March 9, 2006

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EFF Interview

Today I had a phone interview for a summer legal internship with the EFF. It lasted about forty minutes, and I spoke with Barak Weinstein and Kevin Bankston, about both of whom I'd read on numerous prior occasions. It was like the extreme geek version of being a bit star struck. I've written about the EFF on many occasions. Frequent readers will also recognize the name/blog of Jason Schulz (LawGeek.typepad.com), who apparently reported back to Barak or Kevin on recent comments I'd made on his blog.

Phone interviews are a funny thing. I couldn't distinguish between Barak and Kevin, though in person they look quite different. And over the phone, it's really tough for me to tell how any jokes I make are going over. So I can't tell whether to lose the attempted humor or not. Anyone who knows me in the corporeal realm will attest that I am a pretty funny guy, but over the phone? Who knows. Another consequence of a phone interview is that I was able to be online at the same time. So, when they were questioning me about my blog (such as asking whether I'd make them Barzberry Napoleons), I was able to go to my blog and quickly assess what they'd read.

I'd really love this internship, more than any possible summer job (I've got a couple other possibilities), and I think I did alright in the interview, though not great. It amazes me how inarticulate I can sometimes be when discussing something about which I am knowledgeable and passionate, despite being the very model of eloquence in most situations. Even though I've been following the EFF closely for five years now, and tend to research most of their issues in depth, often blogging about them myself (though not as much recently, perhaps because I'm surrounded by other law-related things), I had trouble being specific about which of their issues and cases really interest me and why. In addition, I was vague when discussing why I was so passionate about them. It was a case of me having so much to say that I couldn't manage to speak except in generalities, lest I shortchange some one issue in favor of US companies' interactions with totalitarian regimes, 4th amendment packing tape, or the ways in which an oppressive patent regime limits free speech.

Now I have only to wait and see whether I get a position. To summarize:

Pluses:

• My favorite non-profit in the world
  
• Issues about which I'm passionate
  
• Real legal work
  
• San Francisco

Minuses:

• Unpaid
  
• Unpaid
  
• Unpaid
  
• Unpaid

Georgetown Law has a lot of funding available for people with non-profit summer jobs, but I'd need to know pretty soon in order even to apply for that funding. If I get an RF position for Gewirz next year (which would be amazing), I wouldn't have to worry too much about summer money because I can borrow from next school year's loans. To work at the EFF, I'd actually have to be taking out additional loans, paying just for the opportunity to work there. And yet, I'd do it. I really, really love the EFF, and hope that I can eventually work there permanently, doing legal work I care about, that matters, and that is effective.

Posted at March 9, 2006 3:13 AM | Comments (8)

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