Oh tabs. How did I not realize that Indian lawyers would love you so much? Almost made me feel at home.
First day of work today! It was remarkably similar to the DOJ: I showed up, and no one quite knew what to do with me, even though they had told me when and where to be. But also like the DOJ, by the end of the day, I met some awesome attorneys, and got started on exciting work! (Wow cheese.)My attorney supervisor, Jayshree, is very enthusiastic, and seems very committed to giving me a complete experience. By the end of the day I had already shifted from the intern area (in the basement), to a quasi-desk by hers so she could pull me in to whatever was going on for her. As she put it, if I was in the basement, "I'll just forget about you." Got to love the honesty.
I'm working on a case involving witch hunting, in Northeast India:
Cases of witch-hunting occur largely in rural areas of half a dozen states, primarily in the northern and central parts of India. About 700 women were killed last year under suspicion of being a witch, according to news media reports. . . .Labeling a woman as a witch is a common ploy to grab land, settle scores or even to punish her for turning down sexual advances. Cases have also come up where a strong-willed woman is targeted because she is assertive and is seen as a threat. In a majority of the cases, it is difficult for the accused woman to reach out for help and she is forced to either abandon her home and family, commit suicide or is brutally murdered. [link]
I'm doing legal research (per usual), and hopefully will get a chance to draft part of a Supreme Court petition to hear the case, involving the lack of enforcement for a state law regarding witch hunting.
Should be more good times tomorrow!
this sounds amazing! minus the poor women who are being labeled as witches. hate witch hunts.
ReplyDeletei without fail have been a witch for every halloween that i celebrated. so much for originality. but now i am babbling. i should babble on my own blog. you're making me feel guilty.
update us often. i won't say everyday.
That sounds awesome! I am confused though. Does India use US law or you have to do research on Indian law?
ReplyDeleteyour job sounds exciting already!! are you speaking/reading hindi at work?
ReplyDeleteLily - babble away!! We need to plan HK. Slight problem in plans: we work on Saturdays!! Lame. Will see what I can do about clearing a weekend.
ReplyDeleteJJ - research on Indian law. I'll be searching through case law from the Indian system, although the courts here are influenced by foreign law from certain countries (UK, US, etc.)
Rosemary - Ha. Reading Hindi? I about had a heart attack when I pulled open a file I'm reading a saw a bunch of news articles in Hindi, before I realized they were summarized in English. That would have been bad! My pace of reading Hindi is basically that of a pre-K kid who is learning her letters. I'm speaking Hindi a little more - the lawyers seem to go back and forth between Hindi and English, though all the filed court papers are in English. We'll see how it continues...
Is most of the work focused on Women's rights? Or is it more broadly human rights?
ReplyDeleteBukes - your blog is awes. I am super jealous of the things you are doing, all law school ever got me was lots of reading that I hated. Plus now that julieislost.net is over I have nothing to read on the internet. And just think, hopefully soon you'll be in Cleve, the best city on Earth!!
ReplyDeletelove buliana
"Lunatic" - work is on all issues: women's rights, caste discrimination, homelessness, etc.
ReplyDeleteBuliana - still crossing my fingers about Cleveland, though no matter what happens, don't know about your designation as "best city on earth" ;) Also - how on earth are you jealous??? You just traveled half the world for your bar trip!! Loved all the pics.