By Brian Malcom

I like to note when lawyers do good.

Charles Schulze, a Washington lawyer, dove into the ocean and saved two drowning children this past weekend.  Schulze collapsed and died shortly thereafter. 

The Blog of Legal Times reports:

"According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the fatal incident occurred while Schulze was on vacation in Pompano Beach, Fla., with Helen Smith, his partner of 20 years. The two were walking along the shore when Schulze noticed two brothers, 9 and 12, struggling in the surf. He dashed into the water and grabbed the younger boy, before swimming out more than 40 yards to fetch the older child as well."

"Schulze collapsed as he brought the older boy to shore. By the time paramedics arrived on the scene, he had no pulse."

I for one am proud to share a profession with Mr. Schulze.

By Kathleen Pearson

In case anyone hasn’t figured this out yet, the pendulum is swinging back to the middle when it comes to summer programs at law firms.  Forbes.com posted the following article, The End of the Cushy Law Student Internship.  While this recruiter agrees that it is a good thing to focus more on the work ethic of our future attorneys, I also don’t think it is the death-knell for all summer social events.   

Let’s face it.  Summer programs got a bit ridiculous in the past with crazy events and trips for candidates that have not even graduated yet.  However, social events and team building outings are an important part of any summer program.  It forces otherwise extremely busy attorneys to take time away from work to meet and get to know potential future partners.   

What will summer programs look like this year?  Most firms are watchful of the economy but are still planning a well-rounded summer program.  Programs will have more of a focus on work product and events will be scaled back. 

My advice to you students out there that actually have a summer position?  More than ever, you are going to have to prove yourself to land an offer.  The following are a few guidelines that will help you: 

1. Communicate.  This is probably the most important tip.  If you have questions about a project, ask questions.  You are not expected to know everything, but you are expected to ask if you need clarification.  Be sure to communicate regularly with your advisor(s).  They can help you learn firm culture, get projects in areas you want and answer questions you have about your work.  
2. Be sure you pay attention to deadlines.  Attorneys will often set deadlines for their projects based on real deadlines they are facing on a client matter.  Missed deadlines for no given reason are a red flag on summer associate evaluations.  If you think you will not be able to make a deadline, follow up with the attorney in charge of the project. 
3. Don’t hide in your office.  You need to meet as many people as possible while you are at your firms.  If the firm culture allows it, leave your office and introduce yourself.   
4. Attend the events.  This one is self explanatory.  The events are planned for you, so go! 
5. Have fun!  Work hard but don’t forget to have fun, too.  

By Brian Malcom 

Be careful who you friend on facebook.  A trend is developing, as reported by CNN on their SciTech Blog , where facebook "users" create fake profiles and seek to friend recruits or contacts.  These fake profiles are coming to be known as Facebook Ghosts.  They are called ghosts because they seem to disappear as quickly as they surface.

By Eileen Burkhalter Smith  

I think a big challenge to a young lawyer in taking any deposition is knowing what you are entitled to “discover” through questioning and document review.  This is especially difficult with expert witnesses who often have files and documents you may not have seen prior to the deposition.  

I once had an opposing lawyer, one who had been practicing much longer than me, get very irritated with me when I asked to review the expert’s file during a deposition.  The expert’s file was lengthy, and he had referred to it throughout the deposition.  Even though we had discussed a few pages in the file, I asked to look at the whole thing, page by page.  The opposing lawyer was shocked and said “do you want to see what’s in his wallet, too?!”  I was surprised by his obvious frustration, and I believe my response was “uh, no, that is okay.”  

At the time, I knew I was entitled to see the file, and I could not figure out why my opponent was so exasperated.  The rules don’t require me to prove that this information is relevant, and it certainly isn’t privileged.  I think if the expert brings it into the deposition, I am entitled to see it.  Next time, I am going to say, “Sure.  He brought it into the deposition, so hand it over!”