My year in review

I began 2012 by meeting my first paroled client in a campus ballroom, a few weeks after her release from prison.  I had worked on her case throughout my first summer in law school, eventually convincing a court to vacate her parole denial and order a new hearing.  That hearing (in July of 2011) was successful, but, by law, it was another four months for the decision to become final and then 30 days for the governor to review it.  She was released in December of 2011, just before Christmas.

Post-Conviction Justice Project, 30th Anniversary

A few months later, I represented two more clients at parole hearings, both of whom, deservingly, have been paroled.  The last decision became final on New Years Eve. These cases made me even more sure that I wanted a career in public defense.  The work so far has introduced me to extraordinary people, both lawyers and clients, whom I am proud to consider my friends.

With friends and family cheering me on, I ran my first marathon, while listening to Martin Luther King, Jr. speeches for the first 15 miles.  I became so interested with running, I joined a downtown running group and helped start another with friends at the office.  Running with friends has made me a better runner, but also a better listener, and a better historian of my neighborhood.

LA Marathon. Time: 4:28:58

Shortly after the marathon, I entered a national moot court competition representing USC with teammate Amanda Murray.  We did pretty well, leading some classmates to make a wild prediction.  While that's unlikely, I did graduate, take the California bar, and pass.

Ryan Wolfe, Me, Abby Wallace, Amy Steelman

USC Hale Moot Court Honors Program

Over the summer I moved downtown and kept a promise to myself to start playing piano again.  I even published my first academic paper (co-authored with Abel Winn).  But even in a year of such milestones, I'll never forget the suspense I felt as NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars, or my feelings when I, too, managed a perfect landing at the Office of the Federal Public Defender. Whatever else 2013 may bring, I'm happy to be starting my career in a field that challenges and inspires me, among people who make me feel at home.