Senior Project, The Holiday

1. Over the break, I was given a few articles to read by my mentor since I would not be able to visit the office with him and his family out of town. I took his advise and read 'How to Kill a Mockingbird', because it was one of the many books that inspired him to become a lawyer. The point of this was to hopefully find a connection, or understand his passion in this career.

2. The most important thing I learned is making sure that I know most of the penal codes. My mentor gave me scenarios in order to make sure I can get an idea of how defense lawyers think. My most important source would be my mentor (via email) as he was the one who thought of the different situations.

3. I would ask one of my mentor's colleagues in the same department, names of whom I do not currently know. I would also ask a defense lawyer who handles juvenile or felony cases to get a different perspective. Some questions I would ask would be:

• What would you consider a "lost cause"?
• What do you do if your client doesn't take your advise?
• What is considered a win? A lose? 
• What would you advise your client to do to NOT make their situation any worse than it already is?
• What is the best way for a public defender can minimize her client's punishment?
• Can these things also be used in juvenile and felony cases?