Amy, 3L

It's hard to believe that I've finally finished. Co-op ended a couple of weeks ago and I've had a couple of weeks off before starting bar exam review classes next week. I decided to take the NY bar exam based on the interviews I've gotten so far. NY is by far more difficult than MA, so I figure I'll study for MA on my own and take it in July if need be. I'm really not looking forward to the next couple of months, but the bar is a necessary evil.

Speaking of interviews, I just went back to New York City for a third-round interview with one of the District Attorney's offices. I'm excited to see what happens there. I love NYC and would jump at the chance to work there. In the meantime, I've got other offices to follow up with and will continue applying to other jobs. I knew that having all of that interview experience during the co-op process over the last few years would be helpful, but it's paying off more than I thought it would. Many of the other applicants seem super nervous, but I'm pretty relaxed in interview settings. Thank you, co-op!

I've also had to start thinking about loan repayment. Sad, yes, but another necessary evil. I know that in the end the money will work itself out, but it's still a little stressful. As long as you know what you're getting into financially and prepare yourself for the inevitable sticker shock, you'll be fine.

I've enjoyed sharing my experiences with you all, even when they involved exam stress and a beloved football team with no real quarterback and a collapsed stadium. I hope that my somewhat random musings have given you a little better insight into what NUSL and the JD/MPH program is all about. Good luck with your law school search!

This week I represented a client at a Social Security hearing. I've been in court and in front of a judge many times now, but this was my first administrative hearing. It was strange not having to worry about the rules of evidence or what the other side was going to argue. We were the only side. My client tended to be a little long-winded and off topic at times, so it was a relief to be able to ask leading questions of my own witness. The judge will take at least a month to issue a decision, and I finish co-op in less than two weeks, so I won't necessarily know how it turns out. Still a good experience, though.

The other big news of the week: I'm going down to New York City on Monday for a second round interview at one of the District Attorney's Offices. (Eight hours on the train in one day...ugh.) I'm a little apprehensive (read: terrified) because this will be a panel interview with
3-5 ADAs peppering me with questions and ethical hypotheticals. The good news is that if I survive, I'll have three hours to kill in NYC! Crumbs Cupcakes, here I come!

And no, I don't want to talk about it. We got rid of Moss, so we'll be fine once Childress is fired and Favre "retires." Again.

I know it's been a while, but happily, it's because I've been busy with interviews and co-op and not because my Vikes have so completely lost their way this season. I had four interviews in two different cities in the same week. It's exciting, but now I'm playing the waiting game, which I'm really not very good at. I have heard from one office, and I made the second round cut, so I'll be going down to NYC for a panel interview in a couple of weeks.

Back here in Boston, my co-op at Legal Aid has gotten quite busy. Somehow, I became the go-to person for emergency walk-in cases, but I don't mind. They are often some of the most interesting cases. I get to conduct a hearing for one of those cases in front of an Administrative Law Judge next week, so that's exciting. I really do like this job, I just wish the office were hiring! I'll finish co-op right before Thanksgiving, and then I'm really, finally, completely done with law school!

In the meantime, I'm continuing the job search as well as trying to figure out whether to take the bar exam in MA or NY in February. (or both) There's also the money consideration; prepping for and taking the bar is not cheap. Then there are the applications (and associated fees) for each state, and letters of recommendation, and review course schedules (online or in a classroom?)... sigh. I'm going to watch the Daily Show and let Jon Stewart inspire me.

I started the job search in earnest about a month ago, and I'm happy to report that I've gotten a few interviews, mostly at DA's offices. I think everyone starts to feel unemployable, especially with so few positions available in this economy, but interviews are a good sign. I'm also going to a job fair in DC in a couple weeks, which will hopefully open a couple of doors.

I also have to play the networking game, which I hate, but it's a necessary evil. I don't like seeing people as "contacts," but having kept in touch with coworkers from my previous co-ops is proving to be really helpful. Even if the office is not currently hiring, they always know others in the same field and usually have really helpful advice. An NUSL alum has even offered to conduct a mock interview with me. Many jobs require multiple rounds of interviews, so this is really just a beginning, but at least there's a beginning.

You never know what will happen on co-op. Like the “real world,” stuff happens and you have to learn to roll with it. Sometimes a client doesn’t show up, sometime witnesses lie, and sometimes your supervisor will have to take a sudden leave of absence. I spent this week trying to figure out where all the cases we had been working on together had gone and getting to know my new supervisor. The good news is that I’m now working with a few different attorneys, who are all really great. (The bad news: I really liked my former supervisor.)

We also had to get all of our clients up to date with all of the changes. One man met his new attorney the day before his hearing. Luckily, the new attorney is very experienced and the hearing went smoothly. It was my first Social Security hearing, and the mood was much more informal than I had anticipated. Our client did well and was relieved to finally have the hearing behind him; he had been waiting for over a year to see a judge. It will probably be a couple of months before we get a ruling. If someone is denied at this stage, they can appeal to a federal District Court, which could mean another 10-12 months. Gotta love due process!

In totally unrelated news, there may be no blog posting from me next week if the Vikes lose to Detroit. I will probably be too depressed to type.

I finally bit the bullet and put in my first batch of applications this week. I applied to a few DA's offices in various cities and a government fellowship. Now comes the job fair circuit. There's a big one in DC next month, which is great, because if I don't end up getting any interviews at the job fair, I have a weekend to spend with some of my college roommates who now live down there. Maybe this job search thing won't be all bad....

My co-op at Legal Services is going well. I was able to sit in on a client interview for the first time last week. This was very helpful because I will likely be conducting my first one this week. I'm still surprised by how much my last co-op at the DA's office boosted not only my skills, but my confidence as a (pseudo) lawyer. Before that co-op, the prospect of interviewing and preparing documents for a client of my own would have been a little daunting, but not now. I'm ready. I'll probably be attending a hearing this week as well, which I'm really looking forward to.

My Vikings did not have as great a week as I did, obviously. I think we've pushed our luck a little too far after having a great season last year. Putting the entire team on the shoulders of an almost 41-year-old QB with shoulder and ankle problems? Not the world's best idea. But I'll keep wearing my Peterson jersey and screaming at the TV if that's what it's going to take.

SOOOO happy to finally be on co-op again! I've learned more than I thought I would be able to in the first two weeks at legal services. I'm helping clients with Social Security Disability claims as well as Medicare and Medicaid issues. My background in the JD/MPH program is definitely helping me figure out the massive amounts of statutes and regulations of these programs. The staff have been incredibly helpful, and I got to attend an all-day seminar where a couple of Social Security officials answered questions and addressed concerns.

I was a little afraid that I would be sitting around for the first couple of days, but happily this office is very busy and I got my first case on my second day. Today I interviewed a client and started drafting documents for his case. He is in a really difficult situation and needs medical coverage ASAP. It's situations like this that made me want to go to law school and do the JD/MPH program in the first place, and I can't really put into words how it feels to finally get here. It's satisfying and, yes, a little exciting, even though I would rather this gentleman not have this problem at all. It's shaping up to be a great final law school adventure.

And, yes, I'm aware that my Vikings lost last night. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to rub salt in the wound today. I appreciate it. A lot.

I'm not really sure which way is up right now. 48 hours, two papers to finish, and an exam to go. Gotta push through. Must...not...sleep. I have to keep reminding myself that once this is over, I never have to do this again. Yes. Never again.

In the five minutes I've spent away from school this week, I caught a bit of SportsCenter. Looks like we may have a QB after all this season. But who knows? It's only preseason; there's plenty of time for him to change his mind.

number of days left: 10
number of exams left: 4
avg. number of hours of sleep per night: 4.5
number of shots of espresso I've had today: 6
number of hours I was at work this morning before someone finally told me it was Wednesday, not Tuesday, like I had written on all of today's perishable food: 4

All in all, I'm actually doing pretty well. My study schedule is on track, which is all due to my study groups. I'm telling you, a well-structured study group that isn't afraid to hold each other accountable and tell you to stop messing around and get to work is AMAZING!

I'm beginning to realize that after next week, I won't see some of these people again for a long time, if ever. We've all been looking forward to the end of August 2010 for so long that it hasn't actually registered that when we're done, we're done; we're not coming back. There is definitely a bit of sadness in that, but I'm so excited to see all the crazy wonderful things my incredible fellow students are going to do in the future.

For the immediate future, however, I've basically moved into the law school buildings. We have a kitchen, couches, TV for study breaks/procrastination, and air conditioning. If only there were showers, I'd never need to go home. There's a scary thought. I'm basically paying monthly rent for a shower at this point. It's OK, 10 days... 10 days...

I have only 16 days of (academic) law school left!!! I think that fact has really helped me break through the mental wall and get myself in gear to prep for finals. Two in-class exams and two take home exams stand between me and co-op. (And a quick visit home. Minnesota State Fair, here I come!)

Now if I could only figure out what's going on in International Law...

As an follow-up to last week's post: I was on the train with my huge backpack the other day. It was rush hour, so the train was packed with people. It's common courtesy in these situations to offer your seat to anyone who looks like they could use it. I feel a tap my shoulder; a little elderly man (easily in his 70s) is there, offering me his seat! Apparently the bag looks as heavy as it feels!