Tag: Law School

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.

My Last First Day

Today was my last first day of law school, which started at 8:30am with Business Entities Taxation. The professor was 15 minutes late, which gave me time to order the third book in the Twilight series on Borders.com. (The book was actually sold out in the store!) Fifteen minutes late is not bad considering some of the roads around Concord right now. It snowed eight inches two nights ago and the city and residents are still struggling to find places to shovel it. Sidewalks won’t exist until late spring. “For Rent” signs are a no longer visible, not that they were of any help to me when I was apartment hunting three days ago. But, I’m situated now, so all is well and good. I’ll be spending the final months of my law school career in what will hopefully pass for a closet in my future. My room is two long paces by three long paces. It has wood paneling, which no matter how much I strive to move away from, keeps coming back to comfort me. Moving around and living in such a small room has made me realize what I actually need. I’ve boiled down my “necessary” possessions to a few pairs of pants, a handful of t-shirts and sweaters and a coat. My computer and TV distract me when necessary, and the few books I keep in my room are dry textbooks I’ve been required to buy for classes. All of this “stuff” would fit in my trunk, and is far less than I ever took when I shipped off to college. My point: I like less stuff over more stuff. It’s easier to manage at this point in my life.

There is a great deal ahead of me this semester. Mostly work. Some fun. And, eventually, goodbyes to friends and to Concord, New Hampshire. The later of which I’ve enjoyed, but have not taken advantage of enough. I’ve spent too much time reading, studying and worrying and not enough time hiking and exploring. Especially lately. I hope to change that (a little) this semester. I spent an hour walking around in the finger-numbing cold weather today shooting pictures of the city. I plan on doing more of this.

Along with Business Entities Taxation I’ll have Environmental Law, Copyright Licensing, Estate Planning and hopefully International and Comparative Copyright Law. Most of these classes have very low enrollment, which is good (no curve) and bad (more class exposure). I’ll reserve final judgment until I’ve had a few of each of the classes, but right now I am most excited about Estate Planning. It is a follow up to Wills, Trusts and Estates, which I enjoyed very much (read: did well in!). Further, I am starting to see some focus to my studies. Two and a half years in, I seem to have gravitated towards business planning-type courses, estate planning, and some tax. I’ve taken my share of soft IP courses, too, but have more difficulty imagining focusing my practice on that area of law and think of them more as informative knowledge that will help me be a more versatile lawyer.

Besides classes and taking pictures I have the very daunting task of deciding where to go after law school. I’ve written about this before and will write about it again. Job? Bar? Location? One of these things will dictate the other three. It’ll come together.

More soon regarding my final months of law school. I’ve always liked and overused the following T.S. Eliot quote:

What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make an end is to make a beginning

Law school may be ending, but there’s more than enough ahead to keep me happy and full. I look forward to the challenges I face and hope to have the courage to pursue my dreams.

Work and Creativity

There is a massive clash between the work I will end up doing as an attorney and my desire to be creative. Sure, many have bridged the gap, either (1) by finding creativity within the law, (2) by being satisfied to explore their creative interests outside of the law, or (3) by leaving the law to be creative — whatever that means.

#1 isn’t really the creativity I’m talking about. No matter how brilliant one’s ability is to view the law, it does not become art. In fact, if the law became art at any point, I think we would all be in trouble. There is already far too much room for interpretation in the law without it being subjected to the massive number of quandaries tossed around at art museums and shows. If law became art, law school would be irrelevant, lawyers would be useless, and there would be anarchy. There is no institution overseeing the creation and interpretation of art like there is the law. That just sounds absurd.

#2 is what most people do — they turn their dreams into hobbies. This is the sad reality of having to make a living. The opportunity cost of wanting material things, having a family, and living comfortably means saccrificing your dreams for most people. I do not dream of being an attorney. I see it as a way to make a good living. A way to support a family. A path to security.

#3 is what I would do if money were no object, and I hate that it comes down to money. I say that and I think of my friends that have corporate jobs. I think of the job I had at an Internet start-up. I think of the foolish demands to which we subject our precious time. I think back to my time in undergrad reading about Ponzi schemes and the “castle in the clouds” where as long as you can get the next fool to buy into your foundationless story you’ll be OK — never mind that what you are selling has no value if the next person doesn’t buy into it. That’s what life feels like at times — not that it’s valueless, but that we’re all doing something because it fits in the grid — because it propagates the masses — because it’s what was done before.

These thoughts are far beyond creativity. Creativity is the antithesis to work for me. The time I spent writing fiction, nonfiction, or pure gibberish when I was younger is the exact opposite of what is considered productive or successful now, yet it was freeing and inspiring. Although writing was far from easy at times, I loved the idea of it. I loved the blank screen — the blank page. I still love blank journals — I just bought a new one and plan to fill it with unproductive gibberish and stuff. Just stuff.

I’ve been thinking about all of this for a long time — years.

The Quiet Justice

“Two years and 142 cases have passed since Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas last spoke up at oral arguments.”

He says:

One thing I’ve demonstrated often in 16 years is you can do this job without asking a single question.

If part of my grade in law school is based on oral participation, shouldn’t a Supreme Court justice be required to speak up every so often?

Criminal Law TV Shows

I’ve been watching old episodes of The Practice and Murder One on Hulu non-stop. I haven’t even turned on my TV, except to watch golf coverage over the weekend.

I’m taking Criminal Procedure at school this semester. It’s the only exposure to criminal law I’ve had to date. Criminal procedure, not to be confused with criminal law, is the “legal process for adjudicating claims that someone has violated criminal law.” (Cite) I never thought I would be interested in criminal law, however the cases in my Procedure class are some of the most interesting I’ve read. There is no shortage of drugs, death or other allegedly illicit illegal activity. When compared to 50-page antitrust cases where the highlight is the court finding that company A orchestrated a horizontal merger among companies B and C, criminal law is a thrilling read.

Anyway, the shows are interesting, and it’s always fun to relate what I’m learning to a television show.

(Last semester it was applying my newly acquired common sense Professional Responsibility knowledge to pick out moments when the lawyers crossed the line of ethics on Boston Legal.)

First Day Back

Two of my three classes were canceled due to heavy snowfall on my first day back from winter break.

My courses this semester are:

* Antitrust
* Federal Courts
* Criminal Procedure
* Wills, Trusts & Estates

The only class held today was Antitrust, which has to do with the regulation of anti-competitive activities in the free market. As is common, the first day was a general overview of the topic. Notes were taken, but nothing that will likely be tested.

The real learning as well as the full schedule will begin on Wednesday!