Ahhh, it's time to study for finals already?! What the heck?!
I've been getting all sorts of advice about when to start outlining ranging from 2 months ago, to Nov 1, to Thanksgiving. I'm sort of a slow starter so I'm leaning more towards Turkey Break :)
Soooo, I was going to make a long post/rant about the flak the legal industry/legal education sector is taking from some critics right now... namely "Above the Law". But, then someone up and went and did it. I might still do one, but it's certainly not a priority anymore. This guy pretty much said it best.
In fairness to blogs like Above the Law, they could very well be right. But the thought of these nice administrative folks at top law schools (I visited a bunch of law schools last feb/march/april during their admitted student days/weekends/etc) are lying through their teeth and scamming us out of oodles of cash. If someone like our Dean who is in charge of our, well, wellbeing can be lying to us under a facade of empathy and fake concern for all of us law students, it makes me very sad about humanity's capacity for... evil.
Convoluted, yes. I'm not really a very optimistic person, but I think I'm a bit less cynical/pessimistic about the intentions of legal educators... at least the ones at the more renown law schools. As for Cooley school of law or whatever? Yeah, maybe they're after money.
Here's the link-
http://worldwidewhit.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/dear-legal-community-enough-with-the-cynicism/
Hm, that just inspired me to maybe write more about this one day.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Above The Law? (Introduction)
Before I came to law school, I did not read Above the Law other than a few random occassions where certain articles were referred to me. I can't even remember what those articles were, but I never read it on a daily basis.
Lately, however, I have been reading it more and more. It offers some interesting and though-provoking links every so often. And, on far more rarer occasions, it offers some interesting insight or analysis about law, politics, or law school.
But really, the main reason I'm reading it on a semi-regular basis at the moment is my fascination with their seeming abhorrence of law school and the legal field itself. Perhaps this is directed more towards the man who I presume is the lead writer, Elie Mystal, but it seems like all if not most of the contributors to ATL can agree on 2 things- 1) They're all for LGBT issues (which is cool) and 2) Law school's are evil and anyone who wants to be a lawyer that doesn't go to HYS is a fool.
I kinda take issue to that being one of those foolish 1L's who did not go to HYS (Harvard Yale Stanford) and even more foolishly, thinks they can obtain this "job" thing and maybe one day not be in debt due to my massive student loans. I know, it's ATL blasphemy.
So, due to my fascination, curiosity, and being well, a bit offended at ATL's stance on the legal market and law school itself, I'm hoping to write more extensively about this subject in a subsequent post or posts.
I suppose this is what you'd call a teaser.
Lately, however, I have been reading it more and more. It offers some interesting and though-provoking links every so often. And, on far more rarer occasions, it offers some interesting insight or analysis about law, politics, or law school.
But really, the main reason I'm reading it on a semi-regular basis at the moment is my fascination with their seeming abhorrence of law school and the legal field itself. Perhaps this is directed more towards the man who I presume is the lead writer, Elie Mystal, but it seems like all if not most of the contributors to ATL can agree on 2 things- 1) They're all for LGBT issues (which is cool) and 2) Law school's are evil and anyone who wants to be a lawyer that doesn't go to HYS is a fool.
I kinda take issue to that being one of those foolish 1L's who did not go to HYS (Harvard Yale Stanford) and even more foolishly, thinks they can obtain this "job" thing and maybe one day not be in debt due to my massive student loans. I know, it's ATL blasphemy.
So, due to my fascination, curiosity, and being well, a bit offended at ATL's stance on the legal market and law school itself, I'm hoping to write more extensively about this subject in a subsequent post or posts.
I suppose this is what you'd call a teaser.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
The Open Memo
So we had a closed memo for "practice" awhile back, and now we have been assigned an open memo. That and regular law school work and other life things have been sucking up my time as of late.
The open memo. Blah. So much confusion and unease. Half the people I talk to (or more) seem to be pretty confident about what they're doing. The other half or so are playing their cards close to the chest. The closed memo didn't go particularly well for me. Writing isn't really my thing (Law school may have been a poor choice!).
So, uh, advice. Definitely start working on your open memos as soon as possible so that you can really take advantage of your TA's and your writing professor. I would suspect that they are much more willing to give you awesome advice if you show the gumption to get a draft done pretty early, or at least have your research and outline done early.
Considering that I decided to change the answer of my memo not long before it was due, I am definitely not a role model for any prospective law student. I can only hope future 1L's learn from my futility!
The open memo. Blah. So much confusion and unease. Half the people I talk to (or more) seem to be pretty confident about what they're doing. The other half or so are playing their cards close to the chest. The closed memo didn't go particularly well for me. Writing isn't really my thing (Law school may have been a poor choice!).
So, uh, advice. Definitely start working on your open memos as soon as possible so that you can really take advantage of your TA's and your writing professor. I would suspect that they are much more willing to give you awesome advice if you show the gumption to get a draft done pretty early, or at least have your research and outline done early.
Considering that I decided to change the answer of my memo not long before it was due, I am definitely not a role model for any prospective law student. I can only hope future 1L's learn from my futility!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
On Briefs (or boxers!)
No, no. This isn't a post about underwear (although maybe that'd be a good idea? Nahhh). This is about briefs, or rather, my um, lack of briefing.
Soooooo, I really thought I'd be a diligent student in law school for a semester. Ha! I was not a very diligent student in undergrad so I guess the thought that law school would make me suddenly shape up was a bit of a stretch. I think I'll have to do pretty poorly one semester to shake myself out of my academic slumber.
Anyways, since I'm not the diligent student I had hoped I would be, the first few weeks were I was a diligent note taker, a diligent listener, and a diligent case briefer has given way to furtive glances at facebook/ESPN in class, day dreaming, and uh, googling for case briefs.
Buuuut, I mean, is it that bad? I see it like this
On the one hand, I could write my own briefs but it would take a long time and the ones online can save a lot of time. But, on the other hand, the ones online aren't really that great sometimes (seriously, if all you're doing is reading online case briefs... yikes. Some of them are pret-ty bad). I figure as long as I read the case, copy pasting an online case brief and then tweaking it isn't that bad. Right? But not writing your own case briefs, I definitely have noticed that you don't retain the material as well, which is kinda the point. I guess that means more cramming when exams roll around. I honestly cannot just recall some of the earlier cases we covered in class whereas some people can pull case names and holdings out of thin air to support their arguments.
....Guess we'll see how this goes after finals in December. More on this later.
Soooooo, I really thought I'd be a diligent student in law school for a semester. Ha! I was not a very diligent student in undergrad so I guess the thought that law school would make me suddenly shape up was a bit of a stretch. I think I'll have to do pretty poorly one semester to shake myself out of my academic slumber.
Anyways, since I'm not the diligent student I had hoped I would be, the first few weeks were I was a diligent note taker, a diligent listener, and a diligent case briefer has given way to furtive glances at facebook/ESPN in class, day dreaming, and uh, googling for case briefs.
Buuuut, I mean, is it that bad? I see it like this
On the one hand, I could write my own briefs but it would take a long time and the ones online can save a lot of time. But, on the other hand, the ones online aren't really that great sometimes (seriously, if all you're doing is reading online case briefs... yikes. Some of them are pret-ty bad). I figure as long as I read the case, copy pasting an online case brief and then tweaking it isn't that bad. Right? But not writing your own case briefs, I definitely have noticed that you don't retain the material as well, which is kinda the point. I guess that means more cramming when exams roll around. I honestly cannot just recall some of the earlier cases we covered in class whereas some people can pull case names and holdings out of thin air to support their arguments.
....Guess we'll see how this goes after finals in December. More on this later.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Soooo bussyyyy
Holy cow! I keep meaning to write substantive posts here but by the time I get the important things in life done (eating, sleeping, law school events, law school club activities, personal hygiene, playing sports, watching sports, attempting to have a social life (fail), catching up on tv, catching up on current events, catching up with college/high school friends.... and oh yeah, school work, there's not much time to bang out blog posts.
Every time I think of something I'd like to write a post about I try to remember to write it down (inevitably I forget half the time). It's.... a long list. We have a major memo assignment due in the next few weeks ish and when late October and early November rolls around, the Finals panic will begin.
Uhhhh, maybe I can spend my winter break writing substantive posts about law school? Haha.
On a side note, I was chatting with this undergrad here at the University today and they were really interested in law school. It felt good to give some advice out instead of being confused all the time during classes. :)
Every time I think of something I'd like to write a post about I try to remember to write it down (inevitably I forget half the time). It's.... a long list. We have a major memo assignment due in the next few weeks ish and when late October and early November rolls around, the Finals panic will begin.
Uhhhh, maybe I can spend my winter break writing substantive posts about law school? Haha.
On a side note, I was chatting with this undergrad here at the University today and they were really interested in law school. It felt good to give some advice out instead of being confused all the time during classes. :)
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