A Woman in Law School

So over at Feministe Jill asked what would you do if your law firm paid you $80,000 to not work for a year. The question's background can be found over at Law Ingenue for those of you who haven't heard of Skadden's offer to its associates.

So what would I do...

Well, several ideas come quickly to mind like:

• getting and being pregnant in a low stress fashion,
• traveling the world with only a backpack,
• live in the country with a house full of dogs,
• gather all my friends in far away places for one hell of a party,
• MUSEUM HOP!
• live in Tokyo in spring,
• find the best coffee shops and read good books in them,
• take cooking lessons in Thailand and India,
• have one hell of a spa day,
• do all of the above with J.

You?

We moved to a much larger city where my mom became the stereotypical single mom and worked her butt off to keep us afloat. We lived in a little cul-de-sac with plenty of kids to play with. I remember being excited and scared about the move and the divorce. I remember being in the second grade when my mom first told me she was planning on leaving my dad. It took her two years to do it. For those two years I had a huge box right next to my door that I kept all the things I wanted to take with me. It was safe to do so as my dad never traveled up the stairs that far. I vididly remember the day we left my dad. I was at a pool party, a birthday pool party in June. School was over and it was starting to get hot. My mom came to pick me up and we left from there. She only packed the trunk so my dad wouldn't catch on to anything and she never looked back. For three and a half hours we listed to The Supremes Greatest Hits and I cried.

It was the best thing my mother ever did for herself. And I'm glad she did it.

When I was 7, 8, 9, and 10 I really don't remember much. I think it's because my parents divorced when I was 10 and for some strange reason I forgot a lot of what went on when they were married.

I grew up without tv so I read about every book in the library that I could. My favorite books during this age span were the Anne of Green Gables series. Imust have read those books several times. Life on a farm meant you had to use your imagination or get lost in a good book. When I wasn't reading my brother and I would try to lose my sister in the orchards. We also pretended we were squirrels a lot in our treehouse. Sometimes I would visit a friend down the road who lived on a dairy farm. We would climb the stacks of hay and stare at the clouds.

My mom told me that I made it to a spelling bee final when I was in the fourth grade. I lost on the word encyclopedia. Fourth grade was the last grade at my little school before I moved with my mom, brother and sister to a much bigger city. I was a little upset about this because in fifth grade they showed all the girls the menstration video (on old school reels) and I never got to see it. Oh well!

I think I got chicken pox when I was five. This should not be confused with the multiple times I was sent home from school thinking I had chicken pox when in reality it was just a million mosquito bites.

At six my parents started sending me to church camp for a week in the summer. I loved camp so much I was a counselor until I was 22. As campers we got away with doing so much crap and as counselors we got away with more. But when I was six I fell into the creek on my first day of camp, got a goose egg sized bump and was known as "Goose Bump." I don't think my parents realize it but sending me off to camp every summer helped mold me into the independent traveler I am.

I should mention that for the first ten years of my life I have to resort to mom as I don't remember much before my parents divorce. So we're kinda stuck with mom's memories.

When I was four my sister was born. We went to Disneyland via camper. Supposedly this is on videotape somewhere but I've never seen it. The only thing I remember about Disneyland is that I wanted one of those Mickey Mouse shaped ballons but I couldn't have one because my mom is allergic to helium when it's close by. I also remember going on the Queen Mary (?) boat which is haunted and remember seeing ghosts.

My 30th birthday is this month! Hooray! Now I can pretend to practice my cougaring skillz! In honor of this momentous birthday (ugh) I thought I would blog about an event that took place for each year of my life during January.

One: I was born. I like to joke that I was adopted since I don't look like my parents however they have told me that I was the only white girl born that day, probably that week in such a small town. Being the redneck my father is, he insisted on holding me in his arms while driving the severe icy roads home. I guess you could say he inspired Britney's driving skills.

Two: My brother was born. My family sold two cows to pay for my brother's hospital bills. That's how we rolled, in cattle. I later learned that my dad named the cows after family members he didn't like and can remember their names to this day.

Three: I sucked my fingers and carried a blanket around. My parents were eager to get me to quit so they used pickle juice and mustard on my hands. This started my hatred for all things pickled and mustardy, as any close friend knows.

Like most people I made New Years resolutions that I, again like most people, will forget about in approximately three weeks.

• Use time more wisely.
• Tone my midsection through actual exercise (Gasp!)
• Visit a place I've never been to before.
• Read 30 books not related to classes.
• Exercise my patience for others and their opinions.
• Cut down on spending and learn to dress more frugal.
• Get out and meet more people!
• Learn to be civil toward J's relatives.
• Be a better friend.
• Keep a cleaner house.
• See my nephew at least once.
• Have a lot of fun and try to surround myself with laughter as much as possible.

Now, these are pretty reasonable. So J thought I should add some predicitions in there. As I am not qualified to make predictions regarding the economy, Nobel Prize winners, or elections I think I'll stick to small stuff.

I predict:

• at least one man will offer me beer on my morning bus ride;
• my brother will be incarcerated for the entire year;
• the Carolina Panthers will be in the Super Bowl;
• the Mets will make the playoffs;
• we will still have economic woes come July;
• I will procrastinate on my outlines again;
• that Heath Ledger will not win any posthumous awards for The Dark Knight;
• and that Jennifer Aniston will not be married or pregnant;
• but Nicole Kidman will be working on baby 2 along with Christina Aguilera and Katie Holmes.
• and that Justice Stevens will resign late in the year.

Do you agree? Disagree? Care?

I'm stealing this from Useless Dicta!



"Look at the posts you’ve made in the past year, and paste the first line of the first post of each month."



January, February, March: Nothing! This blog was in utero? Perhaps I should say that I was too busy with law school applications and studying to re-take the LSAT.



April: The last couple of months have been hectic.



May: I've been busy lately which means that when I get together with friends there is a lot to catch up on, especially when you have to tell them you leaving the state for law school.



June: School is out which means I'm on to new odds and ends jobs this summer before I begin law school.



July: The following conversation occurred while shopping in a crowded Deseret Industries thrift store.



August: I picked J up from the airport and we went out for lunch where we ran into Mr. So-and-So.



September: Dear Classmates, Hi there.



October: I don't wear printed clothing or pieces that have their label embazzed on the front.



November: There is a month before finals...do you know where your outlines are?



December: And now I get to play catch up.



Thoughts: I think I come across as boring on this blog. This may be because I don't want to risk my anonymity but as I've been good about not letting this blog slip I just might introduce y'all more to me in the new year. And then you can really say that yes, Kel, you're lame.

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.

I was talking to one of my favorite people yesterday and she asked me if I was still sure about my decision to go to law school. It was weird since I was just thinking about this myself. I still stand behind my decision, however I'm at the point in the semester where I'm questioning my stamina. I know that I want to be a lawyer. I know that the skill set lawyers use is one that appeals to me. What I question is the drive to get there, to get beyond these next three years.

I'll be honest, I'm not exactly loving the material here. I struggle to stay awake in property and just struggle in general in anything civ pro related. So I guess the material is just bringing me down.

Hopefully learning about externships next week will be that invigorating pulse I need to jump start my battery before finals...

I participated in this meme over at butterflyfish's place and so now the meme is here.

Leave a comment on this post, (any ole comment will do), and I will comment back the following:

a) Tell you why I [first read your blog]
b) Associate you with something -- a song, color, photo, etc.
c) Tell you something I like about you.
d) Tell you a memory I have of you [hint, it will probably be from a blog post].
e) Ask you something I've wanted to know about you.
f) Tell you my favorite userpic from your list [N/A]
g) In return, you need to post this on your own [blog].

So, comment if you want in, and I'll finish my responses by Sunday. So for those procrastinators out there like me you have awhile to comment!

By the way, I'd like to hear from any lurkers out there! I know you're out there!

As for butterflyfish's question: "What has been the biggest surprise so far?"

I would have to say the biggest surprise for me is the workload. I never feel caught up and I feel guilty when I'm not studying. You guys were serious about the amount of studying! My classmates' maturity level falls closely behind.

What Five Things do you do to Stay Sane?

1. Veg, as in not think, for at least an hour a day. After lectures and briefing my mind needs a break! My dogs usually assist with this daily task.
2. Read a good book or magazine every once in awhile. I am still desperately trying to work this into my schedule...I usually end up feeling guilty though.
3. Sleeping in until 8am, or just sleep in general.
4. Cuddling up with a pot of tea and a blanket on a snowy or rainy dreary day. I love the peacefulness of snow. It has a wonderful calming effect on me.
5. J's hugs. They are practically perfect in every possible way.

You? Come on! It's an easy gimme blog post!

Hat tip to Marginal Revolution

This post is just to notify you that I am neither of the above. In fact, I most likely have been labeled a law nerdette by the above as they avoid my very existence. I find this fascinating since it is obvious that they work to ignore my presence and they are absolutely stupid in thinking they can avoid people they deem unworthy for three years. Someone should tell them that their behavior now will only follow them into the future. I just can't wait until the day they acknowledge me in some fashion because it will be the day I sarcastically respond by introducing myself and pointing out that "you know, I don't think I've EVER seen you before!" HELLS TO THE NOS I AIN'T OFFERING ANY ASSISTANCE? WHAT? YOU NEED A PARTNER? YOU NEED NOTES? YOU WOULD LIKE CLARIFICATION ON A POINT? Go eff yourself after looking up decency and kindness.

Prior to law school I really wanted to believe that law school was not "high school with booze." However, over half way through my first semester I cannot think of a better way to explain it. The immaturity runs rampant here...and it just fascinates me.

Oh how I wish I was a sociology grad student!

Can there be such a thing as having too many social invitations during law school?

For some reason there is never a shortage of boozing opportunities at my law school (three just this weekend), of which I have conflicting thoughts:

• If I go I'm losing out on prime study time, not to mention falling behind and not getting to all the other things my school reminds me I should be doing like outlining, reviewing, hypotheticals, etc.
• If I don't go I run the risk of labeling myself anti-social and lose out on getting to know my classmates outside of class.
• I want others to go so that they fall into my first bullet point. Since there is a curve I want to feel confident that there are people who will do poorly.* Whoever said law school isn't competitive can kiss my arse. I feel strange admitting this.
  
• I fear that my school sees networking and boozing as the same thing.
• I'm overwhelmed with having to choose between events that fall during the same time.
• I'm already exhausted and have no clue how others are able to juggle the studying AND the socializing.
• Again, see bullet point three.

*I wanted to use the word fail, however that would just make me sound like a complete selfish bitch and I like to pretend those words aren't true when it comes to the awesomeness I exude.

I took this from J.D. Maybe

1. I don't wear printed clothing or pieces that have their label embazzed on the front.
2. I don't drink cola and it's not due to any religious belief.
3. I talk to my dogs as if they are people and pretend they talk back.
   
4. I have had four ex-boyfriends who have had long hair.
   
5. I don't like sandwiches of any kind.
   
6. I sleep with a sleeping mask on.
7. I don't like roller coasters but ride them anyway.
8. I blog because I have a fear of writing and want to be a better writer.
9. I have been famous for my facial expressions, oftentimes they get me into trouble.
   
10. I have visited a number of countries but never another continent, they've only been islands.
    

Lawful Lady tagged me! But as my Tuesdays really are torturous, I'm glad to have take this blogging break.

Here are the instructions:
I list 5 non-law blogs that I like and think you should check out. Then, I list five law blogs with which you should also check out.

1. Feministing: As a woman I like to keep up on womanly things. As a feminist I like to see who's trying to screw me over as a woman. This site keeps me abreast of both and has plenty of humor scattered between the comments and the posts.

2. Prettier than Napoleon: I like her. I like that she survived law school, knits and cooks. She also reads and reading is very sexy.

3. Go Fug Yourself: No explanation is needed. However if you need one, IMNobody does an excellent job explaining this gem of a blog.

4. Marginal Revolution: It's where I go for market news. I'm a total nerd. And J is always talking about something he read there and what my thoughts are so I've got to keep up on it. I learn interesting things there.

5. Tequila Red: A blog that is no more. I loved this blog! She is hilarious!


Now for the tagging: And since I hate choosing people I tag the last five people who commented on this blog.

1. Fox Law: A place for sarcasm and tunes.
2. J.D. Maybe: A woman who always has an interesting story.
3. Politely Obscene: A new blog for me to read! Yeah! I'm pickled!
4. A (Non) Token Minority Law Student: Another woman with quirky tales about law school.
5. Law Ingenue: I love her tips!

and extra bonus tag!
6: Taking the law into my own hands: I'm just curious as to what he reads!

Apologies to anyone sensitive to the title of this. I just haven't had a date in a long time and can honestly say that I haven't done a lot of it.

I just spent an hour on the phone talking to a guy friend of mine who wants to ask out one of my favorite people in the whole world! I was excited because I think every single nice guy should ask her out. So my guy friend has decided that he wants to take her out HOWEVER I am not allowed to sneakily set them up NOR am I allowed to tell her that I have any role in this, and I don't. In fact I think it was merely the alcohol in J's system that suggested her to him, as J is very aware of the pure awesomeness that radiates from her. And she reads this so now there can really be no sneakiness. DRATS!

So what I'd like my friend to do is just go out with him. Have a nice dinner, a nice conversation and be done with it. Then she wouldn't be able to say that no one ever asks her out and she would be flattered by the thought that a guy thought enough of her to treat her to dinner. But knowing my dear, glorious friend I'm betting she won't do it. But why?

Why is it that some women out there just aren't interested in casual dating? And notice that I said dating and not sex. Isn't dating a way of meeting and weeding out potential mates? Has dating been replaced by e-mailing and text conversations?

My guy friend insisted that she know ahead of time that he would like to ask her out. He is tired of having friends suggest women to him only to find they aren't even interested in dating. Why do friends suggest other single friends if they know they'll turn dates down?! And he isn't crazy...he's sexy brilliant.

So dear fabulous favorite friend--go for it! If a man wants to buy you a nice meal and all you have to do is be your fabulous quirky self just do it! Isn't this what Sex and the City taught us? To enjoy life through friends and food? I'm sure you won't regret it. In fact you could love it. But I seriously doubt you would hate it.

I envy you. Seriously. I'll even let you take J as a chaperon if you want too. And here's the thing readers! He is interested in her intelligence, he wants a woman who can hold her own opinion and think for herself. I'd be sold in a heartbeat and it was the exact same thing that sold me on J, knowing that he found my intelligence attractive above all else.

In other news, my classmates are starting to hook up...and it is odd. Trust me, it's strange since it's difficult to keep straight at times. I'm also learning too much information such as who has given who mono thus far...eww...

My weekend was spent trying to get caught up and working on my office memo. I'm still not quite there but at least I am somewhere. The past couple of weeks have left many impressions in my already full noggin. One of which was a comment I overheard regarding non-traditional students. The comment, or myth as I like to call it, is that straight from undergraduate students have a better advantage in law school over those who took time off to work and are returning after a couple of years off from school. The advantage is that they somehow know how to study better...

WHAT?! WTF!

I forgot that working over 40 hours a week didn't mean anything. Working hard for my money was obviously something I failed to learn. I also really appreciate the fact that I DID NOT use any writing or analysis skills I actually learned as an undergraduate.* Further, this makes no sense what so ever for those of us who "worked" as graduate students.

So to hear that a small group of students seem to think they have an advantage over someone like me just makes me work harder. Sometimes I wonder where in the hell these people are coming from and where they get these crazy notions.



*Sarcasm intended

Today I wished the following things would have happened:

• my property prof not skip the long case that I meticulously briefed. May I suggest just removing it from the syllabus reading?
• my legal writing and research prof to sit down with me and tell me like it is. I'm tired of his southern charm. I am not however tired of looking at him...so dreamy....
• my memo outline would have perfected itself instead of me looking at it with contempt
• have the guy in front of me actually take notes instead of watching boxing You Tube videos during the entire class.
• my kitchen visited by cleaning gnomes,
• my dinner prepared by Bobby Flay, and
• my insanity restored to pre-law school levels.

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday and that I have exciting plans for the weekend...

Anyone noticing how fast time flies by when you're in law school?