Wah-freaking-hoo!!!!!!!!!!!! I made law review!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy cats! I am so excited that I could bounce off the ceiling. Wow. And really, this news could NOT have come at a better time. I really needed this shot in my arm.

Remind me that I was this excited come fall and I am hating my life at 3 am doing cite checks.

*smooch* everyone have a great fourth weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Worst day of my life

Ok, so that was rather hyperbolic, but I am definately having a downer day. I feel like i have faield at my externship. I know that I am over-reacting, but I can't help but feel it's partly true. In the last 5 or so weeks I've written three things for the court. One that is polished and pretty... which the judge has yet to see. And two things that were drafts that the fulltime clerk wanted to see after I finished a draft. And that was it... a draft. I gave it to them and said... the citations need cleaning, and I need to do a serious organizational and grammatical edit. You know, this is a first draft. Sigh. So imagine my utter horror at THAT VERSION being given to the judge. Shit.

And I feel like the clerk I gave this stuff to now no longer thinks I can do anything. It was a first freaking draft. Lesson learned: when they say draft... they mean pretty damn close to finished. Sigh. Damnit. From a networking way, I just feel like these weeks were totally wasted. Shit.

Writing lessons:

• The passive voice is loved by me... i know this but I usually clean that up on edit. I need to write in active voice to start with.
• My transactional phrases at the sentence level suck. I usually forget the phrases and just go with the single word transition like rather or however or moreover... and those are lovely but there are lovely transitional phrases that read well too.
• i need to outline a wee bit more before I write... so i realize when two different claims have the same element ahead of time, so i don't write like an idiot.
• And i need ot spend less time researching and just start writing already.
  

Not a happy day for Joey. But hey, it's almost over, right?

trying to put a good face on it: I really have learned tons and tons about what good writing is and nuances on pleadings that i don't think i would have learned before.

still... it's going to be awkward to say why i don't have a letter of recommendation from this judge when it's interviewing time. At least I still have an "A" in my writing class to try and talk around.

I'm already in research hell... and this is a good thing

So I realized that between my two classes that end in early aug and taking the MPRE on the 4th of Aug. i've got 2 papers (of the research variety) and 2 tests to do in a 7 day period of time. Yowza!

For whatever reason, that lit a fire under my butt and I am happily, OK maybe contentedly, researching my first topic. Oddly enough, I have found only books that are on the direction I want to go and one web site. Sigh. I need a meaty law review article. Hmmm. I guess I will find that later.

Is anyone confused yet as to what the heck I am talking about? Good, so am I. All this summertime anonymity kind of blows when it comes to comprehendible posts. Sorry bout that.

I am cursed

Why why why!? I ask you again. Why? How is it possible that the one psychotic grade/rank gossiper in my school is the only person I see at campus tonight. She kidnapped me for almost an hour about the finer points of whether she would be number 3 or number 4. I don't give a rats ass. Don't tell me who got what. Don't tell me your ambitions... just don't talk to me.


On a happy note, I had a better grade than her in a class and I could see her visibly deflate at that. :) There is a god.

The best part about family weekends is the ending

At least on either side of my family. there is no such thing as our family events going out like a lamb. They always go out like a lion. Sigh. Arguments. Pettiness. General declarations of woe is me but I'm too lazy to help myself. Lovely. Inspiring. Cheers to the fact that we won't have to do that again until at least Christmas.

So begins another week. And a long one at that. I've got 2-3 weeks to do the summary judgment order. Which is probably too much time. Blergh.

Sick Sick Sick

We're all freaking sick. Argh. My Sister in Law is getting married tonight, so I've got to make nice with people I don't know. All the while there is a snot revolution going on in my head. Sigh. So it is.

I finished my first order at the court this week and was given another order to start. A summary judgment motion with oodles and gobs of facts from both sides to poor through. I still think clerking is the coolest.

On a side note, I watched a hearing before a different judge yesterday... the poor plaintiffs. They thought they had it in the bag because the judge let it go on and on for about 2.5 hours... of which the defendant's counsel spoke only for 15 minutes (thank heavens for that too!). In any case, then the judge goes on and on about how Defendant's are being obnoxious and too strict and not cooperative... blah blah blah. Then in the last 30 seconds he says that unfortunately though, he has no authority over the matter (it was an admininstrative agency) so Plaintiffs lose. Ouch. They never saw it coming. But I give myself some kudos because the whole hearing I kept thinkjing... can this judge override the agency? I don't think so because the Plaintiffs aren't attackign the actual statute the agency is enforcing... just the result of the statute as it applies to them.

Sigh. Good times.

Hurrah!

Grades are in. And I didn't stink it up after all. Thank heavens for that. Now I can move on and continue doing what I've been doing.

-------------------------------------------------------

So thinking about it still... how on earth did I get the grade that I got in my con law class? It was pretty good. And while I like to think that reading close to 4000 pages (no, there aren't too many zeros in that number) helped, I have a hard time believign that I could do that well when I got nothing out of class discussion. It's the oddest thing. But then, I can't really remember what the test was about. That's the only good thing about how long it takes grades to be posted in law school... you can't remember what the test was on anymore :)

So here we are, another semester underway

So I am taking a fullload this summer in an effort to get instate tuition at my school by Fall. Yeah, good luck with that I know. The first half of the summer I am clerking for a judge and taking a class and the second half I have 2 classes. One of the classes is my ethics class. You would think there would lots of sexy itneresting stories to keep the several hour long classes entertaining, you would think... but you would be wrong. Gah! Fun suckers. They've sucked all of the fun right out of my class. So it is. It's also got lots of touchy feely kinds of assignments instead of just a test or paper at the end. Blergh.

On a happier note, I love love love clerking. Too fun. And intimidating really. I'm still working on my first order, but I should have that done by tonight. Lots of interesting topics and sexy facts. I've been able to sit in court several times as well. And let's just say some of the attys are freakign brilliant and others are, well, um, less so? It's been enlightening to say the least. And next week, i get to sit in on a trial. Yeah. I'm so excited.

I so want to be a real clerk right after grad, but we'll see. Grades come out today, so I may be weeping in my pillow.

Does anyone know if the rules for lawyers changes substantially each year?

Just wondering. One of the books I ordered used wa my ethics rulebook, but I got it and it is the 2005-2006 version, not the 2006-2007 version. Do these rules change substantially each year? Any advice here would be good.

Stick a fork in 1L, I'm done

Seriously. I'm tried. That's really the only way to describe what I am feeling right now. Not euphoric, not relieved, just tired. And a little concerned if my speech will ever be the same again... I've been spitting out spoonerisms over the last week like it's going out of style. Seriously, I don't sound like a bright girl. So it is.

Tomorrow we are going on a family vacation for a week. Originally, it was going to be for a week and a half, but this way is better, so I have a few days to, you know, do laundry etc when we get back before I start my externship and Summer classes. I bought the two books I need for my ethics class today. Thank you amazon marketplace and half.com for saving me $70.

So we'll have radio silence for the next week or so here at the yayarolly. Enjoy your beginning of summer. I'm going to Disneyland.

Honestly, were you raised in a barn, or are you just maliciously disgusting?

Gagging. No, really. I'm gagging because of the stench. My carrel in our library at the end of some shelving stacks on the first floor. They get a lot of traffic, and while that's annoying, it's to be expected. HOWEVER, what is not to be expected is that some nasty, nasty man come all the way into the shelves (read: close to me) and let one rip. My eyes watered, I contemplated whether I should make a run for it. Gag. Really. Seriously. Have you no manners.

And just because I'm in a complaining mood... chick at the main tables with your food and crap scattered everywhere, yeah, you. Don't freaking put your nasty, and clearly dirty, BARE freaking feet on the table top. ew.

The last phase of 1L hazing: law review write on

So I have mixed feelings about this whole thing. I am happy that I have more than a shot in hell of getting onto our law review because everyone has to write on. Grades factor in, but no one gets in solely on their grades. After this last round of finals, this is a very good thing for me.

And I had 2 happy restful days between turning in my paper and starting the write on. I watched about 6 episodes of Gilmore Girls, first season; hit major sales for suits and shoes, and generally vegged. Oh, and I reminded my daughter that I am in fact, her mummy.

So the bad thing is that I'm still tired and I don't want to work. But the good thing is that I am not confused. Really, I had this epiphany that I really, truly learned useful things this year that I will really, truly use in everyday practice. The write on is an interoffice memo that LRev gives you like you are an associate; they've done all the research for you. You just have to read through the research, ferret out the red herrings, and write the memo. When you think about it, it's pretty much the same thing that will happen to you as a summer associate... except you will have to do the research too.

In any case, after I read the assignment and read through a few of the cases, while I was and still am a little puzzled about some of the "terms of art" sprinkled throughout these cases (and we are NOT allowed to use a legal dictionary, sigh), I understood the main arguments we would need to make and was able to ignore the stuff that is just background noise. So score one for me. I can take a legal problem, break it down, and apply research to make my point.

I know I'm a sick puppy, but this is kind of fun.

One paper left and the semester is over, kind of

Property final was yesterday morning. Multiple choice. I hate multiple choice. I don't generally do well on multiple choice tests. So I'm not really expecting a whole lot out of that final. I do have hope that my usual multiple choice grade doesn't result because I loved that class and I'm supposed to be a TA for it next year. So it is. Nothing I can do about any of that now.

So now, all that's left is a paper. A paper which is already about 85% done. Only 35% of the grade is on content. My prof is really focused on organization and commas. Sigh. So today I'm editing it since I haven't looked at it in two weeks. It's really not fun to write about something that you have little to no interest in. If I get on a journal, I will not make the mistake of writing my note on something I don't care about.

Paper is due on Friday and the write on starts on Friday. Is there no rest for the weary?

Well that was about as fun as a root canal... the crim law final that is

Gah! That was easily the most difficult final I have had thus far in my law school career. Holy cats. It was 2.5 page fact pattern and a rather challenging set of policy questions. I knew the stuff, but there were just so many issues and I kept second guessing myself. Not good. no confidence. My GPA is now in the crapper. Lovely thought. Which is why I am in the library studying for Property. Sigh. Almost over now.

I know what I am doing this summer!

Hooray. I knew that I was doing the whole summerschoolgetenoughcreditstoqualifyforinstatetuition thing, but the jury was still out on whether part of my credits would be from an externship with a judge. Well the jury has rendered a happy verdict with my number one choice. Hooray. I've been to this judge's courtroom a couple of times for school outtings as it were. The judge seems to be pretty progressive procedurally. I think I will really enjoy it. And in some demented kind of way, I am stoked that I will be writing so much. Nothing like doing lots of writing to get really fine-tuned in a particular style. (Yes you can remember this when I complain about it later).

I don't think I can talk about anything else related to this, but I just wanted to share my bliss.

Yippee Skippee!

Hooooofreakingraaaay! Con law is done. Kiss my patootie! I am reasonably certain that I won't have to retake it, that it hammered my GPA, and that, yes, I will to test another day. I would express my many lamentations of what con law could have been, if only... but there's no point, and I am happy to forget about it.

The rest of today in crim law outline finishing/streamlining. Tonight I take a crim law practice exam, which prof crim law will go over with us tomorrow. Hooray. Crim I think I can do... if I can type quickly enough to get everytihng in there.

Cheers

ethical dilemma for law students and profs to weigh in on

So here's the ethical dilemma. I've come to find out that some people will write a verbose answer to a given topic in their outline like executive power or standing. Does everyone do this? Is it OK to do this. Most people that I've queried at my school say, well, you are allowed to bring in anything that is your own work product, so that would fit. But everyone seems to say that with an uncomfortable pinching look on their face.

Part of me says, well, great, if you want to put that much effort into your prep for the exam, go you. But the other part of me says, but wait, that saves them TONS of time on the test. They can't copy and paste, but they can transcribe quickly, which in the end might be unfair to people who come to the test with only an outline, which as I was taught in jr high, is not something containing complete sentences.

What do you tihnk? I'm really on the fence here. But I am leaning toward it not passing ethical muster. It's the gut reaction. It just feels wrong. I've found that siting down and taking timed practice tests are the only way to go because just writing it down once or twice helps me get started on the actual test. I'm not sitting there thinking I know this stuff, but how do I write it down best.

I truly welcome both sides here. Let me know what you think.

I stil really really hate con law.

I am sick, sick to death of con law. I hate it. I hate everything about it. I hate my prof. I hate his tangents. I hate the detainee cases. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Recommendations please... something to look forward to

I realized that I need to read something that is not a case book. SO I am soliciting your recommendations. I like generally anything except western, harlequin-type romance, and non-fiction science books. Other than that, I'm open.

Despite my hatred of con law, on my list of summer reading is The Brethren. I ran across some hilarious quotes from it while writing my torturous paper for the class with no point. Ooh, and I am going to read Robert Jordan's new book (Ok, i know it came out last fall, but it's new to me).

Help me expand my horizons. I would love some suggestions for fun, drivel too.

Wow, 1L classes are over

Seriously, this last year has to have been the fastest mad dash of time in my memory. But I made it through. Ironically enough, first day of class my daughter was dog sick and last day of class my daughter is dog sick. Which sucks generally. We're starting to talk about getting tubes in her ears, but I guess she is a little older than when they usually do it? I don't know. I just wish she didn't have to be sick so much, poor thing.

Which brings me to the firm declaration, that you, a mom, can go trhough law school and survive. Sometimes you feel like it is by the skin of your teeth, but nonetheless you come out OK.

I'm not going to talk about finals right now, I'll think of that tomorrow.

So 1L class recap for me:

favorite class: this is a toughy, it's a toss up between civ pro, contracts and property, leaning toward contracts.

least favorite class: Con law, hands down.

odd thing i learned that i didn't plan on learning: hmmm, 2 major ones I guess. law school is like jr high, complete with gossip or getting used to the administration, which is so not operating from a business model, but embracing gleefully an academic model (translation: talk, talk, talk, do nothing)

favorite prof: prof contracts. bless that woman and her love of the UCC. Don't worry prof contracts, I'll wait 'til you come back from visiting and take your other glorious UCC classes.

biggest nonacademic perk: amazing freaking people that I go to school with. really, there are only a few big stinkers. I'm touched when I think of the dear friends that I have made here. Surprised at some of them being 10 years my junior. But overwhelmed by the decency of my classmates. Here's to us, collegial atmospheres and just being who we are!