La Mitotera

I'm Back Bitches!

2011-12-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I took a hiatus. Ok Ok. A LENGTHY hiatus. Let's just say I had some good reasons. The most important being that I created a brand new human being. Yes, I now have progeny. He is the most awesome, wonderful, cute, smart baby ever. I mean what did you expect? He is my child. So, now I get to blog about being a lawyer AND a mother. Double win, right?

The transition back to work has been challenging but I am surviving it. I am still trying to stay semi-anonymous so if you have figured out who I am given my latest announcement, keep it to yourself.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year folks!

Lambs to the Slaughter

2010-05-12T01:31:00.000-07:00

I recently went to a law school fundraiser and found myself talking to second year law student ready to start their job at a law firm this summer. I felt like I was talking to an old version of myself. They said all the same things I did. That I had worked at demanding jobs before and knew what I was getting myself into. That I knew the hours would be long, but I could do it.

Although I was right about being able to work the long hours, I don't think I knew what it would feel like. There is a big difference between knowing intellectually that you might have a day where you bill 20 hours and feeling that. It is different when you have to call your significant other and tell them you will be missing their birthday and leaving them home alone because a project just blew up. Sitting in the same clothes you wore the day before and staring blurry eyed at the computer trying to do work feels crappier than I thought it would. That said, there are positives to the experience. I get to work on interesting cases and pay my loans. People that sign up for this life just don't know what it is really like until they know.

:'(

2009-06-25T23:02:00.001-07:00

Although Michael Jackson had a twisted history with its share of controversy, I am so sad that he is gone. I feel silly for feeling his dead so acutely, but I can't help it. Michael Jackson wrote the soundtrack to my childhood. I will never forget holding his thriller cassette tape in my hand and playing it all summer while I swam all day long in my grandma's pool. I knew every word and choreographed quite an elaborate set of backflips and swirls to thriller. Seriously, I think he would have been proud.

I owned a red pleather jacket and a singular silver glove. One of my most prized possessions was a blown up picture of Michael that was allegedly taken by my mom's friend who was a roadie for Michael. There is something about his music that no one else has ever recreated for me. There has been no one like him and I will miss his music dearly. I only hope that he has now found the peace that seemed to elude him during his time on earth.

Tired

2009-06-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

I don't think I had any sense of how hard I would be working once I started. I knew I would be working long hours, but I didn't understand how it would feel to spend late nights day in and day out on something I am not necessarily passionate about. I know I should be grateful to have a job, and I am. Life is just very different from being a law student. I am really happy that I get to do many different things and have even had some contact with our clients. Doing pro bono work also helps keep things interesting. I'm not unhappy, I just know I am not meant to do this type of work forever. I'm getting a little tired trying to stay at this pace.

Survivor

2009-04-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

This month marks my sixth month at my firm. So far I survived the layoffs and am hoping I will be able to survive any further cuts. Allegedly they are done eliminating attorneys for at least another year, maybe longer. While I think that might be largely true, I suspect that our upcoming evaluations will be more critical than they would be during more prosperous times.

That said, I have stopped spending any energy on worrying about getting cut. At this point there is nothing I can do, but do my job well. So far so good. I do feel like I am a little lucky because my firm didn't want to cut first years and take that reputational hit. I am not sure how I would handle the extended deferments many of my friends are facing. It is rough out there.

Woooo Hooooooooooo

2008-11-21T18:21:00.001-08:00

The name above appears on the pass list for the July 2008 California Bar Examination.

Knock Twice If The Answer Is Yes...

2008-11-20T21:53:00.001-08:00

With mere hours left to go I have finally worked out my notification plan to family and friends. If I pass, I will send a text message saying so. If I didn't pass, don't expect to hear from me for awhile. Leave me alone and no one gets hurt. Although I have told people my plan, I have a feeling some people (I'm looking at you mom) will think this does not apply to them. Seriously people, don't call me, I'll call you (or not). The suspense is killing me and the random people asking me how I did is not helping. At least by this time tomorrow I will know my fate.

Countdown

2008-11-16T00:15:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to avoid thoughts of the bar with little success. Now that just about everyone has heard their fate (including my friends from New York), it is impossible to ignore. Every day something or someone triggers bar thoughts that send waves of anxiety through my body. I don't know how I managed to stop thinking about the bar for a few months. Although I don't feel like I failed, I don't feel certain that I passed either. I am just hoping that all of us in California get some good news soon. I am also hoping that I never have to do all this again.

Don't Ask Me

2008-09-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

Questions Not to Ask Me:

1. So...did you pass?
2. So how do you think you did?
3. Was the test hard?
4. I have a problem, can you give me some legal advice?

Maybe I am just being a grouch, but I am sick of the people asking me about the bar. Do not ask me shit about the bar, ever. If I want to talk about it I will. Otherwise, never bring it up. I have been doing a pretty good job about not thinking about it and people that try to re-open that wound are really starting to irritate me.

Also, just because I graduated from law school doesn't mean that I either know anything about the law, or want to help you with your particular legal problem. I am not a walking, free legal aid.

Someone actually had the nerve today, to ask me how to help a 26 year old guy that was convicted of molesting a 14 year old girl. Obviously this person had no idea that I was the absolute last person that he should have asked this question. Although I am against the death penalty, I would gladly make an exception for child molesters and rapists in a second. I was so angry my head almost exploded. The guy was lucky he was a friend of my significant other. Had he not been my sweetie's co-worker I would have ripped his head off. Instead I practically growled that a 14 girl is incapable of giving consent (despite his protest to the contrary) and walked away. What the hell is wrong with some people?

Lazy Latina

2008-08-29T22:43:00.000-07:00

Now that I am not trying to cram random crap in my head, I barely know what to do with myself. I wish I could say I was using each day to the fullest by going to the beach, or napa, or travelling the world. Instead, I am catching up on Judge Judy and the Maury show. I am just so lazy and it takes a big effort to get me to do anything. Since I start work in a couple weeks I am trying to not feel guilty about being such a sloth. I figure as long as I am not thinking about the bar, everything is good. I hope I can keep it out of my head until the end of November. There is no point in thinking about what I got wrong or how certain essays (I'm looking at you essay #6) killed me. No, I would rather catch up on who is and isn't a baby daddy on Maury instead. There really is some quality TV on during the day. I am going to miss being a lazy Latina when I have to go back to work.

One of the 18 Million Cracks in the Glass Ceiling

2008-08-27T00:44:00.000-07:00

Now that bar hell is over I have been pretty lazy and just enjoying my time off. Being a political junkie I have been watching the democratic national convention all day. Although it is time to move on and elect a democratic president, I am still a proud supporter of Hillary. After hearing her speech tonight I still think she was the best choice and hope I get a chance to vote for her in the future. At the very least I am hopeful she will have a strong voice in the Senate and continue to fight for important things like universal health care.

So Long Hippies!

2008-06-17T23:17:00.000-07:00

As a die hard Cal bears fan I have been monitoring the tree squatters situation for a long time. It looks like a final decision will be made tomorrow. Today, instead of catching up on Barbri assignments that I have gotten behind on, I did some hippie watching. It was much more fun that doing the crim MBE questions that are waiting for me. As I was watching the cops try to cut zip lines and the hippies wailing, a random high school kid walked by and asked what was going on. When someone explained the struggle of the tree squatters, he asked the funniest question I ever heard: are they paying rent? Ha! I wish.

I am tempted to pack my lunch and spend the afternoon watching the police finally evict the tree squatters once and for all. The suspense of what the judge will decide tomorrow is killing me. No matter what, tomorrow is moving day.

La Mitotera, the Grouch

2008-06-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

Aside from going through every emotion daily (hope, despair, anger, fear) I have also noticed that my feelings are so close to the surface lately. I can watch a stupid TV show and burst into tears. Or someone can take too long picking their ice cream, thus blocking my ability to grab a pint, and I get super pissed off. (Word to the wise, don't get between me and ice cream.) I go from being super confident that I will pass the bar, to fearing I might fail. I just wonder if all this is normal. I don't remember being this crazy during 1L. Then again, you can't really fail during your 1L year at Boalt. Oh how I miss the good old days. I didn't know how good I had it.

Girlfight in Barbri

2008-06-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

The morning and the evening classes at Boalt seem markedly different. Maybe it is the type of people that go to the morning classes, the greater number of people, or maybe it the the less comfortable room, but it seems like there are more quirky and anxious people in morning Barbri. I get there every morning no later than 8:30 to find a seat. Unfortunately the class meets in Booth Auditorium and thus has a limited amount of seats with ample table space. Late comers have to squeeze into the side seats with tables approximately the size of a legal pad. Given that reality, I understand how some people get tense when they can't get a good seat.

It therefore came as no surprise that we finally had a fight over seats in class. Every morning the people like me who come early, pick a seat and sometimes drape a coat over a chair to save a seat or two for our chronically late friends. Some poor soul did the same thing and got more drama than was deserved.

Just like many of us, a girl saved a seat to her left and to her right in one of the front rows. (If she was saving a whole row, I might see things differently.) Another girl (anxious girl) came in and was upset about the saved seat because it was the seat she customarily sat in. The girl stood her ground and anxious girl took a seat in the front row. As the barbri video started anxious girl started to twitch and decided that she wanted her old seat. After all, the seat was still vacant and the video had begun. Nevermind that the person who was going to sit in the seat was just arriving or that anxious girl had a new and comparable seat, she wanted to sit in her old seat. (As an aside, this is not the first time anxious girl took a "saved" spot. The difference this time was that someone put up a fight)

After anxious girl pushed aside the stuff saving the seat she tried to sit in the seat. What ensued was actually kind of comical. Both girls tried to push each other out of the seat and at some point one of them was sitting on top of the other. Some of the people in the class freaked out that they were not able to pay attention during the cat fight and asked for the video to be stopped. The whole thing was ridiculous.

While I generally don't begrudge people the quirks that help them survive bar hell, there is something to be said for realizing when you you are getting out of hand. If someone take your favorite seat, get over it, sit in another seat. I know it sucks, but it just means you either need to come to class earlier or go to the evening class where there is absolutely no jockeying for seats. Don't force someone to give up the spot they may have saved for their friend (who could be in the bathroom or running late for some good reason) just because you didn't get to class earlier. This is especially true if there are many other good seats to chose from. I think I would have been more sympathetic to anxious girl if she didn't already secure a perfectly suitable replacement seat. I know for a fact I would have put up a fight the same way non-anxious girl did.

Somebody Stop Him, Really

2008-06-05T23:02:00.000-07:00

Today I was subjected to Professor Chemerinsky and it was brutal. I don't care if he can recite his whole outline from memory without looking at notes. I don't care if he is one of the brightest constitutional scholars of our time. Can't they just get someone who is funny and interesting? The problem with having the funny Torts guy, is that now no one will seem good in comparison. I would settle at least for a good looking guy to read me the same notes on Constitutional Law. Actors memorize lines all the time. How about Benjamin Bratt to read me Corporations? Or better yet, I am sure George Lopez could come up with some good criminal law jokes. How about him? And just to show I am not selfish, why not have Eva Longoria read something for the guys?

Blessed

2008-05-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

Whenever I embark on something new and scary I invariably fall back to the things that have always helped me persevere. Although many may not know this about me, I am actually pretty religious. I feel very strongly that the only reason I have gotten this far is because of God.

Although it may seem a little lame, I have depended on God to help me through even the smallest things (like learning to drive). When I first learned how to drive I was so petrified, that I would only listen to gospel music in my car. It took almost 6 months before I could give Yolanda Adams a rest and just start my journey on the freeway with a simple prayer. Now, as I face the bar I find myself doing the same thing I have always done. Aside from making a new gospel playlist for the ipod, I have also starting praying more regularly again. I hope God doesn't think of me too much as a fair weather friend since I seem to become more devoted during times of difficulty. Given his omnipotent status, I am sure he knows how thankful I am for the blessings he has given me (even if I don't go to church as much as I should).

I am comforted by the fact that God has never ever failed me in my entire life, and I know he won't now. That doesn't necessarily mean that I will pass this time around (but I think/hope I will). It just means that no matter what happens I know God will look out for me and I will be ok. I am grateful for that feeling of peace, because it is the only thing standing between me and buying some ice cream to self-medicate because of stress.

Unsolicited Advice

2008-05-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

As someone who got an offer from my law firm last year, I feel like I can give unsolicited advice about getting an offer. Some of this is obvious, and some of it depends on the firm you are at, and its overall structure/culture. This is not an exhaustive list.

1. Communicate!
When you get your assignment, make sure you ask your reviewer tons of questions. Ask them if they recommend any sources to start with, how long they anticipate the assignment should take, and what is the drop dead deadline. If you start having trouble with your assignment communicate that right away. I have heard from many attorneys that communication is a big weakness for many summers, because they are too afraid to speak up when they need help.

2. Don't Be Shy
Reach out to people in your practice group and ask them if they would like to go to lunch or grab coffee sometime. Since the firm is bankrolling their java fix or lunch, they should be more than happy to take you (unless they are really busy). This is a great way to find out if you are a good fit for that practice group.

3. Make Sure People Know You Are Working
This might seem like odd advice, but keep your door open or cracked so attorneys walking by can see you working. Some people like to keep their doors shut while they work, but this can often look like you are not in your office. Also, if you happen to work late one night, make sure to take a quick stroll down the hall or near the office of your reviewer so they know you are a hard worker and willing to work late when necessary. (Obviously if you work at a firm that strongly discourages working late, don't do this. Also, don't do this all the time or it might seem fake. Do it just enough for them to know you are a hard worker.)

4. Go to the Major Events (and events specific to your practice group)
Although you don't have to go to all of the events, it is important to be seen and to interact with others. Everyone wants to know that you will be a pleasant person to work with. Also, make sure you go to events specific to your practice group to get a head start in making friends, and identifying people you will want to work with when you return the next year.

5. Get an Ally on the Summer Committee
If possible, get to know some of the people on the summer committee and try to develop a relationship with them. You can try do this by inviting one of them to lunch or coffee. If you are able to cultivate a relationship with someone on the committee, it is likely that you can find out if there are problems ahead of time, and that person can also vouch for you when it is time to give out the offers.

Although I can probably come up with more, those are my top five. Anyone else have any other suggestions?

Tequila!

2008-05-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

This is how I celebrate three years of hard work. Congrats to everyone else that graduated too.

So Hood

2008-05-14T18:35:00.001-07:00

I hung up my graduation gown to shake some of the wrinkles out today, and was admiring how much the hood looks like colorful butterfly wings or something like that. I think that it is especially fitting since my favorite book as a child was the hungry caterpillar and I always thought it would be cool to be a butterfly. I have to admit that even after reading the 5 part instructions on how to attach the hood, I have no idea how the fancy hood thing works. Still, it looks pretty cool and way better than my high school and college graduation gown.

Charge It!

2008-05-14T00:22:00.000-07:00

Although I am not yet done with finals, I have been out shopping. Given that it should be fairly warm in the East Bay this summer and air conditioning is scarce, I thought I should get a whole new cool and comfortable wardrobe. Every time I pick through a clothes rack and pick another thing to buy I think, "you should buy this, it will help you pass the bar". While I hardly need an excuse to shop, I love using this rationale in my head. Yes, you "need" those shorts. How can you concentrate in Barbri if you don't have a cute pair of shorts that keep you cool and match the new top you bought? It makes sense to me. I blame the blog, a girl walks into a bar exam for giving me the idea.

Best Things About Berkeley?

2008-05-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Now that I am in full procrastination mode, I was trying to think up all of the things I will miss about Berkeley once I leave. So far I have only come up with Yogurt Park. Maybe if I procrastinate some more I can think of some other things I will miss. Don't you just love finals and the way they can prompt you to do anything but what you are supposed to be doing? Is there anything you would add to a list of good things about Berkeley?

The Full "Berkeley" Experience

2008-05-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

After warning my family about the Yoo protesters, I have changed my mind about not wanting them to protest. It turns out that every family member I have told is getting a big kick out of the idea that there will be protesters. They feel like they are going to get the full Berkeley experience. Out of everyone, my grandmother was the most enthusiastic about getting to see the orange people. So, protest away orange people, I support you!

Buyers Remorse

2008-05-09T02:22:00.000-07:00

Within hours of making my final payment for the PMBR course, I am starting to regret it. Almost everyone I have talked to recently has said it was a waste of time because you simply do a bunch of MBE questions even though you don't know the law yet. How much can you honestly learn about your weaknesses if everything is a weakness? It sure seems like I am spending a lot of money to take tests that are easily available in the PMBR books for a much lower price. Still, I can't bring myself to cancel the payment. I am definitely suffering from pack mentality and will do just about anything to pass.

This Happens To Good People?

2008-05-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

When I graduated from college I didn't expect to be one of the first of my friends to get married, and I wasn't. That distinction fell to my friend Michelle who had dated another member of our group of friends. As I went on one dating disaster after another, she had a life that I envied. Her husband was sweet, smart, and dependable, and she had two adorable boys. Together they would go on camping trips and I would live vicariously through the pictures she posted on her blog of them happily hiking through the woods. I thought she had everything I wanted, until now.

I just found out that her husband had an affair with a woman that eerily looks much like Michelle. In addition to telling my friend that he no longer loves her, he also left her for the other woman. I feel terrible for my friend and really can't comprehend how something like this happens. Those two have been together for so long and they have children together. How can someone just walk away like that? It really has shaken my world. To add insult to injury, her soon to be ex-husband brings his sons around the other woman and she says things like, "your mom is ugly". How can a man that promised to love, honor, and cherish her in front of all his friends and family do something like this? How can anyone ever be sure that something this awful won't happen to them as well? My world is rocked.

So Close Yet So Far

2008-05-06T19:46:00.001-07:00

I am still trying to finish up papers and finals. It doesn't help that I have writers block and no real motivation to keep working. It is so sad that I have taken a topic that I once loved and transformed it into something I can't stand. I wish I could just be done without all the work. This is what I get for being such a slacker all semester.

Writing Requirement Hell

2008-05-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

Although I have made a significant dent in my writing requirement, I am probably about 10-15 pages away from completion. I never thought it would happen but I am completely out of BS. I know that is not supposed to happen to a future attorney, but it has. I am completely and utterly unmotivated to finish even though my advisor is probably going to kill me. I worry that this is a bad pattern for me. I often have to have my feet to the fire to get things done. Why can't I just be a normal person and be motivated to finish without a scary deadline?

Selfish?

2008-04-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

Am I am selfish for not wanting to share my day with the orange jumpsuit people? The more I think about the protest, the more it irritates me. Although everyone faces unique struggles to graduate from law school, my journey was particularly difficult.

While just getting into Boalt was a great achievement for me, graduating three years later is probably one of the biggest things I will ever accomplish in my life. The pride of graduating from Boalt doesn't just belong to me, it belongs to my entire family.

Although I have no problem with a few people with some signs, it is starting to sound like the protest is morphing into more than that. Instead of my family peacefully making their way to the Greek Amphitheatre early Saturday morning, they will have to contend with people shouting at them and pushing offensive pictures in their face. The walkways to the amphitheater are narrow and it is likely the protesters will obstruct their ability to get to the graduation. It will probably be a nightmare to get my disabled family friend to the amphitheater.

Lastly, since the day of graduation is probably the last time I will see all of my 3L friends in one place, I was looking forward to drinking cheap champagne in the courtyard and introducing my family to the people who helped me survive law school. Maybe it’s selfish, but I don’t want to share my graduation with the protesters. Nothing they do is going to change what is happening. If I knew their protest would actually stop torture, I would feel differently. Instead, their actions will only have a direct impact on me and my family’s ability to enjoy the one day I have been given to celebrate the end to a very long journey. I don’t think it is fair they are using my graduation as a soap box. But then again, I should know better. I know life is often not fair.

So Annoyed I Could Torture Somebody

2008-04-27T23:03:00.001-07:00

So it appears that Boalt is adding a new group of folks that want to protest commencement this year. Apparently some people think dressing up in orange jump suits and protesting Boalt's graduation is a fun way to spend a Saturday morning. Although the idea of sharing my hard earned day with Berkeley crazies is annoying, it is not as annoying as the comments on Nuts & Boalts. Some of those people take themselves way to seriously. If you want to spend your Saturday yelling at my grandma, fine. She is pretty tough and is more likely to laugh and shrug it off than get upset. I just wish they would stop being so sanctimonious. Wearing an orange jump suit and jeering at graduating 3Ls isn’t going to get Yoo fired, stop torture, change the world, or even change anyone’s mind. But hey, I think protesting is fun too, so I get it. Just don’t get in the way of me drinking my cheap celebratory champagne and nobody will get hurt.

Yikes

2008-04-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

And so it begins....

27 Days

2008-04-20T22:16:00.000-07:00

It is starting to sink in that I have less than a month standing between me and studying for the bar. Despite having lots of friends that failed I am staying optimistic. Although I didn't get the highest score on the LSAT, I also didn't get the lowest score either. I know I have enough brainpower to pass. I don't have to have the highest score on the bar, I just want to pass.

I am also trying to get prepared. I have begun cleaning my house from head to toe so I can study comfortably. I am also trying to be more disciplined. Being a 3L has not inspired me to be very disciplined, but I certainly have relaxed during this last year.

I found an interesting blog that teaches you how to become more self-disciplined. I think I am going to do the 30 day challenge and turn myself into an early riser. It might be a little painful, but necessary. I have to be ready to ramp up a mere day after graduation since I will be doing PMBR.

Morally Challenged

2008-03-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

Unlike many of my other friends I am just getting around to finishing my moral character application for the bar. As I feared it has been very difficult to remember all the jobs I have held and where I have lived over the past years. I am curious to know how closely they scrutinize the application. Last year at least one of my friends had their application sent back because it did not have enough detailed employment information. I hope that will not happen to me.

You Know You Are a 3L When...

2007-12-11T23:49:00.000-08:00

You know you are a 3L in finals when...

1. You had no idea where to sit during the review session because you only went to the first day of class.

2. You guilt a 2L into giving you all of their in-class notes for the class you never attended because you helped them during finals last year. (Thank God 2Ls at Boalt are still worried about their grades.)

3. You haven't done a single outline and spent all day trying to find a good one on the Internet instead of actually trying to make an outline. (Try Boalt.org)

4. You realize (30 minutes before your first in-class final) that you still haven't picked up your exam number.

5. You still make time for important TV shows even though you are technically in the middle of a take-home final.

Feel free to add your own!! Good luck everyone.

I Have How Many Days to Learn What?

2007-12-10T00:28:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's just me but it seems like our reading period shrunk considerably since last year. I guess I should be grateful for the extra week of vacay we get for Christmas break, but I think a couple extra days to learn entire subjects would be nice. I always end up kicking myself right before finals start because I am never as prepared as I would like. I admit I have not used my time wisely at all. Even today, the day before finals week starts, I was cooking up a storm and cleaning my house instead of reading. What is wrong with me?

Has It Been 5 Weeks Yet?

2007-12-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

As a 1L during finals I had a little countdown and rationed all the days I had left carefully to make sure I studied enough for each topic. As a 3L I admit that I don't pay attention to dates like that anymore. This time around I'm not worried about finals and couldn't tell you how many days I have left until my first final. Still, I am curious about my MPRE results. Although I am pretty sure I failed I need the official confirmation. If we really do get the results within 5 weeks after taking the test, those results should be arrive by the end of this coming week. Bummer.

Obsessed

2007-11-27T00:34:00.000-08:00

I can't explain it but I am starting to get obsessed with the bar. Maybe I feel like I will be in greater control of my destiny if I know all the deadlines and important information. In any event I have come across some great resources. Below is some very helpful information for 3Ls to keep in mind. Don't be scared. Knowledge is power. (At least that is what I am going to tell myself)

GUIDANCE ON DATES, APPLICATIONS & FEES REQUIRED FOR ADMISSION TO THE CALIFORNIA BAR°

Registration with the Committee of Bar Examiners: Students must register with the California Committee of Bar Examiners as a law student. You likely did this during the first 90 days of our first year of law school. If you did not, you can still register, but you will be charged a late registration fee. Students can register on-line through the California Bar web site, www.calbar.ca.gov.

When: First year/NOW
Cost: $92 + late registration fee

Website: http://calbar.xap.com/Applications/CalBar/California_Bar_Registration/default.asp
Application for the Determination of Moral Character: A positive moral character determination is a prerequisite to being admitted to the bar and practicing law in California. The filing of the moral character application begins the process of character investigation which generally takes four to six months to complete, but could possibly take longer.

When: Now (at least 8 months prior to date you expect to be admitted to practice law in CA)
Cost: $431
Website: http://www.calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=10115&id=3084

The California Bar also requires that all applicants to the practice of law be fingerprinted. Applicants are required to submit fingerprints through the Live Scan system with the application for Moral Character Determination. A list of agencies providing the Live Scan fingerprinting service can be found at the California Attorney General - Department of Justice website: http://ag.ca.gov/fingerprints/publications/contact.htm.

Multi-state Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE): This examination is administered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) and is one of the requirements for admission to practice law in California (and in all but 3 of the other U.S. jurisdictions). The next test date is March 8, 2008. The regular registration deadline for the March MPRE will probably be in January. Note: It is necessary that you request that NCBE report your score to the California Committee of Bar Examiners.

When: Register in January; take exam in March (if not already completed and passed)
Cost: $55 ($110 for late applications)
Website: http://www.ncbex.org/multistate-tests/mpre/guidelines/dates/ and https://secureweb01.act.org/mpre/goFaq.do

Bar Examination Application: Students graduating from law school must file an application to sit for the bar examination in California.
When: Application available March 3, 2008; timely filing April 1, 2008
Cost: $529
Website: http://calbar.xap.com/Applications/CalBar/California_Bar_Exam/default.asp (this website is for the February Exam, but should be updated after the new year for the July Exam)

Laptop Certification: If you plan to use a computer for the essay portion of the exam you must apply for laptop certification. There are a number of steps that you’ll have to follow in order to register with the exam software. The link below is to the Feb. 2008 bulletin. There will be an updated bulletin for laptop users that will post for the July 2008 exam. Keep your eyes out when you complete your bar examination application in the spring.

When: March? (I think this application is available when you register to take the bar)
Cost: $119 ($15 late fee)
Website: http://calbar.ca.gov/calbar/pdfs/admissions/GBX_laptopbull.pdf

Testing Accommodations for the Bar Examination: Students who have received examination accommodations while attending law school must petition the Committee of Bar Examiners to receive accommodations for the Bar Examination. Students may petition the Bar any time after having registered with the Bar, and the Committee of Bar Examiners strongly encourages students to file their petitions no later than the beginning of the last year of study.

When: NOW, if applicable.
Website: http://calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=10115&id=1015

Comply with California court-ordered child or family support obligations (if applicable): Applicants who have met all other requirements but who have been certified by the State Department of Social Services as being in non-compliance with court ordered child or family support will not be certified to the Supreme Court as qualified to practice law in California unless the appropriate release has been obtained.

When: NOW, if applicable.
Website: www.calbar.ca.gov

VERY HELPFUL WEBSITES:
State Bar Admissions General Information: http://calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=10115
Summary of Requirements for Admission to Practice Law in California: http://calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=10115&id=3922
Applications/Forms:
http://calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=10115&id=1006
Bar Examination Information (for Feb. 2008 bar – to be updated):
http://calbar.ca.gov/calbar/pdfs/admissions/GBX/CBX_INFO.pdf
Additional information and the application form can be found under Bar Exam Admissions at www.calbar.ca.gov.
Scholarship from ABA: http://www.abanet.org/lsd/bar-bri.pdf

° THIS IS SEPARATE FROM ANY REGISTRATION DATES FOR EXAM PREP COURSES AND IS NOT INTENDED TO SUBSTITUTE FOR YOUR OWN RESEARCH. GUIDELINES ARE BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED AS OF OCT. 29, 2008 AND MAY NOT BE COMPLETE.

Tamales!

2007-11-21T12:23:00.000-08:00

With the holidays arriving it is time to start making tamales.

First you start with a good salsa...

And then the meat...

Delicious!

At Least You Don't Have to Ask "You Want Fries With That?" For a Living

2007-11-19T21:53:00.000-08:00

The California Bar Results went public on Sunday and I was stunned by how many of my friends did not pass. Even more confusing was the fact that there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to what happened. People who are double H magnets failed while people that didn't even show up to class their entire 3L year passed. It makes me more than a little nervous about my future.

So far I have avoided calling any of my friends that failed because I am at a loss for words. Theoretically I feel like even if you fail the bar, all is not lost. Given the hellish things I have lived through, I think there are worse things in life than failing a test which can be taken again. I still think my friends who have gone to Boalt are blessed and have a bright future ahead. Nonetheless, I know that I have not experienced the hell that is bar preparation yet and my own words probably wouldn't bring me any comfort if I failed too.

19 Hours Away

2007-11-15T22:46:00.000-08:00

In a mere 19 hours a bunch of my friends will find out if they passed the bar. I truly hope they all passed and that Friday night will be a time of celebration for most if not all. I can't even imagine what it must be like to wait for the bar results. It seems particularly crappy for the California State Bar to make them wait until 6pm when the scores are obviously available earlier in the day. I seriously doubt that anyone waiting for their results is going to be productive at work anyway.

It is actually a little scary to watch all my friends worry and stress about getting their results. Unfortunately, I'll be in the same place this time next year.

Next Year

2007-11-12T21:02:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know it is super late for a Halloween post, but I totally found what I am going to be next year. A chola! Bet my law firm will love me showing up looking like this...(hat tip:http://loteriachicana.net/)

Grateful

2007-11-11T23:54:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine at Hastings told me that there was a suicide attempt there this past week. When I heard the story it made me wonder what could possibly push someone literally to the edge? It seems like sometimes the atmosphere of law school obscures what is really valuable and important in life. Although Boalt is less competitive than other similarly ranked law schools it is still easy to lose perspective. It is easy to devalue yourself and all your previous accomplishments when you don't get the highest grade in the class for the first time in your life. In particular, I remember feeling very insecure last year during OCIP as the wave of rejection letters steadily poured in. One of the things that helped me most was remembering to be thankful for all the good things in my life. And while I don't think writing down a list of things you are grateful for is a suitable solution for someone troubled enough to consider taking their own life, it is probably something most of us can benefit from. There really are so many things to be grateful for. Here is a list of some of the things I am grateful for:

1. Have the love and adoration of a wonderful guy
2. Have a roof over my head (this is especially nice considering the rainy weather)
3. I get to graduate from Boalt before Dean Edley jacks up the price again! (Sorry 1Ls & 2Ls)
4. Have On-Demand cable which means I never have to stop watching TV
5. Have great friends who enjoy chocolate and gossip just like me
6. Already have a good job to go to after graduation
7. Don't have to study for the bar for another six months

Did I Just Get Punked?

2007-11-05T21:25:00.001-08:00

I woke up early Saturday morning and made my way to the MPRE testing center. The place was crawling with 3Ls with Barbri books stuffed under their arms. As I sipped on my coffee I made small talk with some of my modmates who were also taking the dreaded test. None of us really studied because everyone says that the MPRE isn't that difficult. In fact, I have more than one friend who has bragged about how they studied for one day and drank the night before the test. So as I cracked jokes and tried to figure out what schools various people were from, I had no idea what I was in for.

In fact, once I found my seat after a long and disorganized process of checking in, I had the nerve to feel calm. I even ignored the crazy girl behind me who was heckling the proctor for taking forever to get started. Still, I was a little surprised that this girl yelled out for the proctor to shut up and get the test started. I was also surprised that some people actually clapped once we were about to get started. Talk about lame. I hope none of those people were Boalties.

As I broke the seal on my test I thought for sure my cursory Barbri class had prepared me enough to pass. I was so wrong. That test was so difficult. Under the best circumstances I could narrow down the choices to two answers. But mostly I just had to guess and hope that everyone else was struggling like me. I haven’t found anyone that said that test was easy. I think I might as well re-register for the March test now to get a good test center.

So Easy To Say Goodbye

2007-11-02T17:20:00.001-07:00

As I get closer to graduation I am surprised at how little nostalgia I feel about my time in Berkeley. I can't wait to get out of here. From dirty hippies living in trees to the nazi parking death squads, I am so over Berkeley. While cities like Oakland and San Francisco still give me plenty to be happy about, I can't find much to like about Berkeley. I am really ready to move on.

The Scarlet NO

2007-09-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine was no offered at their firm and I have no idea what to say to them. Although I have been positive and encouraged them to stay optimistic I can't think of any good advice to give. I can only imagine how terrible it must be to have to do OCIP all over again in a market that is even more competitive than the one we faced as 2Ls. The first time was bad enough, but how does one successfully go into a new set of interviews with the scarlet “no” anchored around their neck?

I have heard elsewhere that it might make sense to either pursue a clerkship or try to argue that the no offer had more to do with geographic preference than work product. Still, these options don’t seem very promising. Any advice on what type of advice I can give? I guess at this point all I can do is be a good listener.

Don't Panic 2Ls

2007-08-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

As an incoming 3L I am actually looking forward to the school year. Unlike 1L year I know exactly what to expect and how hard I need to work to do well. Also, unlike 2L year I am not going to be busting my ass to interview with every firm participating in OCIP. Although OCIP wasn't the worst thing in the world, it sure as hell wasn't fun either. I was completely unprepared for how demoralizing it can feel to be constantly judged.

Grades? CLR? Job experience? If you are lacking in all or one of these areas you may worry about whether you will measure up. Don't. You may worry about whether you have successfully distilled how wonderful you are into your one page resume and 20 minute audition. Don't.

Don't get me wrong. I know exactly what its like to feel like the angel of death had come for a visit when I spied Amjur queen on my interviewing schedule. Likewise, it was no help that I had to languish outside in the hall while the person ahead of me was successful in coaxing fits of laughter out of the interviewer either. Still, I survived and so will you. Although rejection is an inevitable part of the process take heart 2Ls. You won't believe me right now, but you will see that *almost* all of you will get a job. Yes, even if you got all Ps and don't have much work experience, you will get a job. It might not be a job at your 1st choice, but you will get something. That said, if you have zero personality or give people the heebeegeebees all bets are off. Try to interview over the phone.

The Salt Mine

2007-08-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

Although some people say that being a summer associate at a big law firm is the best job in America because you get paid to do nothing, I have actually been working. I have no idea if my experience is typical, but needless to say it was unexpected. It makes me curious. Did I just pick incorrectly, or are there other summer associates working long hours? In a strange way I am almost glad I have gotten a window into what my life will be like at a big firm. Let me just say, it isn't pretty. The worst is when you are stuck at your desk at some ungodly hour with the empty takeout box in the trash can and the computer screen staring back at you. You wish you were out with your friends for a drink or just at home relaxing. You wish you were anywhere but sitting in that chair mindlessly clicking through Westlaw, scouring the four corners of the universe for some random project that probably won't mean much in the scheme of things. I can definitely see why some lawyers hate their life.

Anybody Hungry?

2007-07-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

I don't have any funny stories about my summer in biglaw so far unless you count the drunk associate who kept drinking at a firm event until he was sauced enough to berate a partner for his choice of tie in front of all the summer associates. Talk about awkward. Other than that I don't have much to report. I have eaten just about everywhere and am quickly turning into a roly poly. I am currently searching for the right fad diet to lose my extra summer pudge. Suggestions are welcome. I am currently eyeing the eat less move more strategy. Doesn't sound fun, does it?

I Already Miss You Crunchy

2007-04-21T23:48:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say a word of farewell to my fellow blogstress Alice. Like her, I have always been concerned about how anything on the "internets" is there forever and can have lasting implications on your legal career. That is actually the main reason I have chosen to be anonymous and why my posts try to remain fairly general lest I be outed. It is unfortunate that things take on a life of their own in this blog world. While I think the Boalt kid that posted that bit about shooting up Hastings is stupid, I don't think he deserves the witch hunt that is currently going on. I bet if this had happened a few weeks ago when we had nice weather and weren't searching for a reason to procrastinate it would have blown over faster. In any event I will miss you Miss Crunchy. I will now have to find a new blog to check during class.

How Many Subjects Can a Person Learn in Less Than Two Weeks?

2007-04-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

Only 11 days until finals and I finally started to outline for my closed book final today. As usual I am way behind but I am totally looking forward to the summer and not even four finals can bring me down. I figure if I stay optimistic and get the red bull iv started now I might have a chance of learning enough not to embarrass myself.

Back and Ready to Procrastinate

2007-04-17T01:47:00.000-07:00

Finals are coming and so I am back and ready to procrastinate. I am so behind and yet still find the time to do anything but school work. I wish I could at least make myself go to sleep because at least that would be somewhat productive. Instead, I am up at an ungodly hour watching old episodes of law and order. I love that show; too bad it can't guarantee a couple Hs.

Burn Out

2007-02-22T22:36:00.000-08:00

1L year they scare you to death. 2L year they work you to death. 3L year they bore you to death.

True to the adage above, 2L year has been squeezing the life out of me. I have never felt more overwhelmed in my entire life. It is amazing how many demands all kinds of people put on your time when you are a 2L. I think the experience is particularly acute for students of color because we have so much pressure both to do well academically as well as give back to our respective communities. There is always this sense of guilt when there is an important event or issue that comes up, and there is just no room in my schedule to help out. Although Boalt does have a fair amount of students of color, unfortunately there just aren't enough of us to do everything that needs to be done. Sometimes I wish I could just be a student who only cares about doing well in my classes. While I obviously could make that choice, I know I would feel to guilty not to be as involved as I am. I just wish I could clone myself right now. At this point I think I would need to make at least three of me to get all of my work done.

Halfway Through

2007-02-05T13:22:00.000-08:00

Last week the Boalt Alumni Association had a halfway through party for the 2Ls. I got to load up on really cheap wine and appetizers, and shoot the breeze with mod mates who I haven't seen at all this semester. I was surprised by how nostalgic I became while looking around at all the people who slugged through 1L year with me. I guess it only takes a year to forget how annoying the person who shared long personal stories in torts was. Then again, maybe not. I’ll miss a lot of the people who helped me survive my first year, but I won’t miss everyone. I really can’t believe I only have a year and a half left before I can take the bar and become a lawyer. I feel like I am running out of time to do all the cool things I wanted to do during my time at Boalt. I never got to participate in any of the clinics, and I would still love to do an externship somewhere cool. I hope I have enough time to squeeze everything in.

Low Self-Esteem

2007-01-29T07:28:00.000-08:00

I am just baffled at the sheer numbers of young girls and women walking the earth with low self-esteem. During conversations with friends I hear the endless stories of smart accomplished women put up with ridiculous amounts of crap, all in the name of not being alone. Why do so many people need to have outer validation to know that they are amazing? I am not saying that I have never hit rock bottom in the name of love, but there has got to be a limit.

I finally hit my limit of what I can understand, when I recently discovered a good friend of mine is anorexic. This person is super smart, cute, sweet, etc; yet where I see an attractive woman, she sees a fat, disgusting, hideous blob. She confessed to me that she has not eaten in 5 days and I am at a lost for words (which incidentally doesn't happen often). When I talked to her about the motivations behind her actions it became clear that she cares more about what a passing stranger thinks about her body than about her health. How could any guy love her if she is not a size 0 right? I just wish I could understand how someone gets there. How can you literally starve your self to death just because you are afraid that men won't find you attractive if you don't? I love men as much as the next straight woman, but hell would freeze over before I gave up eating for them. I don’t believe in living in hell before I die.

Misty Water Color Memories

2007-01-26T10:31:00.000-08:00

I guess the beginning of a new year can breed nostalgia for some. How else can I explain why my old boyfriend from over four years ago decided to call out of the blue and see how I was doing? Mind you, this man is the same person who literally crushed my heart and brought me to my knees. I would have walked to the ends of the earth for this guy and almost gave up everything. He is the guy that taught me how foolish it is to travel half way around the world for a man and put all my career aspirations on hold. So I was shocked that he had the nerve to contact me after all this time. Part of me wishes I were married and living a life to be envious of. Granted being a law student at Boalt isn’t too shabby but I always fantasized that he would come back one day and I would be super thin, gorgeous, and married to a wildly successful husband. Even though I was tempted, I didn’t even respond. What could I really say?

Spare the Rod Spoil The Child?

2007-01-21T19:33:00.000-08:00

CA State Assemblywoman Sally Lieber is trying to pass a law that would outlaw spanking a child under three years old. Now I'm all for protecting children, but I think this is going too far. Now I wasn’t a bad kid per se, but I had my share of spankings. While I obviously didn’t enjoy the sting of the chancla (sandal in English) across my butt at the time, I can see now how those spankings gave me boundaries and kept me in line. It amazes me how so many parents nowadays try to reason and rationalize with their children when they throw a nasty fit in public. I know if my mom were handling it, that tantrum would be over in seconds. Its not like I had to be spanked all the time. I think one or two good spankings usually do the trick. Call me a child abuser, but I am pretty sure when/if I have children I will spank them if they get out of line. Ms. Lieber better stay out of my way or she can take care of my bad ass kids.

Good To Be Back

2007-01-18T14:55:00.000-08:00

Although I would like to post more, I spent the first week of school hunting for interesting classes that fit my desire to have a four-day weekend. I surfed so many classes and scrawled my name on so many wait lists I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get my schedule straight. I was sweating it out on the wait list for about 80% of all my classes, but I just checked my status today and it looks like I am officially in all the classes I wanted. Unfortunately, many of my fellow students were not as lucky. I don't know what happened this semester, but it seemed like almost everyone I knew was on the wait list for the classes they wanted. I know a few poor souls who got stuck taking really boring classes or trying to score an externship for credits at the last minute. Hopefully prospects will be better fall of next year. Then again, as a 3L I am not so sure I will be a good student and a good class might be wasted on me. In any event, it is good to be back.

Happy New Year

2007-01-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

I love new years day because it feels like everything is possible and you get to begin the new year with a fresh start.

This year I will work out at the gym at least five times a week, only eat healthy food, read all the reading assigned for each class before every class, start outlining more than a week before finals, go to office hours and ask well thought out questions that demonstrate my sophisticated understanding of the material, balance extracurricular activities with school well, spend more time with my family, and last but not least—have some fun.

YEAH RIGHT. Happy New Year anyway! Hope springs eternal that 2007 will be much better than 06.

Study, Surf the Internet, Caffienate

2006-12-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

I have studied for at least five days straight living off of red bull and popcorn. Not a pretty thing, I assure you. I wouldn’t have to study so hard if it wasn’t for the fact that I did absolutely no studying during the entire semester (even though I promised myself at the outset that I wouldn’t do that again). In any event, it sure seems like people are stressed. How else can you explain the bitch fest on nuts and boalts about undergrads using the law library and the existence of piddly 100-dollar grants for students who want to go to a law related conference? Truly there are more important things in the world to worry about, but I chalk it up to people wanting an excuse to procrastinate. Where you see Boalt students debating about whether there is a lack of transparency about special programs at Boalt, I see a person trying to avoid finishing their outline. Seriously, people need to have a drink, get laid, go for a run, eat some chocolate, do something/anything to blow some steam off. We are in the home stretch folks!

Under Pressure

2006-12-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

While I admit the finals theme on here is redundant, I have mere days left to learn entire subjects. I'm not stressed in the crazy 1L way, but I am definitely feeling the pressure build. It never ceases to surprise me how overly optimistic I am when I estimate how long it will take me to finish something. I actually told myself (and believed) that I could outline for an entire course in about two days. That could have happened if I wasn't me. Maybe if I was hooked up to a red bull IV and hopped up on Adderall I could have completed that feat, but no, I'm still my usual old self who compliments every 20 minutes of outlining with at least 10 minutes of internet surfing. I am so screwed.

Spending Money I Haven't Made Yet

2006-12-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

Although my shopping habits have been significantly curtailed by my last minute cramming for finals, I have still been able to get out and check out some of the Christmas sales. I have to admit that the coupons I have been getting in the mail from various retailers have been singing a siren song to me. All I hear as I look at the promises of 25% and 35% off is spend! Spend! Spend! Unfortunately for me I am broke, broke, broke. However, I have started to entertain the dangerous thinking that since I have a well paying job in the summer, I can afford to splurge a little. What is another pair of shoes when I am already over 80K in the hole? The problem of course is that I don’t really need to put myself in any more debt than I am already in. Additionally, I have a bad habit of buying stuff for myself instead of the salutary act of buying things for others. In short, it is probably a good thing I will be in finals hell almost right up until Christmas because it will save me from my spendthrift ways. Maybe someone needs to do an intervention for me.

Dating Disclosure

2006-12-03T12:17:00.000-08:00

Even though the pickings are admittedly slim in Berkeley, I have still been able to find a couple guys worthy of dating (outside of Boalt of course). Given my crazy schedule, nothing has evolved into anything serious and I am just having a good time. In any event, while having lunch with a friend, the topic of dating and disclosure came up which got me thinking. At what point do you have an obligation to tell someone that you are not dating them exclusively? Do you ever have an obligation to tell them? I am of the mindset that unless a guy states explicitly that he is only dating me, I assume that he may be dating other women as well. Consequently, I have never felt bad about dating more than one person at a time without letting them know. My friend disagrees. Am I the one in the wrong here?

The Finals Are Coming!

2006-12-01T08:18:00.000-08:00

Finals are coming and people are starting to get tense. All the 1ls are scurrying around and finishing their outlines while the 2ls and 3ls are barely getting around to possibly making an outline or at least downloading one from boalt.org. Although I usually avoid the reading room at all costs, I was there recently and it was amusing how many people in there get upset when they hear sounds like the clacking of heels, the shifting of books, or the opening and closing of the door. I can’t help but thinking it is so pointless to get so worked up. People make noise when the move, get over it. Although I should be more stressed about preparing for finals, I am surprisingly relaxed. Maybe the fact that I am already employed for the summer finally sunk into my subconscious or maybe the little competitive monster living inside me has decided to take a sabbatical. Whatever the reason, I am looking forward to my two weeks of Christmas vacation freedom and spending money I don’t have. Any suggestions for books to read over the break? I might as well start my list now.

Another Reason Why It Feels Good to Win

2006-11-28T10:52:00.000-08:00

As part of their plan to win back voters to the Democratic Party, the Dems have promised that one of their first acts will be to cut interest rates on federally backed student loans from 6.8% to 3.4%. According to this article, the Republicans really took good care of the student loan industry, and the impending transfer of party control is producing anxiety for lenders who could count on the Republicans to screw over students. One republican congressman went so far as to say (while the reps still controlled Congress), "I have all of you in my two trusted hands. At the end of the day, I believe, you'll be at least satisfied, or even perhaps even happy with the final budget bill."

Comically, the republicans also said, that cutting interest rates would not address a more fundamental problem: the rising cost of college. "The interest rates shouldn't be the major issue here. Rather, the principal — the amount of money students are forced to borrow because of skyrocketing costs — should be," said Steve Forde, a spokesman for Republicans on the House education committee. "Unfortunately, House Democrats don't see it that way and are taking a Band-Aid approach." Correct me if I am wrong, but these are the same people who wanted to give ZERO relief to students? Now all of a sudden they care how much I am shelling out for my education? Talk about hypocrisy. I am so happy the Dems are ruling the roost. I hope they can utilize their new power effectively.

Slower Traffic Keep Right

2006-11-27T22:20:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was great. I tried to do some work, honestly I did, but all I really managed to do was eat obscene amounts of pumpkin pie and turkey. Although I am certainly stressed about getting ready for finals, I definitely don't feel the same panic I felt as a 1L. I love being a 2L with a job already lined up.

Anyway, on my way back from visiting my family I was forced to languish behind old people, and people who don’t understand that an open highway and clear sky practically begs a car to speed. As I passed sign after sign that says “slower traffic keep right,” I got more and more frustrated with the people who insist on doing 70mph in the left lane. At first I tried to be patient and scouted for openings in the right lane so I could weave around the dead weight, then I glared at them in the hopes they would sense my hostility and fear my road rage, and finally I resigned myself to fantasizing about ramming them, but nothing worked. I was going crazy. Who are these people, and why do they conspire to keep my odometer below 90? There is a group however, that has come up with a reasonable solution. Everyone should be given a paintball gun and when a person refuses to move over, you can shoot the offender's license plate. If a person has more than three marks on their license plate, the CHP gets to cite them. Sounds like a great idea to me.

Heading For Self Destruction

2006-11-12T16:28:00.000-08:00

As finals are rapidly approaching I seem to be incapable of reading for more than 30-40 minutes at a time. I am so behind and yet I can’t seem to break myself of my full-blown TV addiction. I’m starting to think that maybe I do have adult ADD. How else can I explain why I have cleaned my apartment from top to bottom to avoid reading when I hate to clean? Maybe I’ll ask my abuelita to get me some unregulated, dispensed without a prescription Adderall on her next trip to TJ.

I guess the bigger question I should ask myself is why I even care about grades now that I have a cool job to look forward to for next summer, and potentially after graduation. Somehow I am just unable to purge the competitive streak I have from my personality. Something about the whole P=JD outlook (to the non-Boalt people, you get a "P" if you passed) has never resonated with me even though I don’t always get good grades. Its sick, I know.

What A Beautiful Morning

2006-11-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

After experiencing some bruising mornings after an election (like Nov 2004) I wasn't sure what kind of morning I was in for. As I woke up and turned on the TV today, I was greeted with some of the best news I have seen in years. Finally, Democrats won and won big. Not only do we have control of the House, but we also have a woman as the Speaker of the House. Now I just have to keep my fingers and toes crossed that Senate control will fall to the Democrats as well. Today is a good day.

One of a Kind

2006-10-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

I blew off all my responsibilities for today and even turned down an invitation to go somewhere fun in the hopes of catching up in at least one class. Instead, I am surfing the web and doing random blog quizzes (hat tip: life far away). I am such a procrastinator.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are:
0
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

Glad I Picked Boalt

2006-10-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

Below is an email that has been circulated by UCLA's La Raza Law Students Association, and it details a recent incident that occurred, which was blatantly racist. To add insult to injury, the Dean of UCLA law sent out an email to all students that didn't whole-heartedly express how the legal community at UCLA would not tolerate such behavior. Instead, he focused the bulk of his letter expressing his belief that what happened was "unintentional." Even if you concede that what happened was unintentional (which I find hard to believe that no one thought a moot court fact pattern based on offensive racial stereotypes was a bad idea), I don’t see the point of focusing a letter of this nature on how the actors in question were not culpable rather than focusing on what is and is not acceptable at UCLA law school. Although I obviously have no real way of knowing this, I have a strong feeling that Dean Edley and/or Dean Ortiz would never circulate an apology for racist behavior that consisted of so many excuses for the guilty party. In short, although Boalt has its problems too, I am so glad I didn’t end up at UCLA.

*****************************************************************************

Dear Alumni,

Greetings to you and yours from the 2006-07 Raza Board at UCLA Law. We hope this e-mail finds you well and happy! Though we as a board are excited about the work we have done thus far (especially the People of Color Workshop which was a great success!) and looking forward to a productive rest of the year, we unfortunately are writing to share a negative experience we recently faced.

On October 3, 2006, Moot Court handed out its problem for this year's competition. The fact pattern implicated an undocumented latino from the "State of Patron," named "El Guapo," who was a child-molester and deported for entering the US illegally at a port called "Beefeater."Upon re-entering, he was interviewed by INS agent"Jack Daniels." After conviction, he was sentenced to 16 years in state prison. While in prison, an INS agent in his "infinite wisdom" decided to deport "El Guapo" once again with the understanding that if he ever re-entered, all charges would still be applicable.

The issues for the Moot Court participants were: 1)the judge made findings of fact without a jury that increased "El Guapo's" maximum sentence-should this be OK? 2) Can the fact that the Grand Jury left out an essential element of the crime from the indictment constitute harmless error?

As you can guess, Raza, other student of color groups and Raza allies were outraged by the gross use of stereotypes and offensive language. We immediately drafted a letter addressed to the Moot Court Board and cc'ed it to Deans Schill, Cheadle and Carbado, Moot Court Advisor Professor Holm and Raza Advisor Professor Holmquist. The letter we sent is attached to this e-mail. After articulating the problems with the fact pattern and how it affected us, we called for three remedies: 1) a public apology 2) a re-written fact pattern 3) implementation of a policy that would ensure this doesn't happen again.

The Co-Chairs of APILSA and BLSA signed the letter. SALSA sent a letter of their own and other groups have mentioned that they may do the same. On Friday October 13th, we received an e-mail from Dean Cheadle with two attachments. The first was acover-letter and the second a re-written hypo from the Moot Court Board in which they had removed all proper names alluding to alcohol name brands and the defendant's ethnic background. We've also attached both of those documents with this e-mail.

As you can see, their letter falls short of a direct apology in that the board attempts to hide behind the "no intent" defense. Also, the letter was ONLY handed out to Moot Court participants as they received the second version of the fact pattern. The Moot Court Board never directly communicated with us (Raza) and has not addressed the law school community.

Dean Schill sent out the e-mail posted below on Monday October 16th, 2006 to the greater law school community. At this point, we are still disappointed, hurt and frustrated but can give this matter no more attention. As students of color, we already spend too much of our time addressing issues of "diversity," race and class consciousness, and outright ignorance. However, we wanted to share with you so that you can be properly informed. Thanks for taking the time to read. As you know, law school is a terribly isolating experience and it is incredibly meaningful to know that you support us.

En lucha siempre,

Raza Board 2006-07

p.s. Please feel free to forward to other Raza who may be interested.

**E-mail from Dean Schill to UCLA Law

Dear Members of the UCLA Law Community:

One of the great strengths of our school is our diversity. Within our extraordinary student body and faculty are men and women from a variety of races,
ethnicities, nationalities, income groups, religions,sexual orientations and ideological perspectives. One of the principal benefits of diversity is the opportunity for us to learn from each other. Part of this education is learning to see the world through another's eyes. This understanding of different viewpoints and perspectives is important for one to become an excellent lawyer; it is also important to become a good person.

Given our diversity, it is an unfortunate reality that from time to time members of our community will say or do things that will unintentionally offend or hurt one another. In the past week, we have experienced one such incident when the Moot Court Board created an exercise that included racial stereotypes and then compounded the problem by using a jocular tone. Understandably, many students were
deeply offended that a formal law school academic activity would include undeniably offensive stereotypes.

Based upon our conversations with members of the Moot Court Board, I am convinced that there was no intent on the part of the Board to offend or belittle our students of Mexican heritage. I also believe that members of the Moot Court Board now understand and feel deeply sorry about the hurt that they have caused to their classmates. Indeed, to avoid this sort of situation from recurring, the Moot Court Board has suggested and I have agreed that future exercises will be read by a faculty advisor.

Before we move on from here, I would like each of us to take a moment to reflect on this incident and learn something. Each of us is part of a community here at UCLA. As an intellectual community, it is incumbent upon us to defend the right of each member to express his or her views honestly and forthrightly. At the same time, because we are a community we should also encourage each other to consider the impact of what we say and do-- intentionally and unintentionally-- on our fellow students and faculty members and to hold each other accountable when we fail in that regard.

Thank you.

Michael H. Schill
Dean and Professor of Law
UCLA School of Law
405 Hilgard Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90095
(310) 825-8202
***************************************************************************

Tongue-Tied

2006-10-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

I've noticed how precarious discussions have become with casual law school friends when the topic turns to OCIP. When someone brings up OCIP, I have become the master of carefully unearthing clues about how someone is doing without directly asking. I almost feel like asking any direct questions is akin to asking a woman her weight or a man the size of his unit. Some questions are just never polite. I almost wish people wouldn't bring it up at all because you never know if that person did incredibly well or didn't get any callbacks at all. Still, I guess its the innate nature of law students to want to know how they measure up to their fellow students, which constantly creates these awkward conversations whether it is about grades, CLR, or now OCIP. I am looking forward to the day when there is no longer anything else to compete for. Oh wait, I’m gonna be a lawyer; I guess that is never going to happen.

Questions I NEVER Want to Hear Again

2006-10-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

1. So, tell me about yourself.

Hmmm....I am really lazy, like reality TV, and would prefer not to do morally repugnant work.

2. Why do you want to work at a law firm?

I like money.

3. Why do you want to work at our firm?

Refer back to my answer regarding why I want to work at a law firm.

4. What is your greatest weakness?

Big law firms that will pay me an obscene amount of money even though I am clueless. Bonus points for a summer program that will give me absolutely no sense of what it will be like to work there fulltime, and has a low ratio of socially awkward associates.

5. What is your favorite law school class?

The one where I did well even though I did online shopping most of the time, and almost never came to class anyway.

6. Why did you go to law school?

I'll give you a hint, it wasn't to be a lawyer at a big law firm.

7. What do you do in your spare time? Do you have any hobbies?

Helping the little guy stick it to the man.

8. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Not at a big law firm.

(Feel free to add any other non-favorite OCIP questions.)

Maybe a Lady Justice Piñata?

2006-10-08T22:51:00.000-07:00

The rejections from OCIP have continued to roll in via mail, albeit a little slower now. I can't believe I still haven't heard a peep from a couple firms that interviewed me during the very first week of OCIP. I know its sick, but I have been keeping all of my rejection letters and am waiting for the last few to come in before I make scales of justice piñata or something with them. Each hit of the piñata could be a cathartic whack for every stupid question I had to suffer through. What is something I want you to know about me that isn’t on my resume? Well, if I wanted you to know it, I would have put it on my fu*king resume! I am boring and have no hobbies that would help me make a connection with someone who is obviously a shell of a man. Satisfied? Why a firm given my public interest background? Well, if you want to make me say it, I will. I like money. I like the way I can pay rent with money. I like the way I can buy things like food, new clothes, and chocolate with money. Is that a sufficient reason, or did you want me to offer to clean your house too before you consider giving me an offer? On second thought, I could always use the letters as kindling for the next carne asada. So many rejection letters, so many choices. I am just glad that I don’t have to wear another suit for at least six months.

You're Hired!

2006-10-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. I tap danced for the man and it finally culminated in getting some offers. Yay! Luckily I have enough offers to institute my rigorous test of choosing between the firm with associates who made me jog in heels, and the considerate associates who actually walked a little slower and talked to me. Now I get to read five weeks worth of reading which has piled up. Despite the need to catch up on all the work I neglected, I feel incredibly lucky. I have an offer from a firm that is as good as a big firm gets, and was my first choice. Life is good.

Check Please!

2006-10-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

The worst part of callback interviews for me has been the awkward lunches with the associates. So far I have been unlucky enough to be accompanied by people not wearing heels at every lunch. How they have failed to realize that speed walking in heels is not comfortable is beyond me. One time the two associates taking me to lunch actually walked at least fifty feet ahead of me and talked to each other instead. Needless to say, unless that place is my only offer I am not going to work there. Its not like I am a diva; I just expect a little consideration for the fact that I am wearing three inch heels, not running shoes. Also, once you sit down the uncomfortable silence begins. While I try to keep the conversation light and not too law related I have unfortunately encountered more than one associate that insists on asking the lame law interview questions that I have come to hate after doing OCIP. Do you really need to ask me “why your firm” before I have even gotten a chance to nibble on something from the bread basket? Really? Although the lunch is free I have paid dearly with minutes of my life I will never get back.

Return from Hiatus

2006-10-03T23:42:00.000-07:00

Hello again. With school back in full swing and the stress of OCIP, I didn't have much extra time to blog. I have to admit that I don't really have any good OCIP horror stories. With the exception of being bored to death in a few interviews where I could hardly get in a word edgewise, my interviews occurred without incident. Although I could live without ever going through OCIP again, it was a positive experience in that I got to bond with all my classmates while nervously waiting in the halls of the Durant hotel. There was a real sense of camaraderie as we all pilfered highlighters and free Starbucks cards from the hospitality suites and waited for the next interviews.

This week the callback process is more individual and I miss being able to talk to fellow Boalties before heading into yet another interview. Although I am generally a people person, the callback interviews seem to be more difficult in that you are meeting so many people in one shot. In any event this process will hopefully be over soon and I can get back to reading my casebooks, which have been collecting dust for weeks now.

You Lost Me at Jesus.....

2006-08-24T08:51:00.000-07:00

I was recently invited to join a webgroup that advocates boycotting South Dakota because of its efforts to make abortion illegal. While I have always been pro-choice, it is people like the person who sent me the invite that make me feel uncomfortable with the sometimes hostile anti-christian overtones of the pro-choice movement. On his personal site, he had games where you could nail jesus to the cross or dress him up in a ballerina tutu. It is unfortunate that the very person asking for tolerance and understanding of other viewpoints is blatantly intolerant. I'm not saying the person should believe in Jesus, but a little respect for something many consider sacred would go a long way.

Motivate Me

2006-08-23T22:37:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one completely unmotivated to read or do anything? I am on day three of the first week of school and I haven't read for my classes at all, nor have I made any attempt to start ranking slave drivers for OCIP. I don't know what it will take to get me back on track. If the thought of a big P hanging around my neck for the rest of my life or paying for my own lunch this summer doesn't do it, I don't know what will.

The Final Countdown

2006-08-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

It is mere days before I begin my 2L year. I feel like I will have to be dragged back to school kicking and screaming. As much as I love Boalt (and I do genuinely love Boalt) I am just not ready to go back. My shoulders have enjoyed their freedom from heavy book bags and I haven't touched a hi-lighter in months. On top of not wanting to resume going to class, I also feel the specter of OCIP lying in wait for me. Although I am confident I will get a job somewhere, I am not looking forward to the rejection I will likely face during OCIP. In many ways, the OCIP process has inadvertently become a reminder of how much connections play a role in landing a job.

For me, making it to law school was a great accomplishment. As a high school graduate I had already beaten the odds, and as a college graduate I could do no wrong in my family’s eyes. I will never forget my father’s face the day I graduated from college because it looked like his heart was going to burst out of his chest with pride. My mother practically blinded me with camera flashes as she documented every second of my college graduation with disposable cameras. Consequently, it is impossible for my family to help me navigate my path toward a successful legal career. While it is pointless to focus on how disadvantaged I am compared to others who have parents or family in the legal profession, it is still worth noting how few Latinos there are in the legal world, and how each of us must still blaze our own trail despite all the inroads that have been made. We still have a long way to go.

You Aint Nothing But a Hoochie's Mama

2006-08-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

As I searched for a power suit to divert attention away from the big P on my forehead, I couldn't help but notice all the back to school clothes on sale, and the pubescent teenagers squeezing themselves into this year's fashions. A girl who couldn’t have been more than 12 modeled a pair of super short shorts for her mother who groaned with disapproval at the selection. The girl replied that all the shorts were that short, and it was just the style kids wear now. Surprisingly the mother seemed to accept this and agreed to buy the shorts. This may make me sound like a prude, but I really don’t understand why parents allow their children to dress like little hoochies. I wouldn’t care if that was the style kids wear or not; I wouldn’t fork over my hard earned cash to make my daughter look like a streetwalker. I think its unfortunate how many parents feel like it is more important to be their child’s friend than their parent. There may have been times during my teenage years when I disliked the boundaries my mother set for me, but looking back I appreciate the way I was raised.

Summer Lovin', Had Me a Blast

2006-08-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

In addition to working this summer, I kissed my share of toads to find a prince. I went to a salsa club one night and met a tall attractive Cubano who turned out to love George W. Bush. yikes! Given my prolonged dry spell I decided to give him a chance in the hopes of discovering he was just misguided, not a jackass. As I tried to ignore his beliefs I disagreed with long enough to eat my free dinner, he did something no one has ever done before. When I asked for one of his french fries, he said sure and pushed his entire plate toward me. As I gently pushed the plate back in front of him, he waved the plate away and said I could have his food because he was going to order more french fries. Apparently in addition to not believing in welfare, he also doesn't believe in EVER sharing food. Weird. I could go on about the other dates I went on, but in the interest in brevity, I’ll only do one nightmare date per post. In any event, I ended up meeting someone in the last place I ever expected to—church. We started talking over the coffee and donuts after service, and haven’t stopped talking since. So far I appreciate the fact that he isn’t a law student, but only time with tell if things will work out. Right now, I am having a lot of fun and enjoying my summer of love.

OCIP Induced Blindness

2006-08-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

Since there is less than two weeks left before school starts, I figured it was time to start researching firms to prepare for the OCIP process. I am practically going blind from trying to compile a list of firms that I would even be interested in working at. It is amazing how much they all start to sound alike. I wish they all had a school specific tab where I could find out just how many Ps they are willing to put up with. Needless to say, I am not looking forward to the OCIP process.

In all honesty, I haven't even fully committed to doing the firm thing. However, I will admit the potential money to be made has been singing its siren song to me. Working for a non-profit organization this summer was rewarding, but it didn't really pay my bills. It is very tempting to work for a firm next summer and make enough to pay almost all of my tuition. My biggest fear is that I will either be painfully bored doing firm work, or will be used to do evil in my community. Granted, as a summer associate I doubt I would be given any real substantive work, but in general I didn't go to law school to end up working for corporations who don't really need my help. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with working for a firm; it’s just not where I ultimately want to use my law degree.

School Year Resolutions

2006-08-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

I feel like the beginning of a new school year is similar to the beginning of a new year. As such, I like to make promises to myself that I'll study more, surf the internet in class less, and actually go to the gym. In an effort to motivate myself to actually go to the gym, I am trying to cobble together good workout music. Maybe trying to put this collection will just be another excuse to delay going to the gym, but I figure it is worth a try. Any suggestions?

CLR Angst

2006-07-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

So I am one of the many rising 2Ls waiting for a phone call from CLR to tell me my fate. I absolutely hate that every time the phone rings I jump. Since people have started to receive calls, it makes me a little nervous that those horrible days spent working on that packet were made in vain. I think I can manage remaining optimistic for the rest of the day, but I will have to resign myself to the inevitable if I don't hear by the end of the day. How long can it really take to make 50+ calls? To preserve my anonymity, I am not going to say whether I made it or not. That said, I definitely sympathize with those in my situation who are waiting for the call. Ugh.

Long Time, No See

2006-07-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

So I have to admit, I have neglected this blog since school wrapped in May. Needless to say, it has been a busy summer. In any event, I am resurfacing after a nice chunk of time off from law school. I have been working in the real world, which has been great. I have been able to help actual clients AND improve my writing skills. Also, I feel like I could write a couple books based on the lives of some of the people I have met while working. I think the lives of some of my clients have definitely been stranger than fiction. Anyway, I will pop in and write more later, but for now I just wanted to reassure my 2 or 3 readers that I am in fact, still alive.

Free To Be

2006-05-23T00:04:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give an exhaustive description of my 1L year and what I learned, but given that I have still not recovered from finals, I am not up to it just yet. I have spent the last few days filling my head with junk. I'm talking American Idol, Desperate Housewives, Law & Order marathons, anything tawdry and low brow. It has been great. I also want to pick up a few books to read. (suggestions are welcome) I don't actually start working until the first week of June so I am enjoying a rare respite from the chaos that has enveloped my life since I started law school. I can't even begin to explain how great it is to not have a reading assignment, WOA brief, or something equally oppressive hanging over my head. For at least a few weeks I will get to be the old La Mitotera again, which is priceless.

My Man Neil

2006-05-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

I should be studying but I wanted to quickly mention this funny LA Times article that talks about my favorite fourth of July song "America" by Neil Diamond. Apparently it is becoming the new anthem for Latino immigrants. I just have to say I loved that song since Cheech used it as background music for their march on the border in Born in the East LA. My man Neil may be a little cheesy in his rhinestone studded apparel, but he sure can sing. "Everywhere around the world..they're coming to America...got a dream they come to share, they're coming to America...They're coming to America today!!" Ok, I got that out of my system. Back to work.

Red Bull IV Drip Anyone?

2006-05-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

With one more take home exam due by noon tomorrow I am literally about to start holding my eyelids open with toothpicks. Summer starts tomorrow. I can't wait. I will officially have survived my first year and will be a 2L in less than 24 hours. It is about damn time.

Jimmy Smits Is My President

2006-05-08T16:59:00.000-07:00

Ok...so I am on yet another study break. I wonder if you can really call them study breaks when they constitute the majority of your time. Anyway, although I should be studying I am watching a west wing marathon. I have never actually never sat through a full episode of west wing and now realize I have been missing out. All this time I could have watched west wing and pretended that there is a Democratic president for an hour at a time. Hey, according to west wing there is a democratic Latino president. I could get used to that alternative reality. I have to say the only drawback to living in west wing fantasyland is that it makes reality that much worse. It may sound ridiculous, but the day Senator Kerry lost the election was one of the worst days of my life. Everyday that I see another soldier dead, news about Guantanamo Bay, or the countless other things being done in the name of all Americans I truly wish things had worked out differently. In short, Jimmy Smits is my president. Too bad west wing was cancelled.

Sex and Studying

2006-04-29T01:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, it is no secret that La Mitotera has hit a dry spell in her quest for a companion at Boalt. It is also no secret that I am woefully behind in preparing for finals, so I am studying on a Friday night in the hopes of doing well in at least one or two classes. Well, to add insult to injury the people who live below me are um, having a lot more fun than I am. Sure, I could ignore the low moans and the occasional loud groan, but can they pull the f**king bed away from the wall already? *Thump * Thump * Thump* Thump* small pause* Thump* Sheesh... forced celibacy is one thing, but hearing my neighbors for the last 20 minutes is wholly another. I have hit yet another sad low as this is the closest I have gotten to sex in months. Damn Boalt and their sad selection.

Huelga (Strike) on MayDay

2006-04-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

I have been watching all the debate on immigration and haven't said too much about it because I have been a little self absorbed with the impending doom of finals upon me. However, I have to say I was really surprised when Dean Ortiz sent out the email allowing people to join the MayDay strike in support of immigrant rights. Although I'm sure there are divergent opinions about her decision, ultimately I feel like her decision illustrates why I chose Boalt over other law schools I could have attended. The action on Monday is going to be historic and I am glad that I don't have to choose my final over showing my support for something I feel deeply about. While immigration is a complicated subject, I am tired of hearing people talk about our immigration laws as if there are objectively just and the people breaking the laws should just play by the rules. The truth is that our immigration laws are confusing, convoluted, and second only to tax law in their arbitrariness. It is time to talk about the system and fairness. I am willing to concede that the current system needs reform, but that reform should not be driven by many of the racist undertones I have seen in immigration debate. Latinos along with other immigrants just want a chance to be a valuable part of this country; they should be given this chance.

The Day of Reckoning Approaches

2006-04-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I admit it. I am a bad student. After my experience last semester with finals I vowed to prepare in advance. I promised myself that my outlines would be done by the end of spring break, and I would be taking practice tests weeks in advance with all the intensity you would expect from a self proclaimed red hot. Yet here I am with little more than a week before my first final and I am utterly unprepared. Not one outline is done, nor have I even attempted to look at any practice exams for any of my classes. I don't think there is enough coffee in the word to keep me awake for the amount of work I have to do to catch up.

So my cyber friends I have to ask. Is it time to shed my overachieving tendencies and start chanting P=JD? Do I still have a chance at seeing the glimmer of an H or *gasp* even an HH?

New Boalties

2006-04-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

With my first year rapidly coming to an end, I have not had much time to post but I wanted to say a few words about the 0Ls I met during admit week. I was pleasantly surprised with the new crop of students. In general the newbies I talked to seemed very chill and more fun than my class. (Sorry, but even I have to admit that my class is sometimes lacking in the fun personality department) I hope that most of the people I met accept their offers, especially the cuties I met. Maybe Boalt will have some eye candy to look at in class after all. I can only hope.

I Heart Deer

2006-03-14T21:03:00.000-08:00

Funny...

Thanks Boalt!

2006-03-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

So I finally got a summer job about a week ago and decided it was time to start tallying up my hours for the Edley grant. When I went in to make sure I had enough hours to qualify for the grant I found out that much of the hours I had served for various organizations no longer counted. Apparently they have changed the rules and almost everything you volunteer with must include being supervised by an attorney. Unfortunately I had been told by all the 2 & 3Ls that volunteering for certain student organizations would count and now I am screwed. How can I possibly cram 20 hours of attorney supervised volunteer work into the next few weeks? Although I am grateful for the Edley grants, they should have done a better job of informing 1Ls that the requirements have changed from last year. Thanks Boalt!

On a side note the proposed changes in LRAP look great, so I won't complain too much.

Meltdown

2006-03-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

Although finals seem far off on the horizon I have nonetheless started to feel the squeeze. Between having to finish my WOA brief that is absolute crap, and juggling the reading for all my classes I have been feeling overwhelmed. For the first time I am starting to feel like law school is getting the best of me and that I just can’t handle all of my classes. Ironically, I did not feel this stressed during the first semester. Was a meltdown inevitable? Does anyone else have days when you feel like your destiny includes a transcript full of Ps?

Sage words of wisdom welcomed.

New Lows

2006-02-20T18:51:00.000-08:00

Although Valentines Day is now firmly in the past, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the horror of my Valentines Day. As many of the ladies of Boalt can attest, the choices we are faced with are less than ideal. Most of the women are beautiful, smart, accomplished while the men are not quite at the same level. Don't get me wrong, there are a few rays of hope walking around in the halls but for the most part the attractive men are married or in a relationship. So as a single woman I didn't have high hopes for valentines day to begin with. But then I met him. A cute grad student in another program who was taller than me, smart, and laughed at my jokes. Against my better judgment I allowed myself to think I might be doing something with a member of the opposite sex on V-Day rather than reading casebooks. We had drinks a few days before and I made sure I touched his leg, his arm, and gave him the eye contact that blatantly shows interest. We also had a few more long telephone conversations full of the deep thoughts that sow the seeds of infatuation. So when I called him and invited him to join me for drinks on V-Day I expected he would accept. Instead he told me that he was going to spend V-day studying at the library. Ouch. Not even a good excuse. I think law school is destroying my game.

Mommie Dearest

2006-02-15T20:56:00.000-08:00

There was a lunchtime discussion today about balancing work and family after law school as well as “The Opt-Out Revolution”. Apparently the opt-out revolution refers to women leaving or planning to leave their careers after having children.

The organizers of the event played a video with interviews of three women lawyers (two of which were partners) and a man who had his own practice. The women talked about their experience working at a firm and what their life was like. None of the women had actually "opted out" and left their career to become a stay at home mother, and at least one seemed downright selfish and appeared to place her career over being a mother. So much for telling me how to balance family and work. I was struck by the way the first woman interviewed (a partner at Gibson Dunn) never really mentioned that it was important to be around for her child and instead offered a story about her colleague who hired a nanny/chauffeur to make sure someone picked up her kids from school and shuttled them around until the parents came home in the evening.

According to Ms. Partner, kids only have the "baby face" for so long and then they don't need you around as much anymore as they get older. You can always delegate duties like cooking, taking kids to soccer practice, and generally being around to other people. In her world you are successfully juggling a demanding legal career and a family as long as you still squeeze enough time in to have dinner with your kids. It seemed sad to me that she didn’t seem to think she was missing out on being a meaningful part of her kid's life.

Which brings me back to the question that has been nagging me for quite awhile. Can you have it all? Does working for a big firm turn you into mommie dearest or a bad mother?

I tend to think you can't have your cake and eat it too. Sure, picking your kid up from school or taking them to a dance class isn't something that you can't pay other people to do, but I think you miss out on creating and maintaining a strong bond with your child. I believe the concept of "quality time" being better than quantity is just a fiction created to assuage guilt. I think we all want to believe we can have it all and I am starting to think it just isn't possible. Something probably has to give, and in my case that probably means foregoing the big law firm route for something more family friendly.

I'd Rather Be Fishing

2006-02-13T01:14:00.000-08:00

Although it may be unseemly to gripe while being at a law school where the students are great and the weather is pretty nice I just have to complain about the insanity that is WOA (Writing and Oral Advocacy to the uninitiated). This class is pass/no pass, worth one credit and is the bane of my existence. WHY oh WHY do I have to write a stupid brief about a case that is as exciting as watching paint peel? Why is it so much damn work? Is this a preview of my life should I take that detour to BIGLAW instead of doing public interest? I feel like I have lost hours of my life I will never get back working on something that is meaningless. Somebody tell me there is some practical application for all this work I am doing, I beg you.

What Was She Thinking?!!!!

2006-02-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

As if my opinion of Britney Spears couldn't get worse, now I find out that she drove with her newborn son in her lap despite the fact she could have killed him if the air bags deployed. What was she thinking? It defies logic that anyone would fail to see the danger of having a child in the front seat. What does she need? A picture of a bloody and beheaded baby to understand the irresponsibility of her choice? I know in the scheme of world events this isn't that important but I hate to see parents put their children in obviously dangerous situations.

First Amendment Fundamentalists

2006-02-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

As I reluctantly opened my eyes this morning, I was greeted with a very interesting speech by Rabbi Michael Lerner on my alarm clock radio. Essentially he said the problem progressives have with capturing the hearts of those we are losing to the "right" lies in our inability to acknowledge the importance of spirituality and articulate "politics of meaning."

He argues, that progressives' disdain for religion has made them deaf to the spiritual needs that underlie the move to the right. The left's unwillingness to engage in a serious debate about issues of spirituality has left a void which is exploited by Republicans. The sometimes justified anger over the way that some religious communities have fostered racism, sexism and homophobia, has created a knee-jerk hostility to religion that has both marginalized people on the left who actually do have spiritual yearnings and simultaneously refused to acknowledge that many who move to the right have legitimate complaints about the selfishness in American life.

I think he has put his finger on a huge issue that has crippled progressives in their attempts to move beyond dominance only in traditionally blue states. 86.8% of Americans view themselves as religious. To ignore that religion and spirituality are at the heart of most people's lives is foolish.

Also, I think there has been a tendency to advocate so strongly for a separation of church and state, that the adherents become as narrow minded as the right wing fundamentalists they oppose. I by no means have the answer to all of the problems that plague the left (if I did I’d probably be an overpaid consultant right now). That said, it is imperative that we begin to address the place spirituality should play in every day life and move away from this rabid need to secularize politics. Lets talk about real Judeo-Christian values that demand we take care of our fellow man and prevent the violence of war. It could be just the right jump start we need.

The First Lady of the Civil Rights Movement

2006-02-07T21:45:00.000-08:00

I watched part of Coretta Scott King's funeral today and was struck by the void of progressive leadership. In the past there have been so many icons with expansive agendas and a vision. It feels like people who advocate for civil rights have either seen their advances rolled back or remain stagnant.

Also, I couldn't believe that Bush had the nerve to show up to her funeral. I'll grant that he was in a Catch-22 situation, but his presence seemed so disingenuous. He has done nothing to advance civil rights and yet there he was. That said, I still think the criticisms lodged against him DURING the funeral were in poor taste. A funeral isn't really the place to steal the spotlight to get a few jabs in. It is a funeral for christsakes.

Love Is A Battlefield

2006-02-06T23:26:00.000-08:00

My poor sister is experiencing the crushing devastation of breaking up with her boyfriend. It is times like these where you wish you could spare them the hurt and pain. I wish I could give her some words of wisdom to assuage the grief that she feels, but instead I spit out platitudes and listen quietly. I can't believe the loser actually gave her the whole "I need space" crap excuse. This of course is worse than other break-up reasons because there is no clean break. Instead it leaves a ray of hope that the break is temporary, which is usually much worse than saying it is over. Yep...the little jerk will keep her hanging and languishing while he makes a decision.

Strange as it sounds, hearing her spill her heart out about the situation took me back to my first heartbreak. I remember it being so intense and feeling like the world stopped turning. I never thought I would ever meet another person like him. (Thank God I was right!!) Of course it took me awhile to move from the mourning stage to the visceral hate stage, but I made the transition after many months of writing bad poetry and rebound date after rebound date. All this of course, is a long winded way of saying I understand how utterly terrible breaking up feels and just because it hasn't happened to me in a long time doesn't mean I can't relate. Hearing her get weepy made me wince and I wish I could kick the guy's skinny ass. After all, he has a lot of nerve dumping my sister when she is clearly cuter and smarter than him. I am unbiased of course. I feel like there should be a family violence exemption where I could get a few punches in with impunity. I feel like the "I need my space" excuse that leaves the other partner in relationship limbo demands that type of response.