Believe me, friends, this is not due to laziness. I have, in fact, been working harder than I ever did in my undergraduate studies. So, let's catch up!
Last week, I took my first midterm. I don't really consider it noteworthy, however, because it was in an easy course and we were essentially given the entire test in advance. The material covered Legislation and Regulation, or, interpreting statutes. Statutes is the fancy word used for laws that come from the legislature. Most would assume that these are easy to follow, but ohhhh how mistaken they are. Legislature makes the laws and leaves it up to the judges to interpret what they meant when it comes time to apply those laws to cases. They do not, however, provide definitions of each term they include. Let's take a look at my midterm prompt for a better example...
My midterm presented a question (essay format) of two men who had been living in an apartment together for 35 years. Same-sex had not been enacted by the state in question, but it had not been ruled against, either; so the two men considered themselves "spouses," and their family and friends considered them as such, even though they were not legally married. After these 35 years together, one of the men died. The deceased man happened to be the only named tenant on the lease. The apartment they were living in followed an Act that allowed landlords to evict people who remained in an apartment after the named tenant no longer held the lease or it had expired, UNLESS those remaining were members of the deceased individual's family. The reason for the Act was to give the legislature a little control over landlords evicting people when it would cause dislocation and undue hardship in situations involving death. Were the men "family"? Should the living same-sex partner be allowed to stay?
Questions like these are what gives judges their reputations as being strict, liberal, politically biased, etc. Based on the outcome of the case, a new "precedent" would be created, and the courts would have to follow the ruling of the case in the future. Not as easy as it seems, huh?
That's ok...we know it's hard.
I have another midterm coming up on Friday which I have been studying for quite a bit. It is over Tort Law, or Civil Law as some may know it. This class covers things such as medical malpractice suits, negligence, false imprisonment, and the like. It is one of my favorite classes due to the interesting nature of the cases themselves and our brilliant teacher. Send positive energy my way for that test though, I'll need it!
Me!
Other than testing, I have had other assignments. Most classes follow a grading system of a midterm which counts for 20% of the grade, and a final exam which counts for 80%. Professors have the right to bump your grade up for class participation, and some give quizzes and whatnot as well. One class follows a different model, which about 70% of our grade is based on a "legal memo," which mimics the documents that an attorney would circulate around a law office. Though I do like this class and my professor...it is hard as hell for me. In high school and undergrad, students are taught to use creativity, metaphors, and style to make up unique and memorable essays. Those that have let me edit your papers or begged me to write them for you know that I am the queen of stylistic writing. Once one enters the legal profession, however, all of that is garbage. You are encouraged to repeat the same words over and over so you don't midlead your reader, and you are expected to write sentences without any descriptive words. Awesome, right? Totally...
The actual work is enough, but another stressor for the law school student is the constant threat of depression caused by competition, exhaustion, and simply being overwhelmed. I remember at orientation, we scoffed at the amount of lecturing that was given over this exact subject, but I actually get it now. Last week, I hit a rough patch when I missed my second quiz (out of 5) in my Criminal Law class. I knew the answer was wrong as soon as I turned it in, but it was too late. Even though the quizzes are a small percentage of my grade and I can miss a couple without any negative effects at all, I caved. I got mad at myself, and I panicked at the thought that one more quiz wrong and I would have 2 points knocked off my score. It literally brought me down the whole week! I remember missing tons of quizzes in college because I didn't show up to class and I still pulled off A's and B's. I have been so caught up in this idea that nothing I have done academically really matters up to this point. My slate has been wiped clean in that area and I am on equal footing with all the classmates around me. Grades in law school are crucial. If you make top ten percent, you're golden. You are invited to be on Law Review (this magical board that publishes articles and makes every law firm want you); if you make top third, you are considered for advising roles, teacher's assistant roles, and possible scholarship increases. On the other hand, if you fall below the top third, you can lose the scholarships you already have. If you fall below a GPA of 1.9, you are not even allowed to return the next semester.
The thing is, I'm smart. I don't think that's being obnoxious, because being smart is something you are born with, just like being born with dark hair. It's a product of genes and there's nothing wrong with being happy if you were blessed to receive it. Now that I've made my statement of humility, I can get to the point. In undergrad, most of my classmates were used to being one of the brightest kids in class with little to no effort. Some of them have started their own business, worked in firms before, and have had very impressive resumes and life experiences in general. Competition was always present in our lives, but we usually came out on top with a little effort and some extra coffee. Now, all of those kids are put in the same room. People grit their teeth when someone thinks of a point or a loophole they didn't notice themselves. They freak out about quizzes and papers, even if they don't count for a grade. People go to the library for God's sake. Madness! The point of this is...even people like me, who know that we are smart and have made it into law school, base a lot of their confidence and, sometimes, even their self-worth on the grades they receive. I don't think this is fault with the system, but rather I think it is a good introduction to the stress and the need to be prepared in our future careers as legal professionals. That last sentence was kind of lame...uh, even though it's for a good purpose it still sucks pretty hard.
The classes themselves, on the other hand, are going moderately well. Without naming specifics, I will give a little insight into what is happening in each one. I have two small classes. In one of these classes, the professor is upbeat and quirky. She calls on people to participate, but the class is pretty fun and we are all pretty chummy with one another, so this usually isn't an issue. The material that we are learning is not overly difficult, it just requires precision in every sense of the word. My other small class is, well, boring. It covers interesting information, but it is set out in a lecture format mostly, and some people do not take it very seriously because it's not as stressful as the other classes. The professor has started to pick up on this, so now she calls on people, but discussion is usually pretty lame. In her defense, she warned us at the beginning of the year that it wouldn't be the most interesting of courses. I also take two large classes (about 100 students in each). One of the classes is adored by the students who take it. The professor uses the Socratic method (the preferred method for the first year of law school), in which she calls on one particular student and asks them questions regarding cases that we were assigned while they stand up. We are expected to know all the details and history of the case, and she often asks questions based on our personal and legal opinions. It serves as a great way to shape our understanding, and since we're all terrified of being embarrassed in front of our classmates (we're called on at random), we show up prepared. The second of my big classes covers interesting information, but it is often jumbled and hard to keep straight. My professor is a peach, and she's very quirky and entertaining. Sometimes we're called on, but she usually allows volunteers and she is definitely not concerned whether you have the correct answer or not, just as long as you know what we're talking about. The usual annoyances in classrooms are still there. There are people who have nothing to add to the coversation but still feel the need to raise their hand in class. There are those who talk out loud when they're not called on (and when no one is interested in what they have to say). There are those who are smart and do actually add to the conversation, but they just talk too damn much. There are those who sit in front of you with their laptops open and order pretzel chips on Amazon. It's all there, unfortunately.
Yea...this happens.
Socially, law school is fun. It's usually rather amusing to enter a new workplace or school setting (for outgoing people, I suppose...) because there's so many new and strange people to meet. Cliques have started forming, and the gossip is sometimes top notch. I have even been included in some of that gossip, but thankfully it didn't get around too much before I set the record straight. I don't think any couples have started forming, but groups regularly attend happy hours and study groups together (sometimes concurrently). I got elected to the Student Board Association, so I am getting a lot of cool inside info on the law school which makes it all the more fun. Since I'm from this area, I still reserve the weekends for my "old" friends from the pre-law school days, but exceptions are always in order! :-)
One thing I am very happy about is that my social life has not ended. I knew I could handle the workload of law school, but I wasn't sure if I could deal with the separation from my friends and family that everyone warned about. So far, this has not been an issue. On the weekends, I work with some of my close friends at a flower shop. I take bellydancing and flamenco lessons. I go out dancing, to bars, and to movies, just like I did before. One weekend day, usually Sunday, is reserved for studying; but it doesn't seem that bad since I have a 4 day week at school. Studying in your pajamas just doesn't seem as stressful as being in class. Overall, I'm happy and I haven't lost the initial excitement I had about school. Ask me again during finals season and we will see if my story stays the same...
For those of you who don't know about the awesomeness of flamenco...Cheers!
Flamenco Dancer
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