Accustomed to representing clients in less exotic settings, lawyers for prisoners at the military's Guantanamo prison use phrases like "bizarre" and "Alice in Wonderland" to describe the obstacles they face.
In theory, everything is hyper-secure. Interviews with clients are considered classified. Notes must be turned over to the military. They are placed in a pouch and sent by certified mail to a secure Virginia facility, where they are reviewed for threats to national security. That can take weeks. Meanwhile, lawyers must be at the facility to consult the notes and write court motions.
In practice, the story is sometimes different.
..."It's impossible to tell your client you can guarantee the confidentiality of their communications," he said. "I'm leaving my notes in the hands of my clients' jailers."
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