A Woman in Law School

Yes, we have a problem according to my Contracts professor (who I cannot stand). Apparently someone is signing in for someone else who is not attending class. And now we've all be told what horrible students we are, how our trust is gone, and how he just doesn't know how he'll proceed with roll from now on.

I hate being talked to like a child. And I am bothered that the entire class is being lectured because of an individual's stupidity.

I came across this piece over at Feministing, one of my favorite feminist blogs. Neko Case was recommended to me by a former roommate, but I never listened to her because, well, I rarely took advice or suggestions from this roommate because I just didn't. We had one of those friendships where you just keep saying "yeah, uh huh." in any and all conversations.

Then I woke up to Neko's voice on NPR one morning and fell instantly in love with her haunting voice. The fact that she grew up not too far from me excited me as well.

While the context in which I apply her words are different than the blog piece, I can't help but relate to the phrase "Don't let them tell you you're nothing." I'm finding that I'm reminding myself that I worked hard to get into law school, that it's a privilege just to be where I'm at. I'm reminding myself of the light at the end of the tunnel; the work that I desire to do; the bleeding heart liberal change I wish to inspire; yada, yada, yada. I'm working my ass off; I lack sleep, nutrition, and common sense and I'm struggling with my classmate's small comments which try to keep me believing that I'm nothing. "Nothing" as in my hard work is not going to pay off. It's to the point where I'm thinking of switching seats in my classes. I don't want to take this step mainly because I'm trying equally hard to balance being social with being studious. I also believe that I can work through the comments and the challenge of staying focused in class. The hard part is that these are supposed to be my friends. I suppose this is where the "oh so wise" 2Ls and 3Ls will laugh at me and tell me that there is no such thing as "friends" in law school but I'll refuse to listen. I think friendship is possible, it just might take awhile for me to find it. But right now I'm focusing on telling myself that I AM EVERYTHING! And the briefing, prepping for class, outlining and time I'm putting in will pay off. It will. And they will eventually learn that there are no casenotes for life after law school.*

And now for one of my favorite Neko Case songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50dzxkJa1NE

(And yes, that is her LIVE. That voice is mesmerizing!)





* Casenotes are briefs you can purchase for your text book. Many law students choose to read these in lieu of their actual textbooks.

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...

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.

Because law students need to unite sometimes!

This also goes well with the letter I wrote myself.


Hair color: anonymously gorgeous

Have you seen the following McDonald's Olympic commercial? It's great, that is until you apply it to law school.

Think about it:

"The more we get together, together, together
the more we get together the happier we'll be.

Cuz, my friends are your friends,
and your friends are my friends.

The more we get together the happier we'll be."

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? That I'm with the same people day in, day out, all day long?! For the whole semester?! Same classes and seating charts the whole semester?!

Now change happier to crappier, or possibly nastier. Which would you choose? Any new ones?

Don't worry. This won't be anything like Stephany's letter although I'm sure some of you will act in a similar way. (Ah...to be a pessimist!)

We finally get to meet today and unlike some of you I'm nervous as hell. I wonder what you'll be like and where you come from. Your life experiences, your sense of humor, among other things. I hope some of you will be ultra-friendly and not interested in talking about first assignments or law school all the time. I hear there will be plenty of that later.




Via: Law and Letters

We are currently visiting the metropolis which includes my law school. Our goal is to find housing in six days that will allow two beefcake dogs AND is within an hour bus ride of school. The latter is proving to be harder than we anticipated. The city is large, like a million large, which will be a huge change from the university towns I've lived in. Actually, the idea of living in such a large city is intimidating, however law school grads have informed me that I will rarely step into the citylife and instead stay close to the library for the next three years.
Tomorrow I am actually visiting my school for the first time. I didn't have the money to travel and visit law schools when I applied. There is only one law school in a 300 mile radius and I knew enough about it to not have to visit. I'm hoping that my gut feeling, you know-that feeling you get when something just feels right or wrong, tells me THIS is the school for you! I'll fill you in on my gut reaction later...

After days of long work I'm finally catching up on my Google Reader where I came across this over at Above the Law. I'm surprised that I'm not surprised. One of the major reasons I'm turning to law is to go into public law and hopefully work on issues affecting women and children (but not family law). I find it disturbing that there are law schools out there telling you what areas you may do pro bono work in. I can understand the abortion aspect but birth control! Come on! I thought we were past it being such a controversial issue. But what would I know, I'm not Catholic--however I have lived abroad in a convent! I suppose I should be glad that I'm attending a public university. It even offers me the chance to emphasize in women's issues if I so intend.

This also WOWed me. WOW!