Law School Advice

This is a good site - Princeton Review does a whole thing on 1L
Princeton Review - 1L what to know

Lots of good information.

Health Care pushes forward!

I know many of you are not all that interested in health care reform, being you're probably young and healthy, but it is important for those that have to fight for those that don't have and can't fight for themselves!!

Senate Health Care Vote on Huffington Post

I am one of the lucky ones.  I have one of those "Cadillac plans" some say should be taxed to help pay for those who have no insurance.  Many Dems think taxing those plans are bad because it will hit middle-income people like union workers who are fotunate enough to have good plans.  I agree with that - I think over-taxing middle income workers extra is never a good plan because they are one of the groups the economy needs to continue spending!!  Why in the hell can't we add 1-2% tax for people making over $250k?  I mean seriously?  If you make $254,000, that means you will only pay an extra 1-2% on the $4,000 you make OVER the $250k!  How is that unfair??  Good greif!  You really think someone is making $250k and cannot afford paying a few extra hundred bucks a year???  Get over it!  "But if those people can' be allowed to keep more of their money, how will they open a business which can provide jobs??"  Yea, you can't even open a Mary Kay biz with a few hundred bucks these days!

Procrastination - 1L killer!

I must defeat this demon!  I thought I conquered it early on, but now, when I need the strength to fend off the demon that is DISTRACTIONS I cannot!!!! 

I MUST!!!

Ok,  more minutes on facebook...

Don't get discouraged 0L's - law school really IS like high school!!!

Seriously, I heard my school was cliquey but figured, please!  I am way too old for that to bother me!  Uh, no!  Long story short - I chose wrong the first week of school and can you believe it is TOO LATE for me to hook up with any group or to have any substantial friendships now???  WTF?

I mean don't get me wrong - people are extremely nice to me and there are A LOT of nice people.  Problem is, they are all connected and like in high school, don't seem too keen on adding to their group.  It could just be me they don't want, but I am more thinking they are just comfy in their groups and that's that!

I was with this group of girls - not at all sure how I connected with them, but we had a lot of fun!  I was much older than them, but it was fine.  Then, things happened and it just didn't work out.  Now, I feel a bit alone in a section of 120 people.  Like I said, don't feel sorry for me - I'm fine and having a great time, but I do wish I could have those close friendships I see people developing.  I miss getting the invites to the parties.

It's also like high school because you can hear people talking shit about other people alot!  That drives me CRAZY!  I hated that in high school - it does nothing but make people feel self-conscious! 

Study Hell

I'm afraid I can't do this!  I wonder if any other 1L has ever said that.  It's funny, too, cause at school there are 2 types of people - those who love to complain about how hard it all is and how much work we all have and those who empathize with you, giving off the impression that they have no idea what I am feeling.

Here's my take on that - ALL 1L's are stressed out!  I am sorry, but there is simply NO WAY anyone could be feeling like this is easy.  Even those who did well on the mid terms or memos so far HAVE to know how hard these finals are going to be, right??  Personally, I think the real two categories should be:  Those who realize how insanely hard all of this is but are hiding it brilliantly, and Those who fly their "I'm freaking out" freak flag high in the sky, for all to see!!! 

Unfortunately, I have fallen in to category two!  I don't particularly enjoy complaining - I tend to consider myself quite optimistic, actually, but these last 3 months have been one fat kick in the teeth after another!  Every day or two I catch myself saying, "Seriously?!?!?!?  I cannot take ANOTHER crappy thing happening to me!!"  and then sure enough one more crap-ass thing happens!!  Yet, here I am, little Mary sunshine, back again, ready to take another punch!

"IRAC Your World" - actual post on Craigslist from girl wanting a guy in her law class!!!

Not saying I wrote this, but I could name 3 or 4 girls in my section who I would put money down on as having written this!!  Funny!!!

http://abovethelaw.com/2009/10/legal_brief_in_support_of_sex.php


I can say with plenty of certainty - there are definitely things happening in our section!  I am grateful to be married and not caught up in it all, but it does make going to class a bit more thrilling - some hottie across the room, stealing glances, occasionally you catch his eye and don't look away immediately!  Hanging on every beautfiul word he says.  I miss that!!  Although, who says just cause I'm married, I can't still get that feeling for someone...

I'm just saying...

So it really is about the grades...

Met with my Career Services counselor today - eehhhh!  She was very nice, answered almost all of my questions.  Just not as proactive as I would have liked.  It was more about her wanting to answer any questions I had and not so much offering advice or asking me leading questions to determine how best I could be served.

So, this is it - the main crappy part of law school - in class, at career services, in the book - no one wants to give you the answer!!!  Professor Contracts calls it "hiding the ball"!!!  Have you ever asked someone a question, like imagine going to a restaurant and asking the waitress, "Do you have the Sea Bass today?"  and she responds, "Well, based on the your last experience here, did you ask that same question?  Well, what was the response then?  And was it around the same time as it is now?  And what about that situation is different than this?".....AAAAHHHH!!!  And then even when you come up with the answer, the Prof still might say, "I see..."!  So hard to learn that way - and I cannot understand how that is at all helpful!

Personally, I am beginning to beleive 1st year is about making it soo unbelieveably hard and combining that with the impossible task of achieving the highest grades so that people freak out and quit!!  I mean, think about it - we have 1 semester!!!  That is IT!!!  If you don't get over a 3.4 I would say, you are forever out of the runnning for HALF of the law school experiences!!!

More later...

Now I must work...

So, I've been at the library for hours and pretty much I've only done 1hr of productive studying!!!  Procrastination!  I went to the NIU library the other day thinking it was closer to home so I could study there until 11:00pm but be closer to home when I leave.  Well, among other things, their Wi-Fi was not public so I could not go online!  

WHAT A TRAVESTY!!!!

I swore to never go back!! 

However, now, I need to reconsider that thought...
(See ya tomorrow)

Monumental Day!

How does one begin her first blog post ever??  I spend so much time reading others' blogs, and I post to theirs because I feel I have so much to say - so why never one of my own??  Part of me feels they are only for those who have an issue of self-importance (what, me??)   But, mostly it is going to be my way of keeping a journal about this time in my life.  I keep saying I'll write in a journal at home, but by the time I sit down to write, I either fall asleep or write for hours. 

This will ensure I am succinct!  No one wants to read a never-ending post!  :) (cue the never-ending post...)

So, here's what's going to happen on this blog:

1.  I plan to tell all who cares to know what it is REALLY like going to law school - especially for those "non-traditional students" such as myself (btw - don't ever call me that - I hate that term!!!)  I read a ton of blogs before I started Chicago-Kent, but none gave me the real picture.

2.  I LOVE POLITICS!!  Truly, I'm a bit obsessed!  So, get ready to be whipped up into a frenzy, my Libertarian friends!  :)  I post on political blogs all the time and get soo irritated with the "trolls" - please!  Someone troll me!!  :)

3.  Family/Work/School balance!  This is a tricky one - I am in no way balanced right now and many days, one or more of those catagories doesn't even make the list!  I am working on it though and determined as HELL to make it work!!!