Time Flies!

Life has been incredibly busy for me (Ashlee) lately. My internship in Yuma continues to fly by - I can't believe that I'm halfway through it already! It's been such an amazing experience so far. The attorneys in the office are a great group of people to work with and they're more than willing to give you plenty of hands-on work to do. I've been writing motions and memorandums for the court, attending trials, voir dire, and hearings, and going to the numerous presentations they've so graciously set up for us! 

We went on a jail tour last week. It was so interesting to learn about the Yuma County Detention Center. We were able to learn about the daily routine at the jail, what services are provided, and various challenges faced by the staff and inmates there. I can tell you one thing - It's not a place I would want to visit involuntarily! I did get a free lunch on the tour though - sandwich, orange, and two cookies. 

After the tour, some of the staff from the Mexican Consulate in Yuma gave a presentation about the services they provide to the community and some of the most common issues they deal with. It was very insightful. 

And now I'm in Phoenix again! The Arizona Public Defender Association held its 10th Annual Conference in Tempe, so I've been able to spend a few extra days in Phoenix while attending that. Our first night back, I met with Todd and some of the other attorneys and interns at Rula Bula for a little birthday celebration! It was a fun time out and a great way to spend my birthday. 

The conference has been a great learning experience! I attended sessions on Basic Capital Case Investigation, Rule 11 (Competency to stand trial rule), Domestic Relations Law Basics, and Social Media's Impact on Investigations. I learned such a variety of things over the past few days - from tracking people via twitter, to what contact gunshot wounds look like, to questioning tactics, to the amazing pride that the public defenders have in their work. 

This morning, as those of you who check my facebook updates will know, I was invited to attend the Judge Mary Anne Richey Scholarship Breakfast. It was such an honor to be there with all of the other amazing ladies! They graciously seated me next to the Honorable Rebecca White Berch, the current Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. She is a wonderfully kind individual and it was a delight to have breakfast with her. She was the recipient this year of the Sarah herring Sorin Award. I was also introduced to the Honorable Ruth V. McGregor, the previous Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. This is a picture that I was able to take of Judge Berch receiving her award (she's the one on the left!). 

It's been a great birthday week, that's for sure! My wonderful husband bought me a new camera (which is why I was able to take the above photograph!) and tonight we're going to a dinner....somewhere. He won't tell me anything except that he's made reservations for somewhere for 5:45. I love surprises and I can't wait! 

I'm here for the weekend and then I will head back down to Yuma on Sunday. My next two weeks will be working in another office - the Juvenile division of the Public Defender's Office! I'm excited to learn more about this area of the law. 

That's all for now. Except I'll leave you with this....

My first homemade batch of guacamole! I made it for a little get-together we had with attorneys from the office last night. People seemed to enjoy it, so I must have done a decent job at least!