I just can’t get enough

I had a master plan that on my break I would stay away from anything law school, except job applications. We have been snowed in for awhile and today is even worse, but it is the perfect time to catch up on reading. (Although the power went out this morning from about 6 am to 11 am). The problem is that I have read all of my books and can’t get more because of the weather. So, looking through my bookshelf I find a Constitutional Law textbook and start reading it.

Is this normal? Has law school had such an affect on me that I read a Con Law textbook for fun? The problem is that this book is actually useful! It gives the background to cases, the social atmosphere and sometimes pictures! I really wish we used this book in my Con Law class. Currently, I am reading about Religion and the Constitution.

The book is called “Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Rights, Liberties, and Justice” by Lee Epstein and Thomas G. Walker.

Also, maybe I am late in figuring this out, but buy your textbooks off Amazon.com! I found a book normally for $110 for only $13, and supposedly it’s not in bad condition. Overall I spent 60% less than what I would normally pay.

Finally, enjoy the pictures of our winter wonderland. (One is our balcony and the wind effects on the snow – thus the mound).

Lay Down the Law!

It’s Over

Finally.

We had the option to take our Torts exam yesterday or today because of the school closure due to the weather. The plan was to take it today, but on a whim I decided to take it yesterday. It paid off because I’m at home now, instead of braving another freezing cold front and snow.

I hesitate to say the exams were easier than I thought, but my grades will determine that. Maybe I just set too high a bar (translated: freaked out too much). Now, I have to start the summer job application process.

Lay Down the Law!

Haiku

Bicycle, snowed in

Old Man Winter triumphant

Retreat, a warm fire.



Power to the people.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

After an almost full day of snow, freezing temperatures and thus roadways, and many hours of continued harsh wind conditions, school is canceled. Unfortunately, this prolongs the misery that is finals, and adds one more day that one must feel obligated to study civil procedures. Better yet, it is suppose to start snowing again on Wednesday and last through Friday, which will inevitably affect the last exam, thus cutting into my beloved break.

Woe is me.

Lay Down the Law!

Halfway Done

Two finals are officially over. I imagined my Contracts exam to be this hellish ordeal with complex and hidden issues, but for the most part, it was pretty straightforward. That said I’m not going to get over confident. I do feel much better after this test, though, than I do about Con Law. The time pressure was not as bad as I expected either, but again some of my answers were only one paragraph while others were about a page (all were graded equally). I think the grading process will be much harder on Contracts than on Con Law, but who knows.

I am concerned about this snow business that is threatening Portland. The date of snow keeps changing, but currently it is suppose to start Sunday and stay below freezing until Wednesday. This is not good. It cannot snow. The last thing stressed out law students need is to deal with not being able to get to school, rescheduling their exams, and having their carefully constructed view and preparation of exams be totally destroyed by an Arctic front. Worse, yet, is this law student lives on a mountain (actually a dormant volcano, but why split hairs) and does not have the adequate snow tires or chains, nor the money to buy them, to get back up the mountain should he decide to brave the icy downhill trek to school. The best part is buses are non-functional during snow and ice because the hills are so steep. Thanks a lot Portland public transportation.

This is mid-exam period stress talking so don’t mind me.

Law Down the Law!

P.S. I must also thank previous supervisor at big name law firm in D.C. for sending an amazing assortment of candies, coloring books, and silly putty for finals period. Thanks!!

Unreality

I'm still having trouble sleeping. What's going to happen to the governor of Illinois? Will the Seattle Mariners finish last in the American League West, again, in 2009? Tough questions to answer, to be sure, but questions nonetheless that must be answered.

My Civ Pro final was four hours. I thought it was going to be three, damn. During the last hour, while I was writing a brilliant essay about joinder of parties and claims, I had a vision. My vision was of the end of the semester. I was dancing. I was prancing. And eating. And watching football and college basketball. And being merry. I must have floated out of my body for a spell because when I looked at the clock, I suddenly had 10 minutes left to finish my exam and print it out and turn it in and run screaming from the law school out into the street.

My first semester of law school is complete. Well now, that's not entirely true. Grades will be posted on the 6th of January. Once I see my grades, my first semester of law school will officially be done.

Next week, I'm starting my summer job search. I currently have a list of 10-15 employment opportunities that I plan on pursuing but new jobs get posted almost every day. I don't know where I'll end up and I know how competitive the process is but right now, before I see my grades, I'm confident that I'll find something...and maybe something good.

To my classmates, I know many of you are not awake yet. When you do regain consciousness, I know that many of you will have a wicked hangover from yesterday's end-of-the-semester debauchery. I know many of you will swear up and down that you will never drink again, as long as you have breath in your body. I think that's a terrific idea. At any rate, congratulations. I'm really happy for you. For all of us.

To my distinguished and eminent colleague, I know in my heart that you've been rockin' your finals. Keep on keeping on for the promised land awaits you. It's closer than you can imagine. I'll see you at the after party, brother.

Power to the people.

One Down

My first exam, Constitutional Law, was today. I am very glad it's over. Two long hypos to test on the whole semester is not an exciting way to spend three hours. It gave me a headache.

Everything I learned in Con Law:

Judicial Review, Supremacy Clause, Limits on Judicial Review, Non-Justiciable Political Questions, Advisory Opinions, Standing, Mootness, Ripeness, Separation of Power, Executive Privileges, Congressional Violations of Separation of Powers, Non-delegation doctrine, Appointments and Removals, War and Terrorism, Federalism, Commerce Clause, 10th and 11th Amendments, Spending Power, Dormant Commerce clause, Privileges and Immunities, Preemption, and the list goes on...

Next up is Contracts, which I believe will go much smoother.

Lay Down the Law!

Sweat Pants

I'm having trouble sleeping. It's either the anticipation and nervous energy I feel before each final exam or my desire to see Sasquatch leaning down to the placid surface of a majestic river to fish for salmon from his perch upon a giant riverbank boulder while I hide in a tangle of brush, downwind, obscured and wide-eyed.

Contracts was yesterday - it was fine. I don't remember any of the multiple choice questions or the long essay topic. For the short essay, I wrote about contracts of adhesion and how they're a good thing for our free market society. Consumer choice and access to information are the great equalizers when faced with the awesome power of credit card companies, their nosebleed high interest rates, pervasive late fees, and general ability to do whatever they want to make a profit all spelled out in teeny, tiny font in a contract that no one reads before signing on the dotted line.

Civ Pro is Thursday morning. I'm pretty sure I'm going to wear my new sweat pants for that one. Sweat pants are so comfy. Stand by me until the end of the semester.

Power to the people.

Two and Two

After you take your first law school final exam, all you can really accomplish for the rest of that day is a whole lot of nothing. I finished my Crim Law final on Monday morning, went out to lunch, fell off a swing at the playground just down the street from the law school, and then went home to stare at the TV and rest my bruised leg and arm. I don't think I lost consciousness during my circus act but if I did, would I even remember?

This morning, I took my Torts final exam. The first part of the exam was multiple choice. For most of the questions, I whittled down the answer choices to the two best candidates. And from there, I guessed. I like to think that they were educated guesses but there were a few times where I picked the answer based on which letter, B or C for example, I was more drawn to in that specific moment. Not which answer, which letter. I love the way that the letter B curves and swoops.

This does not inspire confidence, I know, but in my defense my brain was swirling with rules, defenses, exceptions, intentional torts, assumption of the risk, etc. The second part of the exam was an essay in which we had to untangle a vicious fact pattern of ridiculous behavior, multiple tortfeasors, car accidents, negligence, irrational fear, nasty diseases, and defective medical equipment.

I have two final exams remaining. The theory is that now that I've taken a couple of law school finals, I have experience and can more effectively manage my fear, trepidation, and anxiety. Maybe. We'll see.

For the rest of today, I'm going to stare at the wall and go watch the Ducks play Montana at Mac Court. And without a doubt I'll be staying away from the swings. They're dangerous, especially if you used to be coordinated but aren't any more. Sad.

Power to the people.