Logic in the Abstract

I attended an outlining seminar over the weekend and it was one of the best pieces of knowledge I have obtained since school started.

Everyone identified the type of learner they are; Left or Right-brained. A left-brain learner is more linear, symbolic, sequential, and logical among other things. A right-brained learner is more holistic, concrete, random, intuitive, etc. Law school is geared towards left-brained learners.

Those that are left-brained learners can take the rule of a case and apply it linearly. Those in right-brained land take the rule and intuitively know how XY and Z are related, but not always in that order. We applied this to how we should outline our course and when we should start.

It’s important to understand how you think and work in order to apply that to the teaching style and nature of the law.

Lay Down the Law!

My Bank Failed But I'm Okay

We submitted our first significant LRW assignment this week: the fear-inspiring partial closed memo (worth 30 points, people, 30 points!). This assignment tested our ability to craft multiple legal arguments and format our memos to the exacting specifications of Professor LRW and the entire legal profession. I can't tell you how many times I checked my citations before I printed the final version of my memo. Volume number? Check. Page number? 516, not 515. Italics? Check. Two spaces after the period?  Hopefully.

In class on the day our assignment was due, Professor LRW made us brownies. Really good brownies. Double-chocolate brownies. And then Professor LRW did something unusual. She talked about depression.

I've been in school for quite some time. In all of my years in higher education, Professor LRW is the first professor I've ever had who has discussed depression in a direct, open, and honest manner. She discussed the warning signs of depression and the resources available on campus to help students who are depressed (or who are not sure if they are depressed). She discussed law school depression statistics (something like 30% of all law students suffer from depression sometime during their 3 years in school). She discussed how stress, debt, perfectionism, grades, and job searching contribute to depression in law school. And, she reminded us about self-care and balance.

If you think you are suffering from depression, get help. Don't wait. If you don't know where to start, go to the Health Center on campus. Talk to the Dean of Students. Ask a friend to help you find resources. What happens when you get help? Life remains hard, school remains a huge challenge, but you feel so much better. Like you again.

Kudos to Professor LRW.

Power to the people.

Fall

This is totally unrelated, but tomorrow is the first day of Fall!

Fall or Autumn is great for the following reasons:

1. Cooler weather
2. Changing colors
3. Pumpkins
4. Free candy from strangers
5. One season closer to Winter break

Lay Down the Law!

Grades With A Curve

For most of my classes, mid-term practice exams are given in early October. For one class, Civ Pro, the mid-term exam is worth 25% of our grade. As of today, here are the grades I would give myself:

Civ Pro: C+

I usually know what's happening but the classroom is really chilly so my mind wanders/shuts down from time to time. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, however, keep me focused and alert...or not. My favorite rules are the ones which address sanctions. I hope to be sanctioned one day...or not. Professor Civ Pro is visiting and will be leaving us after this semester to teach at Lewis & Clark.

Contracts: D+

I like Professor Contracts but I'm struggling to keep everything straight. We have Contracts next semester as well. Maybe it will be my best class by then. I like to stay positive. 

Crim Law: C

This class is entertaining and informative; I think I've only spoken once. Professor Crim Law starts every class with his general observations on the state of our country. The observations are usually funny. He also has a lot of good stories from his days as a PD in D.C.

LRW: B-

I want to be excellent at crafting legal arguments, damn it. The detail and precision required is slowly starting to make sense to me. Professor LRW is a self-proclaimed "writing geek." This is a good thing.

Torts: C

Why do bad things keep happening to the folks in our casebook? You intend to steal a melon from your neighbor the farmer; he blows your legs off with his pump action shotgun. He was in fear of his life; it's your fault and you're in the hospital. Plus, while you were running away from your gun toting farmer neighbor, you dropped the melon. Professor Torts has really mastered the art of PowerPoint: funny pictures of people and animals, random sound effects which are usually loud and startling, and movie clips from "Old School."

Overall grade: C

All of this means that, as of today, I'm passing. I'm not going to let them send me back to undergrad. No way. No how. Not going to happen.

Power to the people. 

I Can See Clearly Now

It only took three weeks, but I feel like the fog is finally lifting. I am getting use to my workload and understand how to balance everything, and still feel like I have a life. The best part is that I am actually enjoying school and remembering why I wanted to enter the legal field in the first place. I must add a disclaimer though; this is how I feel now. Next week I might question this expensive and tiring decision, but I think the cracks in the foundation have been adequately filled.

Lay Down the Law!

Lunch Abroad

There are three highlights from this week of 1L bliss that really stand out:

1. I spoke in class and the things I said didn't sound completely idiotic. At least they didn't sound idiotic to me. So, they may in fact have been idiotic.

2. I had lunch with a professor - it was quite enjoyable. We both had sandwiches. I had fries on the side while my professor had a salad. Before lunch, I wasn't sure what we were going to talk about but I had a few topics ready and waiting. In reality, the conversation was easy and light and filled with rainbows. I surprised myself by telling my professor that I am not feeling completely overwhelmed (possibly true, possibly false, depending on the day). My professor surprised me by sharing the story of her courtship and wedding. Hopefully, I'll have another opportunity to have lunch with her this semester.

3. Dean Wilson from the Beasley School of Law at Temple University presented a lunchtime workshop on International Law. I don't know what the other students heard but this is what I took away: 

A. Study abroad. 

B. Dean Wilson looks young but really isn't. He has a wife, four kids, and has practiced law all over the country and all over the world. Plus, he runs Tokyo, or at least the Temple Japan Program in Tokyo.

B. Pick your country of interest and search for available programs, especially internship opportunities.

C. The practice of International Law is the practice of law in an international context; Dean Wilson spoke of "law with an international twist."

D. Be creative, law students. If you can't find what you're looking for, search for those opportunities you never considered. For example, the Ninth Circuit includes Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. The First Circuit includes Puerto Rico. The Third Circuit includes the U.S. Virgin Islands. You could spend a summer in any of these places. You could spend a year in any of these places. You could spend a career in any of these places.

E. Distinguish yourself. Take advantage of your opportunities. Create opportunities for yourself. Send a resume, then call. When you call, tell them you're calling long distance and could they please put you through to the person you're trying to reach. When you call, tell them that you're going to be in the area and would like to meet with them. When they say yes, buy your plane ticket.

F. Study abroad. Intern abroad. Work abroad. Live abroad. Your law career will be that much more fulfilling. Believe it.

I'm going to buy my plane ticket soon...

Power to the people.  

Say What?

Assault. Conversion. Mens Rea. I'm. Benefit of the bargain. Rule 12 (b)(6). Liability. Pro Se. Chattels. Actus Reus. Battery. Stalking. UCC. Pleadings. Sorry. Utilitarianism. Intent. Answer. Plurality. Could. Defendant. Plaintiff. USC. ALWD. Textualism. Retributivism. Black letter law. Westlaw. Common law. Black's. You. LexisNexis. ORS. Digest. Statute. The rule of 7's. Bench. Bar. Code. Rule. Explanation. Application. IRAC. Moot Court. State. Federal. Repeat. Judicial. Law Review. CREAC. Public Interest. Pro Bono. Possession. Associate. District. Partner. Rule 11. Discovery. That?

Power to the people.

Work/Life Balance II

I couldn’t agree more with my colleague’s post. Balance is everything. We are told in orientation that we shouldn’t spend all of our time studying. That creating a healthy balance in your personal life creates a healthier one in your academic life. Of course, when every professor gives you the same amount of work, due at precisely timed intervals, you see that balance slowing fading away. However, when you let go of it, burnout occurs, and this is the worst enemy of all. Burnout takes away all of your motivation and leaves you forgetful of everything you studied the night before.

You’re probably thinking, “What? Burnout in the second week? How is this possible?” Friends, it is very possible.

Burnout is a very sneaky and cunning specimen. He slowly creeps up on you, stealing your brain cells through lack of sleep, and tricking you into thinking you have lost none by providing the essence of life that is coffee. While Balance screams from her prison cell, in the deep dark abyss of your brain, Burnout is in full force. He takes away your sense of purpose, while whispering sweet nothings in your ear. By Friday, Burnout has actually made you believe that you are motivated enough to do quality work, and by Saturday your feeble attempts to be productive come to a screeching halt. This is when Balance is released from the murky underbelly of deception and allows you to watch TV all day and not feel bad.

Lay Down the Law!

Work/Life Balance

In the greatest movie ever made about law school (Soul Man), Mark Watson (played with sublime brilliance by 80's heartthrob C. Thomas Howell) says in reference to his 1L year: "This is Harvard. I don't need to eat, I don't need to sleep, I just need to study." 

According to a posting on www.imdb.com, when the film was released in 1986 some folks said it was racist (including Mr. Spike Lee and Mr. Eddie Murphy) and picketed movie theaters where it was being screened. I don't remember the maelstrom that this little gem of a film caused but I will tell you that I enjoy it every time I see it. I focus on the humor, the fact that the smartest person in the entire film is Professor Banks (played with sublime brilliance by a master of his craft, Mr. James Earl Jones), and the fact that the two white law students who tell racist jokes throughout the film get a beat down at the end of the movie by a humbled and contrite Mark Watson. 

Mark learns many lessons about race and class and access in this American society, about truth, about justice, and the fact that although not everyone is treated equally, success may be/is attainable by all. 

And you know what else he learns? That you can achieve success and personal fulfillment without studying 24/7/365. I mean, what lessons would Mark Watson have learned about being in the minority if he had never left the law library? A little work/life balance never hurt anyone, right Mr. Watson?

So, if you haven't seen the movie, rent it and decide for yourself. And get the hell out of the law library once in a while...please. There's a whole world out there. Really.

Power to the people.