Work Work Work!

Hello again!

Well it definitely looks so far like I didn't draw the short straw. So far this week we're on our 3rd assignment -we've sorted through jury questionnaires, summarised a trial and appeal transcript for a very interesting case and we have now been set a research task (looking up and summarising scholarly articles relating to carers who kill the children in their care).
Its been really interesting and we really feel like the work we do is genuinely valued. We're working in the Trial Project department of the Texas Defenders Service as opposed to the Post-Conviction Department but then there are other interns here working on that too so its possible that when they leave in about 3 weeks we may get moved around a bit. Apparently there are a group of Oxbridge students who come here every year for about 4 weeks late in the summer as well so it looks like we'll be seeing some more British people around in a bit.

The Trial Project has a lot of work for interns to do, they train capital defence lawyers and give them advice and generally act as a resource for whatever kinds of research and cases they might be doing. Our job therefore is to fill in the gaps - when somebody requests something that TDS don't have, its set aside as a project for the summer interns who then research and create the necessary resource so that next time it comes up in a case anywhere in Texas, its there for them to use. So it looks like thats what its going to be for the next few weeks, and I'm really looking forward to it!

Some of you know that I nearly ended up in Norfolk, Virginia. Thank god i didn't! It really sounds like the interns up there do nothing but photocopy, they've not been given research or cases to look at and they've already been there for 2 and a bit weeks. Looks like I made a lucky escape because they are both completely bored and are wishing they hadn't bothered.

Birthday celebrations are beginning tonight - we're off to some 18-21 clubs in 6th street (the big party place in Austin) and we've got quite a crowd going with us who are all surprisingly eager to dance :) can't wait! Tomorrow there's a party somewhere on the University Campus which we've been told we have to go to even though we're not entirely sure we'll know anybody, I think the plan is that we will by the time we leave. We're also planning to do some more touristy things this weekend - we're heading to the State Capital building (which reminds me of a miniature version of the white house) that we go past on the bus everyday to work and we're also going up the UT (University of Texas) tower which supposedly has a gory history. I think the plan for Sunday is to go kayaking or canoeing on the very beautiful river that runs through Austin and at some point next week we're going to catch the sunset river tour which will take us bat watching!
Very exciting!
The students here have all been to San Antonio and Houston and they don't rave about them especially, we're still planning on going but may not make too many trips unless we get especially bored - there's a lot still to do around here! Loving Austin!

Em xxxx