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: 3L

Wow, the semester ended on a great note after I studied for my evidence final and I’m sure it went fine. I stayed over a bit at the Court to help my judge and to tie up some loose ends and then I’ll close out by attending a conference this week on Constitutional issues. Then, I’ll take a short break to see family before I start my firm job in downtown Portland.

I have made note of the way I feel and have held up as the law school experience has shaped and transformed my ability to process information efficiently and effectively, and I’m building what I call professional intuition. This only comes with experience, and many times I have a sense of the right answer and what to do, but I can’t quite say how I know where to look or what to do to confirm it.  Fortunately it makes my tasks easier and I’m usually correct and it saves me time from the way I was always inventing the wheel with each new task or question.  The Court experience gave me so much to build on.

I can’t believe another year is finished. But I caught up with some recent alums and I’m proud that they’ve had the courage to go out and find work, economy be damned. A couple of them even hung out their own shingle and are succeeding. I have to figure out my next steps this summer, but I’m very happy that there are so many options ahead.

7 May 2012

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: 1L Wrap Up

During your first month of law school, most of you will hear some variation of “law school is like training for a long distance race”: you have to start slow, find your rhythm, overcome hurdles, and, eventually (hopefully), make it to the finish line.  Upon reflection, I think this analogy is spot-on (at least, in terms of surviving 1L).

When starting law school, all of us were required to take a two-week course called Legal Elements.  This class introduced us to the dreaded “Socratic Method” and trained us on how to brief a case. One of the first cases I read was Garratt v. Dailey. I remember how challenging it was to decipher the procedural posture from the facts, find the issues, and understand the reasoning.  In those two weeks, I remember spending hours on homework, looking up definitions of new words, and trying to comprehend every sentence to prepare myself for the possibility of being called on in class.  I thought it was tough.  Now, I can’t help but smile when I think back to those first two weeks.  Eventually, things that seem so arduous and demanding will become second nature.  I promise that you will find your rhythm.

Sure, law school isn’t easy.  I still fear being called on in class when I don’t know the answer to a question.  I still feel anxious near finals when I realize that my grade depends on one three-hour exam.  But, law school is definitely not as terrifying as people make it seem.  It’s all about developing an appropriate school-life balance and having a (healthy) stress relief option.  Running was my way of dealing with stress.  My weekly mileage averaged somewhere between thirty and fifty miles.  And, after coming home from a run and taking a shower, I felt refreshed, energized and ready to hit the books (perhaps it was my shampoo…just kidding).  That said, I did have a month period during my first semester where I stopped running and ate much more Nutella (Have you heard about the class action settlement with Nutella?) than necessary.  And, you know what?  That month was unkind.  Find something that you enjoy and allocate time in your schedule for it.

There were two major hurdles for me during 1L.  The first was having a computer meltdown only a few weeks before finals.  Thank goodness for dropbox! The best thing you can do for yourself is to back up your files.  Trust me.  My second major hurdle related to first semester grades.  I won’t lie.  Grades mean a lot and, unfortunately, in law school, only the top 10% can be in the top 10%.  If you are among the 90%, you will feel as though your options are limited and you will undeniably question why you decided to attend law school.  Thankfully, this questioning period doesn’t last long because school doesn’t wait for you.  You then have two options: 1. Give up or 2. Bite the bullet and continue trying your best.  You should already know what option I chose.  (As I have emphasized in previous posts, the community at Lewis & Clark is one-of-a-kind.  Don’t fret.  Speaking with upper division students, alumni, staff and faculty will almost certainly make your choice an easy one).

Sure, I struggled at points.  But, I worked hard.  More importantly, I tried my best.  And, today, I made it to the finish line.

4 May 2012

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: Finals are here!

May 3rd will be a fantastic day (the day of my last final).   And, I promise to update you on my 1L experience soon after.

Until then, you should check out the scholarship resources at Lewis & Clark.  If you didn’t receive a scholarship from Lewis & Clark as an incoming student, know that you can still get scholarship money as a 2L, 3L, or 4L.  Still bored?  Check out this article – it’s very inspiring!

I’m also excited to meet all of you next fall!

15 April 2012

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: These waning days of 2L…

Spring seems to be here at last–it’s warm out, and social get-togethers abound. I’m heading off to my law review bash, and there’s actually a Barrister’s Ball event tonight–a type of law school prom–yet another fancy get-together. Our lovely Dean of Students has also invited a few of us for brunch tomorrow, so I hope the weather holds up. In a way, I feel a bit sad that I’m transitioning to summer because I haven’t had much quality time with my fellow students. It will be a short year before we part ways to begin our careers. But such is the way of law school–you’re so busy you don’t notice the time passing. I’m confident the incoming bunch will be a great class, though; I got to know a few of their stories, and they’re an awesome bunch. I’m looking forward to meeting them next year.

13 April 2012 make a comment »

: April in Oregon

So it’s April, and the semester has whizzed by! February and March were intense and dramatic (not just with the snow) for me because I had so much on my plate. But we’re closing our semester now and I need to talk about it.

I was happy to meet many of the incoming class of 2015 during our reception for admittees, whom I hope will join us.

That aside, my externship continues to go well, and indeed my legal writing skills are being challenged, and I am really learning so much in these waning weeks that I wish I could extend it out. But a local firm snatched me up as a summer associate. The process was long, but I’m glad I landed at a place I think will provide me both with challenging work and a good mentor or two. I feel spoiled in some way from having so many good people to work with in my short time in law school so far, but so very grateful how things have worked out, especially in light of the help and guidance I received which helped me decide the right direction to head.

6 April 2012

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