witness'.

( Fanfic pairing meme thing, for the fandomishly inclined who read this. )

My Uncle's working on some new comedy. The only reason this is cool is because it's starring Neil Patrick "Don't Call Me Doogie" Harris and Alyson Hannigan. And if I go visit LA on a Friday, I can see and annoy them both. But mostly Alyson Hannigan. Squee.

My supervisor took today off, and there was new intern orientation (twenty something other interns, all from Hastings or Golden Gate, except for the one from Stanford. I am the exotic east coaster to them, the weird kid with two full time internships already under my belt), and by the time that was done, the attorney I was supposed to shadow instead of my usual one was MIA. So I hung around and watched a documentary, and then read some stuff about jury selection, and called it an unproductive day. Tomorrow should be busy, though. Jury selection strategizing, then witness interviews in the afternoon. I'll keep my fingers crossed, but I won't hold my breath.

Work continues as follows: in the morning I go to court and in the afternoon I process papers. It's terribly boring and I feel completely uncomfortable. I'm starting to like the city more, though.

My case reads like a Law and Order script. In fact, someone ought to turn it into a L&O episode, preferably SVU (totally could be) and invite me to the set. 'Cause I was there and all. And even though Stephanie March wouldn't be there for me to fawn over, I wouldn't mind giggling madly at my new appreciation for Diane Neal, or staring wistfully at Mariska Hargitay. Plus the rest of the cast is cool.

Anyway. Because this is my attorney's first homicide, they've pretty much frozen the rest of her case load. That means that the only thing I have to work on is prep for this trial. So even though we're both doing menial labor for the homicide, she still gets to finish a few matters in court in the morning. I just sit there and absorb.

This would be a perfectly fine co-op if it were my first. But it's my third. I get criminal procedure. It took me a day to figure out the differences between Massachusetts and California (or Federal and California), and the rest of this is just... time wasting. I guess I have a problem with starting slow. I feel like my creativity is stifled, though: part of why I like litigation is the creativity/strategy involved, and being a phantom second-chair, percieved as a 1st-time-intern, is sort of frustrating. I haven't even opened a legal research book or database yet. I mean. Honestly. And because there's all this paper to sift through, I don't have time to do anything else, like research for my paper.

But. It's only the third day.

This weekend I intend to head over to the Golden Gate bridge. Also maybe take a few touristy pictures of various spots. Haight/Ashbury, of course. The view from Twin Peaks maybe. Maybe try to get to Chinatown. Also shopping on Saturday, even though I'm totally sleeping in.

Sunday is the baseball game. Maybe we'll hang in Oakland first.

Need to set up my TiVo sometime.

Ready for bed and it's not even 10 yet. I think maybe I'm still jet lagged. Yeah, right.

Yeah, I'm alive. I've been living these past few days without the internets, except for brief intervals or at work (and I'm certainly not blogging from work) which has allowed me to take up my old habit of reading a ridiculously large amount. I may try to tackle the Wheel of Time books while I'm here.

But I digress.

I'm alive, I'm in California, and I'm... ambivelant.

Don't get me wrong, this is a very nice city. And, sure, many of you may point out that I'm pre-disposed to not like it as much as I could, because it's not Boston. Maybe. I know people who don't like Boston as much as they could because it's not New York. (Speaking of which: I never did like that Bellhorn guy. Signing with the Yankees just solidifies it. See you next Sunday, Strikeout King.)

I could see myself here, if options in Boston didn't pan out. That's saying a lot, considering how totally adverse to change I am. Totally adverse.

I've gotten a general idea of where all the neighborhoods are, in relation to one another, even though I have no idea how to get between most of them. Neighborhoods are the thing here. I still haven't been to Chinatown, or even had any asian food. As a matter of fact, my eating habits have been terrible since I've been here. I'm chalking it up to homesickness, and intend to start eating better once I settle in to things.

My apartment is nice. It's smaller than just about every place I've lived that hasn't been on-campus housing, but I don't mind. My room mate is very cool and generous with the space and the amenities (such as the TV), so it doesn't feel cramped at all.

The work... not as nice. The co-op gods are apparently trying to get back at me for all the cushy, pleasant jobs I had with prosecutors' offices. It's only day 2 and I'm feeling sort of like a cubicled hack, which is exactly what I went into law to avoid. I've been doing paperwork for two days, when I haven't been sitting in court staring at the wall and daydreaming. Granted, it's paperwork on a murder trial that's due to start a week from Friday... but it's paperwork and it makes the days long and dull. Plus I feel completely uncomfortable because of how I'm dressed (in women's business clothes) and don't know if I could get away with dressing comfortably (in men's business clothes). Even if I couldn't, I've somehow managed to pack only four or five shirts... which is not good at all. Plus I only own one suit. It's going to get a little embarassing when the thirty other interns show up next week.

Sigh. So I have to go clothes shopping. I don't know where to do that. This doesn't appear to be the city to find a mall in. I just want a mall. A comforting, somewhat decently priced, franchised strip of commercialism.

So the tone of the entry is probably a bit melancholy. I'm not completely miserable, I'm mostly just homesick. I'm sure I'll be raving about the greatness of San Francisco within the next few weeks. I'm sure that by November 15th I won't want to leave. I'm sure.

But I am alive and plan to be for the foreseeable future. It's good to be back.

So I'm going to be living about two blocks from Haight-Ashbury. As someone whose little knowledge of San Francisco comes from history books, that's pretty cool. Or groovy, if you will. My mom will now proceed to yell at me for saying that the 60s is historical.

I'll also be living about three miles from work, which means I could walk it if I wanted (maybe... there may be hills or unwalkable area or bad neighborhoods... I'll see when I get there).

If I can come back for my oral arguments, that'll be great. If not... I can't. That's just that. There's no use freaking out about it.

Hillarious.

I got an email from my supervisor from last winter. The Appeals Court has scheduled my case for September 14th. Great. I may actually be able to do it. It'll just cost a couple of hundred dollars and involve some very deft time management.

We'll see. I'll be bummed if I can't do it.

Down day today. I mean, not down, not really. I tend not to have those anymore.

My laptop has a virus that I spent most of the afternoon trying to get rid of (wee, I can't! It doesn't go away without a system restore!), and trying to figure out why I'm not more excited about San Francisco. I think it's my general anti-co-op thing. I'd rather be in school.

Also trying to find four tickets to Sunday's Sox game. Was originally trying for 2, but now 4. I was too picky to buy most of the 2 seats... I should just have. Which isn't to say I don't want to go with the added 2 people - I do - it's just that now if I can't get the tickets I'll feel awfully guilty for disappointing people. You know me, I'm irrational.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City arrived from GameFly today. Wahoo. Having some trouble picking up hookers, but I think I got the rest figured out.

ETA: Semagic supports tags now. Wahoo some more.

Have you noticed that I've been posting more? I have (noticed). I wonder why...

Anyway, I got a job offer in San Francisco. I have 'til Wednesday afternoon to make up my mind.

I think I'm going to go. Eep.

I skinned gmail. It's all pretty looking now.

Out of ten possible employers that I can apply to, I have a total of six that I'd like to work at. Six. It's basically a choice between going to San Francisco, or staying here and getting paid. There are benefits to both. Honestly, I think I'd rather go to San Francisco and then come and work at one of the Crim firms here in the Spring. I just sort of had my heart set on San Francisco. This is all provided, of course, that I actually get offers from any of these places. I think the Public Defenders in SF would be dumb not to offer me a job, but sometimes defender's offices have biases against people who've worked for prosecutors.

The days are slogging by. I'm overtired, so everything takes 500 times longer and I have an even smaller attention span than normal. I'm going to sleep in tomorrow, then come in and set up all my packets for co-op, then go back home and do laundry. At least that's the plan right now. Plans always change, much to my chagrin.

Headachy.