So rather than resolutions, I'm going to list some professional/academic goals for 2009:
1. Make it to the quarterfinals of our Jessup Super Regional Competition at Chicago-Kent.
2. Make the Dean's List every semester.
3. Go to at least one networking event a month.
4. Get my legal intern's license and begin trying misdemeanor cases.
5. Serve as an intern at a government agency or in the field of international law.
6. Write on to the Global Business Law Review.
7. Get as much experience with legal writing as possible.
8. Get signed up for the bar exam.
9. Choose a bar exam prep course.
10. Implement a game plan for studying for the bar in Jan/Feb 2010 (including saving up, etc.)
...any other ideas? I also plan to post at least once every two weeks for my loyal readers.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Friday, December 12, 2008
Filler in the form of advice
I haven't posted in a while; finals are SUCH fun. But I had the fortune to talk to an intern with the Washington Center program, and while he gave me advice I was able to return the favor. Since I haven't posted here forever--and I bothered to give some thought to the subject--I am going to share with you what I told him.
His first question was whether it was a good idea to go full speed ahead to law school to find out if you'll like it, or soul search first and then enroll. And below is my answer.
* * *
I think it is MUCH better to take time off and determine whether you want to be a lawyer before enrolling in a law school. The life is not for everyone. I hear so many of my classmates say they wish they could return their degree and get their money and time back. I personally love it, and think it is a great career field for me. So it is a GREAT plan to soul search first--get a job in a field you are interested in, try it out. Join the peace corps and read a legal blog or four. Believe it or not, the delay will make you a much more competitive law student. Admissions offices look for students with life experience as well as good grades and scores. That job may just set you apart from the pack.
HOWEVER, if you've enrolled with or without that step, and after a semester you realize that this is not the stuff for you, GET OUT. Sure, it's a slight waste of money, but it is better than the waste of your life (not to mention the five other semesters worth of tuition and living expenses) in a career you hate and may eventually abandon. If your parents will front all of your tuition, or you have a full scholarship, you can recalculate--a law degree is useful in many ways that aren't readily apparent. You can be an Economic Development director, work in academia, do corporate compliance or managerial work, etc--so you really have to do that calculus yourself. But it is a grueling, rigorous experience, and without a level of certitude it can be a bit unbearable. Better to save those years of your life. Don't "throw good money after bad" than to go to law school if you don't really want that JD at the end.
His first question was whether it was a good idea to go full speed ahead to law school to find out if you'll like it, or soul search first and then enroll. And below is my answer.
* * *
I think it is MUCH better to take time off and determine whether you want to be a lawyer before enrolling in a law school. The life is not for everyone. I hear so many of my classmates say they wish they could return their degree and get their money and time back. I personally love it, and think it is a great career field for me. So it is a GREAT plan to soul search first--get a job in a field you are interested in, try it out. Join the peace corps and read a legal blog or four. Believe it or not, the delay will make you a much more competitive law student. Admissions offices look for students with life experience as well as good grades and scores. That job may just set you apart from the pack.
HOWEVER, if you've enrolled with or without that step, and after a semester you realize that this is not the stuff for you, GET OUT. Sure, it's a slight waste of money, but it is better than the waste of your life (not to mention the five other semesters worth of tuition and living expenses) in a career you hate and may eventually abandon. If your parents will front all of your tuition, or you have a full scholarship, you can recalculate--a law degree is useful in many ways that aren't readily apparent. You can be an Economic Development director, work in academia, do corporate compliance or managerial work, etc--so you really have to do that calculus yourself. But it is a grueling, rigorous experience, and without a level of certitude it can be a bit unbearable. Better to save those years of your life. Don't "throw good money after bad" than to go to law school if you don't really want that JD at the end.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
An interesting trend...
You can study for law courses in many ways: practice tests, flash cards, case summaries, etc. One way that is a staple for law students all over is outlining--compiling all of a class into a skeleton of the subject. A good outline serves to help a student digest and process all of the material they've encountered over the semester while they make it, and be a comprehensive guide once they've completed it.
They are essential; everyone writes them.
Except me.
Don't get me wrong, I probably should. I'd probably go from A's and B's to straight A's--getting a high A every once in a while just for show. And I've started a few fantastic outlines that have languished after a few weeks. But it's just not the way I operate.
In cooking, when I decide I want to make something I've never made before, I do not find a recipe I trust. I find about 4 recipes that look similar, maybe jot down a list of the common ingredients and possibly a creative ingredient that particularly intrigues me, and get a handle on the approximate ratios proffered. Then I get to work on creating my interpretation of the thing. The result is always a bit of a surprise, but I think it's also always pretty darn good.
That's how I deal with outlining. I gather together about 3 or 4 outlines (that's plenty, as the outlines typically range from 25-50 pages) and I select the parts from each that seem particularly important. I look for commonalities and disparities. And I compare them with my class notes. Then, I do the only kind of prep that REALLY helps me--I sit down and take an old exam.
That's just the kind of person I am. I hear about something interesting, I consult a few sources for different takes on the subject, and then I just do it. I don't worry about results, I don't put time pressure on myself, I just wait to see what I can come up with.
All the refinement can come later, once I really understand.
They are essential; everyone writes them.
Except me.
Don't get me wrong, I probably should. I'd probably go from A's and B's to straight A's--getting a high A every once in a while just for show. And I've started a few fantastic outlines that have languished after a few weeks. But it's just not the way I operate.
In cooking, when I decide I want to make something I've never made before, I do not find a recipe I trust. I find about 4 recipes that look similar, maybe jot down a list of the common ingredients and possibly a creative ingredient that particularly intrigues me, and get a handle on the approximate ratios proffered. Then I get to work on creating my interpretation of the thing. The result is always a bit of a surprise, but I think it's also always pretty darn good.
That's how I deal with outlining. I gather together about 3 or 4 outlines (that's plenty, as the outlines typically range from 25-50 pages) and I select the parts from each that seem particularly important. I look for commonalities and disparities. And I compare them with my class notes. Then, I do the only kind of prep that REALLY helps me--I sit down and take an old exam.
That's just the kind of person I am. I hear about something interesting, I consult a few sources for different takes on the subject, and then I just do it. I don't worry about results, I don't put time pressure on myself, I just wait to see what I can come up with.
All the refinement can come later, once I really understand.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
GO USA!
A brief update:
I was just notified that I will indeed be an extern this fall for the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Criminal Division. That means twice a week I'll be spending my days at the snazzy Carl B. Stokes Federal Courthouse.
Wish me luck! What an exciting adventure!
Tardy
I'm unforgivably late with this blog entry, but I have been very busy. I was in a two-week intensive Trial Advocacy class that kept me frantic--I had to get the same amount of work done at my job, and somehow also fit in the five hours of class each night too. The course culminated by conducting a simulated trial in front of a real judge (Judge Dick Ambrose) in the Justice Center.
While it did make for the longest two weeks of my life, I learned a LOT. And I got really pumped for my potential externship with the US Attorney's office.
I also started the application process for summer internships with the Department of Justice for next summer, and applied for a few interviews with our on-campus interview program.
OCI functions by allowing each student 20 bids for employers. Then the employers choose from those students who have bid for the spots to grant interviews. We'll see how it goes.
Finally, I meant to participate in the summer writing competition for our Law Review/Journal of Law and Health. Unfortunately, I was unable to do so. I just didn't have the time; between my recent move and the two classes I took this summer, it was not feasible. I did finish the citation quiz early on, but never was able to sit down and write the case comment. This may end up the one thing I regret about law school, as I believe wholeheartedly in at least TRYING to open doors and then deciding which to walk through. Law Review/Journal is a huge thing for employers, and I do believe that I'm a strong enough writer that, had I competed, I might have been offered a spot.
While it did make for the longest two weeks of my life, I learned a LOT. And I got really pumped for my potential externship with the US Attorney's office.
I also started the application process for summer internships with the Department of Justice for next summer, and applied for a few interviews with our on-campus interview program.
OCI functions by allowing each student 20 bids for employers. Then the employers choose from those students who have bid for the spots to grant interviews. We'll see how it goes.
Finally, I meant to participate in the summer writing competition for our Law Review/Journal of Law and Health. Unfortunately, I was unable to do so. I just didn't have the time; between my recent move and the two classes I took this summer, it was not feasible. I did finish the citation quiz early on, but never was able to sit down and write the case comment. This may end up the one thing I regret about law school, as I believe wholeheartedly in at least TRYING to open doors and then deciding which to walk through. Law Review/Journal is a huge thing for employers, and I do believe that I'm a strong enough writer that, had I competed, I might have been offered a spot.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
glorious summer!
I'm really back!
Florida was glorious, but as is wont to happen once you start riding the legal roller coaster, I had work to complete while lounging on a balcony scattered with little lizards. Margarita in hand, sunscreen and string bikini on, and a clear view of the St. Lucie River lapping at it's banks; I set out to provide an overview of how the Courts of Appeals in the eleven federal districts have treated a landmark case for federal civil procedure.
I have really gotten into the right profession.
* * *
Now is a good time to tell you a bit about my second job; the job that had me incarcerated on a balcony for a full day in paradise.
I am a research assistant for a professor renowned in the areas of constitutional law and civil procedure. My boss has also held key leadership roles at my law school. Though I am averse to mentioning names in this blog, rest assured that it is an amazing honor to be working for this particular lawyer and scholar. When discussing the results of any of my assignments, I am often astonished how quickly his mind wraps around a tiny fact I mention and immediately pinpoints several ways it may have far reaching implications. I know he has years and years of experience, and that in many ways accounts for his quickness in isolating details that are seemingly insignificant but have a huge impact in litigation, but his genius is obvious in his speed. I can only hope that someday, after years of practice, I may too be that impressive to a young associate!
We meet infrequently; about once a month or so for about twenty minutes. Other feedback and more narrow instructions are submitted via email. He's easy to get in touch with and gives clear instructions. His deadlines are normally soft, but in this case we are coming up on his publishing deadline--hence the tropical work session.
My tasks thus far have been of steadily increasing complexity. At first, it was basically Shepardizing cases (Shepardizing=looking for cases that are overturned, affirmed, etc) to find mention of a particular new precedent. Then he asked me to make observations of those cases, isolating any trends or key differences in interpretation. In this way he will have the condensed facts and basic trends gathered when he updates his treatise.
* * *
It's fun being a part of legal scholarship and treatise work. Not only am I assisting in the creation of something significant and lasting, but it is also thrilling to see into the mind of the people who compose the casebooks and nutshells we spend months of our lives pouring through.
Well, thrilling for a law student at least. After our 1L year, I'm not sure if our interests remain consistent with those of the general population.
Florida was glorious, but as is wont to happen once you start riding the legal roller coaster, I had work to complete while lounging on a balcony scattered with little lizards. Margarita in hand, sunscreen and string bikini on, and a clear view of the St. Lucie River lapping at it's banks; I set out to provide an overview of how the Courts of Appeals in the eleven federal districts have treated a landmark case for federal civil procedure.
I have really gotten into the right profession.
* * *
Now is a good time to tell you a bit about my second job; the job that had me incarcerated on a balcony for a full day in paradise.
I am a research assistant for a professor renowned in the areas of constitutional law and civil procedure. My boss has also held key leadership roles at my law school. Though I am averse to mentioning names in this blog, rest assured that it is an amazing honor to be working for this particular lawyer and scholar. When discussing the results of any of my assignments, I am often astonished how quickly his mind wraps around a tiny fact I mention and immediately pinpoints several ways it may have far reaching implications. I know he has years and years of experience, and that in many ways accounts for his quickness in isolating details that are seemingly insignificant but have a huge impact in litigation, but his genius is obvious in his speed. I can only hope that someday, after years of practice, I may too be that impressive to a young associate!
We meet infrequently; about once a month or so for about twenty minutes. Other feedback and more narrow instructions are submitted via email. He's easy to get in touch with and gives clear instructions. His deadlines are normally soft, but in this case we are coming up on his publishing deadline--hence the tropical work session.
My tasks thus far have been of steadily increasing complexity. At first, it was basically Shepardizing cases (Shepardizing=looking for cases that are overturned, affirmed, etc) to find mention of a particular new precedent. Then he asked me to make observations of those cases, isolating any trends or key differences in interpretation. In this way he will have the condensed facts and basic trends gathered when he updates his treatise.
* * *
It's fun being a part of legal scholarship and treatise work. Not only am I assisting in the creation of something significant and lasting, but it is also thrilling to see into the mind of the people who compose the casebooks and nutshells we spend months of our lives pouring through.
Well, thrilling for a law student at least. After our 1L year, I'm not sure if our interests remain consistent with those of the general population.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Hiatus...
I am sorry about the delay in posting! I hereby promise to post at least once a week from now on. I just returned from a lovely and refreshing trip to Florida, and the sun and waves were just the therapy a summer student needed.
I'm taking First Amendment this summer, and then a short intensive Trial Advocacy course. How exciting!
I'm taking First Amendment this summer, and then a short intensive Trial Advocacy course. How exciting!
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