I mentioned a couple of months ago that I would be speaking to a group of law students about federal habeas procedure and wrongful convictions. That much-anticipated presentation rolled around last night, and despite my post-vacation chaos, early-stage wedding-planning obsession, and house-buying-and-selling insanity, I somehow managed to pull together my materials for the class and had a wonderful time presenting.
When I walked into the room, I suddenly realized that it has been nearly a decade since I left law school. Yet I still feel like I'm just getting the hang of my profession, and I often wonder when the mantle of authority and expertise will sit comfortably on my shoulders. By the same token, these students (mostly 3Ls) seemed older, more mature, and more focused than I remember feeling as a law student. Though they were obviously overwhelmed by the procedural intricacies of federal habeas practice, and seemed a bit shellshocked by the realization that the federal courts are not terribly interested in whether or not a state prisoner is factually or legally innocent, they seemed to understand most of what I was saying. In fact, the professor later told me that he only saw one student's eyes glaze over during the 100-minute class session, and he considered this quite an accomplishment on my part.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed explaining the basics of habeas, and I found it easier than anticipated to find a balance between overgeneralization and excruciating detail. I spoke about some of my favorite cases and clients, and offered some success stories to counter the sense of futility most of them were experiencing. Several students asked excellent questions relating to specific aspects of the cases on which they are assisting, and they all seem to be working diligently to help overturn wrongful convictions.
Steve came along to listen, which was a real treat for me and gave him a better sense of what I do for a living. He absorbed most of the material pretty well, and I assured him that the habeas jargon he found so confusing was equally inaccessible to the vast majority of lawyers and law students. He gave me very helpful (and shockingly positive) feedback on my teaching style, and planted the seeds of an idea that will require further exploration down the road. I also received some great follow-up e-mails from the students, indicating that they actually were listening and paying attention to most of what I had to say.
Such fun. And just what I needed to generate the motivation and focus to crank out a brief, prepare for oral argument, and jump into yet another enormous new case record.
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