After only 2 months in the MPH program, we already have to start planning our Master's thesis project. This is one of those moments where it seems crazy to me that we're doing this on top of law school. The deal is that we have a few months to plan, and then implement our projects during our first academic quarter back at NUSL. I'm a little overwhelmed, but we're getting good support and advice from our advisor and previous JD/MPH students. I am excited about this, though; it's an experiential thesis project as opposed to spending a year in the library doing research. And anything that lets me get out of the library is a good thing.

I get asked this question a lot. I usually mumble something about government agencies, policy work, or non-profit orgs, but I often find myself wondering what that really means. Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Health Law Advocates annual benefit breakfast. HLA is a large non-profit here in Boston, a sort of collective of pro bono attorneys. It was such a relief to see people making a professional life out of work that positively influences others' lives. The keynote speaker was a Juvenile Court judge who spoke about HLA attorneys’ work as mental health guardian ad litems for juvenile defendants. After spending the summer co-oping in the Boston Juvenile Court, I know how important mental health advocates are for children in trouble. This intersection of health and legal advocacy are the kinds of situations I want to seek out (or create). That's why I chose the dual-degree program. (I realize I answered a different question than the original one, but I'm going to be a lawyer, so that's a valuable skill.)

Like everyone else in America, my thoughts have been dominated by last night's election. I think I’m experiencing some post-election letdown. I was actually a little surprised by how emotional last night was for most people. The history of the moment finally hit me, and yes, I'll admit it, I cried. As a biracial woman, I'm aware of the many sacrifices others have made so that I could even go to the polls yesterday, let alone those who paved the way for Barack. My 85-year-old grandfather got so excited that he had to go get his oxygen tank! He truly never expected to see a black president in his lifetime.

So what does this have to do with law school? I'm getting there. As I sat there listening to the "Yes We Can" chants, I started to think "now what?" There are no more rallies, no more exit polls, no more Sarah Palin SNL skits (although I'm still crossing my fingers on this last one). It's been a long race, and I am glad it's over, but now the real work begins. And I'm not talking about Obama. I'm talking about what we need to accomplish within our own spheres of influence.

Most of you reading this either are or will soon be attending law school. That's an opportunity that most people will not have, and one that I'm grateful for (even though sometimes it feels more like punishment then a privilege). I believe that to whom much is given, much is expected. We have a responsibility to use the opportunities we're given to help others less fortunate and fight injustice. We will have knowledge and tools (and hopefully jobs) to open doors and make change of our own. So no matter which candidate you support, please keep this in mind when choosing a law school.

If you agree with what I've written, NUSL could be the perfect place for you. If you think I sound like a tree-hugging hippie (which of course I do because it's only the first day after the election), then NUSL could also be the right place for you. There are other students here who would agree with you, and at least one of them also writes a blog on this site. And he happens to be a good friend of mine, so I can say that.

See, it was only mostly off-topic…

I haven't had midterms since college. The first year of law school was all about the final exams, so this is taking some getting used to again. I find myself veering towards the legal angle in my public health assignments, which isn't surprising given my background, but I didn't realize until now to what extent my academic point of view has changed since starting law school. In my Occupational and Environmental Health class, for example, I'm working with a fellow student who's also a physician at Tufts Medical Center. Even though we were writing on the same topic (allergen exposure in healthcare workers), our drafts looked completely different. Mine had citations to OHSA regulations and state laws, while her version contained tons of scientific studies and medical journal articles. Our papers will be stronger because we both brought our separate points of view to the table.

Yet another reason I love this program: I'm surrounded by doctors, nurses, and non-profit workers as well as other law students. The view at NUSL can get a little too focused for me sometimes, which is not unusual for a law school and not necessarily a bad thing. This has just been a refreshing change for me, giving me some much needed perspective.

What's better than a fancy cocktail party/dinner at the federal courthouse with some of the biggest names in the Boston legal community? Not paying a cent for it. NUSL gave out 50 free tickets for students to attend the Anniversary Celebration on Saturday night. Despite thinking it might be kind of stuffy, I actually had a really good time. There were older and newer alums, as well as quite a few big, important people. I sat one table away from the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. It was a good chance to flex our networking muscles, too. I ended up talking to an alum I had met before, a partner at one of the big Boston firms. We got to talking about the health law division at his firm, which is of course somewhere I would love to end up someday with my dual JD/MPH degree. Gotta pay those loans back somehow!

It was great to hear some of the reasons these people think NUSL is so unique. I think we sometimes get tired of explaining or defending our law school and the way it does things (no letter grades, co-op, etc). I wouldn't have it any other way, but it was nice to spend the evening with people who already "get" NUSL's public interest vision. (By the way, I heard that NUSL was just named the top public interest-focused law school in the country!)

At the end of the night, getting all dressed up was totally worth it. I mean, come on, have you ever had crab w/ chardonnay sauce?

One thing I love about NUSL is the amount of academic support they provide. For example, I went over to the law school last week to help with an academic workshop the Black Law Students Association gives for the 1Ls every year. Turns out we had to cancel it because there was another workshop given by the NUSL Academic Success Program at the same time on a different topic. After talking to Prof. Drew, the head of the Academic Success, she decided to help us put on our workshop the following week. (Prof. Drew also meets with students one-on-one; her office door is literally always open.)

There's also a lot of mentoring opportunities. In addition to the faculty mentor assigned to our LSSC Law Office, I had a student mentor and a faculty mentor through BLSA. I really regret not taking enough advantage of these opportunities or visiting my professors during office hours more often. I remember learning a lot during the time I spent sitting on the couch in my Torts professor's office, listening to other student's questions after getting mine answered. The faculty here is pretty accessible, and help is always available.

I'll admit it, I get bored easily. For me, one of the best things about NUSL is that your daily life changes every few months, and September has been nothing but change. I began my second year about a month ago at Tufts School of Medicine as part of the dual JD/Master of Public Health program. Second year really is night and day from being a 1L, which has been great. Also great: knowing I'll finish both degrees in 3.5 years instead of 5.

Going from Civ Pro and Contracts to Epidemiology and Environmental Health has been a little difficult, but it really is a nice change of pace. Unlike law school, there are usually concrete answers in a scientific setting; you definitely know when you've found the right answer. On the other hand, that means when you're wrong, you're wrong. A brilliant argument isn't going to help you when your numbers don't add up. (Also unlike NUSL, they give actual letter grades here. I had forgotten what being graded on a curve feels like.)

I was worried that being at Tufts for 2 semesters would cause me to lose touch with my NUSL friends and the law school world in general, but so far, that's not the case. I'm at the law school 2-3 times a week, studying in the brand-new building or taking advantage of the free printing. I've also been able to continue being a part of the Black Law Students Association and volunteering with the Admissions Office.

This blogging thing is also completely new to me, so stay tuned!