Student Staff Update: Courtney Marasigan

I had the privilege of editing a memorandum for M1:Zero this past spring semester. M1:Zero aims to revolutionize the human trafficking search and rescue process by utilizing sophisticated technology to locate pimps. The memorandum explains why the data procured by M1:Zero is confidential information, and thus undiscoverable, under Florida’s Public Records Act. M1:Zero intends to partner with law enforcement agencies in Florida to find and prosecute traffickers. 

The level of scrutiny and attention to detail required to edit the memorandum was the most difficult aspect of this project. I was tasked with verifying citations, checking grammar, assessing responsiveness to the question, and so on. Examining the document sentence-by-sentence, word-by-word with a fine-tooth comb took patience and extreme diligence.

And yet, the toughest aspect of the project was also the most rewarding. Law students are taught to tend to seemingly insignificant details such as the italicization of commas in case citations. Though this appears to be a useless skill to hone in the classroom setting, it is very vital in practice. I did not think it was possible to fall to such an error, but I encountered it firsthand while editing the memorandum. As anticlimactic as it may sound, I actually found excitement in catching misplaced quotation marks and incorrectly cited page numbers. It was satisfying to know that the training received from my legal writing professor had practical application to formatting blunders that easily escape the naked eye.

Last but not least, it was especially telling that such “dry” volunteer work would still carry an immense amount of meaning and importance. M1:Zero may not even be able to fulfill its goal without a well-written memorandum. Indeed every word and every period matters to the safety of each victim of human trafficking. My deepest gratitude goes out to Regent University School of Law for equipping me with the skills needed to positively impact human rights, and to the Center for Global Justice for the opportunity to aid in combating these issues before completing my legal education.

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