Time for an awfully close to the end of the semester update

court brief--turned in, check
optional draft of funky class's paper--turned in check (piece of incomplete trash, check check)
panic about finals setting in--check

Things left to do:

• teach myself con law
• outline for crim law (for real)
• do the Q&A supplement questions for property
• write something decent for the funky class to replace the piece of trash
• continue to ignore the need to prepare for oral arguments

Oh, and my hubby is turning 30 next week. I should really think about doing something for that.

The 1L person you don't want to be

I guess that I should say people because there is certainly more than one category that you don't want to fall into. Now that I have my oh so significant (whateveh) experience as a one L, I think I've got a handle on who you don't want to be (BTW--"queen" is used here asexually... I'm not just down on girls. We've got plenty of guys who fit into these categories too:

• personal gossip queen--don't be the one that no one wants to tell anything too because they know that you will say that Billy and Jane made out at jane's instead of going to Property. Just don't go there. A) it makes you look like you're 12 and B) no one cares except for you.
• grade gossip queen--don't be the one that makes it their mission to figure out who got what grades in each class and who the top 20 students in ranking order are. It's icky. People don't want to talk to you because they think you are always angling for some piece of info to fit into your sick puzzle. You also make people crazy, even the ones who aren't grade-centered. You have a disease and it's catching. Just shut up.
• Job gossip queen--don't be the one to tell me that billy bob has seconds with x,y, and z firms. Isn't that billy bob's prerogative to decide whether to broadcast? Even if you think you are talking to other job gossip queens, don't ask, don't tell. We all will get along a whole lot better. Oh, and don't whine about the one interview you didn't get when the people you are talking with would have killed for just one interview, any interview. And certainly don't be gauche and talk about the trauma you are having picking between offers. Puhleaze. One of these days, someone is going to shoot you, and everyone will clap.
• Teacher/course gossip queen--it's good to share knowledge like oh, he likes to test from the footnotes or he always tests commerce clause. But it is NOT NOT NOT good to take random comments like that and make inferences about them and then pass those on as gospel. Seriously, we've got people running around thinking they can't get As unless, fill in the blank. And it's pretty ridiculous stuff. But it goes the rounds as credible because we are all paranoid. It's also not particularly fair to the teacher.
• Dating queen--male or female, don't systematically date your class. Just ew. People will know you are a skank. Period. Preferably, just don't date people in your class.
  
• Study Martyr--I could give a rat's arse how many hours you study, how late, how many supplements you read. If you have something useful to share, share it. if you are trying to get sympathy or intimidation points, shut up.
• "I don't like so and so" person--this is the one that is hard, and I've been in this category, I think we all have, but it's just ugly, especially if you go to a small school. I don't care how big of an ass the person you don't like is... just keep your opinion to yourself. I promise it will get back to them, and you will look oh so jr. high. You can not like them all you want. And you can know that everyone around you doesn't like them too even if none of you ever say a word about it.
• Loud person in the library or study hall--Just don't. Have some respect. People might think you are funny at first. But they will all hate you in the end.
• Person who is only nice the day before they run for something--enough said
• wannabe gunner--this is the guy who comments every class but contributes virtually nothing, other than possibly derailing the whole conversation. Shut up. I dont' care what japanese philosopher Justice Scalia reminds you of. You wanna suck up to the prof, do it on your own time, not mine.

You'll notice that actual gunner is not on my list. At this point, he's my friend. If you ask intelligent, relevant questions or give thoughtful relevant comments, I am all about listening to you. After all, the more you talk, the less likely I'll actually get called on. Seriously though. I don't mind thoughtful participation even from the same person everyday. It's just the people who repeat what the prof just said or who ask about their condo rules that drive me batty.

Can you tell I've been feeling a little pent up frustration lately? really, I like 95% of my class. 2.5% I don't know and the other 2.5% I can't stand. But that's my little secret. I'm just tired and stressed. And I wish the stupid BS would stop. Fat chance, but still.

This all goes triple for one Ls going to small law schools or who go to school in a small law community. And it goes octuple (is that real?) for those of you who go to small schools in a small law community.

Now, true confessions... some of those categories are about people I can't stand, but some of those categories I only realized when I took a hard look in the mirror. Yowza. Self-evaluation is painful at times but totally necessary. Peace out.

BTW, rankings are leaked again. And I know they don't rule the world, but @^%&!$@ is all I have to say about it.

If I had to do it all over again...

I would forego buying my con law case book, and I would buy only the Chemerinsky hornbook recommended by Kristine. Seriously, my book is poorly organized and poorly written and completely unintelligble.

I love the hornbook. So clear. So pretty. So everything that I need. So late for me to figure this out. On my honor, I promise to guide 1Ls next year to a better way.

What we have reduced public libraries to

I don't ever pay to rent a movie. Period. If I have a free coupon thingy, which happens on occasion, then I'll go to one of the megablockwood stores and get a movie. But I don't pay. Which is why g-d invented libraries that have DVDs. He knows me. He knows I'm cheap. He knows that I will sit patiently while I am number 34 on the hold list of 43 library patrons for Grey's Anatomy season 1.

Pathetic.

(You thought this was going to be some moral highground about how having libraries be the free blockbuster is ruining our public library system, didn't you? I'll be able to afford that highground sometime way after law school)

No more laptops!

Wah!!!!! I have a hideous class that I hate hate hate. And now, to add insult to injury, the prof has realized that we are all glazed over playing games or surfing on the net, so we are not permitted to use laptops for the rest of the semester. Wah!!!!!!!!!!

Kristine brought up some good reasons for having a no laptop class, but I'm going to agree with her that I would only want to do it in a class I was really interested in and with a handpicked teacher.

I usually use this classtime to work on my paper for the class or to play games. I've only really listened to guest speakers, but the rest is pretty useless. Sigh. Total waste of my time. I'm collecting crosswords from the papers now to get through these weeks of class.

Looking forward

So 4 weeks of class left. then 2 weeks of finals. then 2 weeks of law review write on competition. then disneyland and socal vacation for a week. then summer school starts. I can rest on August 2. Unless I get onto law review, in which case, I need to write my note in August.

I'm tired. So basvcially, I've decided to go to summer school and extern for a judge for credit. I'll take 2 classes as well so I can get in state tuition. I'm hoping the clerkship will be enough of difference from regular classes to feel like I get a break. the happy thought then is that for the rest of law school I need only take 11-12 hours a semester. Yeah. I can feel good about that.

I still really really hate con law

But I have come to realize it's not the topic's fault. It's entirely my prof's fault. Someone shoot me please. I can't do this for anothe 7 weeks. It's like one disjointed history lesson, heavy on the war, light on chronological order.

Please someone help me! I hate this class.


On another note, I decided to give my laptop a vigorous shake on Sunday night and lo and behold the D started to work. Thank heavens for that.

agnabbit!!!!!!!

So you are won_ering what the hell '_agnabbit" is... well i'll tell you. What things are in common in these wor_s? _ogs, _inner, _elicious, _umb, _amnit... why yes, they are all missing a character at the front of the wor_. That is because... that character is no longer working on my _amn laptop.

Sigh. An_ my warranty plan is only goo_ mon_ay through fri_ay. Snarl! Coul_ this come at a worse time? So, I'm going out to buy a USB keyboar_ so that I can you know, finish the million things that I have to freaking type.

It's over already? no, the agony

Gah! Fast freaking week. Wah! I feel like getting on the floor like my three year old and throwing a whopping good tantrum.

The good news:
appellate brief--in damn fine shape for my meeting with prof writing on Monday
presentation--one of the 4 guys I work with is an ass. And I got to do a bunch of unplanned work
on it over break (asshat)
extra fun paper--neither extra fun nor remotely done.

In sum, I've relaxed, my friends. But being the dummy I am, I only had one weekday where I officially declared "screw it" and just relaxed without feeling guilty.

Anyway, so here I am coming up on the weekend with no con law or crim law read; crim law outline barely started, other extra fun paper barely started. Ugh. I hate that class. I'm reading the trial transcript that never ends for it right now. Mostly I could give a rat's arse. It's a problem. Wish me luck.

My appellate brief is due in a week. I hope to feel somewhat relieved then.

well, I'm off to my last interview of the season

Yup. I get to retire the suit after today. Temporarily anyway. And will be so glad. I'm not even sure that I want this job, but I'm going to the interview anyway. More practice is good, right?

So I have to say, overall this year's OCI for me was a bust. But I learned a lot. Like my resume scares people off. Like don't be too uptight in an interview. You want them to talk about the old lady they stopped in the road to help, or when they were stuck in a hurricane and had to eat ramen for 4 days, or how they can't put their vanity back in their bathroom until they tile the floor, and they can't tile without running water, which they can't have until the vanity is back. These are good things to talk about.

Summer school. Here I come.

3 more days until spring break

And I'm not sure I'm going to make it. Holy cats! I so needed Spring Break about hmmm 2 weeks ago. My arse is dragging. I go to class and all I hear is Charlie Brown teacher-esque mwahmwahmwah. Sigh.

I just got my latest draft of my persuasive memo back from my TA. She was not unduly harsh, it was just frankly that bad. I still haven't done my part of the group presentation work that I need to give to the group on Friday. That's what's in the hopper for tonight. If I can just get that off of my plate, then I'll only have my crim law outline, new draft of memo, and writing a paper for a stupid perspectives in the law class. Yeah, that ought to wipe out the break.

In order to make sure I don't get homicidal, I am doing the following three fun things on break:

• go see a matinee (anyone else feel decadent going to a movie at 1 in the afternoon on a Tuesday?)
• get a spa pedicure (my traditional break time pampering
• go take lunch to a friend who had twins last Fall whom I have not been able to see since and play with her babies.
  

Also, I'm going to lunch with my mother-in-law. Between all that, I am doing my work and unpacking my house. um, yeah. Big fun. But the break from class will be so awesome.

Are we having fun yet?

Update: Yeah, it's now about 6 or 7 hours later and that "new draft" of my memo is finally done. Holy cwap. I'm in trouble.
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Seriously, gah! I am so freaking tired and overwhelmed. This week stink stank stunk! Can you say no fun at all? I can .

All of my family's belongings are finally now in one house, the new one. All that remains to be done at the old house is clean... and I'm thinking, we are not likley to get any of the security deposit back anyway, so I won't be knocking myself out.

My daughter is finally "Well". For the moment.

I won't feel obligated to go home right after school next week so I can move crap from one house to the other. This is a good thing.

However, this last week I got in ZERO studying. And I mean zero. So here I sit at the library contemplating which of the following I should do next:

• Do a new draft of my persuasive memo?
• Work on my group project for my lame class?
• Work on my paper for the same lame class?
• Work on my conlaw outline for the midterm next week
• Do my reading for the week (prof con law and prof crim law were feeling particularly evil and assigned roughly a bajillion pages)
• Redo the takings part of my property outline since prof property did one of those fun: here's several weeks of how we analyze takings. On the last day, BTW, have of those got overruled in a case at SCOTUS last year. Sigh

Really there are myriad other things too, but I can't enumerate them or I would cry.

I think I will do draft of memo first, then con law outline. Then we'll throw darts and work on the rest.

Caffeine. Need more.