Before my first day, I will admit that I was naïve and perhaps uninformed; I had imagined that working for the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union would mean that I would be involved in major, ground-breaking cases that brought on significant social change. Thoughts of my involvement in challenging the constitutionality of controversial legislation such as the USA Patriot Act and representing clients in cases like those I have read about in my casebooks danced around my head. As I soon realized, the day-to-day work is not necessarily as public, but no less important nor any less glorifying. It is often the resolution of the minute, particular issues affecting only a small number of individuals that have lasting impact.
Throughout the summer I took on a wide variety of tasks, from writing client letters, determining which cases the volunteer attorneys should consider, and researching possible challenges to upcoming state legislation. However, one aspect of my work that I particularly valued was the one-on-one client interaction and the lessons in lawyering that came with it. Previously, I had a general, abstract idea on the client-centered nature of a lawyer’s work, but I had not understood its full implications until I experienced it firsthand. As our office handles many civil rights complaints from inmates in the state prison and county house of corrections systems, I had the opportunity to interview clients regarding such issues. Although our office conducts all of its legal work through volunteer attorneys who require our assistance only periodically, in most situations involving client interaction I assisted the attorneys and gave little or no input. In one particular case, however, I conducted the interview myself.
The client contacted us complaining that his visitation rights had been severely restricted because of an administrative snafu. In order to obtain documents detailing the timeline of the restrictions and to ascertain what the client had been told by relevant authorities, I embarked on my first solo interview. Upon arriving on the prison grounds, I told the guards who I was, under whose authority I was visiting, and who I was there to see, and. After completing the necessary verification procedures, I was admitted to the attorney visiting room. Only when I saw another attorney and his assistant enter the visiting room next door, did I fully comprehend my situation – I was there by myself, and although there may be subsequent interviews were the need to arise, the information that I am able to recall and record from this interview is all that my supervising attorney is going to be able to use to determine the feasibility of the case.
After offering him a soda and a snack as any good prison attorney would, with the best “lawyer” tone of voice I could muster, I tell him “I read your complaint, and I’m very sorry that you’re in this unfortunate situation.” Then I asked: “So, can you describe in detail to me how this came about?” The client proceeded to show me the new rules, the old rules, and tells me how upset he is that his wife cannot visit him. I tried to comfort him in every way possible except giving any legal advice, and after reminding him that I cannot give such advice because I am not an attorney, I do what the supervising attorney instructed me to do. “You’re familiar with the Prison Litigation Reform Act, right? That requires you to exhaust every avenue of remedy before pursuing a lawsuit. How far up the chain of command have you gone?” He explained to me that he sent a complaint to the Commissioner, upon which I told him that we must wait for a response. I conclude the interview, and briefly discuss my work with the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union and my law school career.
Although at the interview stage I did not have to exercise much judgment, I felt empowered by the enormous reliance the client placed on me, and the realization of the importance of being able to interact well the client. Additionally, there was something deeply satisfying about assisting an identifiable individual in a way I never thought possible.
After the interview, I felt as though I tasted the essence of what it means to be a lawyer – that is, helping people, and to this day, it inspires me to continue pursuing the legal profession. This was an unexpected realization because I thought that working with a civil liberties organization entailed advocacy on a broad scale without too much concern for any particular individual. My work included such broad advocacy, but at the base, it is always about the individual.
And yes, as a result of my work the authorities reinstated the client’s visitation rights.
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