I'd apologize for not posting for a little bit, but a) that's not really my style and b) I have determined that I cannot write a coherent blog while wearing a suit (the jury is still out on whether I can write one when I am not wearing one), either way -- the break was mandatory.

Good news: I have figured out a way to stay sane during the recruiting process.

Bad news: I need a time machine, so I can go three weeks into the future, see how it all worked out, and if I don't like it... go back and try again. It would be like that movie with the Delorean in it. Except I'm taller than Michael J. Fox (though he has more hair).

Continuing with the good news / bad news trend, here, in no particular order, are some notes from the front-lines of the recruiting process and law school life in general:

Good news: my wife has found the latest and greatest way to get abs of steel!

Bad news: her method involves contracting what can best be described as the cold of all colds, which leads to a persistent and ever-present cough that laughs at cough suppressants (even ones with codeine). Apparently, your stomach muscles get in pretty good shape when you spend more than a week coughing every twenty seconds. If anyone has any ideas on how to successfully market this in Hollywood, please use the comments link below to get in touch with me.

Good news: a friend got Patriots tickets, and I got to go!

Bad news: it was to the debacle of a game against the Dolphins last Sunday, and I was fighting off the abs-of-steel cold at the time. I don't know what upset me more, the drunken masses who decided that it was appropriate to boo the home team as they were leaving the field at halftime (forgetting, I guess that this is the same team that had won 21 straight regular-season games) or the fact that the same wingnut direct-snap play which was very visible from the upper reaches of the upper deck where we were situated somehow managed to slip by our genius of a defensive coach. Of note, also, is that the powers that be charge $10 a beer at Gillette stadium. This is not surprising, but the fact that they do not take credit cards is. Also of note is that the mens rooms lack the greatest gift to stadium design: the urinal troth (ladies, it is exactly what you think it is). In fact, the mens room only had stalls. I know what you're thinking, and no, I did not go into the wrong bathroom, or if I did, then boy are there a lot of women with facial hair who attend Patriots games.

Good news: I did not hold any WaMu stock.

Bad News: I do hold some Wachovia stock, and right about now is as good a time as any for that bail-out. Speaking of bail-outs, did I miss a memo? Are we still a capitalist society, or was there some sort of revolution that was not televised? Again, please use the comment button to clue me in.

Good news: the Red Sox are in the playoffs.

Bad news: they are currently losing their game to the Yankees, and the Devil Rays are going to win the division. Tampa Bay is going to win the division. Seriously. I am not joking. That time machine could also come in handy for situations like this.

Good news: my decision to take Bankruptcy law is turning out to be a good one.

Bad news: it's only good for understanding what's going on with the market a little better, but does not help in any meaningful way. It seems comparable to a guy sitting on the deck of the Titanic reading up on shipbuilding and iceberg avoidance -- very interesting, but he's still going to get wet.

Good news: I had a wonderful conversation with a gentleman regarding Brett Favre and how neither one of us will ever forgive him or his '96 Packers and Desmond "bleeping" Howard for that win over the Bledsoe-led Patriots in the Superbowl.

Bad news: the gentleman informed me that the game "ruined his childhood" and I realized I was a sophomore in college at the time.

Good news: we are approaching that time of the year when I get to give out unsolicited advice about applications because it feels relevant.

Bad news: I get to give unsolicited advice because it feels relevant to me***:

1. Proofread! There is a difference between it's and its, there, their, and they're and your and you're. I also suggest printing out the essay and waiting a few hours before reading it, your brain will catch missing words better after taking a break, and on paper. Better yet, find someone you trust and have them proof-read.

2. Visit the schools, sit in on classes, talk to the students (for the most part we're a relatively friendly bunch, but do yourself a favor and stay away from the people who are wearing suits and look like they might lose it -- they are probably running to or from an interview).

3. Ask questions! Trust me it's much better to have your questions answered before you show up on your first day of class. Find out how the career office operates, talk to the people in admissions, etc.

4. I already wrote a posting about things you put on the internet, so I'm just going to pretend like I am Justice Thomas and cite to myself: click me

5. Just remember, it could be worse, you could be looking to graduate with a Financial MBA in May. This one applies to all of us -- whether we're applying to school or looking for jobs right now.

*** Clearly, these are my opinions and suggestions, and in no way represent an official position of this or any other institution. Not affiliated with any Commercial or Investment Banks. May glow in the dark. Harmful if swallowed. Batteries not included. Proceed with caution. Use headlights after dusk. Do not leave unattended. Use only for intended purposes. Not for internal consupmtion. If your ere... ok, I think that's enough now.

Posted by Leon at 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was such a simple question: "What classes are you taking this quarter?" In fact, it was the type of question that doesn't have a wrong answer. Except, of course, if you can't think of the fourth class you are taking. You know, the one you just skipped the last ten minutes of to be at this screening interview. That class, with the book, and the professor who is a judge... Let's see, there's IP, Trademark, Income Tax and... complete blank. Mercifully, my interviewer suggested he was not trying to stump me with the very first question and moved on when he realized the answer was not forthcoming. Of course, this did not stop my mental gyrations on the subject of that missing class, and so, roughly five minutes later, my brain (fresh from its nap) chimed in with: Bankruptcy! In hindsight, it would have been better for the brain to have filed this newly located information for later use, rather than interrupting my brilliant monologue about my summer internship mid-sentence, delivering the one-word exclamation with the pride of a kindergartner who just ate an entire tube of glue, but that is precisely the action it took. Then it promptly went back for its second nap.

It should surprise no one that I did not get a call-back from that particular firm (I guess they don't need any summer associates that ingest glue). In the end, though, you can't help but laugh. For, as prepared as you are for an interview, as ready as you are for any question -- there will come a time when you will trip over your own tongue, or your brain will freeze. The hope is that it doesn't happen very often.

In non-interview news, classes continue, with the highlight being the discussion today in Intellectual Property. Responding to the professor's suggestion that the recipient of any love letters owns the copyright to the actual letter, while the writer would own the copyright to the writing (as the author), a fellow student asked a question that started with "so, what happens if you have this videotape..." For those that can't imagine where the discussion went after that... sorry, you'll have to take the course.

And now, off to do my reading for Bankruptcy, you know, that class I'm taking. Along with the other three.

Posted by Leon at 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Three people failed this class last quarter." A powerful statement in any circumstances, but arguably even more likely to get the attention of someone who attends a school that purports not to have any grades. Failed, you say? Interesting. The Bankruptcy professor went on to inform us that the class is very fast-paced, there is a lot of reading, an in-class final, statutory language that is unlike any we have seen before, and that he fully expects the class to shrink a great deal now that he has shared all of this information with us. He was not kidding. The forms required simply to file for bankruptcy are apparently 48 pages long and written in a cross between Greek and Aramaic. In addition, the unofficial comments provided by our collection of code sections, contain gems such as this: "If your professor has written law review articles about big case bankruptcy filings in Delaware, then it is important to read this section and those articles." Thanks for the tip.

My other classes this quarter (even after four years of undergrad and a year here, it still feels weird to not have semesters) are: Intellectual Property, Trademark Law and the unfortunately named Basic Income Taxation -- which just proves that putting the word "Basic" in front of something does not make it easy. Interestingly, the code and regulations of tax law were written in a different dialect of Greek from bankruptcy law, so taking the two together is not helpful. Rounding out my on-campus presence will be my stint as a TA for my Torts professor, which hopefully will not lead to permanent brain damage of 60 brand new 1Ls who are permanently confused by some ill-formed answer I provide. I actually wonder if NUSL is insured for this eventuality, you know, just in case.

In non law-school news, I spent the long weekend back in Rochester, visiting college friends. Aside from eating as many garbage plates as can possibly be consumed in a three-day span (why Nick Tahou's Hots will not expand into Boston is beyond me!) and trying to keep up with a very active (and much smarter than me) two-and-a-half-year-old, this trip also just happened to conflict with what I lovingly refer to as "moving day from hell" in Boston, the September 1st lease changeover. While I did get to miss out on carrying some very heavy furniture up and down some very steep stairs, I am sure it was a good time for all involved, and as soon as my friends who moved without my assistance this past weekend start speaking to me again, I am sure there will be some funny stories to share. Until then -- I have to go find a Greek-to-English dictionary.

Posted by Leon at 2:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)