The Holidays

I love Christmas and the holidays. I seriously do. But being engaged during the holidays? Beyond. I don't know what to do with myself now that school is out...but today we went looking at wedding venues...came home, decorated a gingerbread house and tree all while discussing our first dance song. Which, we picked, so yay.

I can't believe that school is almost over. I have exactly one year left...I could not be more excited. So glad I have an awesome bar study group and things are good. Law school has been a crazy journey for me, but with a year left? I can honestly say its been amazing. I met my husband here, I've made a ton of great friends, landed an amazing job (and made some mistakes, dont get me wrong). But, law school has changed me for the better and given me so many amazing tools. I'm so thankful I made the decision to jump in head first, even when it was really hard and terrible and there was a ton of studying in front of me. Hands down one of the best decisions ever.

Travel

Law school is .... well I guess this is the year where they work you to death. My class, my new job, my AWR, the MPRE....I think in my house we just look forward to the next vacation and hang on until then. Pretty much every break we've gone somewhere, and we have an upcoming weekend out of town planned. Then a big Thanksgiving dinner celebration, the holidays...we will be out of school!

I can't wait to finally be on flex fridays and be off every other Friday for awhile. I'll be able to get back on a regular work out schedule and cook dinner at home for us...it sounds really amazing. In the meantime, I just have to get through the upcoming weeks. Thank god for google calendar, I'm not sure I'd know where to be and what to do otherwise.

We also just finally got my grandpa into a "senior living" place. It is so nice and he loves it, and it's close to everything...I am really excited for him. I think it'll be a really really good thing for him. Plus he seems to really like it so far too. I love making him happy and doing amazing things like that for him.

Things are good. Crazy, hectic, but between the boy and I...we work it out. We talk time on the drive home to talk, and stay connected, and our little life is pretty amazing....I can't complain. This is my own little busy, overworked slice of heaven. I love it.

Washington DC

So I spent fall break in Baltimore with my boyfriends family and kids, and it was amazing. We went to a wedding, spent time with his family, and caught up on sleep. It's a beautiful part of the country, and the leaves were changing from green to red and it was gorgeous.

One of the highlights was by far visiting DC. I got to see all the memorials and spend time in the Capitol, the White House, the Supreme Court, and the National Archives. I had an amazing time seeing everything that we've studied so hard. I loved it - it was a really impactful trip and a lot of fun.

Seeing the Supreme Court, and the statute of Marshall and all the quotes on the wall, the old desks and gavels was so amazing. It was a really awesome experience, one that every law student should have.

Unfortunately, now it's back to the grind. Almost done with law school! :)

Sick

I hate being sick. But you know, vacation is coming up and I'm burning the candle at both ends, which always results in me being sick. But you know, sick or not, I can't afford to slow down at the moment.

I need to do all the reading for the week, and outline my AWR. Which means I need to actually do some research, which is not something I enjoy at all, but its what I have to do.

Anyway, just a quick update. Can't wait to go to DC and Maryland next week - supreme court visit, white house tours, national archives, a wedding, frank's family....it's going to be an amazing vacation.

I can't wait! :)

Terrorism Class

I'm taking a class on terrorism this semester, and it's very frustrating. It's not the typical law school class - it's much more philosophical - what do you think? How do we prevent? Why do they do this? Here are the laws - why were they placed and what's their real effect? It's such an interesting class, but really really conceptually difficult because of the heavy material that is so hotly contested and emotional.

Other than that I love my classes.

AND I love my new legal job! I'm writing motions and it's awesome! The people are really fun and amazing too. And I love the new Prius.

Life is really good, I can't complain.

Oh, evening students

I'm hanging my hat on you, as apparently, that's what my AWR is on. Pretty excited to write it, since that's been my passion since starting. Can't wait to explore the evening programs and how that effects outcomes and law students and law schools. I think it's going to be pretty epic. :)

School's starting tomorrow!

Four classes with some heavy hitters like Trusts & Estates and Professional Responsibility, and I just don't feel ready to get back into it. But that's what I get for not really taking a break. Our little trip out of state was awesome, and we had such a good, relaxing time.

I'm also starting my new job tomorrow, so nervous doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling. I'm still in shock that they want me(!!!!) to come work at a firm, and to hire me on once I pass the bar. I'm so so so excited, I can't even tell you.

I'm also taking a terrorism class this semester with an awesome professor that I'm really looking forward to. That, and being in school w/ the bf is always a plus. :)

Well, that's all while he sleeps off an awesome night last night with our law school friends. I will update soon and let everyone know how the first week of school/new job went! :)

Good luck to everyone tomorrow!

New Law Job + 12 Credit Summer

In two days, I will have completed a 12 credit summer. It was supposed to be a 14 credit summer, but thanks to a last minute cancellation, it was only 12. Thankfully I'm making those 2 credits up in the fall. It's honestly been exhausting. Intersession is a beast, but I'm lucky that I get to spend it with people that I adore.

I can't WAIT to start my new law job. Is it just me, or when law students get hired onto firms, do they all think, "who me? really? me?!" - because that's exactly what I thought. I can't believe I found a firm that likes me enough to work with me, let me have off early during finals and midterms, and will hire me as an attorney after I graduate. I feel like an exceptionally lucky and fortunate girl, more so than I can say. Plus it works in with our long term plans, especially if we get stationed where we want to.

I'm just really excited about life right now - and I'm really happy. Moving 30 miles away isn't as bad as I thought it'd be, it just leaves me happy every day. Plus I'm thinking that we may buy a Prius pretty soon to cut down the gas that I seem to be constantly using a ton of. But life is good. I get to go out of town to cooler weather for a couple of days soon and I can't wait for that. Then fall semester starts up and I'm looking forward to my trip to Baltimore/DC. It should be a really great ending to a really great year.

Things are looking up up up.

School's out for summer!

Okay well only kind of. I had two summer classes, one I loved and one I despised. I'm just glad that they're both over. I start intersession classes next week, and have two a day for two weeks...then a vacation to cooler weather, three days off, and fall semester starts!

It's been a crazy insane summer, but I am finally all moved, loving the new place and life, and I am happy. I think some things need to clear up in one area of my life, but once they do, I think things will be much much better. I'm really excited for what's in store!

Stress + Moving + Papers + Finals

Summer school is in it's last week and a half (thank god!), and I'm really really excited that it's almost over. However, silly little me went and scheduled my big, but seriously awesome move, the weekend before finals. Now, that's not a huge deal because for one class I just have a group paper due next week, but I do have a Crim Pro final, which I am not looking forward to, in a week and a half. So that means in between boxes and unpacking, I'm going to have awesome boyfriend quizzing me on the 4th and 6th amendments. There's just a lot going on - and it seems like life is just always this hectic. Right after I move I have my two intersession classes, and then I fly to Idaho three hours after the last one ends. I have four days off when I get back before fall semester starts. And fall break is taken up by a seriously awesome trip.

So, I have all these amazing, happy, wonderful things coming up, but they're pretty stressful, and I'm looking for a moment to sit back and breathe, and to take it all in. I'm sure that I'll find it, but in the meantime, I'm hanging on and trying to enjoy the hell out of the really amazing ride.

Other than that things are status quo - I'm finally going to get an A in a law school class - YAY. I've been getting pretty much straight B's, which is good because that's above the curve, but I've always just really really wanted an A, and now that I know I'm going to get it? I am SO STOKED.

Lots of crazy things and big decisions being made in my personal life. Boyfriend and I are making some huge decisions about our future and life and living and what to do, and it's thrilling and exciting and terrifying all rolled into one. He's so good about understanding where I'm coming from though. Once again, I need to just hang in there and enjoy the ride.

I know that there's a whole class of new 1L's gearing up to enter law school, and I was thinking of what advice I would give them. I think that I would tell them that it gets easier. Don't expect to know anything or to 'get' anything at first - just hang in there and keep moving forward. You will get it eventually, and you will do well, just put the work in first. :)

That's what's going on right now. Good luck to the incoming classes!

SCOTUS

...has made some really huge rulings this week. And people are either extremely happy, or extremely angry. I wish that people would take a second and step back and listen to themselves. Slinging mud and name calling in the spirit of "well the other side did it first" doesn't make you any better than the other side. It doesn't matter what I think about the rulings, but I'm tired of hearing educated law students, who I've heard form amazing arguments, slinging mud like first graders.

Just my .02.

Law Nerd Alert!

Exciting news! I'm going to be spending a week on the east coast in the fall, and that includes a couple of days in DC! The Supreme Court will be newly in session then so the plan is to try and get in and hear some oral arguments. I'm so stoked - I thought I'd have to wait a few years to put this trip off, but nope - tickets are booked and I am ready to go!

I'm pretty excited to see all the other nerdy things, the Pentagon, Washington Monument, the Vietnam Memorial Wall, The Capitol, White House, etc. However, in trying to tour the White House, there's a lotta hoops to jump through. Kind of crazy I had to go through my Senator to try and get a tour, and won't know until two weeks before our trip.

Anyway - my question to everyone out there - besides all the things I've listed, what are the must sees? And any tips on how early to get there to wait to see the oral args? I've never been so I'm really really excited and could use any and all advice.

Thanks! :)

Talk

I think the two biggest surprises about law school for me were 1. how much everyone talks about everyone else and 2. how unprofessional people are. First off - the stuff that people spread is just untrue and hurtful. But no one thinks to actually ask if its true. I've heard things about classmates recently that are just so untrue it's laughable, but people still spread it around. And if anyone thought about it, they'd figure out who it all starts from.

Secondly, I can't believe how unprofessional people are - even during class. A classmate tore apart another classmates paper in front of our entire class last night - and the paper was only wrong because of poor instructions from the professor. And as it turns out, her paper was just as bad. It was terribly unprofessional, but the person who's work got torn apart was a good sport and stayed calm about it, even though many, many shots were taken at him.

Law school is completely different that I thought it would be. I'm glad that the class is separating and that most of us are going our separate ways. It makes  it a lot easier to interact with those who you want to, and to not have to put up with the bad apples who like to make up lies and gossip about each other.

A word to the wise for those about to start in August: watch what you say, who you say it to, and how you act. People won't remember what you said, but they'll always remember how you made them feel.

Summer classes are...easy?

So, tonight marks the last class for first week of summer session. One week down - six to go! At least that's how I'm dealing with being at school every day, instead of out by the pool soaking up the sun.

The really good news is that my classes seem to be pretty easy so far. I have an International Sales and Arbitration class that's awesome. The professor cancelled the final and hates the book pretty much. Most of the class is spent talking about current events, how they play out in the world, international events, monetary and fiscal policies, etc. We're writing in groups in that class, but it doesn't seem too bad so far. And then also Crim Pro with a professor that I've had before so I know what to expect and how to handle it. My terrorism class got cancelled, so it looks like only 6 credits this summer, then 4 during intersession and 9 next semester. My graduation plans have been post poned, but with the way things are going it looks like that's the best idea.

The thing about law school is that everything seems to happen at once. I had a fairly calm end of the semester with finals. I was relaxed and easy going, and so far my grades have gone up and proven how much better that is for me. And so far summer has been pretty easy, like I said my professors seem good, I have some group work, but overall its nothing too stressful. I have some SBA duties but they're easy and I always have people to keep me company while I'm staffing the book exchange. But I can already see my summer getting incredibly busy with finals and moving and trips and vacations. Thank god I'm only in school three days a week next semester. I can't wait to just be Mon, Wed, Fri and get my AWR and MPRE knocked out of the way.

But overall, that's how summer is going. That, and talking to all of the new prospective 1L's at school that are incoming. It's so nice to be relaxed about law school instead of being so nervous and amped up. I don't envy them those feelings at all.

Finals

What is it about the last final of the semester that makes people freak out? I don't get it at all.

These finals have been different for me. I'm not under a ton of pressure, as I've done the work all semester long. I've felt relaxed, happy, and ready. I'm in a study room right now with a memorized outline doing well on practice MBE's, and I did well on practice essays all day yesterday while making an amazing meal. Or helping to make it anyway.

The point is that I'm relaxed. I'm not freaking out, and I'm not working until I burn out. I took the time out this weekend to go to the Melting Pot with friends Sat, and to just relax and hang out Fri. Overall I feel like I've prepared, done what I could and am ready to be done for 13 whole days (and go to Disneyland!).  I'm glad that I'm not around people who freak out and study until they burn out.

This feels really good, and I'm excited to go into my final tonight and finally be done with my second year of law school. :)

Graduate - in May?!?!

So yesterday while at work I was looking at where I am credit wise, and what I need to do in order to graduate Dec 2013, which is my goal, and would be 3.5 years - or a full semester early for the part time program. Then I really started looking at it and realized that if I keep my current plan of 3 summer classes and intersession, and find a way to go full time and get an externship plus to do winter intersession - I will be a May graduate! Basically this means I'd have to take a lot more student loans and cut my hours down at work pretty severely. I don't know how my boss is going to feel about that, and I have no idea how it will work with the MPRE, my AWR and a full time class load and externship in the fall. I'm a little concerned about it, but am hoping to figure it out for the best. In the end, it would end up actually costing me ~$300 more, and that doesn't figure in the extra summer session that I would have to do as well as intersessions. So, I'm thinking about talking to my boss and seeing what I can do. It wouldn't be terrible to break my lease and move home for a year or so maybe (okay - who am I kidding that would be the WORST), but there are some plans in the works.

Things are going pretty well other than that. I'm not stressed at all about finals this semester, and am doing pretty well. I had Property 2 last night and didn't have any issues. I've done pretty much every torts MBE and Essay I can get my hands on and seem to be doing well. I start Con Law studying on Thursday. And I'm getting my first tattoo on Friday! I can't wait - I am really really stoked about it. This semester has been different - I don't feel stress to cram it all in at the last second. I feel prepared, and like I've done what I've needed to do in order to succeed, at both the midterm and final level. I'm hoping for really good grades this semester.

Other than that I'm glad that our track is kind of splitting off and going our separate ways now. People lie and talk and are generally mean to each other in law school - and I don't want to surround myself with those kind of people. I have good people in my life and that's how I want it to stay from now on. There's been too much garbage in the past.

That's my update. I'll post more when I know what I'm doing and when I'm graduating. Until then, adieu!

2L Status

The thing about being part time is that if you use summer and intersessions the right way, you'll be like me, who will be a 3L at the end of my fall semester! AND I'm still only taking 9 credits in the fall - and going three days a week! Trusts and Estates, Professional Responsibility, and Comprehensive law. I'm taking a heavy summer load, and a heavy intersession load, but I can't wait to graduate and get out of school! :)

It's exciting and terrifying all at the same time to be so close (yet so far) from actually graduating. :)

Oh - we had Barrister's Ball a couple of weeks ago. For as much crap as I talked about it last year - I actually had an amazing time with my friends! We had such a fun table and a fun group that I was laughing all night long. There was some drama towards the end, but hey - haters gonna hate - right? Or at least that's what someone told me that night.

I also was elected to the SBA e-Board which is so exciting. I'm glad to help, and I'm getting such good, positive feedback from my classmates that I'm really excited about it. Sounds like next year is going to be a really amazing year with a really amazing (for the most part) group of people. :)

Officially a 2L!

After a long semester with no updates, I am officially a 2l! This semester was one of the roughest, to be honest. Not only did I work full time, but I took a 12 credit course load, which left me with hardly any life to be spoken of. Next semester I'm only signed up for 9 credit hours, thank goodness.

Fortunately, this semester will also be the end of my required first year courses, and I can start to get into some electives and fun stuff. I'll still have to take classes like Professional Responsibility, but hopefully I can get some more interesting topics in, too. I'm ready to be done with Torts and Property, more than I can even tell you.

I hope everyone else out there is having a great break. I don't go back until January 30th, so I'm enjoying the last little bit of it.

I'll update soon (I promise!)!