Law school has given me many new experiences since I began it just over a year ago. I've had the opportunities to read cases (countless cases), analyze hypothetical situations in order to give legal advice, and have even acted as an appellate advocate for a fake plaintiff in a fake case before a fake court.
But all of these experiences pale in comparison with the one my legal schooling compelled me to embark upon yesterday. I had to finally break down and buy myself a suit. A real business suit...a law suit you might say (please pardon the joke--it was begging to come out).
Why do I need a suit? Perhaps it's already obvious to you. Short-term, I need it because of Career Day on Friday, where I'm going to meet all the big-wig firms and try to shimmy my way into an articling position. Medium-term, I need it for my Student Legal Services volunteer gig throughout the year for any court appearances I'm going to make while representing SLS patrons. And long-term, of course, I've got to have something nice to wear when I hopefully get a nice job at a nice law firm.
I've got to admit, it is a nice suit--but it was quite expensive. It hurt to buy. But at least I'm set for a while.
A little side note about the song of the week. This is by far, in my humble opinion, the BEST cover of any song ever performed. It's done live by John Mayer and you can find it on iTunes. Even if you're not a John Mayer fan, I highly recommend it.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Antarctica ~ The Weepies
There is a saying among lawyers/law professors/law students: "In your first year of law school, they confuse you to death. In your second year they work you to death. And in your third year they bore you to death."
I cannot fully vouch for the truth of the witticism, yet I can certainly say that during my first year there were times I was confused to death. The other times, I suppose, I was just numb to any new information that was being thrown at me. At this point in time, I have no idea whether in the third year I'll meet my demise through boredom.
But as for being worked to death this year...well, I'm a little afraid that I might prove the statement to be correct.
I knew that classes were going to impose heavy workloads upon me--over 70 pages in just one class, assigned Tuesday and due today, for example (thank goodness for case headnotes)--but it's still a nasty surprise when you can never feel totally relaxed because you haven't read that 84-page case on a failed immigration application.
I've also decided to take the plunge and volunteer for Student Legal Services, which will have me doing a shift every other week where I'll be dispensing legal advice to low-income members of the community. Scary, I know. Hopefully that won't involve too much, but sometimes volunteers are required to go to court or appear before different tribunals on behalf of our "clients". I suppose we'll see how that goes.
This is also the year where we all scramble to try and secure for ourselves articling positions with the firms of our choice. This involves preparing applications and researching firms to see where we want to go and who we want to work with. As for preparing applications, who am I to say what a firm wants to know about me? Will they care that I spent two summers packing wedding cake-tops with bubble-wrap or that I accompanied on the piano a bunch of pre-teens in a production of the musical "A Little Princess"? Will Mr. Big-firm Lawyer want me as an articling student if I let him know I can touch my tongue to my nose, and will it be points against me if he finds out I can't fit my body through a coat-hanger? All very important issues to which I'll need to find solutions.
As for where I want to go, it's very difficult to say what my circumstances will be in two years. Right now, I'm single and unattached and able and willing to go really anywhere as long as I'll get paid. On the other hand, who's to say I'll still be in that situation in two years? That's a long time in young adult years. I'm just going to have to ponder it and make it a matter of prayer. And then, maybe I won't get a choice--maybe I'll only have one job offer and that'll decide for me!
I cannot fully vouch for the truth of the witticism, yet I can certainly say that during my first year there were times I was confused to death. The other times, I suppose, I was just numb to any new information that was being thrown at me. At this point in time, I have no idea whether in the third year I'll meet my demise through boredom.
But as for being worked to death this year...well, I'm a little afraid that I might prove the statement to be correct.
I knew that classes were going to impose heavy workloads upon me--over 70 pages in just one class, assigned Tuesday and due today, for example (thank goodness for case headnotes)--but it's still a nasty surprise when you can never feel totally relaxed because you haven't read that 84-page case on a failed immigration application.
I've also decided to take the plunge and volunteer for Student Legal Services, which will have me doing a shift every other week where I'll be dispensing legal advice to low-income members of the community. Scary, I know. Hopefully that won't involve too much, but sometimes volunteers are required to go to court or appear before different tribunals on behalf of our "clients". I suppose we'll see how that goes.
This is also the year where we all scramble to try and secure for ourselves articling positions with the firms of our choice. This involves preparing applications and researching firms to see where we want to go and who we want to work with. As for preparing applications, who am I to say what a firm wants to know about me? Will they care that I spent two summers packing wedding cake-tops with bubble-wrap or that I accompanied on the piano a bunch of pre-teens in a production of the musical "A Little Princess"? Will Mr. Big-firm Lawyer want me as an articling student if I let him know I can touch my tongue to my nose, and will it be points against me if he finds out I can't fit my body through a coat-hanger? All very important issues to which I'll need to find solutions.
As for where I want to go, it's very difficult to say what my circumstances will be in two years. Right now, I'm single and unattached and able and willing to go really anywhere as long as I'll get paid. On the other hand, who's to say I'll still be in that situation in two years? That's a long time in young adult years. I'm just going to have to ponder it and make it a matter of prayer. And then, maybe I won't get a choice--maybe I'll only have one job offer and that'll decide for me!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Canal Song (End of Sentence) ~ Iain Archer
Back to school means back to blog. For anyone interested, I had a wonderful summer, hanging out with family, reading books, watching movies, etc. My job was pretty relaxing, too, so all in all I feel very refreshed.
Well, at least I felt very refreshed until I decided to wear a certain pair of shoes to school. Not a good day to attempt fashion in footwear. I had to travel from one end of campus to the other a couple of times, in addition to walking to the bus stop and back and rushing around getting books and such. But other than the protests of my feet, I am not feeling the stress with which I ended last year. A good omen. Give it time, though.
How was my first day, you ask, excepting my poor choice in footwear? My first class began at 8 AM...or would have had the professor decided to attend. He or she did not, so my classmates and I just sat chatting until about 8:30, then going off to do our various "first-day errands". My next class was at 9 AM in the same room so I couldn't venture too far.
After my 9 AM class (the professor showed for this one) I headed over to help make/eat some waffles at the Institute of Religion. Following that it was back to the law building to join the Law Students' Association (to get my locker) and buying coursepacks. I finally had my last class of the day, Personal Property Security Law and almost fell asleep in class for the first time this semester! Not that it's the professor's fault--she's great, and the subject doesn't seem too bad, either. Just a bad time of day, I guess.
And now I sit, blogging away while my textbooks sit calling me. Yes, I already have readings, and although you may call me a keener for starting my homework on the first day, I have premonitions of getting behind in them and then drowning in the course material. So to prevent any water/course-related deaths, I shall begin on my readings now! Peace out until next time. Oh, and here's a picture that shows the kind of job I worked at this summer...
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