Why do i want to be a lawyer again???

[NicoleMarcelle]

please tell me someone here is a lawyer, and tell me what you like about your profession...

right now i'm getting really frustrated, bc we're working with a very complicated case and i got put on the defense and the defense is almost IMPOSSIBLE...

help???---please?

i was very into my classes, but my trial advocacy class is driving me insane!!!-- help me...

[katcarasella]

My daughter Jenny was in the Army JAG Corps during Desert Storm. She loved it, and went to law school for a year when she got out of the Army. But then she decided she wanted to do something else. She's very successful now, and made the right decision in her case.
My advice to you is to take the work IMPOSSIBLE out of your vocabulary. You can do anything as long as you believe in yourself. Show them what you're make of girl.

[NicoleMarcelle]

im trying i am, i am not usually one to give up... but this case is really frustrating bc i got put on the defense side, and the person has already pled guilty, it's a sentencing, but i don't even know how to go about convincing the jury to give a less harsh sentence... i don't have much evidence to show bc most of the evidence that accompanies the case is hearsay, therefore not admissible in court... so i'm having a really hard time... but still trying, i didn't do so well on my opening, but then again no one in my class did, i was the one who got the least harsh comments... so i guess that's good

thanks so much Kathy for your encouraging words...

hugs

[Marilyn]

There is another law student on here occassionally. Since she entered law school, we seldom see her any more. Perhaps she will check in and see you thread and have some thoughts.

There is always something positive that you can point out about anyone. There must be some positive aspects about your defendant that you can use to convince the jury that the sentence need not be too harsh.

[Janet]

Well, I can say for sure if you were MY lawyer, I'd want you out there asking your collegues for suggestions. I would want the best outcome for myself and if my lawyer was asking a bunch of women on a forum, I'd ask for a mistrial.

Kat is right....ditch the word 'impossible'

Good luck!!

[NicoleMarcelle]

thanks guys... i wouldn't do this if i was trying to win a trial... my collegues are in the same situation as i am, so they're not much help... i was fishing to see if there were lawyers on here who could help me out...as for the word impossible... k ditched...

as for the positive in my defendant...

she's a druggie, has been for a long time...she stabbed the social worker with an hiv infected needle... has pleaded guilty, and is being accused of assault. she has made numerous unsuccessful attempts to get clean, and says she loves her kid (whom a cop and social worker came to take out of the house, bc it was unsafe) but she shoots up drugs right next to him... so this one is getting harder and harder, bc any possible defense gets badgered by the prosecutor... so i'm going with " she needs her kid to get sober, and she does have the ability to be rehabilitated as per psychologist..."

when i posted i was frustrated bc i didn't to well on my opening statement... but i'll try to do better on the rest of the trial stuff

[katcarasella]

WoW!!! This is a rough one, I guess she hasn't hit rock bottom yet! It usually takes that before someone in her situation can get clean.

You're gonna do fine, I can see how much passion you have in your writing.
Go get um Girl!!!

[AngieDoogles]

Originally Posted by NicoleMarcelle

thanks guys... i wouldn't do this if i was trying to win a trial... my collegues are in the same situation as i am, so they're not much help... i was fishing to see if there were lawyers on here who could help me out...as for the word impossible... k ditched...

as for the positive in my defendant...

she's a druggie, has been for a long time...she stabbed the social worker with an hiv infected needle... has pleaded guilty, and is being accused of assault. she has made numerous unsuccessful attempts to get clean, and says she loves her kid (whom a cop and social worker came to take out of the house, bc it was unsafe) but she shoots up drugs right next to him... so this one is getting harder and harder, bc any possible defense gets badgered by the prosecutor... so i'm going with " she needs her kid to get sober, and she does have the ability to be rehabilitated as per psychologist..."

when i posted i was frustrated bc i didn't to well on my opening statement... but i'll try to do better on the rest of the trial stuff

Uh oh, I'm a social worker in training. I hope this never happens to me!!!

Possible positives for the defendant: She acknowledges that she's done something wrong (she pleaded guilty). She has tried several times to get clean--this shows that she WANTS to change even though she has been unsuccessful so far. She now realizes that she might lose her child which could cause her to make positive changes.

Does she have other family? A job? Education? Outside resources? Accomplishments? Is her child dressed properly? Does he/she receive adequate food? What did she do before the addiction? These kinds of questions can help you find lots of positives...

If you have any more information about the defendant, I can try to help you find more positives. We do it all the time in my social work courses so I have some practice. We're given scenarios JUST like this one and use what is called a "strengths based perspective." It's really quite interesting.

Good luck with your case!