Ira, 3L

I think the title of this blog says it all. So much has happened in the past two to three weeks, and yet at the same time it feels like so very little. I mean, I did almost nothing else (and I mean nothing) than study for fifteen hours a day or more and take three four-hour long exams. And yet it feels like such a long journey.

As counterintuitive as that whole scenario seems, it expresses the truly exhausted and confused feelings with which I was left after finishing exams. Yesterday, at 1:00 p.m. I was done with my last exam--Torts--and yet had this feeling like I was everywhere and nowhere at the same time; mentally full of everything and nothing at all. In a word--drained. At the post exam celebrations naturally full of warming and flowing libations, nearly all the 1Ls with whom I spoke expressed the same.

And yet, above it all, just oh-so-glad to be done.

We get about two weeks off and have to be back at school January 2nd prepared for a rigorous week of LSSC--starting working on the project I described in earlier blog.

For now, I'm happy to be on a plateau of relative calm and restfulness before starting my second semester. Naturally, we are already getting assignments for the first day. No complaints on my end, really, about all of that. It's far better to have the required readings and assignments sooner than a day or two before. Or not told or provided the opportunity to discover the information at all and still expected to have magically known about it and read the material. Yeah, that happens.

So, I plan to read a book or two, do very little, spend time with my girlfriend, visit family in North Carolina, do very little, do all the reading for the start of next semester, and...just for kicks...do very little.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Posted by Ira at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

"One down, two to go." That's what my girlfriend told me when I called her after finishing my Civ Pro exam. I think she'll be happier than I am once exams are over. Pretty positive.

So, I'm done with my first ever law school exam. It was four hours long, the proctor seemed like somewhat of a tool, and I did...well, on second thought, I'm not going to describe my performance on the exam. Two reasons: One, they ask us to not discuss the subject matter of the exam with anyone else for some time after exams end (in case anyone has to take a make-up due to unforeseen circumstances--like, say, being stuck in a plow-created snowdrift on the other side of Boston); and, two, the exams are quasi-anonymously completed and anonymously graded. I'd like it to stay that way. We're each assigned a five-digit number (which doesn't make it totally anonymous) and the professors don't know who completed the exam until after they've finished grading.

This system of anonymity is linked to a relatively new way of taking exams at NUSL. At least, I hope it's new, because a lot of kinks are still being worked out. These "kinks," I think, are creating a lot of the stress that goes into exams. The safest way to know that none of the technology supplied or provided will fail us while taking the tests is to write in a bluebook by hand.

Like many, I decided to take the exam on my laptop. Some do choose to write it out, and many choose to take them on the school's computers.

But me--my own laptop. And a Mac, at that. What a rebel, huh? Don't get any ideas, though, the exam software disables any other programs from operating or even being accessed while the exam is in progress.

Anyway, Macs have slightly different instructions and they interface with the exam software in slightly different ways. This causes some frustrations because a lot of people couldn't get the software to download properly (some PCs too) and had to start the exam late. I do say this, though, the computer services folks at the law school were on hand and doing their best to solve all problems. I can only imagine it's tough to deal with strung-out 1Ls who have had little sleep in days while they've studied for exams, and who don't want any more anxiety than studying for Civ Pro often causes.

Luckily, I had no problems with the software. The exam, though, well I'll tell you about that next semester when I get the evaluations back.

Posted by Ira at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Currently bogged down with studying for finals (Civil Procedure on Friday, Property on Monday and Torts next Wednesday), there are not a lot of activities going on around the school--or in 1L life--to report. There are still plenty of events happening at the school (with 2Ls and 3Ls still in classes), but I'm sure they are devoid of first-years. Going to club meetings, presentations by prospective faculty, or lectures by practicing attorneys in certain fields (this week they had Military Law) all sound great. I enjoy going to those things. Overall, though, it's less and less feasible when you're trying to squeeze every spare minute out of a day.

Nonetheless, like Leon noted in his blog, we're all looking forward to the end of exams. I'm awaiting Thursday, December 20. Then, maybe, I can do some holiday shopping before I leave for North Carolina to visit my family and friends back home. I seriously considered ordering them all "Northeastern Law" T-shirts and sweaters, but I don't imagine that will go over too well with, say, my four-year old little brother.

I'm also really looking forward to next semester's classes, while remaining a fount of optimism about my law office's LSSC project. We'll see.

I'll report back after my Civil Procedure exam on Friday, as it gets out early afternoon. To all of you out there reading who are currently studying for your own finals, or meeting deadlines at work--or, I suppose, just being bogged down in your own special way--my best to you.

Posted by Ira at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So, I'm going to Phoenix for my first co-op. And, it appears, I'm going to make a road-trip out of getting there.

My last real road-trip was after graduating high school: a three-week trek from North Carolina to Toronto and Montreal in a 1978 VW Bus with two of my best friends. It was good times, but now I'll be driving a PT Cruiser. And this time, unlike the last, I hope I can make it to my destination and back without having to manually switch out the entire engine.

Irregardless--after not hearing from the other judicial employer for whom I also desired to work, I called the Staff Attorney's Office at the Arizona Supreme Court and accepted their offer. My duties this summer will include researching cases and providing information to help the Supreme Court decide which cases to hear, attending all oral arguments in front of the Supreme Court, participating in state committee meetings that discuss the future of Arizona's judicial and legal system, and, possibly, working on projects assigned by the Chief Justice and the associate justices of the Court. I'm also assured that, as there is somewhat of a lighter caseload in the summer, I may have the opportunity to do self-directed projects of my own interest.

I'm stoked.

Posted by Ira at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's the last week of classes! I'm sure I've mentioned that in a blog or two previously.

Yesterday we had our last Research and Writing class of LSSC for the first semester. We each turned in a final draft of a legal memo and a draft of a client letter. With all that we have to read in our case books for our other classes, it seems that our research and writing assignments often get re-prioritized or weighted down under scornful words for taking time away from Civil Procedure, Torts and Property. I admit I've cursed Research and Writing a time or two. Or more. And several fellow students have told me they've done the same.

But, at the end of the proverbial day, I can't deny that what we're learning is anything less than integral. According to co-op employers and post-graduation employers, one of the most important things they look for in an applicant is the ability to write well. Again, the new Research and Writing program is taught by adjunct faculty and, overall, is still in its infancy. But, for all the cussing I've done at two o'clock in the morning with back-logged cases to read for Property (or the Social Justice class of LSSC)--I'm glad I have it. Also, whatever written product comes out of it at the end of next semester, there's a great possibility I can expand on it to fulfill Northeastern's writing requirement.

A word (or more) on exams: it is an interesting comparison to undergrad. to think about law school exams. In law school, as most know, you get one test at the end of the semester. That's it--one cumulative test. That doesn't happen to too many people in undergrad. Now, given, Northeastern doesn't provide traditional grades--but an exam is still an exam. For example, each of our exams are four hours long and they are all essay question. In fact, they are essentially one large essay question with two or more sub-parts. Four hours long. Heck, that's a marathon. And I'm fairly certain the clock doesn't stop for bathroom breaks.

Okay then, back to studying.

Posted by Ira at 8:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)