Respite Draws Nigh

Who would like to join in on a holiday revival of Still Thinking, the ever-popular virtual book club?!  We haven't chosen a book yet, so head on over and post your suggestions for a good book to read and discuss over break.  Kudos to Cindy for getting the ball rolling.

In other news, I have a final exam today (International Law of Labor and Employment), all of my papers are due tomorrow, and I fly home to California on Saturday!  In the meantime, Jess and I have had a few sanity-sustaining study breaks, including the National Symphony Orchestra Pops holiday concert, a screening of the delightful movie Tangled, and a game night featuring Scrabble and gin rummy with our friend Gabe.  (Yes, I won at Scrabble.)

Also, it has been very, very cold here as of late.  The wind chill is just awful, bringing temperatures down near zero!  On my walks from the law school to the Gallery Place - Chinatown Metro station, it's been so cold that breathing is painful (thank goodness for scarves).  I never thought I'd be hoping for the temperature to get up to freezing.  At least we might get a couple of inches of snow today--snow is pretty.

I'll Be Home for Christmas

I'm in the midst of finals, but all I can think about is coming home for Christmas.  Two papers, one exam, and ten days to go...

Martha Washington's Great Cake

If you don't already follow it, head on over to Erin's delicious food blog, Pacific Thyme, to read my guest post on Martha Washington's Great Cake!  I was inspired to make it after receiving the recipe during our candlelit tour of Mount Vernon.

Thanksgiving Roundup

So many fun things have happened recently!  My cousin Dana was in town for a conference the weekend before last, so we went on a long walk to see all of the monuments and memorials on the Mall at night.  The FDR Memorial continues to be my all-time favorite.  Also that weekend, Cal played Stanfurd in the Big Game.  Alas, we did not win, but Jess and I had a good time at Spider Kelly's in Arlington with Mike, who hosted a pre-game party since he lives right by the bar.

I only had class on Monday and Tuesday, but I was working hard because I had a draft of my Law of War paper due.  So, it was a welcome relief to have the remainder of the week off for Thanksgiving!  I wish I had time to fly home to California, but it takes so long, costs a lot, and I'll be home in three weeks anyhow. I cannot wait to be in the Bay Area next year; maybe I'll host Thanksgiving for my family!

My dear friend Alissa (whom I've known since middle school) made the day before Thanksgiving memorable by inviting me to join her family vacation to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!  This is, of course, the Harry Potter theme park that is a part of the Universal Orlando Islands of Adventure.  Her family had managed to get free tickets, and included me!  I had just enough frequent flyer miles to make it to Orlando and back, so I flew down on Wednesday morning and made it back just in time for Thanksgiving the following morning.  It was a whirlwind day, to say the least!  We saw the Hogwarts Express, strolled the streets of Hogsmeade, drank butterbeer, ate lunch at the Three Broomsticks, shopped at Dervish and Banges, flew on a hippogriff and even went inside the Hogwarts castle!  It was incredible.  Photos are here.  I would very much like to live there.  If only...

Thanksgiving day was lovely, because Sister Dorinda always hosts a big Thanksgiving dinner for all of the law students who cannot go home for the holiday.  I was most excited about Thanksgiving because it means it's almost time to go home for Christmas!  I'll be back in three weeks.  In the meantime, Jess and I decorated our apartment for the season.

Last night, Jess and I took advantage of the holiday season by going on a nighttime candlelit tour of Mount Vernon, George Washington's home!  I had been there many times, but never at night.  It started off in the lobby with twelve Christmas trees decorated to represent different aspects of George Washington and Mount Vernon.  We then went outside and enjoyed hot apple cider and ginger cookies served to us by costumed actors.  There were large fires in cauldrons, a choir singing carols from the 18th century, and even a Christmas camel!  Then, we went on our tour of Mount Vernon, where we met a guest's female servant, Martha Washington, a female house slave, the Washingtons' granddaughter Nelly, one of the male guests, and a servant in the kitchen.  The actors were all incredible!  There was also 18th century dancing in the greenhouse.  We were very impressed with everything that the tour included, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a study break!  It's only an hour long.  More photos here.

I'm so glad that the weekend isn't over yet, because I have a lot of work to do!  There are many papers to write, but I will try to not let that get in the way of enjoying the season.  Peace, friends.

SCOTUS

Today, I saw an oral argument at the Supreme Court!  My Public Interest Advocacy professor, Deepak Gupta, was arguing for the respondents in AT&T Mobility v. Conception.  The case raises the question of the enforceability of class action bans in employment and consumer contracts.  SCOTUSblog gives a plain English summary of the issue:

Parties may sometimes settle disputes through arbitration, rather than litigation. When the dispute involves numerous similarly situated individuals, a few individuals may conduct the arbitration on behalf of the larger groups (similar to a class action lawsuit). Does the Federal Arbitration Act prohibit states from mandating that class arbitration be available as a part of every arbitration agreement?

It was very exciting to actually see a full oral argument.  I attempted to attend an oral argument during my 1L year, but I did not arrive early enough to be seated for the full argument.  They only let in the first 50 or so people, whilst the rest are relegated to a line that cycles through the back-most seats in three-minute intervals.  Thus, for this oral argument, I was determined to get in line early enough to get a seat!  My classmate and fellow journal member Amy and I met at the Supreme Court shortly before 6:00 am, and were the first two people in line.  (Full disclosure: I was actually the fifth person, but persons two through four let me cut in line to be with Amy, who was legitimately first in line.)  We got there waaaaay earlier than was necessary, but made some friends in line while waiting for the sun to rise and warm us up.  Amy went on a coffee run at one point, thank goodness.  Around 7:20 am, they handed out little cards with numbers on them so that we wouldn't have to stay in line:

Sadly, they didn't let us keep the cards, but at least I got a photo.  At 7:30 am, the Supreme Court cafeteria opened, and most people in line (around 65 people at that point) went inside because it was so chilly.  (Marble is cold to stand upon--go figure!)  Around 8:15 am, we went back outside, because the security guards warned us that the line sometimes moves as early as 8:30 am.  However, the line didn't move until 9:00 am, at which point we went through security, put all of our belongings in lockers, and then went through some more security.  Finally, at 9:25 am, we entered the courtroom!  I have been in the courtroom several times before, but I always appreciate the grandeur of the room.  The sense of justice is nearly palpable!

The justices entered the courtroom promptly at 10:00 am.  It was very exciting to see the newest additions to the court, Justices Sotomayor and Kagan.  Before the proceedings began, they swore in a bunch of lawyers to the Supreme Court bar--so jealous!  Members of the bar don't have to wait in line, and get to sit closer.  I truly enjoyed watching my professor argue before the Supreme Court; I think he did a great job, and handled tough questions from Chief Justice Roberts exceedingly well, especially given that it was his first time arguing before the Supreme Court.  I would have been so nervous!  Later this afternoon, I attended a panel discussion with my professor and a couple of authors of amicus briefs, which was very interesting.  I have no idea which way the court will come out on the issue.  It seems that Justices Breyer, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan were on the respondents' side, but it's difficult to tell whether they can get a fifth vote--perhaps the mysterious Justice Thomas?

Anyhow, Amy and I had a wonderful time, and I highly recommend the experience to anyone in D.C. who doesn't mind getting up early.  Now, if I could only find a way to get a White House tour (I've been on a waiting list with Eshoo's office for two years), my government branches experience would be complete!

October

I completely neglected to post last month, which is a testament to the busyness of this semester.  Here are some highlights.

I saw the National Symphony Orchestra perform Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, which was incredible.

I went to Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton, VA, with Brad and Marie, and enjoyed a gorgeous, lazy afternoon in which we were only slightly harassed by bees.

I was an usher at the Red Mass.  I escorted important people (e.g., diplomats from other countries) to their seats, and even got to shake hands with Justice Scalia!

I met some awesome Dominican brothers at an event the CSA held for the Feast of the Holy Rosary.

For Columbus Day weekend, I went to Boston for the first time, and saw Matthew and Tiffany!  Highlights included Harvard Square, the JFK Presidential Library, the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Boston Public Library, the Boston Symphony Orchestra (performing Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Resurrection), MIT, the Freedom Trail, Old Ironsides (a.k.a., the U.S.S. Constitution), the Museum of Science, and apple picking with Theresa. See all of my photos, with lovely captions, here.

I went for a hike with Jess and Gabe at Great Falls Park.  Photos here.

I had a job interview through DOJ Honors to be a judicial law clerk with the San Francisco Immigration Court.  Keep your fingers crossed!

My Fact-Finding Mission officially decided that we'll be going to Jamaica in January to do research related to the repatriation of persons with mental disabilities.

Jess and I saw All's Well that Ends Well at the Shakespeare Theatre Company (and thus, I get to check that off of my D.C. to-do list, yay).

I began to study for the MPRE, the lawyer's ethics exam, which I will be taking on Saturday.

I rallied to restore Sanity!

I went as Brian Wilson for Halloween, and the Giants WON THE WORLD SERIES! Coincidence? I think not.

That's all for now, folks.  November shows no signs of slowing down.  Four weeks until finals?  Madness!

Thinking About What I Saw

Today, I decided to spend some time at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). The permanent exhibition is divided up into three floors: the Holocaust (1933-1939),  the "Final Solution" (1940-1945) and the Last Chapter. The Nazi propaganda about the so-called "science" of race was disturbing, as was the scale model of the gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The exhibition allows you to walk through a musty rail car, inviting you to imagine what it would be like to be crammed in and shipped off to a ghetto, concentration camp, or killing center. The USHMM has a much different feel from other museums in DC; while crowded, it was very quiet, and there were very few children. There seemed to be a collective understanding amongst the museum-goers that we had come to be ongoing witnesses to the atrocities that had occurred, and I was impressed by the respect and introspection that ensued.

Beyond educating the public about the horrific events of the Holocaust, what impresses me the most about the museum is how it connects those events to the contemporary considerations of international human rights, including genocide, crimes against humanity, and protection for refugees. In particular, I think it is important to explore the Holocaust in terms of the world's failure to provide asylum to the Jewish refugees attempting to escape from Germany. The United States' immigration policy, for example, was exceedingly slow to change to accommodate the significant number of refugees, leading to tragedy, as with the voyage of the St. Louis. As the USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia explains:

In a highly publicized event in May-June 1939, the United States refused to admit over 900 Jewish refugees who had sailed from Hamburg, Germany, on the St. Louis. The St. Louis appeared off the coast of Florida shortly after Cuban authorities cancelled the refugees' transit visas and denied entry to most of the passengers, who were still waiting to receive visas to enter the United States. Denied permission to land in the United States, the ship was forced to return to Europe. The governments of Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium each agreed to accept some of the passengers as refugees. Of the 908 St. Louis passengers who returned to Europe, 254 (nearly 28 percent) are known to have died in the Holocaust. 288 passengers found refuge in Britain. Of the 620 who returned to the continent, 366 (just over 59 percent) are known to have survived the war.

I cannot imagine a world without the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, which prohibits the refoulement (return) of refugees to places where their life or freedom would be threatened on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Visiting the USHMM today was an affirmation for me of the importance of refugee law issues to which I hope to devote my legal career.

When I stepped out of the USHMM, I was momentarily stunned by the relative brightness of the sunny day. I went for a walk to mull over what I had seen, and took some photographs along the Mall.  I'll conclude this post with a couple of classic shots.