This doesn't inspire me to study...

Puppies make everything better!

I think we need this... hint hint...

This was so much better than studying for 12 minutes

 

Just like sunshine.

Touch my laptop and DIE

I can totally relate to this guy:

What happens when you try to steal a 1L's laptop...

Seriously... mess with my laptop and/or sweetly colored posters... and risk your life...

Finals Anthem

Ok... now go study

Bittersweet

Yesterday we entered upon the last full week of classes. Contracts, Torts, and Property end this week. Civ. Pro wraps up next week and catapults us into, well, first turkey-day, and then finals. After fighting my way through the rain this morning I find myself in my little study nook contemplating this "nearly sixth of the way through" feeling. They told me college would be quick. They told me Teach for America would go by really fast. But the way people spoke about law school I thought this would drag out forever, yet here I am trying to savor every last moment until my first final, hoping to fill every neuron with a bit of knowledge physically possible. The end of classes doesn't quite mean break yet. The end of classes simply means that you are about to encounter what it's all about: the final exam.

This morning, and really this week, is bittersweet because while we know that there's a light at the end of the tunnel, we haven't seen it yet.

Good luck everyone! Happy studying!

Here's a little mood music to keep you going.... 

Making it a game

I love his idea! It just makes sense. You have to make it a game and try not to take everything so seriously.

WLA Luncheon

What an amazing time I had yesterday! My first real "get out and meet lawyers" event, courtesy of the Women Lawyer's Association. It was an awesome opportunity to sit and talk about how to gain the right experiences while in law school. I was surrounded by role models; women who, despite their lack of female role models during their early professional years, made it to the top of their profession. I had the opportunity to trade ideas with a professor about interest in policy. What's even more amazing is the fact that she offered me the opportunity to sit down with her and come up with a plan for the summer.

I also walked away with a free book! Well, I probably won't get to that until after December 8.... but I am looking forward to it! She was a great speaker.
I really enjoyed the discussion about the generational shift in the legal field, particularly it's implications on the law school structure. Really, it appears to sum up to the same issues relevant in education generally.

The Law Student's Christmas List

Halloween is over and November brings with it Christmas music and store-wide sales....

Wait, what?

I'm not going to go into the fact that Thanksgiving is the most unappreciated holiday ever (which is kind of ironic). I'll sum up all my thoughts on the matter with this picture:

This post is the answer to my family's question about what I want for Christmas. Even as I'm typing it I STILL am not sure what's going to show up...



 1) Great Supreme Court Cases Mug:
What better way to remember who won? Brown v Board, Plessy v Ferguson... the list goes on! Educational AND good to the last drop!


2) Massage Gift Card:
I'm pretty sure my family is over me asking for the occasional back massage. Wow, this sounds even better the more I think about it...

Cough... Ipad 2/Kindle Fire... Cough

3) You can never go wrong with organization:
Stress relief would be the best Christmas present ever! I constantly balance between the edge of a disorganized chasm and a misleading sense of calm. Give me something that might temper my chaotic lifestyle 




4) While on the topic of organization...
A three hole punch would be nice...



5) I'm not saying I want this... but it is pretty funny...

For the career politician in you...






Well, it's about that time again... 
Time for Outlines, Emmanuels, and Flow Charts....

The age of "Everything is Annoying - Please make it stop"

Sunday morning... rays of golden sunshine pierce the cold, frostbitten earth. The steam from my coffee rises up from the cup to meet the sun's rays. Silence....

BARK! BARK BARK BARK! 
RUSSLE! GRRR! BARK BARK!

And... no more silence! For a second there, I thought I might be productive. See, it's "outlining in my dining room" day. It seems that everyone is awake and ready to pounce on the day... at the expense of my outlining day.

My finals prep schedule is one week out from it's start date. T-minus seven days until I begin the sacred run for the test.

I can already feel my nerves kicking in. Every break in the silence will have me frustrated and ready to go find a corner of the universe that might satisfy my need for uninterrupted studying.

I need to go back to my outlines... So I'll leave you with my favorite scenes from The Paper Chase. I'm thinking a hotel might be a good idea...

Drowning in a sea of debt?

Explaining New Federal Student Loan Rules

Is there hope on the other side of the graduation cap? Well, hope may be clouded by mountains of student loans (both law school and undergrad if you are lucky like me). I'm interested to see how this works/what it is going to cost the country/how I fit into the picture.

One of the most frustrating aspects of a legal education is figuring out how to finance it. It's a big commitment and the answer to that big question could ultimately determine where you decide to attend, where you live, and whether or not law school works out for you at this stage in your life.

What advice do you, my readers, have on the topic in general? It could be from the standpoint of a law student, graduate student, or recovering undergrad! (Post and let me know!)

For me, it's all about making sacrifices and looking at the long term. I had to save earlier so that the unknown would be a little more predictable now.

The moral of the story is, PLAN.

What a great idea!

I wonder how difficult it would be to have a video contest...

I'm thinking I might have to break out the small video device...

And the moral of the story is.....

Always Shepardize.....

 

Closed Memo: The First Grade

This is for all of us who got our Memo back today.

Ok, ok... it isn't THIS bad. This is just enough for us to laugh a little bit, even if our grade on this past Memo might make us a little dizzy.

C'mon... laugh a little bit Section 2!!!

Consideration, please!

THINK like a Lawyer.

I was reminded of this mental shift today as a flurry of undergrads threw themselves in front of my car while on my way home.

Negligence! The reasonable person would not run out in front of me in the middle of the road! If I hit them because they throw themselves out into the road, could I sue them? Would I be liable? Maybe I should start riding my bike.... (Torts makes you a little more cautious)

It was more apparent after our new pup made "a mess" in the living room:

Kris: Can you clean up the "mess"?

Me: Where's the consideration??? Make me Nutella and crackers and we have a deal! A Contract is Offer, Acceptance, AND Consideration! I clean the mess so that YOU make me Nutella and crackers! A Bargain for Exchange! I'll have no illusory promises!


Kris: I have no idea what you just said.

My thinking is WARPED.

THINKING like a Lawyer means seeing Liebeck v McDonald's on a coffee cup (a gift from orientation week) and giggling because it's funny. Not the story behind it, but the fact that it's on a coffee cup! Thinking like a Lawyer also means rereading the parts of your lease to see if there's any mention of Assignment or Sublease "just to see." It's also looking at the empty lot next door and giving adverse possession more than a quick thought. It's creating ridiculous hypothetical situations in your mind (using your pets' names as parties) and wondering, sometimes out loud, if Paxie could bring a suit against Olaf in Federal Court.

It's all WARPED. But, it's what I bargained for... right?

A long weekend... remind me I'm in law school on Monday.

What a FANTASTIC weekend! Yes, this includes the day of my final.


Centre grads all know the line: "Do your best. Be your best. No regrets." This little piece of gold is passed down from the wonderful Centre College president, John Roush, to every incoming freshman class.


My philosophy is, if I've got to do it, I'm going to do it right. The test wasn't a cake walk, but I felt that I did my best and had no regrets about my level of prep. The best feeling in the world. I don't know my grade, but frankly, I don't care about it right now. I did my best and that's all I can ask myself to do.

What do you do afterwards? Decompress.

Nothing makes stress dissolve more than spending time with friends and family. I recommend a dose of this every week during some set aside time. You need to designate some time ONLY for free family/friend time. Also, create a completely unrelated spontaneous time. It's your buffer zone. This time can be added to family/friend time or it can be dedicated to 1) taking a run in the fabulous Cherokee Park, 2) buying yourself a large Huber's apple cider at Heine Brothers (specific location: Eastern Parkway and Preston), 3) simply watching the latest episode of Breaking Bad.

One thing they don't tell you enough is to be selfish about some of your time. SOME. Granted, you probably shouldn't go out every night, BUT don't feel guilty in taking that time for yourself. The assignment WILL get done. You will be just fine. Don't forget you are a person for 3 years. You will likely regret it.

This token of advice was what led my weekend to the status of absolute bliss.

Law school isn't easy. BUT, it isn't IMPOSSIBLE. I leave you, my fabulous reader with the same challenge: Do you best. Be your best. No regrets.

Well, ok, my weekend was also blissful because of this adorable face. The new addition to our family, Mr. Olaf!

40 Inspirational Speeches to rally us on to Legal Research VICTORY!!

Pretend it's about Legal Research and ENJOY!

Class doesn't start till 9:30

Studying for a final often occurs in stages:

Denial — "I feel fine."

We've all said it about three weeks before the final: "Psh, I'm not worried! I'll get something together. Outline? What outline?" 

Anger — "Why me? It's not fair!"

"****!! I didn't know that class started at 9:30 today! I could have been studying!"
My morning class today dipped into this stage. Class moving to 9:30 seemed to shatter a lot of morning possibilities. Then, our conversation turned to an assignment due next week..

Bargaining — "I'll do anything for ..."

"Do you think she'll postpone the assignment since we just got it yesterday and we have a test this week and.... "
Alas, most likely not. We're trying to find ways to alleviate the concern we have for the outcome of the next few days.  

Depression — "Why bother with anything?"

"I'm so tired of studying!" "I refuse to read any more 'helpful' tips! I'm over it!"
We're all tired and sitting on pins and needles.

I watched Glee yesterday instead of spending that hour studying. We've begun to understand the uncertainty and certainty of the days to come.  

Acceptance — "It's going to be okay."; "I can't fight it, I may as well prepare for it."

In this last stage, Law Students begin to come to terms with their test or assignment.

But, despite the anxiety around law school exams we can at least laugh (maybe not now) because we are just on the verge of participating in what has become a ceremonial flurry of anticipatory madness in our search for the truth about law school exams.

Did YOU order the B-minus curve?

(NONE of our professors are like this one! Whew!)

What I'm going to need Post-Law School

In honor of the first law school final exam, Legal Research, I thought I'd note a few things I'm going to need upon graduating:

1)  A Chiropractor



Casebooks, Notebooks, Laptop... you name it, it's in my backpack. One thing I shouldn't have given up upon leaving the teaching profession was that little rolly-cart. Man, that thing was gold!

2)  A Job



Ok, ok, honesty folks. It's a rough world out there. I grew WAY too accustomed to my 10th and 25th paychecks. Now, Uncle Sam gives me one lump sum via Student Loans to cover me for 6 (ish) months! As hard as it is to see beyond the textbook at this point, I'm going to need to put myself out there for the best job possible because Ms. Restrepo has enough debt to put Greece to shame (Ok, that was eccentric).

3) Lots of Legal Looking Books



I have spent so much time these past weeks learning what these things are, if I don't have access to them (even if I will never use them)  I will feel these past 3 weeks of studying have been in vain.

4) Something to replace (or harness) my caffeine addiction


All this coffee and tea cannot be good for me.

5) A tree



I already feel like I need to plant a small tree about every two weeks. With as much paper as I use per week (practice tests, copy and copy, print and print) I think I personally am responsible for global warming. I'm sorry Mother Nature. Maybe I can do environmental law for a while to make it up to you...

6) A suit

The Power Suit

I decline to speak first.


More to come later...