Externing for a judge

I'm just wrapping up my first full week of my externship. Today, I'm working from home, which means I'm in my pjs and haven't done a damn thing all day. (Actually I am researching firms for on campus interviews, but that is certainly not related to the technology in the courts research project I'm assigned for work.)

I am working for a judge at the L.A. Superior Court. The court has a whole program, so we also get to attend lunchtime presentations on different issues. For example, we learned all about how not to conduct a deposition. My job mainly consists of research. The most fun part so far was the memo I wrote regarding a motion; I summarized the papers that the parties turned in and made a recommendation on how the judge should rule. My assignment was pretty easy, so I got the right answer and the judge went along with my suggestions. The other extern had a much harder assignment, but she also got to look more impressive because being right took a lot more effort.

I have also gotten to sit in on a bunch of court proceedings including the CA. Supreme Court arguments, motion hearings and a criminal trial. I'm surprised to see that quite a few of the attorneys were visibly nervous when speaking. I guess I assumed that all litigators would be as slick as lawyers from movies, but without the benefit of a script and the ability to turn off the camera and start again if there's a mistake, that's not the case. At the Supreme Court arguments, one of the lawyers sounded so nervous I thought he would cry.