Some of you may have noticed my disappearance from the blogosphere in the last week. Well, there is plenty to say about that, but not enough time to devote to it.
In a nutshell:
My computer died Wednesday November 19th. As I didn't backup my notes as frequently as I should have, and the only copy of my memo was on my laptop I went straight into banshee mode. Nothing was recoverable and I'm grateful that I chose to take notes by hand in the majority of my classes. So, I ran around like a chicken without its head and managed to turn in a crappy second memo and am now working on my outlines for finals. J, the wonderful boyfriend that he is, bought me another laptop since we were skeptical that a new hard drive would arrive soon enough for me to take exams. So the lesson to be learned is to sign up for either Mozy or regularly back up all notes! Go! Do it now!
Ok. So now I'm in finals mode and staying away from law school as much as possible! More to come but for now I've got to transfer my notes, set up Exam Soft, and get back to practice exams and outlines. I'm beat already and finals haven't even begun.
Issue: Is the issue that some of my classmates are driving me into depression and a constant state of irrationality present or my mind's creation?
Rule: When finals are approaching your fellow law student classmates will do whatever it takes to make you feel less of a person and make you question your humanity.
Application: My fellow law students have been very vocal about how much studying they've already done, how concise their outlines are, how their memos are finished and how they've already completed several practice exams. Some just make you feel inadequate in general in that they're quick to respond to any review question, small assignment, hypothetical, etc.
Conclusion: I don't like being around law students right now. It's not good for my health as they are a constant reminder of all the things I: 1) haven't done; 2) want to do; 3) want to find time to do; and 4) the reason why I don't study at the law library.
These people are driving me crazy and we have two weeks until our first final. I'm off to meditate as I don't do well with crazies surrounding me.
Well, I received my final grade on my first memo. I should be very happy with myself however the grade is just confusing. Let's say I got a K+ on the first draft and the same for the final. While I should be happy I feel like I didn't improve because I have the same grade.
In other realms of my legal life, I had a breakdown with my legal writing professor today. Our final memo is due next week and it seems like everyone around me has their drafts nearly done. I am far, far from that reality. In fact, I have a skeleton memo and I can't even make a Halloween reference.
The pressure is really starting to hit me. I don't think I've ever had to juggle so many things at once. And they ain't easy tasks! Yesterday I went to bed a 9pm because I was just done. Kaput! Finito! And I felt guilty that I couldn't even review my measly little outlines.
I'm also trying to reconcile a "friendship" here in law school land. And I think this is a big reason why I've felt so drained. I'll save that one for another time... maybe I'll IRAC it for ya!
My fortune cookie today said: "Counting time is not so important as making time count."
I think it's obvious what this means...I need to seriously buckle down and outline, outline, outline!
What scares me is that I don't think I'm the best at IRAC. So any tips on how to do awesome analysis and issue spotting?
Or for you 1Ls, how are you approaching our first exams?
Have I mentioned to you that I have a closed memo from hell? Have I mentioned that even though it is closed my classmates spend a lot of time discussing it with each other? I don't know how I feel about this. On one hand I want to discuss it with people. On the other hand, knowing the memo is curved, I don't want people discussing it as I think it may give them an unfair advantage. I also see the point in learning how to do this by yourself. I really wish our professor would elaborate on how closed this memo really is.
When your professor practically spoon feeds you your first memo and cuts the umbilical cord for the second, you quickly learn you're like a deer in headlights.
I also hate that I only have two weeks for this memo. HA! Two weeks! I'm just waiting to have my ass served to me when I learn in the real world two weeks is too long.
Let's just hope that my deer in headlights moment doesn't flatten me into roadkill.
Then again, I'm starting to feel like roadkill with all this on my plate.
Butterflyfish once commented that it looks like I'm taking this whole law school thing seriously. Here is where I disappoint her.
With exams only 33 days away I decided to pick up the Twilight series. You know, the teenage vampire romance series everyone is talking about? Let me say that again, the teenage vampire romance series.
At first I was quite embarrassed to admit that I was reading these books. I mean, I'm not in high school, or undergraduate, and I'm over the age of 25. There is a part of me that doesn't even considered this literature. When you can buy the book at Walmart you know something is wrong. Now I laugh because this series has got to be one of the best reads for a law student taking property, torts, and criminal law.
Seriously, they are worth reading. Especially if you lack a life due to constant studying and have driven all your friends away with your legalese.
Reasons why YOU as a law student should start reading about teenage vampires:
- ISSUE SPOTTING--you would be amazed at how many torts are embedded within the story. And they're not just intentional torts because Bella, the main character, finds her way into many negligent situations as well. Granted a vampire will almost always have intent but what type of intent is it really?
- Distinguishing between murder and voluntary manslaughter. It takes the whole "heat of passion" to a new level. Was the vampire hungry and thus intended to kill? Or was it "heat of passion?"
- For property, I found an equitable servitude and of course trespass and abandoned property.
- Thinking of taking Indian Law? One of my best lawyer friends wondered if she should ask her professor about jurisdiction if the Indian morphs into a werewolf like the Quileute members do.
- Mediation opportunities galore! Vampires and werewolves aren't exactly fond of each other and when you put them in the same town there is bound to be conflict.
Trust me, the issue spotting alone has made this read so much more enjoyable! Now if I could only find time to finish the last book...
Sometimes I wonder if I'm wrongly going about this whole law school thing. I am beginning to lose my focus in the reading. I am beginning to not review concepts after class. I often feel like my classmates have a better handle on the subject matter than I do. I no longer type out my briefs but instead do some very thorough book briefing. I try to read supplements for each of my classes, but I can't help but think I'm not doing enough. And I don't even have the time to add anything in because it has been taking me longer to get through the reading when I have such crappy focus skills.
I want to escape. I want a huge pile of leaves to jump into. I want an armchair, a pot of tea, a good book and a scenic view to look up at in between well-written sentences. I want a break.
But I cannot have one. I have a full plate and then some.
Did I mention that another memo in the making only makes things worse? Did I mention I have company coming this weekend? Did I mention that I didn't invite them? Did I mention I have a networking event with the judicial community that I also have to put my game face on for and go to?
Buckling down is not fun. Tell me it gets better...
I was invited to crappy garage band. They tried to lure me in with free vodka, but I already had beer in my hands, as I was trying to prove to J was a shitty band they really are.
Wow! I'm worthy of garage band dudes. My evening is better!
Picture this: You're sitting at your desk trying to find the relevant rule for your second memo that is due in two weeks. You've spent the day reading, thinking about all the outlining left to do, and avoiding household chores. You're immersed in WestLaw when all of a sudden the house next to yours decides to start a band. A REAL CRAPPY ROCK BAND. THE KIND THAT SUCKS. I only wish it was Rock Band. My dream of it just being really loud music was crushed when they played that one song over and over again. (OMG, they were just practicing their scream like yells...this is too much.) And yet I'm still plugging along...somehow...am in a zone? Hmm...
Now picture this: Your friends at an election party having a grand old time. There is beer, GOOD beer, the kind you haven't had in awhile because you've got no reason to drink beer. And there are stories to be told, of which you miss out on because you're doing the above.
Now explain to me why law school is worth it again? This is so very, VERY LAME!
Screw it! I'm drinking alone tonight. Or better yet CHEERS to all y'all celebrating the end of election season!
I voted last week thanks to early voting. I'm glad I did because I've heard about too many long lines today and I didn't even have to wait when I went.
Voting has usually been a private and conflicted issue for me. This is my third presidential election, the second I've been able to vote in. I was not able to vote in 2000 because I was overseas and the voting process through my embassy was not worth it. Friends were appalled that I didn't vote however in my defense "they" (whoever those men were that were doing the counting) weren't really concerned with overseas votes until after the election, and even then they were mostly concerned with Florida residents living abroad. It really was a pain to vote and I'm still skeptical about whether the votes abroad are recorded correctly.
In 2004, I lived in a red state and knew my vote wouldn't necessarily change the electoral count. I'm not a fan of our electoral system. I also felt compelled to vote for the "lesser of two evils," something I reflected upon quite a bit during this election. Eventually I'd like to be able to say that I voted for a candidate without having to take my stances on certain issues into account.
And now, after eleven years, I'm excited. I look forward to the change in the adminstration. I look forward to seeing Justice Stevens finally get to retire, and seeing possible change in the Supreme Court. I look forward to paying attention to my President's voice again. Maybe this time around I'll be able to hear what the VP is doing rather than play "Where's Dick Cheney?" Maybe now I'll feel less apathetic about politics.
There is a month before finals...do you know where your outlines are?
Don't worry, I'm not in the mood to discuss law school. I am in the mood to discuss match making! You may recall that one of my dearest friends is single and that I am way too eager to set her up. She likes to say I'm pushy. And I am. And I know it. But I need someone to vicariously live through and her card was pulled from the hat.
So...my friend "Bob" broke up with his girlfriend and apparently I was the last person to find out. But it's a good thing I did because S is throwing an election party and guess who is going! Well, not me since I live so far away now, but J and the not so silent Bob are going. I only wish I could be there to watch the sparks fly! Ok, now I'm being lame. Super lame. Because the possibility that no sparks may fly is out there...and I don't like it.
I just want more than anything to see these two "nice gal/guy finish last" types happy. And while I know I've built expectations into my head I can't help but smile when I think of the two together. This time tomorrow she will have ripped my head off and told me how stupid I am for thinking she would find him attractive. But at least I'll know who the next president will be and my attention will again be deflected to something else.
