Storming the real world

I keep a foothold over in what we in academia call the “real world”. Wednesday, in fact, I had both feet firmly planted before an Eleventh Circuit panel, which is about as real as this gets. And, as I’ve previously suggested, the ability to write persuasively is important out there. So, with considerable help from our FPD alumna Kathleen Williams and the support of the Eleventh Circuit, I am leveraging my real-world beachhead to provide some real-world experience in appellate advocacy for some of our students.

The Eleventh Circuit has green-lighted my proposal to be assigned pro bono a few criminal appeals for indigent defendants with non-complex cases. I will supervise pairs of students who will plan and write the briefs. Kathy has designated AFPD Beatriz Galbe Bronis to supervise me, which Beatriz has some experience doing. See Enrique Marugan Giró v. Banco Español de Crédito, 1999 WL 440462 (S.D.N.Y. June 28, 1999). Students will be selected through essentially the same application process that the School uses for its other live-client clinics. I hope to feature guest appearances by other luminous appellate lawyers from the community. For instance, another of my former bosses, alumnus Judge Adalberto Jordan, who celebrates 10 years on the district court bench this week and was previously chief of appeals at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, can expect a call.

Beatriz and I are working out the details. The upshot is that the FPD’s Office gets a hand with a small number of relatively simple cases, and some of our students have an opportunity to enhance their written advocacy skills.