Blog 7-Second Interview Preparation

It's time for my second interview and this time, I'm going to interview my mentor! 

Can't wait!

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?  If their workplace does not reflect their expertise, what makes them an expert?

My mentor is Mr. John L. Gordon and he works at a law firm that he helped co-found named Driskell & Gordon. 

2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background?

1. What interested you in pursuing a career in law?
2. What were your goals prior to becoming a lawyer?
• Do you believe you have now accomplished those goals? 
3. Now that you have been a lawyer for some time, is there something else you would like to pursue in the field of law? Why?
4. What are some examples of your involvement in the law community, such as seminars, teaching classes, writing books, etc.?
5. Do you feel that if you could go back in time to when you first started law school, knowing what you do now, would you have still entered law school and saw it until the very end? Why? 

***Additional questions to ponder:

1. Where did you complete your undergrad? 
• What did you major in? 
• Looking back now at what you have done and knowing what you do now, would you have changed your major? 
2. What Law School did you go to? How long were you there?
• Did you enjoy studying there? Why or why not?
3. Would you recommend either school? Why or why not?
4. How did you come to the decision of starting up a law firm?

Blog 6-Advisory Prep

The senior project hasn't been so difficult, but now I've reached a bit of a bump in the road. Hopefully, I will be able to get over it soon.

1. What has worked well for you concerning senior project this year?  What has made it a positive experience for you?  

I feel that just the organization of how I have managed my time to go to mentorship was a step in the right direction. I also feel like the fact that my mentor was going to trial, conveniently in time during my mentorship with him will help towards my independent component. I feel that overall my mentorship has been a very positive experience for me because I am being exposed to so much information and experiences that I might not have been introduced to until I actually became a lawyer myself. I feel that this will help me in the long run and I really am enjoying this project.

2. What are you finding difficult concerning senior project?  How can you adapt to make that portion work better for you?  How might the senior team help?

What I have been finding quite difficult concerning my senior project is deciding on an essential question, which I haven't decided on yet. I also feel that it will be pretty difficult for me to create a second independent component. I feel that as I progress through this mentorship process, I will be able to narrow down my essential question. However, in terms of my second independent component, I might need a little bit more help and some creativity. I hope that the senior team might give me some examples of what previous students who had a topic similar to mine did in the past, just so I can get an idea of what I could do. 

Blog 5-Interview 1 Reflection

"From a trickle to a roar!"
This has been the first interview and one of the first stages of the senior project. The first stage has begun with a trickle, literally! The rain we saw this week will only be the first in many more to come--hopefully. Of course, now we wait for the second stage and eventually...the roar. 

For the audio file of Interview 1: 
            https://soundcloud.com/karla-milicich/interview-1

For the transcript of Interview 1:
             https://docs.google.com/document/d/1soLpFMqsRItBR6yh0y2U5DMXU_i_eHcto-bRec6kk_A/edit?usp=sharing

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  Is there anything I would do differently for other interviews?

        The most important thing I learned from the interview is that English is very critical to an attorney's schooling and career. I am specifically referring to critical reading and critical thinking. Mr. Driskell, the person I interviewed, advised me to take English in college because of the advantages he saw that English majors had in law school. Lawyers need to be critical thinkers when it comes to cases; therefore, majoring in English may not be so bad. 

      There was one more important thing I learned that I must definitely change in my next interviews, and that is the fact that the first part of the interview include the asking of permission to record because, as I found out, if this is not done, you are committing a felony. I thought this was very important and should be something I should include in my next interviews. 

      I would also like to change how I asked the questions. I hope to ask more questions in the upcoming interviews and questions that really get into what I want to know. Of course, hopefully by then I will have decided on my essential question.  

2. Did I get additional resources and contacts?  What is the most useful?  Why?

     I did get additional resources for my research. Mr. Driskell had advised that I create a list of five to ten cases written by the best legal thinkers. This could serve as very helpful for my research of my senior topic and for narrowing down my essential question. 
     I was advised by Mr. Driskell to seek out lawyers from small firms that deal with defending insurance companies. I would like to look into this because my first interest for the senior project had been leaning towards this, but as I found out, Civil Litigation also included business law and personal injuries cases. I do know a personal injury attorney and plan to interview her for my next interview.
     I feel that the advise concerning the researching of the cases written by the best legal thinkers was the most useful because the information provided by those cases may give me an insight on what to decide for my essential question.

3. What makes my interviewee qualified to help me? 

      My interviewee was more than qualified to help me. He is the co-founder of the law firm in which I have my mentorship at. He has been a lawyer for more than thirty years and is well-known and liked in the legal community. He specializes in the areas of litigation, real estate, and business transactions. He has represented many large business clients, including airlines, shipping companies, and the oil industry. He graduated from Loyola Law School in 1976 and has been a lawyer ever since. 

For more information on Mr. Driskell visit: http://www.driskellgordon.com/?page_id=67

Blog 4 - House Advisory Prep

 Write a short explanation of what you are hoping to accomplish through your senior project topic.  You will be sharing out on what you've written here with your house advisory and classmates on Friday, 9/11.

        Through my senior project topic, I hope to learn more about a career I hope to pursue in the near future. I want to learn all the basics of civil litigation and all types of legal proceedings that fall under this category. I wish to become a successful and trustworthy attorney and I feel that the ideas I have for my essential question will help me become this. I have yet  to decide on an essential question, but I have in mind several that pertain to having a good relationship with my clients, a good relationship with my opposing council, and creating a welcoming environment for my clients. 
         I feel that through my senior project I will have the opportunity to hone in on my presentation and reading comprehension skills because as an attorney, this is not only recommended, but a requisite. Of course, iPoly has already taught me how to present well in front of large crowds; however, there are still times where I become nervous. I hope that through my senior project, I will be able to get rid of those nerves and look more calm, confident, and collected when I present. I also wish to better my reading comprehension skills. Reading is part of becoming an attorney due to the amount of paperwork an attorney has to deal with. My mentor is already helping me with this, as I have been writing several deposition summaries for him and other attorneys at the law firm I've been mentoring at. 
        I have presented several goals that I wish to attain throughout the course of my senior project. These goals, I would like to say, are all specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time based. As you may have noticed, these are all mentioned in the image above. I have made SMART goals that I know I can achieve by the end of my senior project!