Note to self: Remember to bring camera out next time I leave the house. I never remember to bring a camera. I can either chalk it up to my dwindling short-term memory or, if viewed in a more favorable light, to the fact that I have a photographic memory. Yes, I choose the latter because I rarely forget memorable images.

Since I didn't take pics, I'll have to upload the momentous instances of the past few days with words:

1) A foul-mouthed Australian capital defense attorney that trained us on Monday: I liked to refer to him as the "Crocodile Dundee" of indigent defense and constitutional criminal law. "This place [Louisiana] is absolutely f**kin' crazy" referring to the fact that Louisiana seems to ignore the constitutional holding in Riverside v. McLaughlin, 500 U.S. 44 (1991), which set out that the state must decide one way or the other to bring charges against a defendant within 48 hours of the arrest in accordance with the 6th amendment or else the accused must be released. In Louisiana, this rule is apparently ignored from what I can tell and Capital Defense Dundee isn't too happy about it. I can't help but agree with him.

2) Screenshots of Microsoft Excel & Access: Who knew that my knee-jerk proclivity (a result of being a South Asian) to pursue a career in computer science and finance would one day land me in a federal courthouse coordinating a database project that has the ambitious goal of freeing thousands of prisoners who have been denied due process. Hypothesis: the criminal justice system in this country is suffering because states are equipping their law enforcement personnel with technology that yields more arrests but leaving the courts with anachronistic methods of adjudicating cases. Result, overcrowded jails and prisons, overwhelmed judges and careless defense attorneys= Waste of my tax dollars (..and yours). WAY-TO-SUCK.

3) Chief Judge Ginger Berrigan: You all know this building [courthouse] closes at six?
Suffolk law student: do you know where the recycling is?
Judge: I can take it for you.
Student: Are you Judge Berrigan?
Chief Judge Berrigan is from New York. She moved down to New Orleans in 1971 to pursue a career in Civil Rights litigation. We need more Ginger in this country becuase she can't do it alone.

4) Hurricanes: A large large vessel of "hurricane" juice at Pat O's and a group of young college boys standing over their hapless friend. He just sipped with too much umph and now he's slouched over the wrought iron table while every passer-by takes note of an all-too familiar scene and snickers. I used to push my limits just like that young man, but come on it was only 11:00pm! Maybe he needed some vitamin water and a couple of tunes from his i-pod to wake him up- kids these days...