Adventures of a 1L

Paying Attention

2009-03-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

So, per usual, I start to lose focus about 30 minutes into my 8 AM Civil Procedure class with Professor Stiglitz. I decided to check Facebook and started a Scrabble game against a fellow classmate. But I got a quick reminder that I shouldn't be playing.

Hypocrite

2009-03-31T01:42:00.000-07:00

I don't get it. I can go without blogging for days, even weeks at a time, but when I finally come back I've got a million things I want to talk about.

Remember how I got all worked up about that speech? The one where my professor didn't allow me to participate because she wanted to reward (and/or punish) year-long behavior? The finals were held about a week ago, and because one student had to take medical leave, a spot opened up. Before our last class, my professor pulled me aside and offered it to me. She told me that she had heard I was outstanding, and wanted me to go. I was rather excited -- until I heard the competition was to be held in 24 hours.

I don't mind looking foolish in front of other people. I do it all the time, without even trying. But I can't stomach the feeling when I let myself down. And frankly, I didn't feel 24 hours was enough time to adequately prepare myself for the type of performance I wanted to give. Still, I delivered the speech in my professor's office and she was sure that I'd do amazingly well if I gave it a shot. But with so much left to do as I approach finals, I passed on the opportunity. And I'm sure it's something I'll think about for a long, long time.

It's nearly 2 AM, and the pills I took make it difficult to sleep. So instead, I decided to work on part of my Appellate Brief for Legal Skills. The first draft of my argument is finished, though it's a bit wordy. 3,000 words. And I've got a lot of work to do left. Several other parts of the brief need to be revised and scruitinized. Aside from that, there are countless outlines that I need to create/update. It's going to be a crazy last few weeks, but I think can smell the beach -- it's less than four weeks away.

Thirty

2009-03-19T00:46:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine told me that she didn't like my blog and found it "depressing." I'm fairly certain it's not my fault. I think it's just the life of a law student.

For instance, I've got class in seven hours. And each Tuesday/Thursday at 8 AM, I get to experience a few seconds of torture as the professor decides which person to humiliate that particular day. I wake up, get yelled at, and go home. That's pretty much it.

But I'll make a concerted effort to try and blog about the more enjoyable aspects of law school over the next few weeks. There's only one problem; we're officially one month away from finals.

The Gill

2009-03-18T00:49:00.000-07:00

I participated in the David M. Gill Mock Trial Competition solely out of spite. It's no longer something I'm exactly proud of, but it's the truth. Not being able to speak in the previous oral advocacy competition, after winning my "room" left me disheartened and disgusted. I wanted to show my professor that she was flat-out, 100% dead wrong about me, my abilities, and my future.

Last night, I performed my closing argument for the plaintiff. The speech itself only took seven minutes, but the feedback seemed to last forever.

"Good eye contact, but not enough."
"Slow down."
"Your fact simply isn't true."
"You can't use that; it'd never get into evidence."

I'm not used to that. My experience with feedback involves an appreciative audience in awe. And as I left the room, I didn't feel so hot. Granted, I was disapointed with myself from the very second I finished speaking. I stumbled over one strong point and failed to even mention another. The judges did tell me how much they enjoyed my speech, presence, and that I had a lot of quality arguments in the text, but their kind words were tough to process after getting destroyed by a tandem of lawyers.

It took me a while to get to bed last night. I knew I could do better. And because of the format, I had another shot earlier tonight. After several re-writes, edits, and practice, I felt rather confident. The speech was a bit shorter, but I thought it'd allow me to focus more on a steady pace and "vocal variety" as my old teacher, Ms. Mansell used to say. I walked in at 7:15, took a deep breath, and dived headfirst.

It wasn't perfect. It never is, or at least I never think so. I forgot my "lines" at a few spots and had to improvise, but it seemed to go smoothly. I still paced a bit, but I kept my eyes focused on the judges. And my closing was both articulate and powerful. The feedback was much more kind, this time around. They loved the analogies, alliterative phrases, and gestures. Unlike the previous night when I had to squirm, this night, I was able to bask in the glory of my hard work paying off.

I hate to say it. I hate to write it even more. But if my professor had allowed me to participate in the first event, I doubt I would have even entertained the idea of signing up for the Gill. I might have not even put in much work on the first competition. Instead, my professor made me earn it. Granted, I have no idea how well I did compared to my peers. I might make the finals on Thursday, I might not. And right now, I don't really care. Sure, I'd love to win. But what's more important to me is that tonight, I can sleep well.

Deep Breaths II

2009-03-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

She's right.

Well, partly, at least. If I want to be a successful lawyer, I can't half-ass my work. It'll be doing both myself, my clients, and my society a disservice. But it's unfair to compare the work on the outside, the work that acutal lawyers do, with the monotanous, trivial shit that encompasses the life of a law student.

I'm 23 years old. And I'm not about to live my life cooped up in a library. I'm not about to spend every waking minute chained to a textbook. If that means that my grades suffer slightly, I'm fine with that. But I'm not, and I've never been, fine with the idea that less work on my part will negatively impact the life of someone around me.

Whether I like it or not, and whether she even meant to or not, my professor has motivated me. By not allowing me the chance to compete in the Edwards speech competition, I've decided to sign up for an opportunity to display my skills and actually try to enjoy part of law school: the Gill.

Deep Breaths

2009-03-10T00:36:00.000-07:00

I'm not really an angry person. My complaints generally reflect more of a whiny tone and fall into the classification of "gripes." Most often, I'm not that upset - just a bit bothered. This, however, is not one of those times.

Last Wednesday, I participated in the oral argument portion of my legal skills course. My professor had told the class about it a few weeks prior, and to be quite honest, I was excited. So much of what I do in law school is mundane and I was happy to actually have a purpose. Besides, I live to speak in public. Sure, I'm a nervous wreck during the first few seconds, but I've yet to find that rush in any other facet of life; that one moment when I authoritatively make a point and look out into the crowd, only to lock eyes with someone and take note of their attentiveness and fascination. It's almost as if I get to see the point registering inside their brain. So yeah, I was excited.

I spoke with my professor after Monday's class to talk about the assignment. We spoke for twenty or so minutes and covered a much wider range of topics than I had previously anticipated. I discussed the irony of not having time to do what I truly wanted, spending time and effort on the oral advocacy, because of my substantive (and boring) courses. She seemed to sympathize.

I decided that I wasn't going to let class credit keep me from working on the assignment, even if it was basically credit/no credit. I familiarized myself with the cases, prepared the speech, and practiced it several times. I was ready. And more importantly, I enjoyed getting to that point.

We were divided into groups, with the winners recieving a nomination from our professor to compete in the "finals" with other 1Ls from California Western. I didn't plan on winning, but I apparentlly did well enough to merit the victory. The person who judged us, a 2L, told me that I did an amazing job and just need to slow down a bit in the beginning. Totally fair and legitimate criticism. I've always been a bit fast at the start, mostly because of the nervousness I alluded to earlier.

A few days later, I recieved a mass e-mail from my professor, telling me (and the rest of the class) who had won their individual groups. While I was pleased to see my name on the list, the email went on to say that she couldn't pick everyone who was deserving, and had decided to go with two students other than myself. She ended the email with something to the effect of, "I've decided to reward the students who've put in the hard work all semester."

I was pissed. Not because the other students didn't earn it; I'm sure both worked extremely hard on the assignment. And frankly, I've slacked off a bit, at least compared to the others who spend twenty hours a week in the library. But her comment makes me feel that there's nothing I can do to change her perception of me. There's no point in working harder, because my grade is already set in stone. If she would have watched me speak and decided the others performed better than me, I could live with that. But to deny me the opportunity to be heard, well, it's somewhat ironic considering the speech dealt with a student's first ammendment rights.

A few days later, I got a second email. My professor opened by telling me that the "judge" was "very impressed with me" and my performance. But what started out as a pat on the back soon turned into something entirely different. Basically, my professor told me that if I ever wanted to be a competent, ethical lawyer, I needed to decide that THIS is what I want to do and stop half-assing everything. I'd write my response now, but I guess it'll have to wait because I've got class in a few hours and sleep is more important than my anger.

Marching On

2009-03-05T11:35:00.000-08:00

Clever title, right? It's March. And my second semester of law school continues.

Not much to report over the last few weeks. For the most part, I'm enjoying much substantive law classes LESS this semester. But interestingly enough, I'm more "on the ball" with regards to the workload.

I did, however, truly enjoy my most recent law school experience, participating in oral advocacy. I've always loved speaking in public. Perhaps it's because I've been told I'm good at it, or because I like to hear myself talk without being interrupted for 5-7 minutes. Either way, presenting my oral argument in Legal Skills was an activity I hope to be able to do more often. I didn't come to law school to sit in a stuffy room for hours on end, and so far, that's mostly what my time at Cal Western has been about.

It's bothered me to the point that even though I passed, I've began to give serious consideration to dropping out - or at least taking some time off and re-evaluating the situation. But I've decided to stick it out, at least for this semester, and wrestle with the issue sometime over the Summer.

Hemlock

2009-02-12T08:37:00.001-08:00

I remember studying about Socrates in 10th grade. My teacher described him as a rational, intellectual, and compassionate. I didn't agree. I wasn't too impressed with a man who merely got high, walked around, and spouted off random thoughts. I'm even more disenchanted with Socrates now that I'm forced to endure his "Socratic Method" on a daily basis.

Here's the jist of the Socratic Method.

Greek Student: Hi, I have a question.
Socrates: What is your question?
Greek Student: Is there a heaven?
Socrates: That is the question, isn't it?
Greek Student: Yes, it is.
Socrates: Is it?
Greek Student: Yes.
Socrates: Why is it the question?
Greek Student: Umm, because I asked you. So is there a heaven or not?
Socrates: Wait here while I go have sex with little boys.

Okay, perhaps that's not entirely accurate. In law school land, the Socratic method refers to a reliance on the students to educate the rest of the class. Volunteers are appreciated, but most teachers call on people at random. For most, it's unsettling and nerve racking.

My torts professor, Ms. Bowermaster, called my name at the beginning on Monday's class. On the plus side, she did pronounce it correctly. Our "conversation," which consisted of a back and forth question and answer session about relevant cases, rules, and hypotheticals, took 47 minutes. The highlight came early, however. I had missed the previous day, and she opened with a question regarding the material covered in that particular class.

Professor: "Mr. Barone, what are the three types of consent?"
Crap. I didn't know. I fumbled through my notes. She noticed my hesitancy.
Professor: "Consent. Remember, from last class? Here, ask me a question."

I was confused.

Me: Wait, what. What kind of question?
Professor: "Any question asking for my consent."
Me: "Can you call on someone else?"

The class erupted in laughter. Everyone told me it was because they thought the comment was hillarious. Ms. Bowermaster even commented that it was the type of response that my peers would talk about years after finishing law school. I first assumed that's a good thing, although now I wonder; people could be laughing about the "dumb guy in that one class" who asked the teacher to call on someone else.

'Cause I can't stand up and I can't fall down...

2009-02-09T14:49:00.000-08:00

It took me ten days to write this. That might give you a faint idea of how well I did.

In actuality, I didn't do too poorly. I passed, perhaps not with flying colors, but a pass nonetheless. And considering I put in very little work all semester (outside of the last three weeks), I should be rather proud of my grades. But I'm not.

I wanted to be the best, and instead, I now have to wait to prove it until next semester's exams. The last set of tests have served as a "kick in the pants" and I hope to use them as motivation for future success. That means more briefing, outlining, and weekends in the library. Not exacty something I'm looking forward to, but I feel it's something that must be done if I want to truly see how great I can be.

There are a few more isses I'd like to discuss, but I'll have to save those for another entry because my professor is starting to talk about substantive material.

Anxiety

2009-01-30T11:18:00.000-08:00

For most of the week, I've remained calm and stoic about the idea of failing. I've realized other options and paths available to me, and am confident that I can have a life filled with happiness even without a legal degree. But none of that provided me with much solace during these few waning hours before I can see my grades.

Part of me wants to fail. I miss the old job. I miss the game, the financial freedom, and the "neat" story about what I did for a living. But more importantly, I'm not really enjoying law school. Sure, a few of the topics pique my interest, but most often I'm zoning out. I've always been that way, in regards to class. Would I be happier in a law-related job? I simply don't know.

Part of me wants to pass. Maybe I'm not sold 100% on the prospect of being a lawyer, but I'd hate for that decision to be made by someone else. If I don't want to finish law school, fine. But to have the knowledge that I couldn't do it? Devastating.

Apathy

2009-01-28T13:23:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been more than three weeks since my last entry, and we're in the thick of the new semester. Perhaps "we" isn't the right term; I shouldn't include myself along with the rest of the class, since I've been slacking as of late.

I'm not exactly sure why, but I'm struggling to find motivation. Maybe it's because we get grades on Friday, and at this point, I'm still unsure about how "well" I scored. But that's not a fair excuse, because everyone else feels the same way.

To get a grasp on exactly how apathetic I've become, check the time and date of this posting. For those not enrolled as members of section four, I'll fill you in; I'm writing this entry during my property course. In fact, I haven't read for property in a week. And honestly, I feel horrible about it. Not because I'm behind, or feel lost in class, but because my professor is so damn nice that I feel like I'm letting him down. But still, that's not enough for me to change my ways. Yet.

Maybe I'll feel differently when I get my grades. I guess I'll find out in a few days.

Lucky Me

2009-01-05T11:58:00.000-08:00

I became the first person to get called on this semester. Hooray. Even better, I had no idea what we were talking about because I have yet to purchase a Torts textbook. I attempted to answer the first question, even though I relied solely on my neighbor's whisper, but unfortunately, he didn't know the answer either.

Well, at least the cat is out of the bag; I'm an idiot.

Ready or not...

2009-01-05T00:35:00.000-08:00

...here we come.

Second semester starts up in the morning. 9:50 AM, to be exact. But I'm not ready to go back. Part of me hopes I failed the first semester miserably, and get "cosmically redirected" somewhere else. I'm not excited by the idea of barely passing and becoming a below average lawyer. There are enough of those. But until I get my grades (in two weeks), I'm going to stick with the plan.

Like the rest of section 4, my Monday schedule is as follows:

Legal Skills 9:50-10:40
Torts 10:50-12:05
Contracts 2:40-3:55

I don't even know what a tort is, unless being a lawyer also involves making tasty desserts. The worst part is that both Torts and Contracts assigned homework. Yeah, right. I'll start tommorow. The break was short enough as it is. Speaking of which, it's time I headed to bed. I'll miss you, 4 AM.

Dunzo

2008-12-18T12:24:00.000-08:00

Yep. Done. Fin. Over.

Well, at least for now. One semester of law school is "in the books." My last exam, Criminal Law, went about as well as I expected. A few curveballs here and there, but mostly belt high fastballs over the heart of the plate. And unlike too many times in little league, I was able to make the most out of them.

After the exam ended at 11 AM, most of the 1L's headed downtown and made up for all of the lost weekends. While I'm not neccesarilly proud of it, I spent the entire day (minus one hour) in a bar. And yet, I wake up this morning feeling fantastic. Okay, so it's actually the afternoon. And I think I caught some kind of cold. But I don't think I would change a thing.

I'm not sure what to expect, grade-wise, for my first semester of law school. And frankly, I'm not too worried about it. My professor for Crim told us about the concept of "Cosmic Redirection." Basically, it means that I wouldn't fail out of law school; I'd only be cosmically redirected. As if there's some grand scheme for me in life and law wasn't part of it. I can live with that. But for now, I'm not going to spend any time worrying about grades. It's time to enjoy the next two weeks. Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanza, and a Happy Festivus.

Need coffee

2008-12-15T06:39:00.000-08:00

I used to wonder how my parents did it. How did they drag themselves out of bed each morning and have productive mornings? I was always exhausted. Now that I discovered the magical power of coffeee, I've found my answer.

I could use some right now. I woke up fifteen minutes ago and don't quite have my regular 20/20 vision in my left eye. Not yet. I think the word I'm looking for is 'bleary.' I'm not going to bother to look it up, because I'd rather leave the space in my brain open for 'Removal.'

In a little over four hours, I'm going to be stoked. I haven't decided whether I'll spend the rest of the day playing poker, buying gifts, or napping. Each of them sound awesome.

Oh yeah, I have an exam soon. Back to it...

Bon Jovi

2008-12-15T00:43:00.001-08:00

WOAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I'm halfway there.

WOAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Living on a prayer.
Take my hand,
We'll make it I swear,

WOAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Living on a prayer!

Umm, so yeah. Halfway done with finals. Just to prove to myself that the brutality of contracts and property were out of my life (for two weeks), I ripped apart all of my note cards and threw them on the ground. I've yet to clean them up. Side note, as if this entire blog isn't one giant side note, my house is a mess. Food wrappers, outlines, note cards, clothes, and random video game equipment are strewn about. Yes, I've had time to play video games. Well, not really, but I didn't have much of a choice when Ben challenged me to Super Smash Bros, now did I?

I think I did fairly well on contracts. I even texted my non-law school friend that I "BarOWNED" it. Har har. Everyone I've talked to seems to agree with my answers, although I did realize I missed at least one multiple choice question and failed to address a possible defense in the essay portion. Oh well.

As for property, well, one thing is certain; I earned considerably less overall points on that exam than I did on contracts. I pretty much bombed the fourth essay about future estates/rule of perpetuities and the multiple choice didn't go well either. My only solace comes from the fact that other people might have done just as poorly. Besides talking to several people who bemoaned afterwards, I noticed a few people who had barely anything written on their screen at the end of the exam. Heck, one guy I talked to called it the Rule of "Pertuities." I gotta get a few points for knowing the name.

Tommorow is Civ Pro. Correction. TODAY is Civ Pro. It's almost 1 AM. Crap. I'm waking up at 6 AM to re-study a few topics (Venue, Supplemental Jurisdiction, Removal) before the exam. Or at least that's the plan.

Lochness Monster

2008-12-11T07:52:00.000-08:00

One of my proctors sounds like Chef's Mom from South Park. I laughed. A lot.

Chef's dad: Say, would you crackers like to hear about the time we saw the Loch Ness monster?
Stan: No, that's okay.
Chef's dad: Ooh, it must've been about seven, eight years ago. Me and the little lady was out on this boat, you see, all alone at night, when all of a sudden this huge creature, this giant crustacean from the paleolithic era, comes out of the water.
Chef's mom: We was so scared, Lord have mercy, I jumped up in the boat and I said "Thomas, what on earth is that creature?!"
Thomas: It stood above us looking down with these big red eyes,-
Chef's mom: Oh, it was so scary!
Thomas: -and I yelled. I said, "What do you want from us, monster?!" And the monster bent down and said, "…Uh I need about tree-fitty." [a long silence follows]
Kyle: What's tree-fitty?
Thomas: Three dollars and fifty cents.
Chef's mom: Tree-fitty.
Stan: He wanted money?
Thomas: That's right. I said "I ain't giving you no tree-fitty you goddamn Loch Ness monster! Get your own goddamn money!"
Chef's mom: I gave him a dollar.
Thomas: She gave him a dollar.
Chef's mom: I thought he'd go away if I gave him a dollar.
Thomas: Well of course he's not gonna go away, Nellie! You gave him a dollar, he's gonna assume you got more!

Thirty Minutes

2008-12-11T07:24:00.000-08:00

I'm counting down the minutes before my first exam. The attitudes of my fellow colleagues today are rather polarized: goofy and relaxed, or quiet and judgmental.

Guess which group I'm in? I think the fact that I took time to blog instead of study gives you a good idea...

The First One

2008-12-11T00:25:00.000-08:00

Today is my first law school exam. Well, sort of. I did take that one over the Summer but it doesn't count because it was an ungraded enrichment course. Anyways, my tangent might have distracted my reader from the point.

My first law school exam is today. I like that wording better. Perhaps my legal skills teacher isn't such a nut, afterall. Actually, she's probably still a bit insane, but so am I. Once again, I've gone off track. Okay, okay. Let's try this one more time.

My first law school exam is today. It's the third time I've used the word "is," which refers to either the present or the future. So what I'm saying is that I haven't taken the exam yet. It's in the morning. In eight hours, to be more specific.

For my friends outside of California Western: Don't worry, I'll be getting to bed soon. I'm a night owl. Always have been, always will be.

For my friends at California Western: I'm awesome at taking tests. Sucks for you.

I've been doing an awful lot of studying these past few weeks, and frankly, I'm ready to throw away 25% or so of the material. And in 12 hours, I'll be able to. And then it's on to Property. I can't wait.

Malicious Mischief?

2008-12-08T15:07:00.001-08:00

Meet Ben, a friend and colleague at California Western. He's a calm, mild mannered law student. Rarely becomes emotional or gets upset. Heck, he was sucker-punched in the face a few months back and suffered a broken jaw. But when he woke up, he wasn't angry. With a smile on his face, all he said was, "Man, that guy did quite a number on me."

WITH. A. SMILE. ON. HIS. FACE.

Well, um, law school must have beat him a bit worse than a random mugger. Today, Ben and I were eating lunch in the Sidebar Cafe, discussing matters related to the upcoming exams. While strategies and drinking diet soda out of a styrafoam cup, he apparently gripped the cup too tightly and crushed it in his hands.

Looks like the 1L stress is getting to all of us. Even Ben.

Self Medicated

2008-12-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

In the last few days, I've eaten ding dongs, hohos, chocodilles, and a couple bags of mini oreos. Needless to say, law school is ruining my diet. But it's the only way I can cope.

Before yesterday, I didn't even know what a chocodille was. For those unaware, it's a twinkie covered in a crunchy chocolate shell. Man, I want one right now.

Looks like a law degree might cost me $100,000 and 40 extra pounds. Sweet.

Crunch Time

2008-12-02T01:39:00.001-08:00

Ten days. That's how much time I have before my first final exam.

Well, technically nine since it's 1 AM. Bygones.

There's a lot of work left to be done, as I'm afraid I might be behind most of my peers in the studying department. Although I've been hush-hush about it, only two of my outlines are completed: Contracts and Criminal Law. Not surprisingly, those are the two classes I feel best about.

I guess the best way to illustrate how busy I am is that I've only had time to eat a meal once today - at El Pollo Loco. I wasn't that impressed, though the concept of hot boneless, skinless chicken breasts makes me rather hungry right now. But the hunger should pass as it's time to go to bed.

Tommorow's schedule looks like this:

7 AM - Wake Up
8 AM - Class (Civ Pro)
10 AM - Library (Create Flashcards for Crim Law)
12 PM - Lunch (There's a great little Persian place a block away)
1 PM - Class (Contracts)
3 PM - Library (Edit Legal Skills Memorandum)
5 PM - Homework (Briefs for Property, Crim)
7 PM - Home

If all goes according to plan, I *might* have time to hit the gym and re-familiarize myself with the flash cards for Contracts/Crim Law over a freshly prepared meal at home. One can only hope.

Superman Returns

2008-11-29T00:07:00.000-08:00

I flew back to San Diego today, after only fourty hours in Santa Rosa. A quick Thanksgiving break, indeed.

In a perfect world, I would have stayed up in Sonoma County through Sunday afternoon and boarded the last plane back on Sunday night. But, no matter how much I might want it to be, we don't live in a perfect world. And in the world I do live in, there's work to be done.

I had the chance to read through my contracts flash cards on the plane, and worked with the subject some more when I got home. It's not exactly how I envisioned on spending my Friday night, but the carne asada nachos helped soften the blow.

P.S. Today, I chose to wear the 'Superman' shirt I bought for my Halloween costume.

Nothing cuter than the five year old who gazed at me in awe, only looking down at his shoes when I caught his glance. He giggled, tugged on his mother's arm, and pointed at me.

"Mommy, mommy, that's Superman!"

A World Without Weekends

2008-11-22T22:11:00.000-08:00

Argh.

I just typed out a long-ish blog about how law school is changing me. For the worse, most likely. But I'm too frustrated to explain it again in detail, so I'll do it in outline format.

Before Law School
- Things that make me happy: Nearly everything
- Saturday nights: Drinking, laughing
- Mornings: N/A
- Sleep: Until I felt like waking up

Now
- Things that make me happy: Food, Liquor, Gym, Arguing (and winning)
- Saturday nights: Drinking, crying
- Mornings: Start at 8 AM
- Sleep: Huh?

I'm an egostistical, alcoholic, sleep-deprived, meathead.

One Month Hiatus

2008-11-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

I figure it was bound to happen. Work piles up and the blog fails to be updated. I could have written that sentence as "I fail to update the blog," but I made the conscious choice not to because it's the only time I can write it that way without having Ruth Hargrove crush my soul. Thanks, Legal Skills!

So, yeah, the workload has increased a bit. More of my weekends are spent indoors than I'd like, especially when I live in such a beautiful area. Oh well. Another month of this, and I'll get a cushy two-week break. I think I'm going to take a trip to Vegas at some point during the break, which is feasible considering I don't have to go home for Christmas. I still should see my family, though. Maybe I'll take a few one-ways. A few people from class are thinking about heading to Vegas as well. Fine by me, although if they talk about law school, I'll leave them in the desert. Side note: I originally wrote that as "dessert" and now I'm craving something unhealthy.

Apparently, law school is supposed to make me more logical. It hasn't. In fact, it's the exact opposite. I was watching a movie today and found myself welling up a bit. Not good. It's even worse when you consider that the movie was an animated film. About Superman. Yes, that's right; I nearly cried at Superman. In my defense, it was the one where he "died." I could explain the entire scene, but the fact of the matter is that law school is making me more emotional. Weird.

Blink

2008-10-05T22:55:00.000-07:00

Wasn't it Friday afternoon an hour or so ago? I'm not entirely sure if time flies on the weekend or maybe it's just that the actual week drags on and on. And on. This past weekend, I had set a few goals and accomplished exactly zero of them.

1. Catch up on sleep

I'm more tired, at the moment, than I was at any time during the week. Not good. It's to the point where I refrain from laying down on my couch for fear I'll accidentally fall alseep. It's happened before, and it happened again to me today -- During Sunday Night Football, no less. Perhaps I would have been more interested in staying awake if I had any of the Jaguar or Steeler players on my fantasy football teams.

2. Get ahead with schoolwork

Nope. I finished my assignments for Crim on Saturday but it's been a struggle to open the book since then. I was hoping that I could get some of the work for Property and Civil Procedure out of the way but at least I'm already caught up in Contracts since my professor is always one lecture behind.

3. Make an outline for at least one class

I'm nearly two months into the semester and I have yet to pump out a single outline. I'm going to use the next few hours before bed to get a rough version of a Criminal Law Outline down, but I'll still have a lot of work to do.

So far, I think the most interesting part about law school is that the individual work, on a day to day basis, isn't too difficult. Time consuming, perhaps, but it's not intellectually exhausting by any means. The true rigor comes from the fact that the same workload, over the course of a week or two, begins to wear on you. I had days like these in undergrad, but the difference is I've never had to deal with it over a sustained period of time. My only saving grace is that I've got Thursday off, which means I'll be in a fantastic mood Wednesday afternoon. Or I'll be alseep.

Case of the Mondays

2008-09-29T00:10:00.000-07:00

I need to write shorter blogs. Besides the fact that longer blogs are obviously more time consuming and take away from other ways to unwind, I've recently been told that people aren't reading all of it. So from now on, I'll be, for lack of a better word, brief.

It was my birthday on Friday, which meant I spent the entire weekend in a state of mind that wasn't exactly conducive to professionalism. And because of my actions, I'm now forced to pay for it this upcoming week. I've got a significant writing assignment due Tuesday which has been confusing, to say the least. I'm normally on top of that sort of thing, but I've been perplexed by the lack of direction given to me and my fellow colleagues.

(Doesn't 'colleagues' sound so much better than 'classmates?' I think so.)

I'll spend tommorow and most of Tuesday morning hammering out the best work I can, but I'm positive that it won't be nearly as polished as the peice I'll be able to write once I actually learn what I'm supposed to do. While I asusme that's standard operating procedure, I wonder if I'm going to feel some artificially inflated sense of 'improvement' after I compare the critiques of this first submission with the eventual second. I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Sleeping in > Civ Pro

2008-09-14T23:31:00.000-07:00

I've got a brutal schedule. Brutal for me, anyways. Twice a week I'm forced to drag my exhausted carcass into class at 8 AM. The other days aren't as bad, I guess, but they're still rough on a guy who has spent the last year waking up at his own leisure. To make matters worse, the 8 AM class is Civil Procedure, and it's only taken me a few weeks to realize that it's my least favorite subject. Combined with the fact that my section is taught by a man who I've heard classmates refer to as a "Nazi" and "The Anti-Christ," I knew it was only a matter of time before I'd lose the energy to get myself out of bed and succumb to the warmth of snuggly* sheets.

*Yeah, I said snuggly. Why? Because they are.

That day came a week ago, Thursday. I woke up a bit late, but with more than enough time to eat, shower, and walk the five blocks needed to reach room 2B of California Western's main building. But no. I'd briefed the cases the night before, felt confident about my understanding of them, and chose sleep over ridicule.

For those who haven't had Stiglitz, let me explain. Most of my other teachers are more of the nurturing mother archetype; they'll ask guiding questions, in a soft, friendly tone, and laud you for what you gleaned out of the case. Stiglitz, on the other hand, is the hard-ass father you'll never be able to please. Nothing is ever good enough. And he'll not only let you know how badly you fucked up, but he'll tell the entire class. Needless to say, he's not a favorite among the students I've spoken with.

To be fair, I actually kind of, maybe, like the guy. He's a bit intimidating, sure. No one wants to have their intelligence picked apart by someone who inspired one half of the grumpy old men who heckle the other characters on 'The Muppets.' But all kidding aside, I think I'll get more out of his class than any other in which I'm currently enrolled.

He does look a bit like Statler (right), for what it's worth.

A few days ago, I was randomly called on to inform the class about Rush v. Maple City Heights, which dealt with a the civil version of double jeopardy. In truth, I didn't feel that confident about the case before class began. And I felt my heart skip a beat when he incorrectly pronounced my name, but god forbid I correct him that it's "Buh-Row-Knee" and not "Buh-Roe-n." I didn't even get through the facts of the case before he acosted me for my use of the phrase "said bicycle." The class seemed to enjoy his bewilderment with my verbage, but I didn't understand (and still don't) why it was so funny. Despite that, I was able to accurately explain the inner workings of the case and felt amazingly proud of myself afterwards. More importantly, I now know that case better than any other case I've studied so far in law school.

Still, that's unlikely to keep me from catching up on much needed sleep. The great feeling I referred to earlier in regards to discussing a case in front of the class still can't compare to those snuggly sheets.

Mens Rea

2008-09-04T19:11:00.001-07:00

When I visited California Western in the early part of 2008, I did it with reservation. I had heard that law school had a 'cut-throat' atmosphere; that people were only looking to further their own professional prerogatives and subsequently, weren't looking to make friends. From a logical standpoint, it made sense. It's only natural for people to want to help those close to them, but each 'friend' is also an adversary. Does that mean people will shy away from sharing notes, getting together for study sessions, or being amicable with one another? I feared it might, but each advisor at California Western looked me in the eye and assured me, "it's different here." Only one week in to my first year, I've stopped drinking the Kool-Aid.

I'm not saying I haven't enjoyed the company of several colleagues at California Western. Notice how I used the word colleagues; I can only consider a few to be friends. It's partly my fault, since I can appear standoff-ish at times, especially when I'm wearing dark sunglasses and listening to my iPod. But truth be told, I wonder if the difference lies in my state of mind.

Last Friday, California Western sponsored an event at a local club called 'Stingaree.' While I'm not a fan of the place, I was enticed by the thought of bonding with several other colleagues. Having an open bar didn't hurt either. Unfortunately, I quickly found out that this wasn't really a "meet and greet" environment. I remember a similar situation that occurred during my first few weeks of undergrad at UC Davis. A friend of mine had recently moved into the dorms, and I accompanied him to the complex's highly publicized 'Ice-Cream Social.' When we arrived, the room was quiet and people were looking at their shoes. I remember telling my friend, "They should have called this the Ice-Cream Antisocial."

On the first day, we were subjected to a speech about professionalism. About maturation. Maybe this is a step in the process. I'm fully aware that exams are important. I'm fully aware my grades will likely determine the employment opportunities I'm given in the near future. But I don't think it will affect my happiness as much as the personal relationships I build with people over the course of my life. Or at least I hope not.

The First Day

2008-08-29T00:46:00.000-07:00

Once again I find myself up late at night when I should be in bed. Foreshadowing, perhaps? The good news is that class begins at 10:50 AM instead of 8 AM, so I probably won't show up late like I did this morning.

My alarm went off at 7 AM, and I slammed the snooze button. My phone alarm clock rang a minute later and I knocked the thing to the floor. That helped quiet the incessant ringtone, but at the cost of a broken phone (Silver lining: I got a new phone). When I finally stirred and groggily pulled myself out of bed, I noticed that I only had twenty minutes before the start of class. Shit. So I took a speedy shower and hustled down Cedar St. towards campus. Unfortunately, there was a slight problem; I had no idea where class was being held.

My schedule read 'AUD.' In my sleep deprived stupor, I needed a minute or so to figure out that it meant 'auditorium.' Too bad I didn't know where the auditorium was. Luckilly, I encountered a sign near the front of the main building that told me our class had been moved from the auditorium to 2B, but by the time I arrived, it was 8:05.

I felt awkward walking in late to a post-graduate course, but I was able to make my way to the back without much fanfare. A few others came in after me, which made me feel a bit better. Twenty minutes later, however, Professor Stiglitz lectured the class about arriving late. He called our actions "rude, unprofessional, and unacceptable." A laywer could never tell a judge 'But your honor, I overslept.' Fair enough. Besides learning 'how to think like a laywer,' we're supposedly being taught how to 'act' like one. Like a professional. And as much as I'd like to disagree with him, I can't. He's right. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm likely going to show up late again. I, like many people, struggle to get up in the mornings. The last year of my life hasn't exactly helped matters, since I was able to set my own hours and wake up when (gasp) I actually felt like it.

If I could, I'd simply avoid going to class on mornings where I'd be tardy. But I can't. The dreaded roll sheet is passed out each session, and if I miss a certain number of classes, something happens. I'm not entirely sure what that 'something' is, but it probably has to do with a lower grade or losing credits. Anyone else notice the blatant contradiction that they've created here between 'treating us like professionals' and roll sheets? Because I do.

A few minutes later, the Professor made quite an impact on the class when he covered his despise for laptops. He told us that people are often easily distracted and choose to check e-mail or surf the web during class, and while he has no problem with an individual person daydreaming, doing it electronically disturbs the people behind you, which is "unacceptable." Logically, his argument falls apart if no one else is distracted. I was *this* close to raising my hand...

"What about those of us in the very back row?"

...but I thought better of it.

I had heard Stiglitz preferred to use rooms with a camera in the back that he controlled form the podium, and frequently used it to check on students' computer screens. If he found them to be off task, he would pick on them repeatedly. I didn't think much of it, until I saw the camera mounted against the back wall. But it's lack of movement (and poor angle in relation to me) made me feel much better. Until of course, he mentioned that he had hired a 'tutor' to tattle on anyone who was off-task.

I've met the tutor before. Her name is Renee and she was my TA for the Summer Enrichment course. Seemed nice enough. Helpful. But if I hear of her actually ratting out one of the students, I'll lose all respect for her.

We didn't do much else today, so apparently the lesson I learned is that law students are treated as both professionals AND children. Oh, and that I might need to take daily naps. Hopefully the one I took this afternoon will suffice for the sleep I'm going to miss tonight, since I've got to brief a Contracts case.

Tick Tock

2008-08-28T01:01:00.001-07:00

It's 1 AM. Thanks to a poorly designed schedule, I have my very first law school class in less than seven hours. But I'm not too worried about it.

Instead, I've spent the last hour deciding on the web address of my blog, and finally settled on one that arises out of a not-so-famous lawyer joke.

Q: If you see a lawyer on bicycle, why should you swerve to avoid hitting him?
A: That might be your bicycle.

Believe it or not, I didn't create this blog to highlight hacky lawyer jokes. Besides, I actually liked that one much better than the others I've been forced to listen to once my friends and family heard that I had been accepted to law school. But I digress...

While I hope current and future students can identify with the path I plan to write about over the course of the next year, my motivation for creating this blog is selfish. Having some type of outlet to bitch, moan, and complain over the next year may just help me maintain my sanity. Or at least what's left of it.