N.O.t. there yet

Hello readers and Student Hurricane Network supporters. And hello pro-hurricane spies. My name is Eric Sirota. I am the Vice President of the University of Illinois Law School’s Student Hurricane Network. I will be working for the New Orleans Public Defender this summer and keeping those who are interested posted through this blog.

I haven’t moved down to New Orleans yet, and I don’t know most of the details of my working situation. I know I’ll be shadowing an attorney. I know I’ll be working with other interns from around the country. I am looking forward to the task at hand, but I am a little apprehensive. One reason I am apprehensive is that I am scared that the system is too broken for me to be helpful. A second reason I am apprehensive is that, despite my strong liberal leanings, I sometimes have a bit of a ‘law and order’ mentality and may feel morally conflicted about my work with the PD. Another reason is more personal – I don’t really want to be a public defender for my career and am worried that going to New Orleans was an impractical life choice. Perhaps I should have tried to fulfill a more genuine aspiration this summer – perhaps by training to be a professional baseball player or by going to astronaut camp.

Apprehension aside, I am excited for the challenge that awaits and motivated to take it head on. Even though I have little interest in becoming a public defender, I decided to take the internship in New Orleans because I feel that, in the wake of hurricane Katrina (yes, this much later is still the wake, unfortunately), they need as much help as they can get. I went to New Orleans for a Student Hurricane Network thing through U of I last winter break, and it inspired me to want to help out more. In fact, it inspired me so much that I turned down two paying jobs to volunteer in New Orleans. I’m not saying that just to toot my own horn. Just kidding. I am saying that to toot my own horn.

But, having spent the last several years engaging in public interest jobs, I have realized that pride alone motivates me to go into public interest but does not help me be good at it. I was a teacher after college, largely priding myself on my desire to better the situation of the disadvantaged. However, pride made me become a teacher, but I was a bad teacher. Hopefully, I will be a better intern. Time will tell.

I will be living with another intern in the Garden District, near Tulane. I will be driving down to New Orleans in the next few days with Adam, my cousin and close friend. Adam wants to see Bourbon Street. Hopefully, he will be able to amuse himself there while I partake in the equally exciting task of shopping for linens…AND THINGS!

Cool. That’s all for now. I’ll keep ya’ll posted. Tune in.