REST!

Ahhh Friday... the end of a veritable MARATHON week. This was the week of no Contracts but triple Property and triple Civ Pro. Because our class schedule was completely scrambled/substituted, I have spent this entire week not knowing exactly what day it was... I've just had my head in my books, trying to get all the required readings done in a timely fashion while still staying sane. Let's just say apartment cleanliness was pretty low on my priority list this week...

Next week will be much easier - we get Jewish holidays off at law school (this is a first for me after parochial high school and college...), so on Tuesday all classes are canceled for Rosh Hashanah. Sadly, to me this means that I can do my homework without the interruption of driving to class... very much looking forward to that. Our reading load is lighter because of the holiday (and no Contracts on Wednesday as well), but I still do have loads of Legal Writing to finish (our first memo is due in a little over a week). It never ends! There really is ALWAYS something more to do.

I'm pretty mentally/physically drained at the moment. I think the 'never-ending week' really took all my energy... Because our classes were done at noon today (AND because I went to office hours and the library after class instead of jetting straight home as usual on Fridays), I have rewarded myself with a movie. For the first time in over a month I'm lying on the couch, watching a movie with NO reading, NO laptop, NO paper editing and NO agenda. For the next hour and a half my brain gets to rest and enjoy a silly romantic comedy... 

...then it's back to my law student 'job.'

K

P.S. Legal Writing prof looked at my memo (two sections of it) draft today and she told me she thought I could become a really good legal writer... huge compliment coming from her! Of course, none of us are there yet since none of us have written anything like this before, but the fact that she thinks that I can do it is really uplifting. Maybe she tells everyone this, but I'll take the ego boost and strive to do what she thinks that I can do... great way to end a really tough week : )

P.P.S. The husband has been really supportive/sweet this week, knowing that my brain really is fried... I did notice!

I got called on!

I just got called on for the first time in class! 

For the past month of classes my strategy has been to volunteer answers as much as a I could, based on the thought that the profs will call on people who are quieter to state cases/answer questions. It worked for a while...

Though honestly, I had it so easy. We're learning Supplemental Jurisdiction in Civ Pro, and I was called on to answer a hypothetical regarding jurisdiction. I didn't have to state/explain a case, which would have been much more involved. Our prof called on me at the VERY end of class. The questions he asked were pretty simple/straightforward, but it's true what everyone says... my heart started beating really quickly and my ears got hot... I answered everything he asked - I made one mistake but besides that I did well. 

The call caught me completely by surprise - though I probably should have seen it coming. Earlier in the class, he called on the person sitting right next to me. Our other three profs know most of us by face and name already (particularly us talkers), but the Civ Pro prof still uses the face-picture seating chart to call on people. I suppose it was my time, based purely on geography.

At least I survived the first one!!

Whew...

K

Property thoughts

Quick Monday morning post... following a work-filled yet chill weekend... back to the grind.

In Crim we're starting murder, which means that the cases are both extremely interesting and pretty gruesome. Awesome to read, compared to the load of Property cases. Although in Prop we're reading about division of property, some of which I like. My favorite Property case from this weekend was a dissolution of marriage case where the ex-wife was trying to claim compensation for her ex-husband's MBA that she had mostly financed during their marriage.

When my poor C came home from work that day (I read the case on Friday actually), he was instantly met with a discussion of whether he could receive compensation for financially supporting me during my law degree if we were to divorce (I think he could... particularly if we accrue any 'marital property' in the next two years). This was a hypothetical conversation, of course... whenever I read a really compelling case I MUST discuss it immediately with whomever I see (which more often than not is the husband). I suppose that's the blessing/curse for living with a law student...

Also, I'm very glad that nobody tapes or listens in on our conversations at home, because sometimes we do discuss some pretty bizarre situations, which could definitely be interpreted horribly out of context!

K

Matilda

Did I mention that this week is tough...? Our Contracts prof is doing a lecture series next week, which means that we don't have any Contracts next week... which means that THIS week we have three Contracts classes back to back, and next week we have three Property classes back to back. This manifests itself in HUGE amounts of reading in the same topic. 

The reason I titled this entry "Matilda" is because I feel like the eponymous Roald Dahl heroine (yeah, I know it's a snobby word but I LOVE it, so there). For the past two years I've been very mentally frustrated and understimulated. I've wanted my brain to hurt. In 'Matilda,' the precocious child developed telekinetic powers because her brain was so underused. Once she began taking college classes (I think she was seven), she lost her powers because her brain was finally being challenged. 

Now that I'm in law school, I definitely have the brain pain... in a good way. I really did miss mental challenge. I no longer feel the frustration I felt while 'working' in the real world. It's a good feeling right now... I just hope that I eventually find a job that balances the working-for-money and the make-K's-brain-hurt elements that I seem to require. 

Sorry if this is jumbled... I'm honestly half-thinking about the Contracts problem that we were assigned for today's class...

K

Scary...

Today on my way home from school I listened to NPR in the car for the first time ever... In middle school I swore I'd never be a 'news radio' person, but I did enjoy it... Mom, you were right. I feel more connected to the 'real world' today. I guess I'm a grownup now...

We're doing Future Interests and the Rule Against Perpetuities in Property right now - really complex. My buddies and I spent lots of time wrestling with the nuances of the rules (frustrating). Ultimately we had the basics right but the subtle differences, not so much. In class things were more clear, but I still don't feel like we have this 100% yet. Law school is so different from high school and college... (at least the first year). I used to grasp class concepts in a flash, without trying very hard. I could get away with skimming reading assignments, or translating Latin passages in class without preparing them beforehand. 

As 1L's, we don't yet know what parts of the readings are important and which information we can skim. We are studying subjects that, for the most part, are completely foreign. It's very high-pressure. I still enjoy the readings and class, but it definitely is getting tougher.

[Offhand note... there is one kid in my class who makes me irrationally angry. He doesn't have any of the textbooks - he comes to class with commercial brief books. He doesn't take notes (he has outlines from other students that he pulls up in class, though he spends almost all of class on facebook/internet). I guess it's not my business, but it still is irritating to me. I constantly wonder who is paying for his tuition... for the most part, though, my fellow students are extremely motivated/dedicated/bright, which is a wonderful change from both high school and college.]

K

Tired today

Hey, very short post today because I am pretty exhausted. Unlike last week, this week's work load was not particularly demanding... actually it was pretty light... but the concepts we're learning in both Property and Contracts are starting to become extremely complex/abstract, requiring lots of brain hurting. I spent the weekend reviewing Property thoroughly and doing my Legal Writing assignment. I got a lot of it done, but still have more readings to do for the week. 

Despite the work, I still managed to have dinner with my friends - Birthday dinner for J on Saturday, then dinner party dinner on Sunday. It was nice to see everyone and to take a study break... but on Sunday the night ended with a pretty spirited conversation about politics that was interesting but didn't help me with the stress/pressure. I'll need to find something relaxing to do some time this week to make up for it, I think.

Just tired...

...off to read about dead babies...

K

Times are changing...

One of my friends observed that our work load this week seemed suspiciously more than in the previous weeks... I think she's right. The readings at the start of the year were tough, but the workload was still manageable. Now that we're one month into school, the profs seem to be sneaking more readings into the syllabus. The workload never shifted dramatically, but has crept up on us slowly but surely. I realized this yesterday evening when I had Contracts reading to do... for the past three weeks, I have finished my week's readings by Wednesday at the latest, leaving me time to organize work, start outlines, make note cards, etc. This week I didn't get everything done right away. Next week will probably be the same (though I'll get more done this weekend - last weekend I didn't do a ton of work on my birthday-day). 

Still on top of my work, still enjoying law school... it's just tougher now. Bring it on...

K

Quick note

Figured I'd drop a quick note today before running off to do homework/dinner/card night. It's amazing... I feel like I'm on top of all my readings (I'm at least one reading ahead per class) and additional work requirements (Legal Writing memo 1, now also memo 2, plus practice problems). I am on top of my work, yet there is ALWAYS something else to do. There is always another case I can read, another problem I can write up, or memo sections that I need to edit. 

I mentally am in "law student mode" from the moment I finish working out/showering (working out counts as me-time), throughout my classes and through evening study/work time (commute also counts as me-time). The intensity of my study tends to dwindle as the evening progresses - I get my very best and most efficient work done in the hour and a half before my first class. By the evening, I am pretty drained so I work on editing my writing or reading supplementary articles for Crim (not graded, just interesting lawsuits that shed light on elements of the cases we are studying). The work won't be done until finals... this much is certain!

Tomorrow is my tough day... I've done most of my reading for both classes already (we're behind in Civ Pro and I have to read about 10 pages for Prop)... just need to muscle through classes and then it's Friday again! WOW I'm almost a month into law school. Time is flying...

K

"Think like a lawyer"

So on my drive home today I thought of a really brilliant and detailed blog entry, complete with clever analogies and witty interjections. Sadly my Contracts reading took precedence this evening, so I shall give you the "Reader's Digest" version, with a moment of silence for the awesomeness that this entry could have been.

...

Digest: the other night C and I were driving to see our friends and we got into an argument (this happens fairly often... never over serious, deal-breaker issues... no, we like to argue over pretty mundane things generally. But anyway, we were arguing). Just as the argument was starting to take a turn for the worse (me frustrated, C frustrated, neither of us getting our points across), I took a deep breath and decided to approach the argument 'like a lawyer.' 

I broke down my grievances into:

1: my current state of mind (frazzled and focused on homework)

2: the catalyst (C forgot his motorcycle was still at work - threw off our travel plans)

3: the reaction he gave me (shrug - not a big deal)

4: my interpretation of his reaction (shrug - it's your job to keep track of logistical stuff, why is this such a big deal to you?)

5: my reaction to his reaction (is it my job to keep track of your stuff?)

6: his reaction to my reaction (why is this such a big deal to you?)

7: proposed solution (C will 'please' remember that my brain is very focused on law school right now and I'd appreciate him picking up some of the mental slack, because I'm practically a zombie by 7:30 pm every day)

8: proposed result (C pulls more weight around apartment, K is able to focus on husband and friends in addition to homework/daily chores, C and K get along)

...and it worked!!! The argument was dissolved logically, and we were no longer at each other's throats. Success!

Long story short, everyone warned us that law school would change our interactions with our loved ones and it is 100% true. Living proof. Right over here. 

Back to Contracts...

K

Birthday!

Well, 24 feels a lot like 23... but now I'm officially a year older and perhaps wiser? I had an amazing birthday this year. It's funny; after birthday #21, birthdays no longer are such a big deal. You still celebrate your birthday, but not with the same determination. My birthday this year was low-key but FUN.

Friday night I went out with the amazing ladies from my section. We went out to dinner and ended up sitting and chatting and laughing for another five hours after that! It was nice to spend time with my new friends in a non-law school setting... though we ended up talking about law school quite a bit anyway. I loved getting to know everyone better - little pieces of crazy personalities started to shine through (that's the best part). The more hard-core ladies stayed until midnight to take a 'happy birthday' drink with me (and they sang to me too, louder than I thought was possible for three people to sing)!

Saturday, my actual birthday, was low-key but also fun. I ate lunch with two of my closest 'old' friends (from my former non-law school life) at Pei Wei (I know, not too classy but I hadn't had it in ages). We then spent the rest of the afternoon at J's sitting around, watching Arrested Development, drinking champagne and playing dominos. Very relaxed, very enjoyable. 

I remember my birthday last year - we had JUST moved out here and my parents were in CA visiting. We went out to dinner in El Segundo with some of dad's CA friends, then watched Cirque du Soleil : ). At that time we had just barely met the first of our Boeing friends (who are now my favorite people in the world) and I didn't know where the best grocery store, gas stations and restaurants were. 

C and I have now been living in CA for over a year. Looking back, it's hard to remember a time when we didn't live in this apartment, or didn't know the friends we know. I'm still getting used to the traffic and lack of good parking but I'm still LOVING the CA weather, the friends and the life that C and I have formed together. Law school has slotted very neatly into our CA life as well. We now have a comfortable (yet crazy busy) daily routine that lasts from 6:45 am until after school/work around 5:00 each day [...then comes homework time]. Though I have JUST met my law school friends, we have all clicked together nicely. One year from now I will probably be looking back on this one, trying to recall a time when I didn't know EVERYTHING about my law school friends and didn't yet know how to read a case, form an argument or take an exam. 

It's true... the years go by so quickly after college (even during). Enjoy the heck out of them!

K

P.S. The last thing I received on my birthday was a letter from some very kind soul who FOUND my lost wallet at my friend's apartment complex and mailed me a message with their phone number so I can go claim it! Hooray for good people : ) Now we just need to find C's wallet...

You gotta have friends...

The other night I was talking with the husband about friends. Before starting school, I had heard horror stories about the ultra-competitive law school environment where people ripped pages out of library books, stole papers and wiped hard-drives in order to win academic advantages over one another. I knew before starting that I would be assigned to a section and that everyone in the section would be in ALL of my classes all semester. Basically, I'm stuck with these people all year... so I went in hoping that I'd get along with the people in my section. 

Let me just say... my section is really awesome. We're three weeks into school and I have made friends with about half the people in my section. Of this half, about 10-12 of them I consider my close "group" of friends (I hesitate to use the word "clique" because of the negative connotations, but we're a very tight group already). Several members of our group are extremely organized and proactive, so we have already started a Google group through which we can email one another questions, briefs, comments about assignments or other such things. We have one another's contact information and we regularly meet at lunch or between classes to discuss cases, commiserate about difficult assignments or just chat. [Right I'm now on the phone with one of my section, talking about our Contracts assignment for tomorrow].

I bring this up because one of the girls in my group brought me a dozen cupcakes today from a popular LA cupcake shop. She knew my birthday is on Saturday so she woke up early today to buy me cupcakes before class (and they were AMAZING cupcakes). I ate my cupcakes (chocolate with white icing), then shared the rest with other folks in the section. Usually I don't like having an early September birthday at a new school because I don't know anyone yet and I feel awkward announcing to people that it is my birthday. 

The work is tough but manageable, some of our profs are difficult and the classes are tedious, but I still am enjoying the experience so far... mostly because I like my law school friends (I told them so today). I know that the stress of finals will probably strain some of the friendliness eventually, but at this starting point it's nice to have a group of supportive friends and it's nice to know that we're all in this together.

(gotta cut this entry short because C wants to play Guitar Hero and is getting impatient)

K

Commute, again

So I counted this morning... on my drive TO school, I pass through 50 traffic lights. I take a few different routes home, but I'm pretty sure that my 'surface street' ride home has even more lights than 50. If I remember to count, I'll report back. It's actually really hard to count traffic lights... requires 45 minutes of relative focus on an unusual task. 

Today is Wednesday, which means Contracts and Legal Writing. In Contracts we're discussing the 'mutual assent' aspect of a contract, as well as when someone can or cannot revoke an offer. Lots of small details that make a big difference, but it's very applicable. We recently read a case about a concrete paver subcontractor trying to get out of a bid that made me think of Dad and the time that I spent working on the building projects at the office... actually pretty interesting.

On a different note, my engineer friends are trying to set up a permanent Wednesday Euchre night. Wednesdays are the best nights for me, actually, because my Thursday doesn't start until 11:15. ALSO this week I have already completed my Property and Civil Procedure readings for Thursday (plus we're behind the original syllabus in both classes). I'll use the rest of my morning pre-class time (about 1 hr 20 min) getting Contracts ready for Friday. I figure it's best to get ahead while I can... before we get slammed with work... moreso than now...

K

Labor Day Weekend

Hooray for Labor Day and three day weekends! I'm not exactly sure what we are 'celebrating' on Labor Day, but I can't complain. Since there were no classes held on Monday, we missed one Criminal and one Civil Procedure class this week. I'm sure we'll make up the lost time in the long run...

This weekend was actually extremely fun AND productive... here's a recap...

[note: please assume that all waking hours not spent with friends or eating were dedicated to reading/briefing cases!]

Friday night: had friends over and played Euchre, talked politics

Saturday: lunch with more friends. Had a choir buddy over for dinner and margaritas (she attends a different law school, so we spent the whole night exchanging stories)

Sunday: a non-Boeing engineer friend hosted dinner : )

Monday: Boeing friend had everyone over for HOURS - played dominos and guitar hero - picked up J from the airport (she just got back from Morocco)

OK now that I've typed that it looks excessive... (that's what happens when two extroverts get married)... I really did a lot of homework... I am caught up to Wednesday's readings and I even started outlining my courses with my spare time. Still feel like I'm on top of my work load.

Crim class in 45 min... time to go prep...

K