A Woman in Law School

I sit by the same person in all my classes. She is a good friend and study partner which I believe to be rare. (It usually seems like they're either good friends or good people to ask questions to, but not both.) The problem I've had lately is that she always watches my screen. So if I have my e-mail up she is right there reading it too. If I check for celebrity gossip during slow classroom discussions, she is right there reading along with me. It bothers me. And it bothers me for more than the obvious "she's nosy" reason. If she is watching my damn screen all day and professors look up, they see not only me looking at a screen but also her. And you can tell she isn't taking notes.

So in lieu of asking her to stop I plan on purchasing a security screen blocker. I figure it will send the message well anyway.

Does anyone have one of these? How well do they work? I've heard they aren't cheap, but I figure it could come in handy for reasons other than Nosy Nancy.

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!

I read an article awhile ago about where all the female law bloggers are and I had to laugh to myself. Of the bloggers I personally know the majority are women. Most of the law student blogs I link to are also women, so we are out there. While a law student blog is not the same as a law blog I like to think that it still counts as a law blog. I try to use blogging to record my adventures, frustrations, questions and concerns as a female learning law. While my substance may not be legally inclined I do feel like it counts for something. I know that one of my personal goals is to blawg more as it helps me define my thoughts in various areas. Now if I only had more time to devote to this goal!

Professor Mary Dudziak over at Legal History Blog also wrote on the subject. She lists some great tips for bloggers in general and encourages us all to use linking in a networking like fashion. It helps us support each other as bloggers and hopefully brings us new blogs to read. I know my taste in blog reading is always changing and I know that I've been appreciative of blogs linking to me.

And of course Feminist Law Professors also addressed the piece with a list of Female Voices in the Legal Blogosphere.

I'm slowly realizing, as I thought I would, that it does mean something to be a woman in law school and eventually in law. After learning from the ABA that in 2007 female lawyers made up only 30.1% of total lawyers I feel compelled to take some baby steps and really start trying to assert myself and report more on women and legal issues on this blog. After all, it is called a WOMAN in law school.

Just do me a favor and let me know when I need to lighten up a bit!

I just came across this ABA Journal article. It was published back in January so I apologize if some of you have already read this. It brings up an excellent point, where has the professional look gone?

One of the many Q & As I recently came across was how to dress for law school. It recommended a suit by your second year but for the most part it suggested business casual for classes. I chuckled at this because from my experience with law students they usually fall into two categories: those who dress up for law school daily and those who treat it like undergrad. Granted I haven't attended law school yet and can only base my opinion off of the fact that
I've watched three dear friends go through law school and am quite familiar with their school's environment. I also had a roommate from hell who is a law student. My roomie started out wearing yoga pants and board shorts to class everyday. I was happy when she moved to dressy jeans but her lack of underwear and the resulting ass crack drove me crazy. Honestly, who wants to see that? There were also women who judged other women for not wearing the latest styles. Honestly, who has time to keep up with fashion in law school? Are you crazy? I do not plan on wearing heals everyday for three years when flats will be sufficient. There were those who wore baseball hats and warm-ups. And those who dressed normal as in, jeans-a nicer shirt and casual shoes, and dressing up when the occasion arose. I will be falling into the later category. I won't be wearing Crocs to class everday. I won't wear pajama bottoms to lecture. I'll try not to wear jeans too often as well. I'd like my professors and classmates to say, "she always looks nice but doesn't overdo it." We've all judged someone by the way they look so why would you want to risk your image by dressing lazy? I just don't get it.


I used to work for my state's Department of Labor and was requested (albeit in a somewhat sexist manner) to dress professionally every day. I was fine with it at first but after awhile I realized that there was no point in it since I wasn't in meetings all day and rarely saw anyone. I kept a pair of Uggs under my desk and wore them in the winter to keep warm and nobody said anything. Granted, this was the state I was working for. I still took time out to look nice though because I believe looking clean and put together still says something about the kind of person you are.

An interesting piece popped up today on The XX Factor, How the Billable Hour Hurts Women and Families. There is not much I can disagree with regarding how the structure of billable hours hurts women and families. However I did disagree with the author in that half of graduating law school classes are women and that women make up half of the top class rankings. Every law school I applied to has more male students than female. This is also true of the top five law schools according to the current rankings via U.S. World News and Reports. I'm positive that if I were to continue analyzing the data for the rest of top fifty schools I would find the same. Is there a law school out there where women outnumber the men?

One of the questions I have for my number 2 school is how they are tackling female retention (which is significantly higher than male retention). There is also a disproportion in faculty with 75% men for this school. I know that other schools have better statistics regarding these areas but I can't help but disagree that women make up half the class and half the top rankings. It has even been said that the LSAT is biased toward the way men think.

As a woman I am concerned about these statistics, what they mean and how I fit into the larger picture. The billable hour is a huge aspect of the job and possibly a determining factor in why women choose to have children during law school and not afterward. Interesting issues to ponder over while I still wait to hear from other schools.