Legal News

Attention Denver 3Ls: Maybe You Can Help Folsom Help Zazi!

By Ashby Jones

It’s an unconventional job opportunity, to say the least, one with a fairly big downside and a fairly big upside. The bad: it doesn’t pay. The good: it give a law student an opportunity to work fairly closely, it seems, on one of the largest (and most controversial) cases of the day.

Okay, we’ll stop being cryptic. Here’s the news: Arthur Folsom (pictured), the solo practitioner in Denver who’s spearheading the defense of accused terrorist mastermind Najibullah Zazi, is hiring an intern. He placed an ad with the University of Denver Law School’s career development center last week.

The ad is offering an “intern position for a current law student.” The “main responsibilities will be
conducting research for a federal terrorism case.”

Of course, you’ve got to be qualified to get the job. According to the ad, “good research skills” are “a must” and “experience on the federal level” is “preferred.” Other qualifications include “criminal defense knowledge.” Click here for the ad.

That Folsom is looking for help isn’t all that surprising. We’ve blogged in each of the last two days on Zazi’s somewhat strange decision to pick Folsom to represent him. Folsom, a 37-year-old Denver solo-practitioner, has spent most of his career doing smaller-scale criminal work, like drunk-driving and drug-possession representations. Folsom has enlisted the help of other lawyers, but for now, according to his Web site, he’s running a small operation. The office is comprised of just Folsom himself and a researcher.

Wendy Aiello, a spokeswoman for Art Folsom said in a statement: “Folsom Law Offices continues to build their defense team. Art Folsom is an alum and knows that the school will provide a talented intern.”

In other Zazi news: Earlier today he pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiracy in Brooklyn federal court. Zazi was indicted last week on a charge that alleges he conspired with others to use explosive devices against persons or property in the United States.

According to the WSJ, prosecutors told federal judge Raymond Dearie during the Tuesday hearing that they believed Zazi is a flight risk who should be placed under close surveillance. Zazi is a legal immigrant from Afghanistan.

The judge ordered Zazi held indefinitely without bail.

Repping Zazi in court on Tuesday: J. Michael Dowling, who told a group of reporters after the hearing that prosecutors hadn't shown enough evidence to back the conspiracy against his client. "You can't convict him of the conspiracy charge he's under without someone else," Dowling said. "The government will have to come up with someone else to make it a conspiracy."

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on September 29, 2009 (boomark / email).