Hi all. It's been very interesting reading all of your experiences, and I hope more people will continue to share. Here is mine:

I am working at the NY State Attorney General's Office this summer, primarily in the claims and litigation department, which handles lawsuits against the state (including a lot of personal injury). Like Nona, I am struck by the amount of resources trivial claims (some shamelessly meritless) can take up from the state. Out of curiosity, I looked up the amount of damages NY has paid out and learned that the state paid out more than $14 billion to plaintiffs in damages in 2008 (Pacific Research).

Another thing I'm struck by is the very slow speed of the judicial system. I'm handling cases now that were filed over four years ago. At witness preps, the most common answer seems to be "that was too long ago, and I don't remember." I attended an oral argument for a remand motion in the SDNY court when my job first started (an excellent experience), and we still have not heard back. I was aware of the slow turnaround times before, but experiencing its effects on a case firsthand is different.

In recommending settlement amounts, it is interesting to see how completely arbitrary damages can be, especially for "pain and suffering," and how wildly they vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction (note: if you get hurt due to someone else's negligence, get hurt in Bronx County). As others have mentioned, in recommending whether to settle or to go to trial in my memos, the tenor and substance of a judge's prior opinions are key things to consider.

Finally, the most interesting (and unexpected) part of my job has probably been learning about the state's prison system. I had a chance to visit Sing Sing the other week. The NYS AG handles many inmate cases; when one inmate is assaulted by another, for example, they sue the State for failure to protect. Prisoners also often file pro se cases against the State alleging procedural defects in disciplinary hearings within the prison, which is handled primarily by another intern, but which I hear about.

Overall, I'm learning a lot and enjoying my experience very much. I've been impressed by the amount of hands-on experience I've gotten here.

-- GraceChan - 20 Jul 2010