Blog 18: Third Answer

What is the best way a defense attorney can defend her client in court?

The best way a defense attorney can defend her client is to win a trial, proving her client is 'not guilty'.

• One way to do this is to disprove any of the prosecution's credibility as false.
• Challenging the believability of the witness's story
• #35 - Defense Strategies
• It is best to work with the client and do whatever he or she want.
• Some clients truly believe they are innocent and will make things worse for themselves if they are not on the same page as the attorney.
• #8 - Five Problems Facing Public Defense
• Do not get emotionally attached.
• It can lead to bad decisions and it can lead to "screwing" the client over. Whether you dislike the client or feel bad for him or her.
• Mentorship

It may seem obvious at first glance, but actually proving that your client is 'not guilty' is a complicated process.

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?

EQ

1. I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.

2. a. What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?

• No, this doesn't meet the criteria because it to to vague on what age group and other confounding factors that would help the reader know what to consider healthy weight loss.

    b. What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?

• No, this doesn't meet the criteria because the wording of the question doesn't make enough emphasis on part of securing a conviction the reader should look at. The answer should look for multiple possibilities, but it is to vague.

    c. What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?

• Yes, this meets the criteria because it is specific enough in who the hairstyle should satisfy, it is not a yes/no question, and allows you to take a stance.

    d. How can an Anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?

• Yes, this meets the criteria because the way it is worded, it allows for there to be a list of possible answers.

3. What is the most important skill for a Public Defender to possess to successfully win a case?

Research and Working EQ

1. What is the most important factor for a public defender to win a case?

2.

• Communication skills the result of the case is on how well the attorney can communicate with either a judge or jury in proving that their client is not guilty. Also, when sharing a case, miscommunication between coworkers makes things difficult for the public defenders and defendant.
• Experience is important because a new attorney can make some decisions they are not to confident in and make things worse for the client. Having experience also makes cases goes faster since they know what they are doing. 

3. The most important source I have had so far would be my mentor because in the second interview, he indirectly has given my ideas on what could possibly be the answer to my EQ.

4.My mentor is Ramiro Cisneros. I am working with him at his office located in Pomona under Los Angleles County Public Defender's Office. This helps me answer my EQ because I will be able to get a first hand experience in observing what skills they use in court and how they prepare before a case.

Blog 5: Project Reflection and Working EQ (Revised)

The Pentagon: 
(1) Positive Statement: What positive thing happen as a result of what you have completed so far?

• Something positive would be that I have a lot of new people that I generally would like to know more and that are willing to help me with my project.

(2) EQ Content:  Pick a piece of research or your interview.  How has it helped you improve your understanding of your topic?

• A piece of research, titled The Role of the Pubic Prosecutor in the Court, has helped me with the basic understanding of what public prosecutors do, besides what media and television series portray them as. It gives the different point of view of what I am studying. 

(3) What has worked for you so far in the senior project?

• What has worked so far in my project is that I have a mentor that is willing to let me work and shadow under him.

(4) What hasn't worked so far?  

• The only thing that hasn't worked so far is finding a time where I am able to go into the office when my mentor is there at the same time. 

(5) Finding Value:  

•  What is a potential question you would like to study this year?  (working EQ)
• What is the most important factor for a public defender to win a case?
•  What do you plan to do for mentorship?  If you haven't found a mentor yet, then discuss where you are currently looking and who you are talking to to find it.  
• For my mentorship, I am doing to work under Ramiro Cisnero at the Pomona Court Building. As far as I know, I will be helping with filing and taking notes. I will be granted more responsibilities as time passes.

Blog 5 Project Reflection and Working EQ

The Pentagon: 
(1) Positive Statement: What positive thing happen as a result of what you have completed so far?

• A positive result so far would be finding out more different types of accountancies that I would be interested in joining. 

(2) EQ Content:  Pick a piece of research or your interview.  How has it helped you improve your understanding of your topic?

• From my interview, it has helped me understand the busy schedule accountants may have and what work life may be in the future. For example, few weeks a year, some accountants have to work 18 hours a day to get all the work done before the deadline. 

(3) What has worked for you so far in the senior project?

• What has worked so far in the senior project would be finally finding an accountant to interview, Don Halili.

(4) What hasn't worked so far?  

• What hasn't worked so far for me would be focusing more on what about accounting am I more interested in. Thus, I find it a little more difficult to find research through the internet. Searching for information in books would only we beneficial if I narrowed down my search.

(5) Finding Value:  

•  What is a potential question you would like to study this year?  (working EQ)

• What is the most important skill or factor to be considered a successful accountant?

•  What do you plan to do for mentorship?  If you haven't found a mentor yet, then discuss where you are currently looking and who you are talking to to find it.  

• I plan to ask a few accounting agencies if I could help work under an accountant (CPA). I have asked friends and relatives if they would know an accountant that would be willing to take me under their wing, but so far it hasn't been so good. 

Surprise, surprise!

It was a few days before the first Research Check was due, when I started looking for any articles I could find. I was actually surprised that I found more than I thought I would. The most surprising moment would be when I started reading said article. Halfway through the first article, I was shocked that there would be more than two types of accountants. I knew there would be one who dealt with showing figures to important parties outside the organization and another that shares facts within the organization to discuss what direction the organization should go. There are at least 4 other types of accountants, including governmental and forensic accounting. Forensic accounting interested me the most only because it deals with white-collar crimes. More specifically, it relates to an old show I used to watch with my family that enraptured me with fraud, embezzlement, and other illegal activities and the protagonist's attempt to solve them.

2013 2-Hour Presentation Reflections

Literal:  

1.  (Know) What presentations did you see?  Name the topic and the person's first name.

I saw:

• Jorge - Electronic Dance Music
• Jessica - Making an Album
• Marilyn - OBGYN
• Dominic - All Star Cheerleading (safety) 
• Nicholas - Automative Repair
• Alyssa - Yoga
• Ariana - Machine Programming
• Emma - Yearbook
• Ricardo - Drifting
• Darlene - Cancer Survivors
• Daniel - Car Audio
• Cheryl - Veterinarian Oncology
• Alex - Running a Bike Shop
• Jeanette - Wedding Dress Design

2.  (Need to know) What questions do you have that haven't been answered about the senior project? This can be about the senior project in general, any components or about a presentation topic you saw or what they said.  

How many activities do we need to have? What would be "acceptable" as an activity? By when do we need to know our senior topic or whom our mentor is?

Interpretive:

3. What has the most important part of the senior project based on what you are seeing in the 2-hour presentations?

The most important thing that I saw are the 3 answers and making sure it connects to the EQ.

Applied:

4. What topic are you considering doing and why?

I am considering doing something along the lines of accounting because it relates to the career I wish to do in my future. Another topic I would consider is doing it on books because I love to read. Lastly, I am considering doing my topic to be something with psychology because after Strand's class in freshman year, it has always been an interest.