Never Ending Job Search

Today I had to take a four hour test in the hopes that I will be considered for the Presidential Management Fellows program. I'm a little unclear what they use the test for or how it determines who will do a good job - but it's part of the process. My dream job would be to work in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. We'll see.

At this point, my default plan is to sit for the VA bar and hopefully waive into D.C.

More to come!

Student Hurricane Network - Spring Break Trip

Although school is as busy as ever, I wanted to post some information about a trip I am organizing over spring break (March 17 - 24). Nine of my classmates will be accompanying me to the MS Gulf Coast and we will be doing volunteer legal work in conjuction with the Student Hurricane Network (an organization founded by a Tulane Law Student in response to Hurricane Katrina). As you may or may not know, my parents lost the home they were building in Waveland, MS as well as the furninshings in their apartment in Bay St. Louis, MS and everything else that was stored in Pass Christian. My father's aunt and cousins also lost everything. The home my grandparents were building was also destroyed. While my parents and grandparents decided not to return to the Gulf Coast, my other relatives are on the long road to rebuilding.

We will be working directly with the Mississippi Center for Justice and I know the work will be enormously rewarding for all of us. One of the students, Kristina da Fonseca, has set up a website for the trip and there is a link on the site with information about how you can donate money to help cover our costs. You can either use the PayPal option (which is not tax deductible), or mail a check to the address on the site (which is tax deductible). If you would like to help out, go to http://www.freewebs.com/wneclawshn/ We are hoping to raise $3,500 by the end of February.

I will post updates and pictures before, during, and after the trip. If you would like to see pictures and read my parents story, please go to www.schlatter.org

Thank you for your support.

Long Time...No Blog

It has been such a long time since I posted anything and the last several months have more than challenging. Things seemed to be looking up for the family and I made my way back to New England for my last year of law school. But the reprieve would only last a few days. At the beginning of August, my grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and the prognosis was not good. This news came only 8 months after my grandfather had passed away.

Growing up I never really thought about what it would feel like to not have my grandparents around.

My maternal grandmother lived near where I went to undergrad and I can remember going to her house for a tomato sandwich and sweet tea. It is from her that I learned to appreciate the art of quilting, how to can peaches, and the beauty of a garden of irises. She passed away several years ago after a long battle with Alzheimer's.

My paternal grandfather taught us an appreciation for duct tape (it really can be used to fix anything!), how to roast marshmallows by making a small fire in the upside down lid of a metal trashcan, and how to catch fireflies. My paternal grandmother has shown me the art of gardening (which all Southern women must know), the importance of family, and the meaning of the golden rule.

I think that growing up in a military family made me appreciate the time with my grandparents more because there were times (while overseas) that we didn't get to see them for extended periods of time. Our summers in AL and TN were always exciting, special, and full of love.