The Rogers News

Category: Our Experiences

Tales of my life as told by me.

  • Book: The Associate

    I just finished John Grisham’s The Associate. It was good enough for me to spend the last few hours finishing instead of working on my draft order, but not great. The plot – and all there is to Grisham books is sturdy plot – opened with great potential. The first 75 pages drew me in. The book starts by introducing the reader to the protagonist, a third-year law student named Kyle. From there his well ordered life as a high-potential student and editor of the Yale Law Review is thrown into disarray thanks the resurfacing of a long-forgotten college incident.

    The suspense was linear. There were no twists. No big revelations at the end of the book. Nothing that made it necessary to finish. In summary, reading the book was like being promised a bonfire and receiving a smoldering fire pit. It kept me warm, but I had to stay too close.

    I’m going to read The Partner next and see if it’s any better. I’ve heard good things.

  • Spring Semester: Week 4

    It’s already the middle of the week – nearly the end of my school week. I’m done at 10am on Thursdays, which is great for now but will make adjusting to an actual job environment all the more difficult.

    In an attempt to sabotage my studies, I bought and have been reading John Grisham’s latest legal thriller, The Associate. The story is making me want to go into big law and be worked to death to the tune of a $200,000 salary. The character states that if he works 56 hours a week for 11.5 months, he’ll bill approximately 2500 hours. An impressive number.

    Of course, actually getting to 56 (or 2500 for that matter) is harder than it seems. Can’t bill at lunch, in the bathroom, or while chit-chatting. I worked longer hours than 56 during some weeks at Ruckus. I arrived to work at 7am and left at 10 or 11pm. I’m not sure what the hourly breakdown between work and play was, but I worked a lot. I think I could handle the legal work.

    Aside from the novel, there’s lots of reading about various topics of law. We’re finally getting into actual environmental law in Environmental Law. For a while there I thought it was a trick to get me to retake Administrative Procedure and Con Law. We’re still covering Partnerships in Business Entities Taxation. I’ve got a decent grasp on the material, so its somewhat enjoyable. Wait, that was the wrong word. It’s not horrible. The other classes are fine. I have an Order due on Monday for Judicial Opinion Drafting. I’m procrastinating on that with this post.

    Not much else going on at school worth talking about. More next week.

  • Litigation Batman Style

    I have never wanted to be a litigator because I’m a baby when it comes to public speaking. I’m sure if you examined my childhood there would be explanations for this. Regardless, the following quote from The Dark Knight made me rethink litigation. I would appear in court if just to say this:

    Sometimes, truth isn’t good enough; sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.

    In what context could I say this?

    Is it possible to deliver something better than “truth” in a system that so cherishes it? At what cost?

  • 25 Random Things About Me

    Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged (to do it next). You have to tag the person who tagged you.

    I was tagged into this meme via Facebook. Here are 25 random things about me:

    1. I recently purchased a miniature grappling hook for my key chain.

    2. My favorite television show of all time is The West Wing.

    3. I’ve recently been reminded of an old nickname: Mr. Elite.

    4. I love frozen chocolate chip cookies.

    5. I will never believe you can beat me at golf until we’ve played 36 holes together.

    6. Looks like I’m headed to Chicago to practice law. Or at least take the bar.

    7. I have hiked the Grand Canyon twice. That’s enough for awhile.

    8. I would like to live in a small log cabin in the northern reaches of the Adirondack region, write and hike. For a month a year. That would be cool.

    9. I am an unforgiving driver who doesn’t realize his own faults. Follow the rules!

    10. I have never broken a bone.

    11. It is virtually impossible for me to memorize lyrics. I envy those who can pick up a song after listening to it one or two times.

    12. I enjoy driving long distances. Either alone or with someone. It doesn’t matter. I like the feeling of “going somewhere.” I like that I might see something happen that no one else will see. If you ever drive past me, you may see me taking pictures out of my car window.

    13. One of my favorite places to be is in an airport before my flight departs. Despite being around thousands of strangers, I feel very alone in airports. Nothing can touch me once I’ve passed through security. At that point in the trip, I can exhale, find a coffee shop and start reading.

    14. I need to be more Rhett and less Ashley.

    15. I will be happy if I end up practicing law, although I imagine that I will be happier if I can do something more creative. That latter, however, requires an equal amount of effort and dedication as does the former. I realize this. But in three years of law school I’ve been unable to fully kill-off that part of me that wants to explore. For some reason I’ve yet to figure out how to join the two interests – law and everything else – but one day… one day…

    16. I have more than a few gray hairs. This is because I worry about things and sweat the small stuff. I have some learning to do.

    17. I believe that teachers hold tremendous power and influence. As a graduate student I’ve had my share of good and bad teachers. The good professors captivate me, regardless of the subject. The bad ones can ruin even the most interesting topics. What makes a good teacher and a bad teacher is tough to say.

    18. I don’t mind cold weather. I’m a tough guy.

    19. I appreciate home more now than before.

    20. I eat the ends of french fries and hot dogs now without even thinking about it. For many years I had a strict “no ends” policy.

    21. No matter how much I like an apartment when I move in, I end up finding something wrong with it within six months. This makes me wary of buying a house.

    22. I have never ridden on a motorcycle or a snowmobile.

    23. I would never buy a suit from Banana Republic. I really don’t know why, though. It just seems like an odd place to buy a suit, regardless of the quality.

    24. I don’t mind doing dishes. It’s relaxing.

    25. I need to find a job! This should be #1.

  • Illinois Bar It Is

    I don’t know if deciding on a state in which to take the bar and subsequently practice law was easy for most, but it was subtly grueling for me. There are many factors I can cite that have complicated the decision. First is that I do not yet have a job lined up. If I did, it would be a no brainer to take the bar required to start my job. Second is that I’ve spread my networking base and presence a bit thin over the past five years by working in Virgina and going to law school in New Hampshire, and now have to make adjustments and work harder to make up for my past.

    With that said I’ve decided to apply for the July Illinois State Bar Exam. My intention is to practice in or near Chicago. I like the city very much, it is close to family, and many of my friends now live and work there. Further, if the decision is between the Illinois bar and the Michigan bar, I have more leeway in transferring my MBE score from IL to MI (3 year) than I do from MI to IL (1 year).

    While the Feb 1st deadline is forcing my decision, it is by no means the reason for my decision. I have for a long time been undecided, but MI and IL have always been the forerunners unless there was something significant that compelled me to go elsewhere. That hasn’t happened, and if it does I’ll deal with it in due time.

    For the immediate future, my focus is on finishing the Illinois application in the next three days, then diving into the job search.

  • 11 Green M & M’s

    Not so long ago I wrote my first entry on a blog that I’ve since discontinued. The post read as follows:

    There were eleven green M&M’s in my bag that morning. I had never gotten that many. Today would be a good day.

  • Spring Semester: Week 2

    Considering this is my last semester of law school, it seems only right to document some of it. I’m starting a week late, but that is kind of the theme thus far into the semester. Just this morning did I receive my last of five grades from last semester. Administrative Procedure was the holdout. When you think about it, the drop/add day has already passed. Technically, had I not passed Admin Pro I would have to stay an extra semester because it’s a required course. I’m sure exceptions could or would be made, but the point is that receiving grades this late is unacceptable.

    Concerning my own snafus, I’m just now settling into my course schedule. I had to drop the mini-course, International and Comparative Copyright Law because it conflicted with Estate Planning for a grand total of 1.5 hours later on in the semester. I was told by the registrar that that was unacceptable. I switched to Federal Trademark and Copyright Registration, but later had to drop than when I discovered that Copyright Licensing does not fulfill the upper-level writing requirement I need. So, my final course load is as follows:

    Environmental Law (EL)
    Judicial Opinion Drafting (JOD)
    Business Entities Taxation (BET)
    Estate Planning (EP)
    Copyright Licensing (CL)

    Last semester I had it good. The grading of most of the classes in which I was enrolled was heavily weighted towards the final exam or project. I liked that because it simplified the semester. I wasn’t bothered with writing projects, oral presentations, and midterms. I could learn for four months and then regurgitate it on the page. And, no, I don’t think I crammed and then just forgot it all. It was a solid semester.

    This semester is a different story. Despite my weeks concluding at 10am on Thursday and having 3.75 day weekends for the entire semester, my courses are absurd. Judicial Opinion Drafting involves writing three opinions and a 45 minute oral presentation where I am to lead class discussion regarding a justice or judge of my choice. Stop right there. That is enough to ruin my semester. Legal writing AND oral presentations. I seriously considered whether I really wanted to finish this whole “law school thing” when I saw that in the syllabus. Then there’s Copyright Licensing which is “simple,” yet it involves negotiating (read: talking).

    I guess it’s finally time to face my fears. To open my mouth. To crack open my BlueBook (legal citation reference) if I can find it in storage. This is going to be a hectic semester, and I haven’t even complained about life decisions, bar applications, and searching for a job yet.

    To do this weekend:

    EL: Read about Eminent Domain and The Takings Clause
    JOD: Read “How I write” law review articles and draft standard of reviews for a NH trial court.
    BET: Review partnership taxation.

    Fun stuff. K. Time to work. Bye.