Final Post

Here we are...three months later. I’m on the Metro. I’ve been on the move non-stop all week but this very moment is the beginning of a deep breath. Another short life chapter is being closed with a twinge of sadness and a wave of satisfaction. What a blur it was: Costa Rica, D.C., new internship, public speakers, sightseeing, LSAT class, applications, job interviews and a few classes in three short months.

This is not an advertisement. This is my blog. My thoughts (which I hope you’ve enjoyed) and my honest opinion and well-intended advice. If you are a person looking to make professional connections in a hurry this (a TWC internship) is exactly what you should do. I would guess that most people reading this entry are at “home" on winter break contemplating where they will go to get an internship or study away from campus. Studious minds scowling the web for the best trip at the best cost. I was in that exact place; clicking away at countless search results until I found the job in the city that provided me with a spark of adventure and a promise of personal and professional development.

I can still hear my friend's voice. “I just hope you don’t get stuck out there, man.” Ha. I will see that friend when I go back to Seattle for Christmas and I will tell him that the last thing I feel is “stuck." I completed the Washington Center program with 2 great jobs, an incredible apartment, and nothing but oppourtunity ahead of me. "Stuck" sounds more like staying around my hometown taking an easy and comfortable job. That was not what I needed after I graduated and I’m glad I seized the oppourtunity to make a move.

My TWC job interview was somewhat surreal. Three advisors I admire sat across the table from me, unabashedly firing away rounds of questions as I sat there with my tie tied exceptionally tight. And now I’m part of the crew. The blog title TWC and ME turned out to be an unintentional exercise in foreshadowing.

In three months my life has gone through some rapid changes and I hope you have gained some insight into what TWC and D.C. life is like. I’ll be here as a resource for all future participants and I really look forward to meeting you.

Signing off,

Ian

Week 14

Every man's memory is his private literature.- Aldous Huxley

I had a snowball fight with some little kids outside of an apartment complex in D.C. today. I had been knockingon a woman’s door for a good twenty minutes as the snow fell down the back of my sweatshirt. I was cold, frustrated and turning to take my defeated walk back to the car when I saw a little kid preparing his ammunition inside a snow-filled barbeque.

It was that perfect packing snow.

I laughed to myself and threw a giant, expertly aimed snowball right over the shoulder of little man in the puffy black vest. When he heard the SMACK of tightly packed snow colliding against brick, he spun faster than Emmitt Smith during Dancing with the Stars.

His face was priceless. Fear and giddy excitement started in his eyes and progressed down from his brow to form a gleaming, tiny toothed smile. In one right handed motion he glove wiped his nose and was armed. The roar of a five-year-old entering into a snowball fight is like no other; now I was the one with fear in my eyes.

It was a great way to cap off a snowy day in the city.


A few days back, on another cold and windy day, I walked up the alley behind the office to a new baked potato restaurant called Potato Valley. You know the spot. Right over there on E street, a block over from the Verizon Center?

I was READY for lunch. I’d been cruising around the city playing investigator with food at the forefront of my mind. $6.50 for a potato seemed a little steep but reviews at the office were high and I was hungry. I ordered turkey and cheddar with sour cream. As I watched the orders pass by me the anticipation in my stomach kicked up its cries a few decibels. I mean these things were gargantuan beauties of spud superiority. A pretty lady took my order, smiled, and we exchanged greetings.

After my order, the smilefest came to an end. It was transaction time but in its place was a truly awkward pause. I had set my card on the table in front of me but she hadn’t picked it up. It just sat there, on the counter, squarely between us. The world would be playing freeze tag until one of us touched it.

I picked up my card and asked “Can I pay with my debit?” She flatly responded, “No you cannot,” as she reached out to take the card of the person waiting to pay directly behind me in line.

This was just not right. Why would she be so friendly, then so rude. I gathered myself, stepped up to the counter and said, “Why could that guy pay with his card and not me?” Instead of answering she said, “not today” as the other woman behind the counter handed me my hot potato.

I walked out, pleasantly confused, making a silent vow to bring friends and a flower next time I want a potato.

Saturday is the TWC talent show. Showtime in the Meridian at Braddock Station Penthouse. I’m not sure if Jack Nicholson or Don King is on the guest list but the stars will be out.

I’ll let you know how it goes,

IW

A One Way Ticket

Do you ever have that second, right before you start a long drive, when you take a mental note that when you finally are those 6 long hours down the road it is going to be hard to remember what you were thinking and feeling as you left the driveway?

It’s a surreal moment. Knowing that your state of mind will have changed enough by the end of your journey that it’s going to be strange remembering where you were mentally and emotionally at the start.

The term is on its last legs. Fall is painting its best watercolors all over the city and I’m feeling the desire to drag my feet. Usually in the last five minutes of the drive, or in the last few days of a long experience away from home, I’m just flat ready to get back to the easy streets I know. This time is a little different. I’ve made plans to not only drag my feet, but to fill my boots with cement and stick out here for awhile. There’s just so much left to do. Time flew as always. September to December and I still haven’t seen the Smithsonian Museums.

I have a good feel for my job as an investigator now. I’m comfortable asking uncomfortable questions, knocking on strangers doors, or sitting in the witness box. Those are little accomplishments I want to build on.

I finally know street names in other quadrants of the city. I can walk to my friends' apartments without stopping in the hallway to text, “Which number is your room again?”. And for a guy who is notoriously bad at remembering names I know people well enough now to tell stories to other people without saying, “You know the guy from…No, I mean the girl that works at the…”. Those days are over and I’m not ready to let the D.C. comfy go.

So I threw my bait out there…short but fairly accomplished resume, impassioned cover letter, and college workshop polished interview savvy, with the hope to catch one of those big fish. If I manage to reel one or two in there is a good chance I will get to meet those of you who will morph from the curious college caterpillar, clicking away at prospective student links, to become butterfly or man moth Washington Center Interns...not to be gender exclusive with my species of flying insects, I just didn’t want to call myself a butterfly in a publication with my name on it :)

Point being, take some time to consider this trip. It can be a semester in the big city or it can be an opportunity to begin your professional career in an organization you would have initially thought was out of your reach. When I left my college in Walla Walla Washington, I could never have imagined where I am now emotionally and professionally as I settle in for the finish line here in D.C.

Hope to meet you in the Spring,

Ian

The Professional in Me

Twice in the last week I’ve been addressed as "sir" by two girls that could not have been more then two or three years younger than I am. Truth be told, I look pretty official in my crisp khaki suit and Public Defender Service ID but really...am I grown up?

I often find myself marveling that my friends are grown up now too. Pat from down the street is going to be teaching other people's kids in a few weeks. Amazingly enough, I need to come to grips with the fact that I am a grown up and that grown ups aren’t entirely different from youngsters.

As we break down that parent/youth barrier it becomes glaringly obvious that things like maturity and professionalism are not guaranteed to come with age. Some of the topics of conversation I've encountered in professional environments could have been plucked straight from the gossip of 7th graders. Have you heard about how ugly Jenny’s shoes are or how David always has bad breath?

Sadly, that sort of thing doesn’t really get left back in high school. It shouldn't occur in a professional environment, but in reality the ability to rise above immature tendencies is what separates true professionals from the adults that still haven’t got it figured it out yet.

During the Washington Center orientation, I watched a presentation called the Faux Pas of Professionalism. It was informative, but in my opinion most of us already know how we should act. I’ll admit the dirt-slinging social insider of the office is often more interesting day-to-day than the worker whose nose never leaves the ledger, but that interest is short-lived. A person's reputation affects the way colleagues and superiors view the potential of a given worker.

When a possibility for advancement opens up, will the decision-makers look to an employee that's constantly on AIM and facebook or the one that always has a funny story about someone else in the office to become a leader in the organization? I think not.

Finding your professional personality is something that takes experience and for me, the process has caused a good deal of self reflection. I definitely do not want to suppress my individuality or attempt to fit a cookie cutter persona …the creative rebel in me is still too alive for that.

Everyday there’s an opportunity for an edgy joke. Every Friday there’s a chance to be the life of the party at happy hour but the truth is that when decisions about job offers are being made, professionalism often becomes the bottom line. Can this individual perform the job while positively contributing to the office environment? I try to remember this rule when I hear that edgy joke or feel tempted to tell it myself…

A Washington Center internship provides the opportunity to find your professional personality--and I plan to continue to take advantage.

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody,
IJW

Let’s Get Right to Business

No messing around this week. What do you need to know about the Washington Center and Washington D.C.?

1. Housing
I remember really wanting to know more about where exactly I would be living….My first impression was wow, this is way too nice. I can only really speak for my building, Meridian at Braddock Station, but you walk in and there is a big lobby with golden elevators. Then the concierge asks, “Are you from the Washington Center?” After being directed to the 16th floor the doors open up in front of you and the “wow” factor continues as a direct result of the penthouse view.

The rooms themselves (if kept clean and adorned with personals) are great as well. Give me a solid table and one comfy chair

and I'm content, but the arrangement here definitely exceeds those expectations. I’ve added a few pictures…

2. Commute
My commute is about a half hour which is great, especially considering the fact that I’m not driving--I'm reading or aimlessly people watching on the metro (which is fun in the morning but exponentially more so if you stay up late enough to enter the twilight zone during the weekends). Sightseeing or even just seeing your friends is made easy by effective public transportation so you can look forward to that as well.

3. Programming
My main gripe with the programming is there are too many options. It was much easier when your third grade teacher would just walk you through the zoo exhibits but those days are over. My advisor sends me emails with tour, job, or volunteer opportunities at least twice a week. With each email my head swims a little more, wondering when time will slow down so I can see and do everything that appeals to me… It really is an exercise is planning which is something we are all supposed to have perfected by time we have graduated college…ha.

4. Social Life
Socially, Washington D.C. is my small college gone Barry Bonds (the defense lawyer in me would like to add the stipulation that Barry is only “accused” of using steroids and having a head size that expanded like a hot air balloon). There are an incredible amount of young people and places to get together. It also doesn’t hurt that you live in a giant apartment building with other "Washington Centertonians," and have several scheduled social events. I personally have capitalized on having a pool table upstairs and transformed myself from an embarrassingly bad player to one that can say things like “I just needed a few games to warm up."

But most important insight I can provide this week is GET READY FOR THANKSGIVING!!! Whether it’s the family, football, fall colors or food, the Holiday season is here.

Until next week,

IW

A Gem of a Monday

On Monday, the Presidential Lecture Series was held at the Carnegie Institution and it was one of those events you walk into, stop, and feel as if you’ve been hit by the lightning bolt in Super Mario Cart when you see the company you're in (I apologize to my readers from another generation, but just to make sure you understand--getting struck makes you shrink!).

Yes, I knew that I would have access to a panel of former members of Congress and that the topic of discussion would be the prevalent issue of Homeland Security but as I entered the room to see a 6'9'' former Congressman shaking hands with his colleagues and taking his seat as the moderator explained CSPAN's broadcast of the proceedings, I wondered if I was prepared.

The discussion opened with 4 short speeches. The first grabbed my attention; Honorable Martin Frost (a former Chair of the Democratic Caucus who served in congress from 1979-2005) opened by describing the hesitations and resistance of many representatives in Congress to include FEMA as a part of the Department of Homeland Security at the time when the latter was created. In the following hour and half we all got an inside look at FEMA’s failings. Mr. Frost and his colleges provided some excruciatingly honest insights about the lack of organization within FEMA during Hurricane Katrina as well as the current lack of satisfaction of employees within the organization itself.

We've all heard Kanye. We’ve all read articles. And most of us were appalled by the government's lacking response in New Orleans, which made hearing about what happened from the inside--straight from the “horse's mouth” if you will--that much more worthwhile.

The other central messages I took home with me came from the Honorable Thomas McMillan, who has served as Homeland Security Capital Corp’s Chairman, CEO and President since August 2005 and also served three consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1987-1993.

Mr. McMillan provided the figure that we are spending approximately 11 billion dollars a month on the war in Iraq which, in a four-month period, exceeds the entire budget of the Department of Homeland Security. He questioned such spending if our goal is really to protect our homeland. His objections to such disproportionate spending are difficult to deny.

His second and equally compelling message was about the citizenry of the United States giving themselves to the cause of Homeland Security rather than expecting the goal of national security to be reached solely from the top down.

I left the Carnegie Institute in a pensive mood, as I often do after a great speaker encourages me to do my part. I continue to wonder where my wandering will lead me. What part will I turn out to play?

Once again, I can find comfort in the knowledge that I'm in the right city to figure things out.

IW

All Hallows Eve

If there were such a thing as Halloween Eve, I would definitely be one to open his gifts early. Of course the spooky day occurred mid-week this year…so who could resist a little pre-holiday celebration? Last Friday afternoon, a fellow investigator and I took off from the office and headed to a costume store, where things got serious…

They had everything. I was unsure about the direction I’d take with my costume until I saw it—a true beacon of Halloween. The shining silver plastic roman shield and sword (child-sized of course) seemed to come straight from the dreams of my youth. Then it hit me. I would be the huge bad guy from the movie 300. I found a chain link belt (which may have been a little feminine…others described it as a man belly chain), Roman leather strap-up sandals, an appropriate headdress and some leather wrist guards. Obviously, I was more than ready for the festivities to begin.

There are many ways to gauge Halloween success, but could there be a more accurate measure of costume greatness than a TWC Meridian at Braddock Station Costume Contest?

We carved pumpkins, devoured cupcakes, played Twister and—when the night came to a close—only one soldier remained. His name was Zerkcies (me) and he proudly stood in front of his peers, gowned in his fine golden bed sheet, and accepted his prize as champion. What a moment it was…..

On Monday, life returned to the feverish pace people in D.C. call normality, as I have been working very closely with a Public Defender Service lawyer while he prepares for multiple trials this week. The attorney I’m describing often shares with me his thoughts about his direct questioning of our witnesses and, when appropriate, details his cross-examination strategy. All the while, we laugh about the hectic and sometimes humorous moments we have lived through during the investigation and preparation for each trial. Again I’ve been working late, and I’m getting progressively more worried about the December 1st LSAT, but I guess that’s just the way it should be for a 22-year-old attempting to prepare himself for a future he is still in the process of planning.

I’ve resisted thus far but I can resist no more… I divulge into the dangerous subject of reading list recommendations. I’m making my way through this book very slowly, covering a few pages every time I ride the Metro (one benefit of commuting is automatic reading time). It’s called John Adams and is written by David McCullough. On the way to LSAT class recently, I read a line McCullough pulled from Adams’ diary: “The point is now determined, and I shall have the liberty to think for myself” (60). Reflecting on former President Adams’ words I thought of my current plight…

I am in transition. Spurred on by a combination of youth, ambition and curiosity, my biggest worry is choosing for myself. Free from overzealous advisors and parental pressures, I’ve got a myriad of promising opportunities presenting themselves to me in Washington, D.C. I’m certain that I’m in the right city for this period in my life, now I just have to choose which path I will tread.

Well here’s to procrastination—tonight no choices are to be made. Tonight, it’s Halloween and my costume is again calling my name.

IW

I lost something, but then I got it back

Today my phone had a fall
And I didn’t even know
I just got on the train and my day began to go

I walked
I cruised
I searched
And then I parked
And that’s when a realization put a stop to my heart

Said damn where’s my phone
Where was the last place I seen it
Said damn where’s my phone
Gone…and I couldn’t believe it

I ran to the office and borrowed a phone
Called mine knowing well the owner wasn’t home

Click… who’s this?
It’s the guy who’s phone you found
Well that’s great, yeah man I picked it up off of the ground

Appreciate it and need it

Where can I come meet ya
Pennslyvania 2000

20 minutes there I’ll cya

Red light, green light, red light, green
Stopped, parked, and scanned the scene

4 options 4 corners
1 mystery man with my phone
Investigation skills… time to canvass this zone

He was leaned back
Real cool, real relaxed
Cup of joe in front of Starbucks in fact

In my best school boy “can you help me” tone
I said excuse me sir but I lost my phone

He says, I don’t got anything for you so get the f@#$ away,
Shocked I said, “is that how you treat people everyday”…

Real quick in front of me was some 230 pounds
Real ready to stomp my lil’ head down into the ground
Now I don’t know what happened to this man that morning
But it sent me into one of those days that make a life story

I walked away from that guy
That man of anger and maltreatment
Turning back into the world
That felt cold and hard as cement

Downtrodden and disappointed by the way we sometimes act
I looked to the other corner
And saw a man in a jacket and cap

Walked over
Wondering
What will I get next
Before I could speak it was like his gums had hit eject

A smile the size of those dental diagrams
A big Australian voice and one big friendly hand

He’d been waiting
With no reason to wait
He had picked it up
In an act of good faith

I offered him coffee
I offered a quick bite
But with a smile he walked a way and wished me luck in life

Two men
One phone
And the way we choose to be
That Australian man made an impact on me

The magnification of one example is ample to show
Everyday we decide the community we know


Thanks for giving me my phone back Crocodile Dundee D.C. man. I spent some time with Mr. Lincoln tonight (his monument) thinking about my day and our tomorrow, which prompted a Mother Goose style blog.

That little story leaves out the fact that my peers and I had the opportunity to have a Q & A with the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture for a few hours which were among the most informative I’ve spent in D.C.

Tomorrow there is a chance I’ll have to be a witness in case I’ve been investigating for awhile now. Sure I’m a little nervous for the cross examination but it should be fun.

Happy Halloween Weekend,
IW

5 Sides to Remember

What has five sides, more than 26,000 employees, enough telephone wire to encircle the globe twice and more secrets than your ex-girlfriend or -boyfriend?

If you’re traveling into D.C. on the Yellow or Blue lines, you hear its name on the muffled Metro speakers everyday. “Next stop Pentagon, doors opening left side.” Yes, I have the Metro memorized. The daily rock and swaying action of the train along with those melodious conductor voices are synonymous to lullabies in a crib, but everyday PENTAGON stands out.

I’ve gained what I would describe as a global perspective in the last few years. I was lucky enough to spend a summer in Chile, hop over to Argentina, take a politics trip into Mexico, work in Costa Rica and travel to Nicaragua. During those experiences the immensity of the world and the ranges of lifestyles people have in other countries were impressed upon me. So now, when I ride by the Pentagon everyday, I often think of the enormous significance of this single spot on the globe.

The headquarters of the United States Department of Defense…. The headquarters of the most significant military force the world has ever known…. The figurative spinal cord of the nation that has often laid claim to a responsibility to protect the rest of the world from the wrongdoings of murderous dictators and malicious military regimes alike.

This Tuesday I stopped in that very building for a Washington Center tour. As with many other local hotspots, certain sections of the building are closed off to public access, but just being inside was quite an experience. The tour was lead by the type of guide you would expect to find at the Pentagon. With a 6' 6'' linebacker build, the immaculately uniformed officer had a voice so booming it would knock any pretentious public speaking professor on his heels.

We stopped to ponder famous paintings of such moments as the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. We passed along a chronological history of some of America’s most prominent military operations. We listened to explanations of glass-protected documents that represent longstanding peace treaties with countries like New Zealand and Canada.

Toward the end of the tour we went to the side of the Pentagon where Flight 77 crashed. Our tour guide gave an account of the events of 9/11, and we spent some time in silence before we read the stories of those who passed that day. It was another one of those Washington, D.C. experiences that I will never forget.

My roommate shook hands with President Bush today. We both were there to hear the Dalai Lama speak at the Capitol.

More to come next week,

Ian J. Warner

Law School Application Season

It’s something like…

Watching the ice cream cone you saved up to buy melting before you can eat it all…

Trying to securely tie your shoe strings into a double knot when your six-year-old psyche just wants to get out there and play…

Standing on the edge of the high dive when your instructors keep screaming YOU’RE NOT READY TO SWIM…

Yet all you can hear inside your head is…

DIVE, DIVE, DIVE.

And you’d better make this dive perfect or you will never touch the sweet water of law school in which half the world expects you to drown.

What a rush. Literally...

Resume, recommendation, loan application, STOP, rethink and redirect.

Hello again, Mr. Stephens (Washington Center Director of Internships with a resume that any recent graduate would do well to emulate). Thank you for meeting me for lunch. Yes, I am planning to attend law school next fall. Well, I believe so, but I also need to decide if I’m going to stay here in D.C. after December. My current internship at the Public Defender Service is great and I am interested in staying on there as an investigator until law school begins.

“Well, Ian, no matter what course you choose, please keep me posted. Consider me a resource.”

Thank you for your time, Mr. Stephens, and I’ll talk to you soon.

RUUUUUNNNN
Late for work, late at work
LSAT PREP, LSAT PREP
TEST, TEST, TEST

Kaplan class has been good. I really enjoy being busy. I’m just better when I’m busy.

And I will stand behind the statement in my "personal statement" that the State of the State is leaving the impoverished, largely minority community behind. Take a look at D.C. and its clear as day to me.

“Don’t go to Southeast.” They say it with reason and working there gives me cause to stand up and say our legal system is sending generations of project prisoners from cell blocks to city blocks where hope is hard to find. It sounds harsh but so is the reality of what is going on in the halls of the public schools in those neighborhoods. There are too many good people in bad surroundings. It hits home as I am talking to a 17-year-old kid facing felony assault. He just didn’t see any other way to handle a situation he could not avoid at school.

RUUUN. Blog time, online, school search, pay dirt….breeeathe—that loan came through.

Grocery shop, waterhole hop, and don’t forget your business card.

Ian Warner
Intern Investigor
Public Defender Sevice Washington D.C.
(206) 940-4422

Talk to you soon,

IW

CEO of AOL, Bill O’Riley, College Coaches, Professional Ethics and Blog Readers

I like to stay informed. Everyday prior to my arrival here, at least once, I read a few stories out of the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Seattle Times. I knew I was going to have to hit the ground running here in D.C. so I wanted to be ready.

As you can imagine, during my extended stay in Costa Rica I spent very little time watching any of the American news networks and when I returned…I was not pleasantly surprised by their progress.

Before I left in May, I had periodically argued that some of Fox New's presentations were becoming dangerously slanted.

Lately, many of the broadcasts have become simply unwatchable. To make things worse, CNNBC has seemingly reacted with programming that directly responds to, if not initiates, slanted banter between itself and Fox News. (Sadly ESPN is just safer....)

So at this week's Presidential Lecture Series when I had a chance to ask the current President of AOL, Randy Falco, (who also worked at NBC for 35 years, during which he held positions which influenced news programming, including president of the network) about his view on the current trends in news broadcasting, in terms of the growth of highly opinionated politically polarized broadcasts...I could not resist.

He responded like a disappointed father, basically stating that he understood recent trends as efforts to compete for ratings but that he always believed news broadcasts had a responsibility to simply present the news as it happened. (He also stated out right that he doesn't consider Bill O’ Riley to be a real journalist--volunteering the answer to a question that I was too afraid to ask!)

I thanked him for his answer and walked back to my seat, feeling more satisfied than I had expected to be. He went on to answer a question about ethics in the business world, which he described as “doing what you say you’re going to do.” That sent my mind into the typical bad listener habit of tangential thinking…I daydreamed about leaders that I respected in my past, finding that all lived up to Falco’s definition of ethics.

Like the aspiring ethical professional I am, I applied Mr. Falco’s mantra of ethics and returned a favor to my old college coach. He knew a kid at another college who was a son of a coach he knows. The student wanted to talk to me about my experience at the Washington Center. I told my coach I would do it right away but it was 10:30 when I got home after a day of work, the lecture, and a 4-hour LSAT diagnostic test. Remembering Mr. Falco, I made the call and luckily left a message on his answering machine.

Today he called back while I was at work. And guess what he said? “I’ve looked at the Washington Center web site and I’ve been reading all your blogs”. What? Someone is reading my blog besides my immediate family! Other prospective students are reading this in an attempt to gain perspective on what’s going on out here in D.C.? (New TWC blog experiment working?)

Well “readers,” I’m busy. D.C. is a infinitely interesting place--and thanks for reading. Tomorrow is my lunch with the VP of the Washington Center and tonight (at 10:15 after a day of work and 4 hour lsat class) I’m going out to interview a Spanish-speaking witness and I’m excited about it.

On the run,

IW

Late Nights

As a lowly 22 year old with an unsullied bachelors degree, adolescent accolades, and a lack of extensive experience in anything except school, the cubicle and the copier seemed destined to be centerpieces of my day-to-day existence.

Instead, the clouds have parted.

My internship does not end at 5 o'clock. One afternoon early on in the semester, I left around 4, but recently I've been choosing to stay until around 7:30 on a regular basis. I know its 7:30. Yes, I’m tired and hungry by that point. But going home is not in the forefront of my mind, and I believe I've figured out why.

It is not some noble cause. It is not some superior desire or drive to excel. It is not the pretty law clerks either. It is simply that I enjoy my work. It is that I am doing something important--tasks that will make an impact in other people’s lives. They are my clients, but they are also people in crisis that need legal assistance. Providing that service as the dark settles in is nothing less than enjoyable.

During my job I have been mistreated, mislead, threatened, lied to and disrespected.

During my job I have also been thanked, complimented, taken care of and respected.

And the truth of the matter is that is just about all I can tell you. I can’t tell you about the case we should not have lost today. I can’t tell you about my testimony and the cross examination the wonderful prosecutor subjected me too. I can’t describe to you the 17 year old kid from the projects in southeast who described to me exactly what he is talking about when he says “At my school it gets real live in the halls." But I can tell you those conversations will stay with for some time.

Who knows what would have happened if I went home at 5?

So… yea, give me a call but I probably won’t be home before 8...


IW

D.C. Directions: Up, Down, Up

Last week I helped a client earn a great plea. This week it fell apart because of a negative drug test.

This morning I was on top of the world (doing my best Denzel investigator face in the rearview) ready for a busy day of interviews and statements.

This afternoon I was sweating in traffic after being lost for (no exaggeration) 5 hours. Yes, I had a map, but D.C. thought it was clever to have the same street names in 4 different quadrants of the city. Within such a transportation pattern, a stranger (who mistakenly rushed his plans at the office this morning) could drive to Alabama Street in the far NW corner of the greater metropolitan area, when in fact; he wanted to go to Alabama Street SE, which is exactly what I did.

The day was far from lost. Once I got to my real destination, I was able to speak with some witnesses and found some information about the scene of the incident that the attorney was looking for. As you can imagine, I’m exhausted.

And it’s only Wednesday?

Monday seems like weeks ago but it was another memorable one…

There were several cases that needed to be worked on and we were having luck so I did not want to leave for the first lecture in TWC’s Presidential Lecture Series until I absolutely had to. Another intern also was planning on going and was worried about how long it would take to get there but I convinced her we would be fine if we left an hour early.

Well, once we got on the metro we both knew we’d be lucky to make it. I deservedly got an earful for not leaving when we should of (and I felt terrible) but we ran, (laughing at how ridiculous we felt running in business suits in downtown D.C.) and showed up just in time…

Just in time to hear an inspirational speech from two-time cabinet member Secretary Norm Mineta (the first Asian American to be a member of the Cabinet during the Clinton administration and the first Cabinet member to switch directly from a Democratic to a Republican Cabinet.). After the speech, I was able to exchange greetings with Secretary Mineta.

On the way out Secretary Mineta and the Managing Director of Internships at The Washington Center were walking in the same direction as my friends and I, so we chatted as we got ready to cross the street. The Director suggested I call him for lunch next week--another great opportunity.

My friends and I finished the day by taking the long way to the Metro. We passed directly by The White House and the Washington Monument, made a stop at the WWII Memorial and pointed out the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials as the lights that illuminate the statues came on…

We’ll see what happens tomorrow,
IW

Grin and grip

The term is “grin and grip”-- it’s a networking reference I’ve heard several times at Washington Center programming. It implies making the same eye contact and extending that ideal handshake we have all been taught since childhood, but this time it means something. This time we are intently grinning and gripping at our offices, lunches, and happy hours--making the connections that all TWC students are hoping to find in D.C.

In my first blog I neglected to mention the one and only place I haven’t found myself doing the "grin and grip"--the D.C. Metro. The Metro in the morning reminds me of my college library; it's a sort of social vacuum in which reading is the norm and conversation is minimal. However, I’ve found a way through the groggy-eyed dodgers…act utterly lost.

Of course this piece of information was not obtained through any sort of orderly experiment but rather my indoctrinated snoozyness (adopted from every other person on the Metro).

One morning I realized the part of the city I was admiring was a place I had never seen before. I promptly jumped off the metro and began studying maps when suddenly, I had more help than anyone could need.

“Next stop” and “next train connection” suggestions abundant, I had made my first Metro buddies…before I got back on track (pun intended) I had 4 business cards…that’s D.C. for you.

In my youth I would have been appalled at the statement I'm about to make...but it has become quite clear that my growing business card collection will be much more valuable than my baseball card collection. Yes, I’m still proud of my Ken Griffey Junior rookie card but in terms of VALUE it’s likely that the grinning and gripping I’ve grown fond of here in D.C. will come to fruition before Fleer (Sports Card Company) provides me with a career opportunity.

Speaking of opportunities, today I received 8 (otherwise known as things to do this week) from my TWC advisor. Among them are: attending the Defending the American Dream Summit, a Civic Engagement opportunity, an Aids Walk, 9/11 weekend tributes, and an update on our Presidential lecture series next week. Well...

Wish me luck,

IW

Here's Looking At You, D.C.

From the opening orientation to my first training session at the Public Defender’s Service its become crystal clear I’ve got some experiences to look forward to here in D.C.

Walking into Friday’s orientation was like sitting in the front row on the first day of class; it was clear I have surround myself with a group of young people with a high drive to succeed. I’ve been there before, in an eager and competent group of youngsters, but never in D.C.--where youth walks in suits, and opportunity is a short Metro ride away.

I have met lobbyist interns from Texas, aspiring international businessmen from South Korea, future free trade experts from Mexico, and a Boston-raised Dominican ready for a hands on look at Federal Law enforcement. And that’s just the people in my apartment building.

Looking out from the 16th floor on a sun-drenched evening and seeing the Washington Monument, Capitol Building, sailboats, and jets landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport isn’t so bad either.

A guarantee that at least 80 percent of the time an intern spends in the office is going to be filled with meaningful work (tasks that mean real experience in an exciting profession) is not easy to find. See my last 3 month internship in a law office. I don’t think copier proficient is going to enhance my resume much…

When the assistant director for the Public Defender Service of Washington D.C. induced a jaw dropping silence (the pulsing, I hope he doesn’t call on me kind) during my first day of training with a speech about trial by ambush in the Nation’s Capital, throwing out a string of hypothetical quandaries, it became obvious that confrontations with copiers have been replaced by confrontations with my preconceived notions about legal ethics and a daily dose of high intensity investigations.

With an internship like the one previously described, a TWC law and criminal justice course, an LSAT prep class (payment assisted by TWC), a Congressional Speaker Series, tours of places like the Pentagon and law school applications, I doubt I’ll have any trouble finding material or motivation to write this blog.

*Please forgive omissions of other great D.C. moments...Ex: pretty girls at ice cream socials (don’t worry sweetie, I’m just networking) and booing Barry Bonds at a National’s game (other people were doing it too, Mom).

Writing a bog about the big city is a dangerous job…and somebody’s got to (be lucky enough to) do it.

Until next week,

IW