RALSA – Russian American Law Students Association – is a very young organization. The group of 1L students, united by their Russian heritage, got together at the end of September, and in less than two weeks the club received its approval from the SBA. Kate Ulitskaya, 1L, one of RALSA founders, says that the process of establishing a student-run organization at Cardozo was a piece of cake: the guidelines were clear and the support was great. Solomon Suleymanov, 1L and RALSA President, shares Kate’s excitement: “I would like to express my gratitude to the SBA, its senators, Dean Diller, Dean Mender and everyone else who supported us in our efforts to found RALSA.”

After all the administrative necessities have been taken care of, RALSA is determined to bring more exiting opportunities to Cardozo. RALSA’s goal is to stimulate discourse on current issues facing the Russian American community—a vast topic that has yet to receive its deserved coverage at Cardozo. By organizing various networking and cultural events with a Russian flare, RALSA is hoping to build strong relationships with other community organizations, student groups and law practitioners, as well as to provide deeper insight into the lives of young Russian-Americans.

To kick-start an ambitious agenda, RALSA hosted its first Welcome Social Event on October 31st. Julia Gracheva, 1L, and Mariya Gelfond, 1L, RALSA representatives, spoke at length about future events the club intends to host. The list is extensive: a round table discussion with a tax law practitioner, an immigration law panel discussion, Russian language 101 course, and banyas field trips are just some examples of what is to come. There is definitely a demand for such activities. “I think that RALSA is a great idea with tremendous potential. Having never really been exposed to Russian culture before, I really hope to attain a deeper understanding and appreciation for it” says Robert Salame, 1L, who learned about the club on Facebook and has already become a member. RALSA is determined not to lose momentum.

The club is relying on social media tools to ensure maximum media coverage—a strategy many of Cardozo clubs are yet to employ. The club has a Facebook page that is open to everyone; a blog that covers topics relevant to Russian-American students; and a Twitter account that is a trending topic at Cardozo. The triangulation of social media allows maximum coverage of current and potential members, says one RALSA representative. It is also a great way to increase involvement of club members who are not on the committee, and to create a transparent and dynamic community.

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1. Growing Pains: The Price to Pay for Diversity
2. Graduating 3L Encourages Students to Build Cardozo Community
3. The Price is Right: Former Cardozo Dean Imparts Insight

And, even though most of you 1Ls are trying to focus your efforts on keeping up (or catching up) with your Civil Procedure, Contracts, Torts, and Legal Writing assignments, you all have to admit that summer positions are on your mind, especially after that Office of Career Services (OCS) training that dominated your previous Sunday.

And, because many of you sat like zombies through the training (waiting for it to be over so you could go home and catch up on sleep or go to the library to finish those research memos), the following includes a brief overview of what OCS can offer you, how to obtain these offerings, and a few tips on snagging those competitive 1L positions for the summer, despite our frightening economy.

OCS, as cliché as it may sound, is truly there to help students of every grade, and your 1L year is the best time to get acquainted with this vital resource. But, as with most things in life, you must take the initiative to reap the full benefits of OCS.

To start, update your resume and cover letter! Whether you have little or no years of professional experience, it goes without saying that your resume and cover letter are crucial components of your job search. So, proofread, cut, add, delete, and reformat these documents as necessary and use the “Resume & Cover Letter Guide” contained on that school-branded flash drive you received during your OCS training if you need a bit of direction on what to do.

Next, you should make an appointment! According to Jeff Becherer, the Assistant Director of OCS, scheduling an individual counseling appointment is the best way for students to get personalized OCS service. So, just call (212)790-0358 or visit Room 1128 and set aside a half hour of your busy 1L life to find out strategies for reaching your unique professional goals.

In addition to this appointment, think about ways to boost your personal selling pitch. One of the best ways to do this is to join extracurricular groups and network within these groups.

Make sure to go to that next Bar Association luncheon or OUTlaw bar night and volunteer time to work on case with the Unemployment Action Center or Incarcerated Women’s Project. These groups will allow you to meet other students, alumni, and professionals in your aspiring careers.

Last, but not least, keep in touch! What is the point of meeting people who you do not keep in contact with? Make sure to reach out to the people you meet in the groups and events you attend. Send the occasional email or make the occasional phone call. These small efforts help build professional relationships that can be called upon in times of need, and may even lead to a great summer internship. Plus, every group you join and event you attend adds to your list of possible talking points for an interview. So, what are you 1Ls waiting for?

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1. NYC Bar Presents Career Alternatives
2. WHO’S IT GONNA BE? NEW OCS DEAN NOT YET NAMED
3. Graduating 3L Encourages Students to Build Cardozo Community

It is also helpful to tab your outline and textbook, as 3L APALSA president Emily Sy informed me, when you are under pressure during a final and need to find something very quickly. Basically, you should always make your own outline even if it takes a lot of time and effort, because it will always pay-off in the end when you are forced to recall specific facts immediately. So, don’t be afraid to ask for a sample to guide you as you prepare to make your own outline, but never think that it will be enough to get you through a final exam without your own hard work and input. If you try and take the easy way out by not preparing your own outline, you may find yourself wasting precious time during your exam looking for the simplest things in a stranger’s outline because you did not make it yourself.

Related posts:

1. 1L Exams: What’s the Big Deal?
2. Cardozo Boasts Brief Study Period Compared to Local Law Schools
3. Liss: Let’s Bring Sexy Back to Finals

The first casualty of law school was my social life. Once upon a time, as a youthful undergraduate, I lived for and learned from college parties. Through beer pong, I practiced problem-solving skills. With flip cup, I promoted team work. By pumping and then kicking the keg, I got exercise. Most importantly, college parties offered unparalleled life-enriching and career-enhancing networking opportunities. Enter law school. As the semester progressed, my Elements textbook clung to me like a creepy stalker outside my bedroom window. There was no time left for friends, family, or Facebook. As the saying goes, “The law is a jealous lover.”

To my increasing exasperation, my common sense has deteriorated in law school. Like legions of law students before me, I believed in the power of the highlighter. I thought rainbow colored highlighters could illuminate the deepest caverns of disjointed judicial opinions. ‘Oh, important point. Highlight! ‘There’s another important point. Highlight! ‘That looks important too. Highlight! Soon I discovered that I could no longer differentiate between importance and triviality.  Instead, I highlighted whole pages in my Elements textbook. Farewell, common sense.  I will miss you.

Still, the greatest loss I have experienced in law school has been my sanity. Like the ExamSoft program that seizes complete control of the test taker’s computer during an exam, law school surrounds first year students in a confusing circle of self-doubt. I saw my classmates packed into the library, toiling in silence with their own Elements textbooks. I wondered if I should be spending more quality time with my textbook, since all my classmates in the library seemed to be. They all seemed to have healthy relationships with their books. Why didn’t I?

Yet, when I saw my classmates on exam day, the universal truth shone through: everyone was suffering in their own ways. When the fashionably dressed were reduced to yoga pants and disheveled hair, I knew things were bad. After the Elements of Law exam, and the textbooks were burned or otherwise discarded, a tide of finality washed over us. We had seen our first exam. Our social lives were in shambles, but we had survived. We had accomplished something. We became 1/12th of a lawyer. Now, there’s only 11/12th of law school to go!

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1. Skip the Commercial Outlines: Do It Yourself
2. Importance of Elements: Cardozo Community Weighs in on Intro Class
3. Welcome Back to School! It's Closing at 4:00 p.m.

The New York City General Assembly is the organizing body of Occupy Wall Street in New York City. It meets at 7 p.m. every evening: all the committees or working groups come together to discuss their thoughts, ideas, and needs. The meeting is open to all, and anyone can speak.

“Mike check,” shouted one of the General Assembly’s facilitators. That phrase was soon repeated by the rest of the crowd. “The General Assembly meeting will begin in 15 minutes,” said the facilitator. Occupy Wall Street does not have a permit to use a sound system, so they created the “human microphone,” a system in which the audience echoes each of the speaker’s phrases so everyone can hear.

One demonstrator said he joined Occupy Wall Street two weeks ago and has been an activist ever since. “It’s kind of hard to make time to participate, when you have to work over 40 hours a week, but I try my best to participate because I truly believe in the movement.”

“Hi everyone,” said the speaker, quieting the crowd. “My name is Sarah, and I will be one of the facilitators for tonight.” The facilitator asked that we all sit down, so that “we can all see each other.” The facilitator then explained the system of hand motions used to facilitate the communication between the speakers and the crowd. She showed the hand movements and symbols to be made when the crowd agrees with a proposal or with the speaker, disagrees with the proposal or with the speaker, or has clarification questions. The facilitator also indicated that the agreement and disagreement hand motions were used to “check the temperature” of the crowd regarding the proposals.

“There are five items in tonight’s agenda,” said the facilitator. The first item was to come to consensus on endorsing a statement of solidarity for Occupy Oakland, where demonstrators were forcibly evicted and arrested by the police. The proposal asked for demonstrators to be allowed to protest peacefully and for the detainees to be released.

Another item in the agenda was called Direct Action, where demonstrators would use the subway to join demonstrators in Jamaica, Queens, to stand in solidarity for those who have experienced foreclosure and eviction. The agenda required $2,000 to cover the fare for 400 demonstrators in order to meet the goal of diversifying the movement, and to show the people facing these difficulties that they are not alone.

For each agenda item, the facilitators allowed clarifying questions and comments and eventually asked for “room temperature” before finding consensus for all five proposals. Some of the questions the audience asked were about the amount of the movement’s fund for the location, which was $300,000, and the transparency of how that fund was being used. When the questions were off topic, the facilitators reminded the crowd that the discussions had to be relevant.

Despite the criticism that Occupy Wall Street lacks organization, participating in the General Assembly of Occupy Wall Street was an interesting experience. The crowd and the speakers were engaging, organized, focused, and made everyone feel a part of the movement. It may be too early to anticipate what will result from Occupy Wall Street, but after attending a General Assembly Meeting, Occupy Wall Street seemed to have a stronger basis than critics give the movement credit for.

“After participating in the general assembly meeting, I realized just how wrong a lot of the media is about categorizing the movement as nothing but a group of unorganized hippies without a real mission,” said Lauren Gottesman, 2L and a Cardozo National Lawyers Guild (NLG) member who attended the General Assembly meeting on October 18th along with twelve other Cardozo students. “Just because the movement stands in solidarity with several messages and sub-movements, I don’t believe that necessarily makes their goals unclear or unfocused,” said Gottesman.

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1. International Human Rights at Home: Occupy Wall Street
2. Police Riot on Cardozo’s Doorstep: A Staffer’s Eyewitness Account
3. Humans Ousted from Legal Sector by Lawyer-Robots

A bandana found on a curb near a heavily wooded area behind the Mortons’ home proved to be the key piece of evidence. After six years of opposition by the Williamson County District Attorney’s office, the bandana was subjected to forensic DNA testing. It was found to contain the blood of the victim as well as blood from an unknown male that was not Michael Morton. Once uploaded into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the perpetrator’s blood on the bandana matched the DNA profile of a known felon who was found to have been living in Texas at the time of the murders. This past summer, a paralegal of the Innocence Project’s Texas co-counsel discovered the unsolved murder of Debra Baker on the county’s cold case website that had a similar modus operandi to the Morton case. The perpetrator’s blood from the bandana matched a piece of hair that belonged to the perpetrator of the Baker murder.

Upon hearing of Morton’s release, his legal team was elated.  Rachel Pecker, a Cardozo 2L and intern for the Innocence Project who worked on the case, captured the excitement.  “An unusual number of lawyers worked on this case, and more than ten Cardozo students were interns on this case before me, so the team effort was amazing.”  Pecker reviewed discovery material turned over by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), wrote research memos on Brady issues such as hearsay exceptions that may have allowed Morton’s son to testify at trial, and updated Morton via letter.  She was also present with Morton and his family in Texas after he received the news.

Following Morton’s release, the Williamson County District Attorney commenced an investigation into the prosecution’s misconduct for violating Brady, which requires the disclosure of exculpatory evidence. Through a Public Records Act request, Morton’s lawyers discovered several items including: a transcript of an interview of the victim’s mother in which she states that her grandson witnessed a “monster,” not his father, kill his mother; and a WCSO report by one of the Mortons’ neighbors who had periodically seen a man park his van behind the Mortons’ home and walk into the wooded area off the road. The Texas Attorney General has subsequently taken over the ongoing investigation.

As for Morton, he is taking one day at a time. Having not touched water outside the sink and shower for 25 years, his first wish was to be immersed in water and to go swimming. He is reconnecting with family and friends and adjusting to the vast changes in the world that occurred since 1987. He received a master’s degree and worked at fixing large machinery while in prison, so he hopes to reenter the work force. Morton’s optimism has been remarkable over the years. “Michael should never have gone to prison, and that he was able to stay positive, retain his faith in human kind and his ability to love and see kindness in others, and not be bitter, is amazing,” says Pecker.

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3. Cardozo Alum Joins OCS Team

This year marks the 29th Anniversary for ITAP, and will be directed by Cardozo Alumni Bobbi Sternheim while long-time Director, Professor Ellen Yaroshefsky, embarks on a sabbatical.

“I have witnessed the program’s development and am delighted by its success and the recognition it has acquired as one of the premier advocacy programs. I continue to be impressed by the quality of the program, by the students who attend the program, and by the interest of members of the bench and bar to participate on the ITAP faculty,” Sternheim said.

ITAP is a 3 credit course comprised of mostly 3Ls because of the desirability of participating in the program. This year, ITAP runs from January 3rd to January 17th.

“In a ‘master class’ setting with critical feedback and individual review of student performances by judges and litigators, ITAP students practice direct and cross examinations, interviewing and preparing witnesses, dealing with evidentiary issues, and preparing for and representing bench and jury trials,” according to Sternheim. During the full trial experience at the end of the course, “ITAP students gain the confidence to enter a courtroom and address the judge and jury. [Students] will develop a skillset [they] can hone throughout [their] legal career,” says Sternheim.

While ITAP participation is beneficial for litigation and advocacy skills, those students interested in “learning how to represent clients effectively in a problem-solving, as opposed to adversarial, process,” according to Professor Lela Love, may be better suited for IMAP. Though IMAP is a smaller course than ITAP, it is equally as rigorous and rewarding.

The 2 credit program, which began in 1999, allows 24 primarily 3L and L.L.M. students the opportunity to be trained “to be effective lawyers in mediation.” This is unique from the Mediation Clinic, also Directed by Love, which trains students to be mediators.

Additionally, IMAP provides the opportunity for selection into a renowned competition. “[IMAP] students who are outstanding in their representation skills are recommended to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Competition team,” Love shared. Up to four students may be recommended to participate in the competition, which takes place in Paris.

The merits of participating in either program are invaluable for future lawyers. While gaining training in both real-life litigation and mediation situations, it is likely that the opportunity for Cardozo students will lie with only one of the courses. Space is limited, and they overlap in January. Selected IMAP students will meet from January 9th to 13th.

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In the past, students have to had to deal with buying at least three to four USB drives, submitting them along with their exams, then going through the task of retrieving them weeks later. Eugene Pikulin, Student Bar Association (SBA) Vice President, voiced the SBA’s support for ExamSoft, as “it will save the students money and headaches from the constant need to remember a USB [drive],” and eliminate the stress involved in “assuring that [students] have enough USB [drives] for the exam period.”

This factor of manageability was one of the goals that administration had in mind when implementing ExamSoft. According to Dean Judy Mender, downsizing the overwhelming stress during the exam period by removing the need for USB drives is key to ensuring a “smooth process that’s easy for students.” ExamSoft relieves students of the burden to provide and manage an unnecessary USB collection. However, the benefits don’t stop there.

The primary reason for implementing ExamSoft is to match the technology that the majority of state bar exams use. Pikulin noted “using the software that is being used for the New York bar exam is a huge plus as well because it allows [students] to become familiar with the software [that they] will be using.” Once students become comfortable with ExamSoft, they will have one less thing contributing to the already overwhelming stress that accompanies the bar exam.

Furthermore, according to Pavel Itskovskiy, Supervisor of the Cardozo Computer Services Department, “more than half of Cardozo students are using Macintosh laptops and ExamSoft provides an improved software version for Macs.” ExamSoft also enhances communication and efficiency for students by facilitating the “vendor and support staff to communicate with students via the software regarding [upload statuses] of their exams.” Itskovskiy has high hopes for ExamSoft and says he “believes that this trend [of improved efficiency] will continue to go forward.”

Although some of the effects of ExamSoft will remain uncertain until the first large-scale round of finals this December, one thing is clear for all students: no more USBs. Cardozo’s 2Ls and 3Ls, who have become accustomed to SoftwareSecure, can now celebrate the elimination of such a long-endured annoyance and look forward to a USB-free exam week. Until then, 1Ls, who have already taken an exam on ExamSoft, can seize a rare opportunity to help the upper classmen for a change and share their knowledge of the new program.

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As part of Cardozo’s efforts to continue expanding its public service presence, Eisenberg currently assists the director of the Center, Leslie Thrope, in developing programming, working with students on career advising, and teaming up with various public interest groups to bring the most opportunity to students. She will also be administering post-graduate fellowships and assisting in the summer stipend program and clerkship application process.

Eisenberg, who was an attorney with The Bronx Defenders before starting her new position with the law school, had long envisioned a role like this in a law school setting. Eisenberg is impressed by the “active and vibrant public service community” at Cardozo and the “wealth of opportunities” available to students.

Eisenberg is very candid about the fact that she did not take the most “traditional” path while at Cardozo.  As an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, she focused her attention on prison and government work.  While she considered other options, Annie concluded, “It made sense to go to law school.”

After her first year, however, Eisenberg was not sure if law school was for her. She decided to stay, though, joined the Innocence Project clinic for her second year, and decided to stay.

Indeed, the Innocence Project proved “transformative” for Eisenberg.  She focused much of her time there during her second year, and she often stayed well beyond the required clinical hours. During her third year, she worked as a Teaching Assistant for the program.  Her experiences at the Innocence Project shaped and defined her interests moving forward.

After graduating from Cardozo in 2007, sitting for the bar, and shortly thereafter giving birth to her first child (a girl), Eisenberg took advantage of Cardozo’s Post-Graduate Fellowship program and returned to the Innocence Project for six months.

Eisenberg, who was very public-defense minded but did not want to practice criminal law, eventually secured a job with The Bronx Defenders, where she worked in the Civil Action Practice. Her work there involved legal work that encompasses the collateral consequences of criminal cases – such as evictions and suspended public housing rights. From “the perspective of a new attorney,” Eisenberg recalls, “This was a great job and a tremendous experience.” Like many jobs in the public interest field, this experience allowed her “to do something that matters.”

What advice does Eisenberg have for Cardozo students?  “There is not just one right way to do law school,” she says. As a student, Annie did not participate in the first-year writing competition, take many of the traditional law school classes, or intern for a judge. She did, however, enjoy a successful law school and post-graduate experience, demonstrating that taking the road less traveled by often makes all the difference.

The Cardozo Jurist wishes Annie Eisenberg the best of luck in her new role at the school, and welcomes her both back and aboard!

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2. Debate Over Commencement Speaker Rises Again
3. Vol III Issue 3

The students have spoken, and the winners are Gabrielle Wilson, Sarah Telson, Courtney Plavic, Michael Brasky, Rebecca Blatt, Benjamin Cooper, Chris Anderson, and Andreas Hanssen. The Jurist is excited to bring you a profile of this dynamic group.

A 2009 Princeton graduate from Brooklyn, NY, Gabrielle Wilson (Section A) is interested in intellectual property and criminal law. Wilson campaigned on a platform of expanding Cardozo’s community service projects through the SBA’s student groups, organizing school-sponsored “study breaks,” and creating an online student forum to foster the exchange of helpful tips and material.

Sarah Telson, Section B’s new senator, also hails from Brooklyn. A 2009 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Telson seeks to increase neighborhood discounts for Cardozo students and improve the SBA BookSwap. When asked why she ran, Telson responded, “I like to complain a lot, but not fruitlessly. Now I’m in a position to change some things!”

Yet another Brooklynite, Section D’s Michael Brasky is a 2008 graduate of Binghamton University who intends to “aim high by promoting substantive events that can lead to real jobs.” Once a critic of student government, Brasky has kind words for Cardozo’s SBA. “What distinguishes our student government is the seriousness with which the reps approach their job.”

Benjamin Cooper (Section F), a Boston native and graduate of Hampshire College (2007), hopes to pursue intellectual property and/or criminal law. With his new position, Cooper would like to sit on the SBA’s Budget or Legislative Committees and “have some input into matters that have a real bearing on student life.”

A 1996 graduate of St. John’s College in Maryland, Section G’s Chris Anderson coins himself “the old guy round here.”  A New Jersey native and newcomer to student government, Anderson’s attitude is hopeful.  “Part of the reason we’ve all come to law school is to learn how to have a positive impact in our own lives and the lives of those around us. To me, running for student government is an extension of that effort.”

Adding an international flavor to the group, the LLM program’s Andreas Hanssen is a native of Nordland, Norway (just below the Arctic Circle!) and boasts a law degree from University of Bergen. When asked what led him to seek the position, Hanssen emphasized his desire to give the LLM and international students a voice in the SBA.

For those who didn’t win this time around, Dryer has some words of encouragement. “Each candidate who ran was extremely qualified and I encourage those who did not win to run for an At-Large position in October.” Chin up, guys.

Courtney Plavic (Section C) and Rebecca Blatt (Section E) were unavailable for comment.

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2. SBA Reps Look to What’s Next
3. SBA Powers Up and Passes Multitude of Other Measures