Dear Mother Time (I am a feminist - get over it!),
I am not ready for exams. I am however, ready for spring (that means no frickin' snow). I am totally ready to work, but I am not ready to finish school. What I am asking here is that you either slow down, or grant me that additional hour or so that I desperately need.
Especially because I have a trusts and estates exam this weekend.
Sincerely,
Improvilaw
I hate that at the end of the semester, when you start feeling a little worried about exams and the depth of the knowledge in the course, the professor starts talking really fast. They always try to cover material that they really don't have time for at this point in the semester and it is infuriating.
Dear Professors: Stay on task early in the semester so you have PLENTY of time to get through the material. Alternatively, you can just not test us on the material covered the last 2 weeks of class. You have at least 2 degrees. Get your shit together and follow your own syllabus - please! Your failure to shut down stupid questions the rest of the semester and to allow the class to lag isn't my problem or my fault. Quit punishing me for your lack of time management.
Sincerely,
Improvilaw
Sorry about not posting for a while. Life got in the way of blogging. I also have been a little overwhelmed lately. The end of the school year brings a lot of work with it. I have classes where I missed some reading and need to make sure I have looked at everything. I have outlines to make. There are end-of-year parties and dinners to attend. Clinic clients' cases needed to be wrapped up if possible.
That means that a lot of stuff falls by the wayside. Like getting my hair cut. For some reason, I haven't been able to get a haircut appointment that will stick. I have had stylists cancel my appointments twice this month. I am thinking that I don't have time to make a new appointment now, so cute hair will have to wait until the end of May.
I am looking forward to camping season already. I am thinking about taking off for the woods right after my last exam.
Last night was our law school's annual "skit" show. Basically, we poke fun at law school classes, professors and culture in general. I got "excused" to get out of the law review election a little early to do the show. I played a "Gunner Phone Sex" operator (on stage) and a talking locker (Offstage). It was a ton of fun. I got to enjoy my inner "ham" and really enjoyed it. When I was younger, I used to do that kind of thing all the time. It was nice to do something through the law school that had nothing to do with academics, or my career or even social justice for once. Not that I don't love being in those kinds of things, it is just a different thing.
This was just for me.
Speaking of which, I gave myself a gift this week and decided not to run for SBA again. I just gained a few hours a week back! The rest of 2008 is going to be about me taking back my life from the beast of law school.
Never before has any event been so fraught with intrigue and drama. Never before has doing so much work been so unrewarding. Never before have I soooooo not wanted Mr. T and Mr. R to be my bosses.
What am I talking about? The upcoming law review elections. The most qualified people are too socially inept to run for anything. The egomaniacs are out in full force though, shaking hands with members who they never had time for before, and saying childish things like, "you should vote for me because my shoes are cute."
Personally, since the Editor in Chief of this thing is my likely boss, I would really like someone smart, but also a skilled manager. This is hard to find in law school. Many students call "extensive work experience" the one summer they spent stuffing envelopes for some senator, or the one year they worked as a paralegal at their dad's law firm between undergrad and law school.
They also foolishly hold the elections the same day as our annual skit show. That means that I only could be cast in two skits. They had better finish this lame election by the time the show starts!
Sometimes, my trusts and estates instructor will jump up and down with excitement. She also refers to her husband and two dogs regularly and liberally. She should probably lay off the caffeine. While some people get really irritated with her over-enthusiasm, at least it keeps us awake! She also uses a lot of overheads, which I like.
Do any readers want to comment on what they like/don't like in professors?
I am a joiner. I love joining all kinds of groups. I am a social person. Here at law school, I have been involved in SBA, a journal and all kinds of student organizations.
The one thing I have learned is that getting a group of flakey 20 somethings to make a decent effort at anything is nearly impossible. One-upmanship tends to carry the day, rather than actual accmplishments.
It is exhausting.
My friend has cancer. Prostate. He's only 41. He has a new wife and two daughters and they just had a new baby, and it just isn't fair.
This isn't one of those stories where he starts treatment and the cancer retreats into oblivion, off to victimize someone else. This is a story where the fucking cancer hangs on, and spreads and scares the shit out of me and the rest of his family and friends. This is a story about what happens when you watch David battle Goliath, but you are so close, you see the fear in his eyes and it makes you doubt whether everything really will be OK.
But this is no time for fear and doubt. So you both buck up and try to act like those feelings don't exist and keep shoving hope in their place.
So anyway, my friend has cancer and it sucks. But he won't for long. And maybe the one good thing about this is that for all of us, it puts all of the petty bullshit back into its place - to the "it doesn't matter" pile, and reminds me that the really important stuff are the simple things.
Family, friends, laughter, love. Hope.
Unlike the more prolific blogger, Ms. Althouse, I don't think this show sucks. Their little montages of past Oscar telecasts have actually been a welcome relief from the poorly written, and not very funny little vignettes they normally do.
I also found some of the past speeches (and the one by the girl from "Once") to be very inspiring. Must be because law school isn't providing much inspiration these days.
Rock the Earth is a grassroots organization started by my friend Marc to respond to threats to the environment by using the legal system to create change. It raises funds and educates people about its mission by tabling at music concerts and festivals all over the country and by partnering with a variety of musicians. The dedication of Rock the Earth's staff and volunteers is truly inspiring!
There is a contest by Patagonia to give a non-profit $5,000. All you have to do is click the radio button for "Rock the Earth"
Please click here and help a terrific organization get more funding!
This semester, I am working one of our school legal clinics for 3 credits. That means 12 hours week, I have to be in the clinic working on cases. The problem right now is that I only have one case. And there is nothing to do for it right now. I have a letter to the client that is awaiting approval from my supervising attorney, but that's about it. I haven't talked to the client in over a week because I have to send the "Terms of Representation" letter first.
We are also required to keep a journal of our experience. While blogging is kind of like keeping a journal, my blog is about law school and life during law school, not a super narrow topic like the clinic. Our journal entries have to be turned in weekly, in "memo" format, and include suggested topics like, "things that made me feel like a real lawyer this week" or "what being a good lawyer means to me." Very corny, and very difficult to write when my clinic experiences have been so limited.
I am hoping that I get more clients soon. I consider the clinic to be another "job" and don't like being idle during my workday.
