October Edition of the Legal Pad (2022)

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THE LEGAL PAD

THE BEGINNING OF A NEW JOURNEY!

Hello Law Magnet, and welcome to the first ever edition of The Legal Pad!

This newsletter will be sharing information for both students and parents; If it's Lawrelevant, you can find it here!

Our current hopes are that The Legal Pad will become its own club next year, so if you are interested in joining the newsletter, keep tabs and watch out for us next August.

Brought to you by Law Link Crew and sponsored by PTSA (thank you!)

- Quotes from our Admin           - October Calendar Dates - Monthly Contests

- Mental Health Page

- Student Highlights

- Alumni Advice

- Interview with Ms. Opitz

- Interview with Mr. T

- PTSA Information          AND MORE!

Want to access the digital version? Visit:

Favorite Quotes from our Administration

Mr. Garet Feimster Principal

"Life is what our thinking makes it."

- Marcus Aurelius

Mr. Brandon Rogers Assistant Principal

"Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself."

- Harvey Feirstein

Mr. Pablo Singh Assistant Principal

"Man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellowmen."

Mr. John Falke Dean of Instruction

- Mahatma Gandhi

"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist or to accept the responsibility for changing them."

- Denis Waitley

Important October Dates CALENDAR

CONTESTS

October Poem Contest

Interested in showing off your poetry skills? If so, join us for this month's poetry contest where the theme is anything SPOOKY.

Scan the QR code to submit your poems or share them through our Instagram @thelawlegalpad or through our email: thelawlegalpad@gmail.com

Deadline:  October 22nd, 11:59pm

The winner will be determined by majority vote. The winning poem will be posted on Halloween and receive  a gift card!

October Art Contest

Just like our writers, we want to showcase our best artists! Same rules apply: the theme for this month's art piece will be SPOOKY.

Scan the QR code to submit your art work or share your drawings/paintings through our Instagram @thelawlegalpad or through our email: thelawlegalpad@gmail.com

Deadline: October 22nd, 11:59pm

The winner will be determined by majority vote. The winning drawing will be posted on Halloween and receive a gift card!

Mental Health

5 ways to protect your Mental Health

1) There is no value in stressing about things you can't change.

2) Realize that not everyone has the same goals, everyone has hopes and dreams that are different shape and sizes.

3) If there's a toxic influence in your life right now, let them go. Your growth and wellbeing comes first.

4) Breathe. Sometimes you have to take it one day at a time, one hour at a time or even minute-by-minute.

5) Listen to your body. Only you know what it needs to properly function.

As the Law Magnet, we strive to make sure every one of our students are okay. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, do not hesitate to reach out for help!

RAISING THE BAR - STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Our very own Law Magnet senior, Melanie Rojas, joins the City of Dallas' Youth Commission!

First and foremost, we would like to congratulate Melanie Rojas for her big accomplishment!

Melanie will be pursuing her passion - civic leadership - as a new member of the City of Dallas' Youth Commission and will be representing City Council District 5.

Melanie's long-term goal is to make an impact in her community of Pleasant Grove while motivating other students to pursue educational opportunities. Now, she plans to bring a youthful perspective to the city government by encouraging it to work with more teens from outer districts.

Apart from being active in her Southeast Dallas community, Melanie also takes part in many extracurricular activities, including our very own Moot Court team, Varsity Orchestra, LULAC, and even Ballet Folklorico.

We're sure Melanie still has a lot more to give and achieve. As her mother told us, one day she might just be the first Latina president of the United States!

Quick Quote from Melanie Rojas:

"As a young Latina, I feel that I have to work doubly or triply hard. It's important that we serve on these boards and commissions so our voices can be heard It's not just for us, but also about representation and future generations."

If you would like to read the full article please visit the Dallas Hub page at: https://tinyurl com/4rmbn6j5 or click the button below

RAISING THE BAR - STUDENT ATHLETES

For The Legal Pad’s debut issue, we’ll be highlighting two very talented Law Magnet athletes who, despite Townview’s rigorous coursework, have somehow managed to do the impossible and balance sports on top of it all (they’ve been killing it too)!

Our first athlete is Jordan Joshua, a junior, who plays for Seagoville High School. Jordan’s versatility and work ethic have afforded him the opportunity to play 3 different positions, those being defensive end, linebacker, and tight end. On the field, he sports the #8 jersey and shows out regardless of his team's overall performance. Off the field, he’s a committed student maintaining a GPA of 3.8 while tackling (haha, get it?) a number of demanding AP courses.

We asked Jordan a few questions about his experience playing football; here’s what he said:

Q: What do you love about football?

A: "I love that I get to showcase what I’ve 'grinded' so hard to become."

Q: Is there a professional athlete who inspires you? If so, who and why?

A: "A couple professionals that inspire me are Ray Lewis and Lebron James. Their black excellence and story encourage me to become a better person every day."

Q: What are some hardships you’ve encountered in your sport?

A: "A couple hardships I’ve encountered are people thinking I wouldn’t be as good, maintaining my spot while going to another school, and being able to catch up to my teammates even though I started playing one year ago."

Image by Juwan Davis via

RAISING THE BAR - STUDENT ATHLETES

Our second student highlight is one of our very own juniors, Dana Sauceda! Dana is a flyer for the Samuell High School Varsity Cheer Team! Her practices are everyday afterschool from 5pm-7:30pm, and Saturdays from 9am-5pm. Dana’s drive is absolutely amazing, and it's something that should not go unseen. She has the superpower of maintaining a balance between school and getting thrown up in the air for “fun” (she’s been thrown at least 5 times THIS MONTH)

GOOOOO DANAAA!!!

We asked Dana a few questions about her experience in cheer team, and here’s what she said:

Q: What do you love about cheerleading?

A: "I've always wanted to cheer, I love stunting and going to competitions. I also love being thrown in the air. It's so fun!"

Q: Is there a professional athlete who inspires you? If so, who and why?

A: "I trained with the NCA organization over the summer. They're not really an inspiration, but they're definitely some people to look up to."

Q: What are some hardships you’ve encountered in your sport?

A: "I never have enough time to do anything because cheer is very time consuming. I stay up late at night trying to get anything and everything done. It was also a bit awkward at the beginning because I had to make friends with a whole new group of girls, but now we all get along well."

Are you a part of any activities in or outside of school? Do you know someone you want to nominate for a highlight? Could it be a sport, a hobby, extracurricular, or maybe a small business? Interested in being interviewed next? Fill out this google form!

Dana is the one in the middle.

LEGAL LEGENDS - ALUMNI

We reached

out to some of our

excellent alumni to find some pieces of advice! If you have any doubts about anything, reach out to your mentors. They've been in your shoes!

SSTEFANY SANTOS 21'

Wharton College at UPenn Business with Concentration in Legal Studies

"Stay organized with a bullet journal or planner. Using a bullet journal throughout high school helped me manage my time and it was also satisfying crossing out what I did at the end of the day. Even if it was a small assignment, it is still a job well done! Also, don’t compare yourself to others! Everyone’s at their own pace and as long as you’re doing your best, that’s all that matters for your timeline."

JJESUS MEDINA 22'

University of Texas at Arlington Nursing

R"Remember that high school is not easy. There will be some curveballs thrown your way whether it be a fight with a friend or a bad test grade. But no matter what life throws at you, always keep moving forward and be the best person you can be. Take a break from time to time and go have some fun! High school goes by faster than you think. Before you know it, you’re off to college or whatever you want to pursue after high school. don’t pressure yourself with the future, you have your whole life ahead of you! Treasure these moments because I'm sure that they’re going to be the ones that you keep for a lifetime. You got this! :)"

Texas A&M University

Sociology

"One thing that is essential to success that isn’t talked about enough is social capital. A lot of the time, it’s less about what you know, but more about who you know. Making connections and networking are some of the most important factors in being successful. Learn how to carry out a conversation and become more cultured so that you can relate to people on some level. Always make the most out of opportunities to engage with people with high social status or people who have already succeeded. My professor told me that if all you achieve in high school is getting good grades or all you achieve in college is getting a degree, you’ve failed. The connections you make matter much more. Individually, there’s only so much you can do to put yourself in a position to succeed. Sometimes it only takes one person to refer you to a superior or mention you in a conversation to get your foot in the door of a space you couldn’t have entered on your own. Don’t live in a bubble. Get out there and talk."

RODERICK PEARSON 22'

Legal Legends - Teachers

Ms. Opitz is tthird from the left.

The Law Magnet is home to many retired, incoming, and current professionals with many interesting stories and backgrounds. To honor their hard work, The Legal Pad is putting these legends under oath and interviewing them! Our first Legal Legend teacher of the year is the one and only Ms. Opitz. Keep reading to learn about Ms. Opitz's story and life!

Q: Could you please introduce yourself?

A:  "My name is Dana Opitz."

Q: Could you tell me a little bit more about yourself?

A: "I grew up in Duncanville, Texas. I went to Duncanville High School.Igraduatedin1996."

Athletics

Q: Oh, you have all of these posters of you with the Duncanville basketball team. Could you tell us more about that?

A: "I got along really well with my teammates. I played basketball my entire life. And when I graduated from high school, I was a little burned out on it. So I turned down my scholarships and went to the college just for school. After years of playing basketball, I was done."

Q: Did you get any scholarships for basketball?

A: "I got offered scholarships Can you believe it? One was from University of Hawaii, and I said no I know, I could’ve lived inHawaiiforfouryearsonafreeride."

Q: Can you tell us more about your basketball career?

A: "Well, that [article] was us losing a double overtime at the state championship, but we actually were undefeated that entire year. My summer league team, one year in Utah, placed ninth in the country! I played with the WNBAall-timestarTamikaCatchings."

Education:

Q:Wheredidyougoforyourundergrad?

A: "University of North Texas. I wasn't ready to leave home yet. I was being kind of a baby about it. And so I just enrolled locally. And they also - by the way - have a magnificent criminal psychology program there."

Q: How did you get into law?

A: "You want the truth?"

Q: Absolutely.

A: "Okay. Did you ever see Legally Blonde? I was always going to be in the FBI. My planned major since I was probably 15-16 years old, always was criminal psychology. I was obsessed with it. I really wanted to be like Criminal Minds. I wanted to read, research, investigate, and hunt down killers. My dad started to get really scared my junior year that I was actually serious about it because I was at the point that I was even visiting prisons. Meanwhile my best friend… had just gotten a full ride to a law school out in Florida called St. Thomas University.  I went to visit her and help her move into her apartment and it was just a completely different world and I thought to myself “Y’know what? I think I can get into law school.” And I got in, without even graduating college. 'What, like it’s hard?'"

Q: Wait, so you were literally doing Legally Blonde?That’scrazy.

A: *laughs* "I have a juris doctorate, just not a BA. I dropped out of college to go to law school."

Q: Why'd you go to St. Thomas?

A: "Because my best friend had already gotten a full ride there. And so I went, hung out with her and had so much fun with her. I I even asked my family, like, 'I think I'm gonna go to that school, like to apply for next semester.' And they said, 'Really?' and I said, 'Yeah,' and they're like, 'I don't think you can do it.' I said, 'watch this.'  Not only did I get in there, I went there without graduating college. I graduated from St. Thomas in 2004."

Q: What did you do after graduating law school?

Q: What did you teach?

A: "I taught people that were getting an associate's degree in ParalegalStudies.So,Iwasyoungerthanallmystudents,because I was only 24 And all these people were coming back for like a seconddegreeinlife."

Q: Were there any law firms trying to hire you before you graduated?

A: "Yeah, I just wasn't interested in working for the firms that came in and approached me. They wanted me to do things that I didn't want to do. You have to commit to those people. I knew at some point, sooner than later, I'd be moving back to Texas. I wasn't interested in signing on with a big firm out there and taking that spot from somebody who actually did want it. It would be very selfish of me to take the spot from somebody else that intended to live there."

Q: What was your first legal job?

A: "Shannon, Gracey, Ratliff, and Miller. It was a midsize law firm in downtown Dallas. They were extremely well known. They hired me to come in. In Florida, they don't teach oil and gas, because it doesn't exist there,  but in order to pass the Texas bar, I had to teach myself oil and gas. And sure enough, my first job ever was [as an] oil and gas attorney. That was 2007."

Q: How did you learn about the Law Magnet?

A: "Mr. Feimster's good friend married my best friend. He told me he was a principal at the Law Magnet. I didn't believe it But sure enough, he was amazing. He said, “We may be hiring for next year, if you're interested. You could apply.” and I go, ”Hah, y'all don't pay enough for me to leave law. I'll never be a teacher, y’all don’t pay enough.” Then Coronavirus hit."

A: "I actually took the bar exam in Florida first. So that's the one hanging in there. I took the bar exam, and I wasn't ready to move back home yet. But I didn't know what I wanted to do. I ended up teaching college for a year." 11

Our second Legal Legend of the year is our very own sponsor, Mr. T!

Here are some of the highlight questions we asked Mr. T. If you want to see the full interview, click on the video on the right!

Q: First question, why do people call you Mr. T?

A: "So my last name is Tadesse. Mr. T is just easier to say, so my students started calling me that when I first started teaching and it stuck. Fun fact, my last name is actually my dad's first name."

Q: What classes do you teach?

A: "I teach Algebra II and College Transition."

Q: What's your favorite part of teaching?

A: "Probably my students. The fact that every year I get a new group of students, and every single student is different and unique in their own way."

Q: How do you help your students?

A: "I support them with the college process in College Transition. I help them with scholarships, exploring majors, exploring careers, SAT prep, all of that. In Algebra 2, my goal is to take complex subjects and make them simple, and I'm here as a resource for students so they can talk to me anytime for anything."

Q: Tell me more about Link Crew.

A: "I started it with some students 3 years ago. It is a mentorship program where upperclassmen student leaders - juniors and seniors, mentor incoming students to help support them in their transition."

Q: What are Mr. T mistakes?

A: "In my Algebra II class, whenever I make a mistake, a math mistake on the board, I'll add a number to that [counter]. So I've already made 23 mistakes. Basically, it's just a way to show students that it's okay - it's normal to make mistakes. I make mistakes, I'm a math teacher. We also celebrate them every 20, we do a class reward."

- He rode a moped as his first vehicle for 2 years.

- He is a great chess player

- He speaks English, Spanish, and Amharic.

- He only missed 2 questions in the PSAT math section.

- He failed every AP exam he took.

- He worked at Dairy Queen for 3 years, starting pay: $5.15 an hour

We'd like to take a second to thank Mr. T for being the best sponsor Link Crew could ask for. Thanks to him, we are able to create a better environment for our students and for the generations that come after us.

Krystal Lovato Spirit Wear

How to Apply

LAW MAGNET RESOURCES

https://www.dallasisd.org/domain/26556

Law Magnet Teachers

https://www.dallasisd.org/domain/17776

Townview Directory Links

https://www.dallasisd.org/Page/82838

Education is Freedom

https://www.dallasisd.org/domain/19738

Townview Wide Club List

https://tinyurl.com/2w57vjs4

Link Tree

https://lawlinkcrewresources.carrd.co

Down:

1. The act of an individual killing another individual

2. A statement said outside of court which usually is not allowed as trial evidence

3. The release of a prisoner (either temporarily or permanently) before they complete their sentence on the promise of good behavior

4. A rule stating that evidence obtained illegally, no matter how incriminating, cannot be used in court

5. A guilty verdict or judgement

8. The act of trying to get the court to reverse a decision

11. Giving someone sworn evidence

13. A period of testing the abilities of an individual in a specific role

14. Another word for "purposefully" committing a crime

17. A court order demanding a person to do or stop a specific action

18. An infringement of a right leading to civil liability

19. Another word for an illegal act

21. The individual that is getting sued or accused

23. A statement confirmed by oath, used in court as evidence

Across:

6. A decision that was made on an argument in a civil or criminal case

7. A decision made by a court

9. Something that allows the police to detain and conduct a search of an individual (vehicle and household) on reasonable grounds

10. Freeing someone from a criminal charge by receiving a verdict of not guilty

12. Evidence that is used to establish the guilt of an Individual

15. The official who conducts the case against a defendant in a criminal court

16. The act of forcing an individual or group out of a property

20. A claim or dispute brought to a court of law

22. An individual or party that filed a lawsuit in a court of law

24. A written statement that's given to the judge arguing for a specific side or verdict

25. A person who may not have been involved in the crime, but saw it

26. A statement given by an individual referring to their innocence or guilt

School Website: dallasisd.org/lawmagnet

Instagram: @thelawlegalpad

Twitter: @LawMag214

Email: thelawlegalpad@gmail.com

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October Edition of the Legal Pad (2022) by The Law Legal Pad - Issuu