GraysonRezaeeHawkenProjects2025

  As my project nears completion, I want to take a step back to both celebrate and critically reflect on the work I have done. Throughout the course of this experience, I feel that I accomplished—or at least meaningfully explored—all of my original goals. I am extremely proud of the effort I put into this project and the depth of learning that resulted from it. This project, however, would likely never have existed without my family background in law. I have had countless conversations with family members about their careers in the legal field, and each of those discussions sparked my curiosity in different ways. In addition, my involvement in Mock Trial played a significant role in shaping this project and even helped bring some of my experiences to life. Seeing previous law-related Hawken Projects also helped me envision what my own project could look like and what I hoped to gain from it. At its core, my subconscious goal for this project was to determine—at least in part—whethe...

  As my project nears completion, I would like to take a step back and celebrate the work I’ve put into this project, but also analyze it to potentially maximize it in the future. When I began my project, I had some experience in the courtroom through mock trials and other various experiences, but I believe my comfort level in the space, as well as with the general procedure and decorum that comes with the sort of establishment, has grown exponentially. I now know where to look to find every part of the process that once seemed impossible to understand, though I still have a lot to learn.   Something that I have learned more about, however, is the impact an environment and exposure to certain things can have on the development of people in all aspects of life. Throughout my project, I have heard the stories of the childhoods of countless defendants laid out, from people who chose the wrong friends to hang out with to those whose parents were founders of gangs. In both cases, a...

  For the third and final week of my project, I had experiences similar to those of the previous two weeks, but this time at the federal level and within the federal courthouse (shown below). I began the week by spending two days shadowing the U.S. Marshals. I had previously toured their office during the Mock Trial intensive, but this was my first opportunity to observe their daily operations in depth. Through this experience, I gained a much clearer understanding of their responsibilities and role within the federal justice system. The U.S. Marshals Service is the oldest federal law enforcement agency in the United States and serves as the enforcement arm of the federal courts. Their duties include apprehending violent fugitives, protecting federal judges and witnesses (including those in the witness protection program), securing federal courthouses, managing and transporting federal prisoners, and executing federal court orders. In Ohio, the federal court system is divided into ...

Thus far in my project, I have had many extremely fascinating and educational experiences that have provided me with more guidance and direction into my essential questions. I have furthered my initial goal of exploring all aspects of the law through my numerous experiences both inside and outside of the courtroom. Last Friday, 12/5, I was able to participate in a private tour of the Lake County Narcotics Agency, which is a specialized organization separate from the Sheriff’s Office, which is not common among Ohio counties. Essentially, the Lake County Narcotics Agency operates as an independent organization as opposed to being connected to the county sheriff’s office, as is typical in the county. This allows the agency to receive its own separate funding from taxpayer levies, not being attached to another agency, which enables a more effective and streamlined distribution of resources. However, this does not mean that the Narcotics Agency operates solely by itself, as when I talked to...

 One of the most surprising things I have learned so far during my Hawken Project is how many current attorneys, magistrates, judges, and other legal professionals did not originally study law-related subjects in college or attend law school immediately after graduating. Through interviews and observations, I have discovered that there are many different pathways into a legal career beyond what is often considered the “traditional” route. The traditional route, as described by several of the professionals I interviewed, typically involves majoring in Criminal Justice, Political Science, or a similar field during undergraduate studies and then proceeding directly to law school. These majors are often presented as the most obvious or recommended paths into the legal profession. However, I have learned that they are by no means required, and that many successful legal professionals come from very different academic and professional backgrounds. Before beginning my project, I assumed...

  The first week of my Hawken Project has been an amazing experience so far. Although I was unable to spend my second day in person due to a snow day, I was still able to observe hearings remotely through one judge’s YouTube livestream. During this observation, I watched multiple hearings and was introduced to a particularly compelling situation involving a decision about whether a defendant should be subject to forced medication. Prior to this case, I had only read about forced medication and had never seen firsthand how such hearings are conducted. I found it especially interesting to learn about the procedures involved, as well as the judge’s role—not only as a mediator between the attorneys, but also as a safeguard for the defendant’s rights. In this case, the defendant appeared remotely from the Northcoast Behavioral Health Facility alongside an expert witness. The expert, who worked at the facility, participated via live video conference with the court. This format was new to...

Monday, December 1st: Today was my first day at the Lake County Probate Court, which will serve as my main location throughout my project but not my only opportunity of exploration. Coming into my first day, I didn't have many expectations for what I would learn beyond simply familiarizing myself with the building and learning the basics. However, I ended up learning about ins and outs of probate court beyond the simple knowledge I had known beforehand, including how cases with two prose (no attorney) sides work and the paths to their current careers of members of the probate court.   As soon as I got settled in my mentor's office (Magistrate Alana Rezaee) she gave Elsa (another student shadowing) and I a tour of the building, introducing us to any of her colleagues we met along the away. These included the judge of the Lake County Probate Court, the other magistrate she works alongside, and the deputy clerks. After the tour, Magistrate Rezaee explained her path to becoming on...