Week 1
What are the 3 components to a lawyer's job?
"The job of a lawyer essentially involves three parts: gathering, managing, and presenting information efficiently."
(Zenong)
What are people from lower income groups likely to believe about the legal system?
"People experiencing poverty or from lower income groups are less likely to believe that the legal system can work for them, or they might be too overwhelmed to reach out for legal support."
(Elena)
Why is an Icebreaker important?
"An icebreaker is important for making the client comfortable and establishing a rapport as well as possibly obtaining information."
(Chloe)
What does the Binder & Price model help us accomplish?
"The Binder & Price model makes sure we don't rush to judgment in client interviewing."
(Lauren)
Is there one particular path that a lawyer should take in reaching an outcome?
"In legal advocacy, a lawyer should consider all possble paths to a certain desired outcome (e.g. include all conceivable grounds for dismissal) and strategize as to how to most efficiently achieve the goal."
(Kaley)
What is the goal of this clinic
"To develop lawyering skills that are lost in a traditional socratic method law course, and take those skills with us in our future careers."
(Eveline)
What did we learn from the pandemic about poverty?
"The pandemic provides an interesting data point for government assistance with issues related to poverty because it demonstrated what a huge impact governement assistance/subsidies can make."
(Lauren)
What is our generation better at? Worse at?
"Our generation can find info easily, but it's often harder to find why that information is important. Harder to see the forest for the trees."
(Chris)
Is it safe to assume that a petition is accurate/true?
"Never assume everything in the petition is true or has been verified. Always corroborate every fact yourself, including doing math"
(Elena)
How does an experienced eviction attorney act differently from a novice?
"If you're a more experienced eviction attorney, you may not need to put every single grounds for dismissal--you can play poker."
(Eveline)