Blog 8: Independent Component 1 Proposal

The scene this image was taken from was during a trial, hopefully that's enough to capture your attention!

What is my Independent Component 1 idea?  I would like my Independent Component 1 to revolve around a case that was supposed to go to trial, however it was settled before the trial date and therefore, did not go to trial. 

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

I had helped my mentor with preparation for the trial including being present at a deposition, writing a deposition summary, filling out court subpoenas, organizing the exhibits (evidence), and organizing the case file. I was supposed to take notes during the trial of how it was carried out, but instead I read through and took notes on a packet handed to me by my mentor by the LA Superior Court that explains the Joint Trial Statement. My mentor had also discussed with me how settlements are carried out. 

Of course, this was not enough for the requirement of 30 hours; therefore, I also wanted to include the Mock Trial we had in class as part of my independent component. I understand that whatever paper I filed or anything I worked on during the preparation and during the settlement of the case during my mentorship was confidential; therefore, I thought that anything I used during the preparation of and during the process of the Mock Trial, would be perfect for this Independent Component 1. Anything I had done during my mentorship could be applied to the Mock Trial. I came up with the idea of creating a case file for the Mock Trial and all the hours I did were documented on a spreadsheet that is linked on my blog. 

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

I have decided to create a spreadsheet in which I explain everything I did within the allotted time specified in each session I worked on the independent component. 

3.  Explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

I feel that research I will be doing alongside the Mock Trial will help me understand how trials are carried out, not necessarily that of civil, but of criminal. I was thinking of creating an essay identifying the differences between the preparations of both criminal and civil trials based on what I've experienced and the research I do to better understand my topic and how it differs from criminal litigation. 

4.  Update your Senior Project Hours log.

**Posted on Blog, under "Senior Project Hours"

PS: I would like to be advised any other ways of documentation, because I feel that spreadsheets explaining what I did on a day by day basis is not enough. I was possibly thinking of making a short film, maybe a minute or two long, demonstrating what one does during trial preparation. (However, I believe that this might be a good idea for a independent component 2.)