Blog 23: Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

I was most proud of the fact that I was able to articulate the more difficult concepts well so that everyone for the most part understood them. I was also proud of the amount of research I was able to cite and talk about in my presentation because  my topic is strongly dependent on research whether it be from published sources or my mentor, in order to understand the ideas of my topic and those mentioned in my presentation.


(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation (self-assessment)? I would assess myself at a P

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)? P

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

(3) What worked for me in my senior project was implementing research I found during research count in my mentorship in order to give me a better understanding of certain aspects of my topic which I was able to convey in my project.

(4)  If I had a time machine, I would go back and find a better way of implementing my activities, I feel that why they did reflect the content I taught there was some confusion on what to do.

(5) Finding Value

I think the senior project has definitely aided my in my future endeavor because I do want to pursue law as a career so I think that the experience I had through mentorship gave me a taste of what that would be like so it sealed my decision of pursuing a career in law. I also feel the Senior Project gave me valuable skills such as researching skills that I got from the many research count , presentation skills I obtained from the actual hour lesson, and many more that are only attainable by going though the the whole process of the senior project. 

Blog: 22 Mentorship

LIA Response to blog:

    Literal

·    The log of my hours is up to date

·     I completed my mentorship hours with Federico Blanco at The Collective in Beverly Hills

    Interpretive

      The most important thing I have gained from my experiences at mentorship  has been the hands on knowledge and practice that my mentor was able to give me. I am and always will be a hands on learner, as much as I researched, the information didn't really make sense until I practiced it with my mentor. When the year first began, the research I had supplemented what I was learning in mentorship, as the year progressed, I learned much more through the practice and tasks I was completing at mentorship that I began to research those which eventually lead me to my Essential Question and two of my answers.

   Applied

     Mentorship has helped me answer my EQ by allowing me to see various ways people practice answering my EQ in a real life setting. By this I mean , my essential question is basically focused on the best way for a deal to be negotiated and I got to see my mentor and his associates implement different methods of negotiation and from there deduce which ones were more efficient than the rest. Also through the hands on experience I obtained, I was able to see the importance of certain aspects that lead me to picking them as on of my answers. For example, in a deal I was revising I made the common mistake of leaving certain provisions slightly vague. It was then that my mentor lectured me on the importance of clear language and when I researched it, I found how important the aspect of clear language is in a deal and chose it as one of my answers and now it's my best answer to my EQ.

Blog 21: Exit Interview

Content:

(1) My essential question is, what is the best way for a lawyer to negotiate a transaction between two parties? The first answer to my EQ is, the best way to negotiate a transaction between two parties is to know your client's interests. My second answer is to use clear language and avoid legalese  and my third answer is to maximize your leverage. Of my three answers, I choose my second answer as my best answer because it the most applicable to both verbal negotiation as well as written documents. In addition,  the only way a transaction can be negotiated is if both parties can read and understand the deal. Thus, the language in a deal is what allows it to be interpreted and best negotiated.

(2) I arrived at this answer through many discourses with my mentor as well as through the research I conducted. Through mentorship I began looking at the actual structure of deals and how they were worded and it wasn't until my mentor discussed his experiences with having to litigate and negotiate terms that were unclear to the opposing party, that I realized  how important the language and context in a deal is. I took this fact that I had initially heard with my mentor and researched it, what I found was that many professionals in the field of law or writing did support the fact that clear and concise language is essential in drafting a deal.

 

(3) They main issues I faced were with finding research that passed the C.R.A.P. test. Unfortunately most of the articles that supported this answer and for my topic in general were written nine to ten years ago which makes them unreliable to cite. I as able to overcome this issue by asking my mentor for more contemporary sources and by refining me searches so that when I did find an article it was relevant or applicable to mt topic and was published recently .

 

(4) One of my most significant sources I have had throughout my senior project, my mentor. My mentor has given me insight on the idiosyncrasies of the profession as well as allowed me to work on deals with him that expanded my view and knowledge on the topic through hands on experience. My second most important source is the article written by Scott, Robert E, and George G Triantis. "Anticipating Litigation in Contract Design."  This source explains the issues that can arise from unclear language and offers steps to prevent the problems before it ever occurs which gave me a much better understanding of the importance of implementing clear and concise language and why it was the best way to negotiate a transaction.

April Post

I remember this time last year when I had to sign up for presentations, and I can't believe people will be signing up for mine. I'm excited as well as nervous for these next few weeks of school but the summer will definitely be worth all this hard work. I feel that I am prepared for my presentation as well as my exit interview all I need is practice. I'd like to thank my friends for their support and wish Alan, Vince V, Victor, and Chris good luck on their presentations and interviews. Although we aren't done yet, the remaining work that needs to be done such as the I-Search paper  will and lesson plans will be extremely important in the following weeks, I can't wait!

EXCITED

Blog 19: Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a)  I, Aaron Ramos, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
 
(b) For general knowledge and advisement, Mentor- Federico Blanco, while constructing the contract for the deal- Scott, Robert E, and George G Triantis. "Anticipating Litigation in Contract Design." The Yale Law Journal, 115.4 (2006): 845-856. And finally the article I referred to most when in negotiations was Ertel, Danny. "Getting Past Yes: Negotiating as if Implementation Mattered." Harvard Business Review, 82.11 (2004): 60.
 
(c) Update your Independent Component 2 Log (which should be under your Senior Project Hours link) Done
 
(d) In this independent component I negotiated  a deal from start to finish. Meaning I  drafting the legal documents, conferred with the clients, sent initial offers and revised deals that the counter part has sent us.
 
INTERPRETIVE  
This component allowed me to actually do the work that my mentor does on a regular basis and therefore gave me a better understanding of the field and all the work that is done in it. This component gave me the opportunity to decide whether or not I would be interested in pursuing this area of law this as a career. This component demonstrates 30 hours of work in that the process conducted in the  component such as conferring with a client to drafting the document for one deal can a long time. Unfortunately due to privacy reasons I can't post pictures of the deal I drafted or the clients I worked with (they didn't let me take pictures) I can only post the cover page of the deal.

 
APPLIED 
The component helped me answer my EQ by allowing me to experience the work of a lawyer in my field which made me think about the best way  to get my client what they wanted. Throughout the component, especially when it came to negotiating compensation and the time the deal would be implemented I found that the best way to negotiate these terms was through using cleat language and being direct. Not only did this component help me answer my EQ it also supported one of my answers.

March Post

After closing his most recent deal, my mentor is going to be featured in the Hollywood Reporter as Hollywood's Top 100 Entertainment lawyers.
He and I have been working closely on my independent component and a few other deals during my mentorship, my mentor has also been helping me in creating an activity for my final presentation. We have recently made new connections with one of our old deals, Epic Meal Time, so you will be seeing those actors in a few more media platforms.My mentor has also been giving me previous deals to study and applying that knowledge in current deals he lets me sit in on. Other than that, work at the Collective has been the same.

Epic Meal Time host Harley Morenstein

Blog 18: Fourth Interview Preparation

Content: Post 20 open-ended questions you want to ask an expert in the field concerning your senior project. The focus of your questions should be on your answer to your EQ.

1. What different negotiation tactics have you used to negotiate a deal?
2. Which strategies have worked for you in the past? 
3. Are there other methods of negotiation?
4. How do you deal with clients that have very different interests?
5. Is lying ever present in a negotiation? When and Why?
6. Does leveraging actually work for the client you represent?
7. How well must you say you have to know your client to represent them accurately?
8. What are the circumstances in which a third party is included in a deal?
9. What other entities might be present throughout a negotiation?
10. How can a contract help negotiate a transaction?
11. What are key points to look at when reviewing a deal?
12. How can one identify phrases that might lead to litigation in the court room?
13. In your opinion what is the best way to negotiate a transaction?
14. How would one go about setting up a deal for more than two entities?
15. How can you push for a clause in the deal without being too aggressive?
16. What would be defined as too aggressive of a rebuttal or counter offer?
17. In instances where deals have been taken to court, what/how is that process like?
18. What can you do to stop one of your deals from reaching the court room?
19. How do you calculate the royalties a client will earn and present it to them in a way the will understand?
20. What is the process of closing a deal?
• What comes after?

Blog 17: Third Answer

1. My EQ is, what is the best way for a lawyer to negotiate a transaction between two parties?
2. The best way for a lawyer to negotiate a transaction between two parties is to Maximize Your Leverage
3. 3 details to support the answer 
•  Leverage makes getting what your client wants out of the deal much easier
• Leverage can be too aggressive and thus make you or your case look bad
• If the opposing counsel tries to attack your case, leverage is what makes you able to take the hit or drive them off.
4. The research source (s) to support your details and answer
• Talking to my mentor
• Sarwar, TF. "Leveraging International Law to Help Arsenic Mitigation Efforts in Bangladesh." University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law, 32.3 (2011): 843-846. 
5. I actually think my third answer is the weakest of my two answers and will require a large amount of research in order to be presented thoroughly

Updates

My mentor and I have been working closely together on a few newer deals that his associates have helped him sign. In addition, he has been helping me conduct some more research for my second and third answer as well as the rest of my topic.  My mentor has given me a few different databases to check out for research as well as answered any questions I had in full detail. Allowing me to have a greater amount of information to research and include in my work.

Other than that, not much has been going on. I plan to work closely with my mentor to get a finalized third answer to my essential question and include an interview in my support with that answer.

The view from my mentor's office

Working on a deal with my mentor

 

Blog 16: Answer 2

1.  My essential question is: what is the best way for a lawyer to negotiate a transaction between two parties?

2.  My first answer is: the best way for a lawyer to negotiate a transaction between two parties is to know you client's interests.

3.  My second answer is: the best way for a lawyer to negotiate a transaction between two parties is through using clear and concise language.

4.  List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each.
My second answer is true because: it keeps the ideas clear just as a professor would in teaching a subject the most clear and concise wording can help everyone learn. It avoids confusion, obscured or ambiguous phrases and  things read out of context can be very misleading; for example, the car commercials that say anyone can buy a car and not put money down ETC. They don't mention all the prerequisites necessary to qualify for that deal, which in turn means not ANYONE can do it .Finally, it ensures everyone gets what they want. The only example I could come up with is buying a car, if the contract is clear and easy to read then it is easy to make sure you have received everything you asked for.

5.  Johnson, Lori D. "Effective Contract Drafting: Identifying the Building Blocks of Contracts." Nevada Lawyer, 21.10 (2013): 24-26. and Chesler, Susan M. "DRAFTING EFFECTIVE CONTRACTS: How to Revise, Edit, and Use Form Agreements." Business Law Today, 19.2 (2009): 35.
6.  Scott, Robert E, and George G Triantis. "Anticipating Litigation in Contract Design." The Yale Law Journal, 115.4 (2006): 835-856.
7. Not only is my second answer important in this field, but in all aspects of business as well. Clear and concise language can help avoid a lot of disputes .

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

Content:

1.  With the help of my mentor,I will negotiate a deal from start to finish. This includes drafting the legal documents, confer with the clients, send initial offers and revise deals that the counter part has sent us.

2.  I will provide photographic evidence of me conferring with the client, the drafts of the contracts I have completed and the versions the other party has sent me.

3.  This component will help me better understand my topic because I will be able to experience the full responsibilities of  a lawyer working to create a deal. Not just one aspect like my last independent component. In addition, It will allow me to implement the answers to my essential question and see how they work in a real life scenario along with providing supplementary research for my second or third answer.

4.  Post a log in your Senior Project Hours link and label it "Independent Component 2" log. Done.

Independent Component 1

• LITERAL
  (a)   I Aaron Ramos, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 31 hours of work.
  (b) 
• Mentor- Federico Blanco
• Chesler, Susan M. "DRAFTING EFFECTIVE CONTRACTS: How to Revise, Edit, and Use Form Agreements." Business Law Today, 19.2 (2009): 35.  
• Johnson, Lori D. "Effective Contract Drafting: Identifying the Building Blocks of Contracts." Nevada Lawyer, 21.10 (2013): 24-26.

• (c) Update your hours in your Senior Project Hours link. Make sure it is clearly labeled with hours for individual sessions as well as total hours. Done

• (d)  I completed a modified version of a contract that outlines a transaction between the company i mentor at and a fake client. ( I say modified version because I had to change certain aspects of the contract due to confidentiality reasons.)   
• INTERPRETIVE

 In my creation and completion of this independent component, I got a taste of what the profession I want to pursue is really like. In addition to this, It also gave me more of an insight as how the first answer to my essential question is applied in real life situations and it also gave me a second answer. The whole process of drafting a contract from start to finish can take up to a week. In this modified version, I went through the motions it would usually take to write a deal such as this one. I conferred with my client, drafted and my initial offer. I made the corrections upon receiving a feedback from my mentor. The evidence this independent component was completed with the required 30 hours will be turned in with the final product, it is essentially different versions of the document  that show it under construction and the many revisions  that needed to be made. 

Here is some photo graphic evidence that I continuously worked on my component and completed it 
 



 

• APPLIED 

 The component helped me understand the foundation of my topic better by allowing me to see how some of my research and my first answer are used everyday in this field. While creating this document, my mentor was constantly reminding me of my first answer, which is to know a clients interests, and take the necessary steps as if this were for an actual client and work that into the document. In addition, the component helped me understand that there are certain building blocks one  must have in order to be able to draft a well written document. These building blocks as outlined in my research and by my mentor as well include: avoiding being repetitive and verbose, keep the point clear and concise , and the structure of the document as it pertains to the type of deal. These building blocks have even lead me to and idea of what my next answer to my essential question will be.

January Updates

Everything has been going very well. My mentor has started letting me help him with some of the more current deals he's working one and has even been giving me some resources to use to supplement my learning.

This magazine has a few details and cases that are somewhat similar to those that my mentor has been working on. Every time I go to mentorship there is a new issue with new information and cases, that I use as examples and apply what I read to the deals my mentor and I work on.

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

Content:

1. I am very proud of the fact that in my Lesson 2 Presentation, I was able to go into greater detail on my mentorship and what exactly my topic is, through the answer to my essential question. I felt that in addition to answering my essential question I was also able to give a greater understanding for what I love to do.

2. a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

       AE       P          AP       CR       NC

     b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.
I felt that my presentation had no issues with the different aspects of the rubric. Professionalism, Organization and Creativity, and Audience Involvement I felt were met in my presentation to at least the P level. The only aspect of the rubric that I feel that I did above P work in was in my Justification of Answer. I feel that the content I presented in my Lesson two was in depth and extremely detailed and beyond the expectations of the rubric. I feel I deserve an AE in that area.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?
In my Lesson 2 Presentation I felt that explaining certain terms or processes as well as giving real life examples really helped my audience understand my presentation and preform the activity.

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?
I noticed that while I was explaining certain topics in my presentation the topic may have confused some people.Especially because these areas can be verbose and  that often just confuses the audience. Perhaps next time I will try to incorporate more real life scenarios or examples so the audience can relate to the information I am presenting.

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?
The second answer to my EQ will most likely be, the best way for a lawyer to negotiate a transaction between two parties is through using clear and concise language,

Blog 12: Mentorship 10 hours check

1.    I am doing my mentorship at a digital media company known as The Collective LA, under the head of the legal department.
2.   My contact's name is Federico Blanco. He is my mentor and the person who notified me of possible internships at the company when senior year started.
3.   Total I have completed 18 Hours and 55 minutes of mentorship as well as some hours from my independent component.
4.   Summarize the 10 hours of service you did. Over the summer, my mentor took time to introduce me to the staff he worked with and some basic guide lines and regulations he worked with. Federico and I worked on drafting a contract for a client that was in the process of getting a new show air time on television.  In addition, I sat in on multiple discourses and phone calls in which the finer details of contracts that were already about to be finalized were discussed and filed the appropriate paper work for those transactions.

Blog 11: Holiday Project Update

1. Unfortunately I was unable to meet with my mentor over break because he took time off to be with his family and was only at the office for a short period of time. In addition, his daughter was born over break so he and his wife spent most of their time with the baby. Although I did manage to meet with him a few days before break and that was when we were discussing the details and some of the finishing touches of my independent component.

2.   From my discussion with my mentor and one of his associates that deals with the construction of contracts, I learned that having a clear and concise document is important but not as important as that document outlining your clients best interests. This refers to how the client will be perceived in the eyes of the public, how long this document would be in effect and of course a reasonable method of payment. My mentor and his associate used an example of a deal they made with one of their clients and Youtube, I can't state the exact details of the contract for privacy reasons, but in short the client felt like they weren't the same as when they started and ultimately lost their popularity,

3.  I would definitely talk to my mentor as he is one of the people that deal directly with the clients as far as getting to know their interests, where they're willing to compromise with another entity and ultimately facilitating knowledge into a deal. In addition to my mentor, I would talk to another lawyer probably not from the same company to see if there are different answers to the questions or different methods.