Washington and Lee University School of Law

Lindsay Hitz, a rising 2L from Hershey, PA, is interning with the Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) at NASA Langley Research Center.

Searching through piles of paper, documenting privileged communications, and discerning a logical order for thousands of pages are just a few of the steps required to assemble a report to the GAO. The majority of my time over the past week has been spent assisting attorneys on the BLT with a discovery request for pending procurement litigation. In the process of compiling a record composed of over 20,000 pages, I have been able to learn a lot about the case simply by sifting through the massive amount of documents. Now that the record is physically compiled, the next step will be to assist the attorneys with research necessary to write the agency response brief.

While I admit that placing documents in binders for hours on end is not necessarily a glamorous or intellectually stimulating task, I appreciate being exposed to the process of compiling an agency report. I think that is important to realize all of the work and thought that goes into these seemingly menial tasks in order to have a better understanding of the case as a whole. My internship will end before this case reaches the hearing stage, but I am glad that I had the opportunity to play a role and look forward to checking in with the attorneys this fall to find out the result.

In between sifting through documents, I had the opportunity to take a break to attend the LARSS weekly lecture. This week a former astronaut, Dr. Roger Crouch, spoke about his experiences as a Payload Specialist in space. He gave a very descriptive and honest account of his experiences. From the fear and anxiety that he felt right before lift-off to the way his lungs responded to the pressure of take-off, Dr. Crouch painted a detailed picture of life as an astronaut. I was fascinated to hear about the sometimes difficult transition astronauts experienced upon returning to Earth. In a humorous tone, Dr. Crouch depicted times when he would wake up in his bed at home and attempt to push off as if he was still in the shuttle. As you can imagine, the result on Earth was a little different and a little painful.

The lecture included many other interesting tidbits and was probably my favorite up to this point. Next week is the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon. In celebration, NASA will have viewings of "The Wonder of it All," an Apollo documentary, and a live viewing of interviews with six Apollo astronauts. I look forward to participating in the celebration!

Lindsey Brown, a rising 3L from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, is working for a private law firm's White Collar group in Washington, DC.

There is no typical day in the life of a summer associate.  From researching class-action arbitration issues associated with an upcoming brief in the Supreme Court, to assisting on a case allegedly involving political corruption, my work has been both challenging and fulfilling.  

My first assignment was to research and write a memorandum addressing various issues that may arise in an upcoming sentencing hearing.  Specifically, I was asked to consider whether the language of the plea agreement, as currently written, obligates the government to file a substantial assistance motion.  Additionally, the memorandum put forth the limitations associated with calling as a witness a prosecutor who is no longer assigned to the case.   Because I was able to apply the abstract knowledge that I learned in Professor Luna's Criminal Procedure class to a real-life fact pattern, this assignment proved particularly interesting.

Although researching and writing are typical summer associate assignments, I have been exposed to a broad spectrum of work.   For example, what started as a fairly routine assignment of note taking on a conference call, turned into an opportunity to draft a series of letters sent to a corporation's General Counsel, to opposing counsel, and to the Department of Justice.  Although in a support role, I have continued to correspond directly with outside counsel involved in this matter.

In addition to regularly-assigned projects, social events traditionally fill a large part of the summer associate's calendar.  This summer has been no exception.  Undoubtedly, the most interesting social event that I attended thus far was the Burton Awards.   A partner in the white-collar group was being honored for excellence in legal writing.  Held at the Library of Congress, this black-tie event was attended by many of the country's legal giants.   In fact, at this event, I had the privilege of meeting Justice Scalia. 

Living in Washington, DC completes my summer experience.   Washington has something for everyone, but is particularly well suited for those in the legal profession.  Just yesterday, for example, the firm encouraged all of the summer associates to attend the event “Sizing up the 2008-09 Supreme Court Term.”  At this event, practitioners who argued at least one case in the 2008-09 term, spoke on topics varying from the nomination of Judge Sotomayor to the Court's recent decision in the New Haven firefighters case.   The ease with which one can attend such an event is possible only in a city like Washington.

Thus far, my summer experience has been overwhelmingly positive and I look forward to further posting about life as a summer associate.  Lastly, as an aside, may Michael Joseph Jackson rest in peace.
 

Kathy Pritts, a rising 2L from Oakland, MD, is interning with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE), Inc., a non-profit law firm in Ohio.

My first six weeks of work with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) have been both eye-opening and saddening. Many of Ohio’s migrant farmworkers – nearly all of whom are Hispanic – travel thousands of miles for the opportunity to perform backbreaking labor. When they finally arrive at their worksite, they often are not given the hours or wages which they were promised. Once in the fields, many crewleaders refuse to provide portable toilets or cool drinking water, resulting in many health problems for the workers. They are also at a high risk for pesticide-related illnesses and heat stroke.

The workers live in over-crowded, dilapidated housing. Bedbug infestations are common, and trash is often scattered throughout the camps. Indoor bathrooms are a luxury – rudimentary outhouses are the norm. With rising summer temperatures, these facilities become more and more noxious.

A significant barrier to our work is that, despite these labor and housing violations, many people are afraid to complain about the conditions in which they work and live. Many do not have immigration documents, and fear arrest or deportation. They are often targeted by the police, and have described many incidents of racial profiling.

Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement, permitting these law enforcement agencies to enforce immigration law. This controversial provision has been used in Butler County, Ohio, where the sheriff’s office has been given the authority to detain undocumented persons and put them into removal proceedings. This has heightened the already-existing fear present among immigrant communities, making them even less likely to complain of unfair treatment.

My most recent assignment involved co-writing a memo proposing changes to Ohio legislation regulating the housing provided to migrant farmworkers. It was somewhat unreal to suggest changes requiring what most would consider to be extremely basic sanitation and safety provisions. In one of the wealthiest countries in the world, it is deeply saddening that so many people work and live in such wretched conditions, surrounded by hostility and racism within the surrounding communities.

However, it is comforting to know that there are those who have dedicated their careers to serving this often-forgotten group of people. I am humbled by the dedication of the legal advocates with whom I work, and I hope that I too will have the opportunity to use my education to give a voice to the voiceless.
 

Lindsay Hitz, a rising 2L from Hershey, PA, is interning with the Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) at NASA Langley Research Center.

Advising rocket scientists and reviewing lunar test simulators are just a few of the fascinating responsibilities held by NASA attorneys. While the day to day activities for members of the Office of Chief Counsel do not always live up to the glamour of these exciting events, I am grateful to have the opportunity to intern for an organization like NASA this summer.

As a Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholar, I work closely with NASA attorneys, and I have the added perk of attending lectures, taking tours, and learning more about NASA's mission and programs.  After about a month of interning, I have been impressed by all of the different ways that attorneys are involved in the day to day operations of NASA. 

The Office of Chief Counsel is divided into three law teams:  the Business Law Team (BLT), the Human Relations Law Team (HRLT), and the Intellectual Property Law Team (IPLT).  So far, I have had the opportunity to work with attorneys from the BLT and the HRLT. 

The HRLT deals mainly with employment law and ethics law.  A few of my experiences have included researching issues for pending employment litigation, reviewing employment case files, and observing ethics advising sessions with NASA scientists.

My most memorable experience so far has been attending an Institutional Review Board (IRB) meeting with an HRLT attorney.  The IRB is responsible for review, approval, and monitoring of any research involving astronauts and other human subjects.  The role of the IRB is to assure that research is conducted in an ethical and safe manner, and all NASA IRB's are required to have at least one attorney for legal expertise.

I accompanied the board to review a recently constructed lunar test simulator.  The quality of the simulator was impressive, and I found it even more interesting to see the role that attorneys can play in assuring that science is safe.  The various safety questions that the members asked were important and issues that I wouldn't automatically consider.

After the meeting, I had the additional opportunity to tour a flight simulator.   We were able to stand in the simulator while researchers conducted a test flight.  It was a fun experience, and I started to better understand why members of the board had asked certain questions about potential problems with dizziness.  I had never experienced that feeling of movement in a stationary object before, but I began to understand how it could be a potential safety issue.  So far, I am enjoying the opportunity to learn more about the law while also experiencing some of the wonderful things that NASA has to offer.

Sarah Mielke, a rising 3L from Bismarck, ND, is interning with the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime in Vienna, Austria and Nairobi, Kenya.

I’ve spent the first 6 weeks of my summer working for the United Nations in Vienna, Austria. I work at UN City, which is a huge complex comprised of 6 office buildings, 4-5,000 people, and several UN office headquarters. I’ve been working in the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the Integrated Programming Unit (IPU).

UNODC is more or less in charge of coordinating the global effort to fight transnational organized crime – drug cartels, human traffickers, and pirates – beware! IPU is a small sub-office of 7 staff members that writes plans for how UNODC should respond to specific issues or regions.

Being in such a small office has allowed me to do lots of substantial work. Some of the topics on which I’ve worked include:
•    What the UN should do about Somali pirates,
•    How to fortify Central Africa against drug traffickers,
•    A guidance note to coordinate the global response to counterfeit medicine, and
•    The Pakistan saga.

Though my job here often does not focus on traditional law, legal style thinking has been invaluable. As things happen in the world, IPU must formulate an instantaneous response to the particular situation, while still maintaining cohesion with UNODC’s long-term vision and mandate. It’s definitely exciting to read something in the news, and the next day draft a document that says what the international community should do to help the situation.

The job here has been incredible, I must say that living in Vienna has lots of other perks. My first night in town, I saw a performance by one of the most famous opera singers in the world; the hotdogs on the street are even better than New York; and on weekends I’ve been able to visit Prague, Budapest, Paris, and Spain (and for less than the cost of a weekend trip from Lex to DC).

This will be my first and only posting from Vienna, as my time here is ending rather abruptly. The UNODC Counter Piracy Programme is getting underway and I’m moving to Nairobi, Kenya for the rest of the summer to help things get off the ground. More on that later, but for now, over and out from Vienna.

Marti McCaleb, a rising 3L from Waco, Texas, is interning at Legal Voice in Seattle, Washington.

On May 18, 2009, Washington governor Christine Gregoire signed the "Everything But Marriage" bill into law, granting same-sex registered domestic partners all the same rights and responsibilities as married spouses.  As Representative Jamie Pederson, the bill's primary house sponsor, said "This law guarantees that when I leave this assembly, I will know that I have the right to visit my partner, Eric, in the hospital, where he had minor surgery this morning.  And when he leaves the hospital, I will know that I am responsible for the bills as well."

Five minutes into my first day interning at Legal Voice (and less than one week since I arrived in Seattle, and on the West Coast, for the very first time), my supervisor invited me to join our staff attorneys at the bill signing ceremony.  And I had a very important duty to fulfill—photographer.  Jamie and Eric brought their son, Tryg.  Tryg's kindergarten class came along for a field trip and most of them brought their parents as well.  Representatives from NOW, ERW and the ACLU attended.  So did religious leaders, city officials, friends and family, advocates and allies of the thousands of GLBT families across Washington State.  I met Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer, a local hero, who is the highest ranking military officer to acknowledge her homosexuality while in the service.  Legal Voice (then known as the Northwest Women's Law Center) helped take her case to the state supreme court, which found that the military's policy banning homosexuals was unconstitutional.  Col. Cammermeyer's successful challenge to the military policy, in part, led to the adoption of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy adopted during the Clinton administration.  Glenn Close plays Cammermeyer in the 1995 movie Serving in Silence. 

Outside of work, Seattle is an incredible place to spend a summer.  The weather is unseasonably warm (mid 70s) and dry for this time of year.  My random explorations have taken me for a ride to the top of the Space Needle,  a chic little jewelry artisan in Fremont Flea Market, a crêperie in Pike Place Market, a drag bar in Capitol Hill, a silent movie at the Paramount Theater, and to the Nordstrom flagship store.  Still on the to do list are:  a ferry to Vancouver, Mt Rainier, the Experience Music Project, Bumbershoot Music Festival, Seattle PRIDE parade, scalp tickets to a Seattle Sounders game, and, of course, a weekend trip hiking in the Cascades and a visit to Forks!
 

This summer, several Washington and Lee law students have agreed to write about their summer employment experiences. Below you can read about the contributors and the areas in which they are working. Please check back on Friday when we'll hear from Marti McCaleb, who is interning with Legal Voice in Seattle.

Lindsey Brown	Lindsey Brown is a rising 3L from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Before law school, she attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Last summer, she worked for the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria and developed a strong interest in criminal law. She decided to spend this summer experiencing criminal law from a different perspective and is working for a private law firm's White Collar group in Washington, DC.
James Collins	James Collins graduated from DePaul University with a dual Bachelor of Science in E-Commerce Technology and Computer Graphics and Animation. He is a senior student editor for the German Law Journal and Conference Chair for the Federalist Society. A member of the class of 2010, James is currently a legal intern with the Antitrust Section at the Ohio Attorney General's office.
Gene Hamilton	Gene Hamilton, from Grayson Georgia, graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in International Affairs. He is a member of the W&L Law Class of 2010, where he serves as a Burks Scholar and a Kirgis Fellow. Last summer, Gene worked for the Department of Homeland Security. This summer Gene is working for the Air Force General Counsel's Office at the Pentagon. He will work directly with career government attorneys and military attorneys on a diverse array of legal issues including: acquisition law, fiscal law, ethics, environmental law, military personnel law, labor and employment law, intellectual property, alternative dispute resolution, and contractor responsibility matters.
Lindsay Hitz	A rising 2L, Lindsay Hitz hails from Hershey, PA and graduated in 2008 from Bucknell University. This summer Lindsay is working with the Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) at NASA Langley Research Center. The Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars (LARSS) Program provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to conduct research in a variety of fields that support NASA's mission. On a day to day basis, Lindsay will conduct legal research, attend meetings, and work closely with the attorneys at the Office of Chief Counsel. In conjunction with the LARSS program, she will attend weekly lectures on science and technology and participate in other group activities with all program participants. The final component of the LARSS program will be the completion of a research project, which will examine a specific area of NASA legal practice.
Marti McCaleb	Marti McCaleb is a rising 3L from Waco, Texas. She earned her undergraduate and masters degrees from the University of Alabama before choosing to attend Washington & Lee School of Law. Her primary interests are trade law, human rights, and labor regulations. This summer she is interning at Legal Voice in Seattle, Washington. Legal Voice is an action-oriented, diverse organization dedicated to securing and protecting the rights of all women, through direct client services, legislation and litigation designed to have a far-reaching public impact, and by empowering women with knowledge about their legal rights.
Sarah Mielke	A member of the class of 2010, Sarah Mielke is a from Bismarck, ND and a graduate of Bethel College, where she majored in International Relations and Political Science. Last summer, Sarah worked for a  federal judge in North Dakota, for the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. working on international prisoner transfer, and also did part time research for a professor. This summer Sarah will work at the United Nations headquarters in Vienna for the Office on Drugs and Crime writing programs to help coordinate the global effort to hunt drug cartels and human traffickers. She will also work at UN field office in Nairobi, Kenya to help start a UN program dealing with Somali pirates.
Kathy Pritts	Kathy Pritts is from Oakland, MD. In 2008, she graduated with honors from Cedarville University with a B.A. in International Studies. At Cedarville, she was active in student goverment on the Student Relations Committee and the Hispanic Affairs Committee, and was the secretary of PEACE (Promoting Ethnic And Cultural Education) Project. At W&L, Kathy is the treasurer of the Black Law Students Association. This summer, Kathy is working with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE), Inc., a non-profit law firm in Ohio, as a law clerk in the Migrant Farmworker program, which serves Spanish-speaking famworkers who have immigration, labor, and other civil legal issues.