a look back

My time in law school has come to an end. I was mentored by and became friends with some of the best people I will ever know. I am thankful for the learning opportunities through internships, clerkships, and volunteer activities that spurred me on to learn as much as I could.  Also, I cannot say enough about my professors and advisers for their relentless dedication to diligent representation of their clients and the learning environment they created for me and my classmates.  I have the utmost respect for them. The basic truth - law school is hard. It is unlike any other singular life experience that I can imagine. It stretched and molded me in ways - good and bad - that will stay with me for the rest of my life. In addition to learning the law, I learned some important truths, which I share now with you:

• It takes time to create big messes, and it takes time to resolve those messes.
• Sometimes "wait" is the best response.
• Attack big problems by breaking them into manageable pieces.
• Be honest with yourself, and everyone else.
• When anyone else is speaking, be quiet and listen.
• Read the instructions.
• Motives do matter.  Question them.
• No one - and especially judges - will care what you think until they know that your opinion matters.
• Don't burn bridges.  Even the ones you think you will never cross again.
• Never lie.  It's not worth it.
• Work hard.  If your job seems "easy," you're probably missing an opportunity to do something important.
• "Having" time and "making" time are two different things.
• Learn about your audience before deciding what it needs to hear.
• Be nice.
• Think ahead.
• Waiting until the "last minute" is rarely a good idea.
• Think before you speak.  Always.
• Few people care about what you did last night.  Or what you ate for lunch.
• Vision is good, but the details are what will kill you.
• Know the rules.  Cold.
• Be friendly to everyone.
• Know yourself.

Thank you for reading ... 

themes

Updated from a previous post ... My law school courses, in real people talk:

First year:  Survival of the Fittest ...

• Contracts = CYA ('nuff said)
• Property = Keep track of your stuff
• Torts = Clean up your messes
• Criminal = Keep your nose clean
• Civil Procedure = Know the game

Second year:  Power Trip ... 

• Constitutional Law = Calling the shots.
• Evidence = Can't touch this.
• Criminal Procedure = Catch me if you can.
• Professional Responsibility = Credibility matters
• Family Law = Kids rock

Third year:  Eyes on the Prize

• Statutory Interpretation = Say what you mean and mean what you say
• Maritime Law = Torts on the water
• Pre-Trial Litigation Drafting = You won't see me in court
• Judicial Writing = The good stuff is in the dissent
• Advanced Legal Research = Where's Waldo?
• Consumer Law = The customer is always right, but the company usually wins

So much learning in such a seemingly short time ... Excited to see what the future holds!

Halfway home

I've noticed an interesting pattern emerging in myself and several of my classmates.  I'll call it a "getting through next week" mentality ... where we approach large unwieldy goals or projects simply as a series of tasks,  large or small, then calendar those tasks and complete them as they arise.  I think this comes about because it is easier to stomach the gravity of the goal we've set about accomplishing ("becoming lawyers") if we think about that goal in terms of its component parts building to the end, rather than spending time everyday wondering how we got here and where we're going after.
I bring this up as an observation and in support of another phenomenon: celebrating every milestone.  Since we have parsed our activities into discreet tasks we can readily identify where each one begins and ends. In addition, we love a good celebration and will use nearly any excuse to have one: classes are starting, classes are over; exams are coming, exams just ended; I am avoiding writing my paper, I began writing my paper, I just turned in my paper, I got my paper grade back (and all the better if it was a good grade!).  All of these moments call for celebration. My current reason to celebrate is that I am halfway through law school.  I have completed three semesters and have three remaining.  Classes start this week. I am certainly glad I came this far and am looking forward to the future. Here's to a second half even better than the first. Cheers.

the end of the beginning

Having realized today that fall term begins in just five short weeks, my next realization is that my life as a 1L is something of a distant memory.  I must say, I am very thankful for that!  As much as I tried to keep a positive (or, not overtly negative) tone in this blog, I experienced frustration and angst along with my 1L classmates.  First year is hard, often sleepless, and rarely fun.

In addition to the chunks of my outlines still floating through my mind, when I look back on my 1L year, I realize how often I was impressed (stunned) by my professors.  While the accepted pedagogy in law schools is very dissimilar from many (any?) other academic field, the professors are a credit to their craft.  Each with  a distinct style and approach, their love of their work is obvious in the guided discussion, leading questions inserted seamlessly in the flow of the classroom conversation, and 'nesting doll' structure of each class.

Let's face it, 1Ls all act (and look =/) like awkward turtles.  Yet, professors manage to coordinate discussion that leads to specific learning points.  In the process, 'wrong' answers are generally carefully redirected, even slow analysis is applauded, and every class period is beneficial.

I imagine that professors set out specific opening and closing statements for each class period or topic, then outline their path with some commentary and questions.  This is a guess.  It is possible that profs use some other method.  But, there is no way everything the prof is going to say is memorized (in part because it is in response to our crazy ideas).  Yet, they always have an intentional direction.  The profs' questions move discussion forward, allowing us to process and progress along the way.

I did not quite grasp the 'stacking' or 'nesting' concepts structure until the very last week of my first semester.  At that moment, I careened down a hallway and blurted to a classmate "I finally got it ... The concepts feed into each other!  My outlines are useless!"  What a great (and awful) day that was!  My outlines (and grades) generally markedly improved second term.  But, I have to say, kudos to the professors who organize courses such that the material makes sense, linking with and supporting itself along the way.

I suppose this post is written as a tribute to my 1L professors.  For the tough love, relentless questioning, endless reading, grade-less writing ... for your dedication to your craft.

Thank you!

lost, lost, lost ... I've lost my marbles

People in my section are going bonkers (yes, I am included in that set of people) over when the grade for the last exam we took will be visible.  We are two weeks post-1L and currently this is all we have to think about.

I generally do not panic, so I went to my school's website Academics page (available to the public, so I'm not giving away any secrets) and found this lovely tidbit:

"Professors are required to submit grades to the academic dean for approval no later than three weeks after the final exam date."

This means that the grades from the exam we took 15 days ago potentially could remain anonymous until late NEXT week, which is AFTER 1: the summer term begins, and (more importantly for some) 2: a scant 4 days before the last day to withdraw without financial penalty.

Now, it is possible that the grades would be submitted to the dean on the due date and receive basically immediate approval (or, in deference to all possibilities, they may have already been submitted and are rolling through a long review process).

But, the potentially bad timing raises some questions ... not because they apply to me, but because I am curious:

What if a person's other grades have indicated that they may return to law school for year 2 given a certain minimum grade in that course, and then that class tipped them over into NOT returning, and ...

1. s/he already signed a lease in plans to return/stay?  (contract negotiation skills needed here)
2. s/he already began summer classes? (how embarrassing...)
3. s/he spent their previous semester loan money down to nothing in reliance on a new stipend in 2 weeks?  ("broke" does not begin to describe the pocket emptiness of loan-reliant students at the end/beginning of each semester)

The answer to these questions doesn't matter much (unless you happen to BE the person at the end of one - or all - of the question marks!).

Disclaimer:  This post is simply the outcome of Amy having gone bonkers ... waiting for a grade ...

waiting for grades is like planning a wedding

I love weddings.  Most people who know me also know this.  Some know that I have been to approximately 30 weddings in the past 7 years.  That's a lot of presents, driving, and cake.

I appreciate the wedding day, but also, all of the stuff in a couple's life leading toward the wedding day.

For many, that day they will invite the largest number of their family, friends, and acquaintances to a single event in their lifetime.  And most have never done anything like that before.  Some have never been to a large event before attempting to host one.

Thus, in the months, weeks, days leading to the event, every decision, potential disturbance, or bit of good news turns into a life-altering emotion-filled moment.  Anyone who has hosted, been to, been in, or otherwise attached to a large-ish wedding knows what I mean.

Now, since this blog is about law school ...

Take those wedding-related emotions and try to apply them to the course of time law students spend waiting for letter grades each semester.

There is nothing the law student can do to affect the grade once s/he steps out of the exam, but the emotions of anticipating each grade to drop in the online portal (because it would just be too easy to post all of them at once...) are heart-pounding.

And, of course, based on academic status, the questions rolling through each student's mind vary:  "Will I keep my scholarship?"  "Where am I eligible to intern next semester?"  "Will I grade on to law review?"  "Will I be invited to an honor society?"  "Can I stay in SBA office?"  "Will I stay in law school?"

Even if the grades come back and they are better than anticipated, the agony of the wait is harrowing, the high emotion with each posted grade thrilling.

And so, we wait ....

destination: registration

Update:  This morning I registered for summer and fall courses.  I was able to put together semesters with combined required and elective courses that have preferable weekly and exam schedules.  Identifying my long term list of preferred courses prior to beginning registration helped; as I was able to swap courses and sections without worrying about whether I needed or wanted to take specific classes.

Decisions, decisions!  It is time to register for next year's classes. 
During the first year, we go to the classes the registrar puts us in.  Now we have choices!  At first, I was excited to have "more freedom" ... now, not so much.

I miss the days of "majors" where all but one class was required each semester ... and that one was an elective from a minor.  Easy!

Here are the "big" questions: 

• Do I stack my required courses at the front end and fill my last year with electives, or mix and match? 
• Also, do I choose a schedule based on a better weekly calendar, or better exams calendar?  (we're in law school now ... the exams are not held at the same time as classes - that would be too easy) 
• Finally, and this is key:  when I don't get the classes I want (which will be the case), do I take a few less credits, hoping for a more ideal schedule later, or simply take what I can get?

the 1L lindy

If you were so inclined, you could search on-line and find hundreds of step-by-step guides, videos, etc. to help you learn the Lindy Hop.  By reading these instructions and watching others move, you could learn the sequence of steps generally accepted in this area of dance and memorize them.

But, even reading the best instruction manuals or watching world-renowned dancers would not teach you the Lindy.  The steps in Lindy are important, but they are more like formulaic stilted movements than "dancing" if not paired with the atmosphere, music, and people of a dance event.

How much do I care about the Lindy Hop?  Well, probably more than I should, but that's beside the point. The point is that what is true of Lindy is also true of those wanting to be successful professionally, and in life.

In law school, we read constantly (constantly) and we work hard to figure out the right "steps" in our course work.  But, it is possible that we exert so much energy alone hovering over our books that we forget that the "dance" of lawyering is about the people we interact with.

Just as the Lindy Hop is only as good as the people on the dance floor's willingness to move to the music; our experience will be only as fulfilling ("good") as our willingness to work with the materials in our environment.

critical mass

Week 4   ...   This is that point in the semester when life as I know it looks bearable (managed, organized, productive) or more like a bear (untamed with little hope of control).  Week 4 is that time where the end is nowhere in sight, but the beginning is too far behind to look back.

This is the week when the class schedule I folded myself into last month becomes habit and standard study times take shape ... or, if they don't, they won't.

It's when the first signs of fatigue begin to show ... People take "sick" days.  More people are bringing in juice boxes instead of energy drinks (maybe a good idea at the outset??).  I know what day it is based on which classes I went to yesterday ... and if my last class was so long ago that I don't remember ... it must be Monday.

If you've ever taken on a large project at work, been in grad school, run a school fundraiser ... anything that felt bigger than you and everything you are, then you know what I'm talking about.

My colleagues and I are in Week 4.

What does your Week 4 feel like?

let's do it again!

My first semester was a good time for identifying both strengths and weaknesses and, as I prepare for the coming spring term, I am thinking about what to bring from last term - not only in content, but also in organization and planning.

The term starts Monday and I am excited!