Shadowing an attorney wasn't my first option for this capstone project, so I wasn't too sure how to feel about shadowing a lawyer in the beginning. However, throughout the project, I learned so much about the career that really got me thinking. My paper really helped shape my views on becoming a lawyer. My main goal for this project was to determine what type of law I want to study in the future. And by doing my research paper, I actually found out what type of lawyer I want to become: a Juvenile Delinquent Lawyer of Defense. I'm not too sure if I want to be on the defense side, but that's what I'm leaning towards to so far. The reason for that is because as I was researching juveniles and the social factors that affect their inadequate behavior, I learned the understanding that minors have a story as to why they behave a certain way. And I believe that all teenagers should get the opportunity and chance to share their story and be heard.
Personally, I gained a new perspective on becoming a lawyer because I realized how much hard work it is to become a successful attorney and that's what fears me the most. Socially, I developed better focus and better social skills with other people as my mentor brought in his clients to talk to. At times my mentor would ask them about their personal life which made me feel overwhelmed to hear because I never thought such things could be true. Another aspect that I gained was new knowledge such as cross examination and direct examination. I also attained the knowledge of the judicial system and small facts such as: did you know that only the District Attorney is allowed to choose which side is being charged? I really didn't know that!
Some challenges that I encountered is actually public transportation because I'm afraid to ride public transportation alone. So since my mentor was all the way in Redwood City, I always had to take Caltrain there. I'm still really scared of it, but I think I've gotten better at it. Another challenge that I faced is the abundance of reading I had to go through. I enjoy reading, but I have the tendency to stop when my eyes feel tired and heavy, but because I would have to read many cases and some police reports, I couldn't necessarily stop and I found that very difficult. I still have yet to overcome that but I'm sure it wont be much of a problem in college.
This capstone project really helped me because it made everything feel so real to me. I can't believe that I really got the feel to be a lawyer. I'm excited to study these majors in college. I still have the fear of being successful or not, but I know that only hard work and dedication will get me to where my mentor is now. I'm really glad I got to know my mentor as well because he became a really big inspiration to me. And I want to be just as successful as he is.
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