http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/ en Copyright 2008 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:51:11 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss still possess no inside knowledge. I have no idea why anyone should or should not go to law school. I do not know the key to surviving law school, though I do know that it is possible to survive the first half of it. And I certainly do not know the meaning of life, but I am convinced now, more than ever, that we are meant to enjoy it. Now that I have sufficiently lowered the expectations, it is probably safe to proceed. On that note, I leave you to go tend to the explosion of pumpkin pie which has covered my kitchen and lovely wife in orange goo and has presented an opportunity for today to be even more productive (and fun) than I had anticipated! Have a happy Thanksgiving everybody!]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/11/freedom_week.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/11/freedom_week.html Co-op Outside Law School Student Life Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:51:11 -0500 Finals in the fall before the snow starts falling is a new concept for me. While my undergraduate institution also had quarters, and thus finals there were at about the same time as they are here at NUSL, that school also just happened to be in upstate New York -- and up there it starts snowing somewhere around Labor Day and sometimes stops snowing around the 4th of July or so. So, frantically studying for finals while there are still leaves on trees reminds me very much of high school. I wonder if this means I am good at basketball again (my skills peaked somewhere around freshman year of high school). If you felt a seismic shift in the space-time continuum this week, sorry, it was totally my fault: I finally stepped firmly into the 21st century and joined facebook. I know it doesn't seem like such a big deal to most of you, but hey, I went to college when we used abacuses and sundials, I just learned how to use email two weeks ago. Well, not quite, but I have been staging a one-man boycott of all things facebook-related for years. I didn't grow up with it, so I didn't need it. I changed my mind when I realized I was spending more time explaining to people why I wasn't on there than I would by just signing up. So I did. Actually, as I signed up for an account the site went down for about an hour. I think it was due to sheer shock of their servers. "Leon? Signing up? Really? Oh crap, the world is ending -- reboot!" Next step: smartphone! Watching the economic world we are currently in and attempting to write your Bankruptcy outline is a rather morbid affair. One thing I know well -- student debt is not dischargeable in bankruptcy, so it's best not to have any if you decide to file. Hmmmm. As for the actual finals: I have four. Three in-class and one take-home. I get to pick the time of the take-home, as long as it is during the week next week (Mon-Fri). Since my other finals are spread out: Mon - Wed - Fri, this means that I will have three finals in a row. This development has made me miss reading week, which we do not get as 2Ls but did as 1Ls. At the time it felt unbearably long, but now I could totally use another three or four days, at least. On that note... Bankruptcy outline awaits, and unless I get back to it soon enough, my questions about dischargeability of student debt might cease being theoretical and start being personal. http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/11/finals_in_november.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/11/finals_in_november.html Academics Outside Law School Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:47:56 -0500 Applying to law school two years ago reintroduced me to the concept of the canned rejection letter. More than a decade had passed since I had applied to college, which dulled my memory of stalking the letter carrier in hopes that he brought thick envelopes instead of thin ones. This fall, during the summer associate recruiting process, I noticed that we now have a different letter carrier than we did when I was applying to law school, and I sincerely hope it was not because the previous guy got tired of me hiding out in the bushes outside the building. Rejection letters are pretty formulaic: thanks for applying, you didn't get in, it was really tough to turn you down, good luck in the future. After you read enough of them, they all start to blend together. This blending gave me the idea of writing my own: a rejection of a rejection letter, and here it is: Dear recruiting coordinator, I would like to thank you for the rejection letter you sent me recently. I too greatly enjoyed meeting you during our interview. While I found your letter to be interesting, strongly compelling, and mostly persuasive, regretfully, I will be unable to accept it. The extremely limited size of my mailbox, and the high number of rejection letters from extremely qualified firms, such as yours, requires me to make difficult choices. I was, however, impressed with your firm's qualifications and wish you every success with your other rejection letters. Sincerely, Leon. http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/11/the_art_of_the_rejection_letter.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/11/the_art_of_the_rejection_letter.html Outside Law School Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:52:52 -0500 With the fall interview season officially coming to an end, I figured it might be useful to write a wrap-up review of the process. As I have mentioned before, recruiting started with something called the bidding process, in August. NUSL uses a suite of software called Symplicity to run the recruiting program. Students upload resumes, cover letters and writing samples, while the school uploads our course and co-op evaluations to the site. Then, you "bid" on the firms you want to interview with. These firms generally interview about 20 people (though I have seen as few as 4 people get called in for these interviews by one firm) in the one day that they spend on campus. It is pretty safe to assume that more than 20 students are interested in each firm, and so the first round of selection happens during this bidding process. If your bid is accepted, you get to either accept or decline the invitation to interview. This is generally when students start to do serious research on the firms to figure out if there are firms out there that appeal more than others, or to weed out those that don't appeal at all. If you accept the invitation, you come in for a 20-minute long interview, which is held on-campus. Generally, if you are selected for one of these spots with the firm, it means you meet whatever cut-off they have for their applicants, meaning: you have the grades to be accepted. Your goal during this interview is to show enough about yourself and your interest in the firm to get what's called a call-back. A call-back is when you are "called back" and invited to visit the firm for the next round of interviews -- they are generally offered within three or so days of this initial interview, but some firms have been known to wait as long as a week before notifying those they would like to see again. Call-back interviews usually involve anywhere from 4 to 8 (or so) associates and partners who usually get about 20 minutes each with you. Sometimes you are taken to lunch, other times you are not. It is important to remember that the lunch is part of the interview, and is not a social gathering of long-lost friends (in other words, stories about your drunken exploits the night before are probably off-limits). Another lunch tip -- order things that are not messy to eat -- you don't want to be fighting a lobster while discussing the finer points of your past summer internship. Firms usually get back to you within two weeks of the call-back interview with either an offer or a "ding" letter -- a rejection (more on these next week). Once offers come out, the situation changes. Instead of you selling the firm on your abilities, the firm starts selling you on the benefits of working for them. This courtship generally includes dinners, more (optional) visits to the firm, and so forth. Within 45 days of receiving the offer you let the firm know whether you will accept it. Then you breathe a sigh of relief (usually just in time to start thinking about finals). This is the process, as it would be, in the perfect world. However, the world is not perfect, especially this year. Our on-campus interviews came smack-dab in the middle of the financial melt-down and hyped-up fears of a looming recession the likes of which we have not seen since that little bump in the road we like to call the Great Depression. Firms interviewing potential summer associates are actually trying to look two years into the future, because they use their summer associate class as recruits for full-time employment at graduation. So, a firm making me an offer now is assuming that they will need me in the fall of 2010. As the markets crashed, summer classes (this is what a group of summer associates is called) at most firms shrank, which made call-backs and offers harder to come by. Wait times between call-back interviews and offer decisions increased from an average of two weeks to, in some cases, almost two months as law firms try to ensure they do not over-enroll their summer class. Students waiting for one of these firms to get back to them tend to sit on offers from other firms, which makes those firms delay answers to those they interviewed later in the process and creates self-perpetuating chaos and panic. When the dust settles, those of us with offers can consider themselves incredibly lucky (given this economy) and can do our part by making our decision as quickly as possible (to free up those firms we are rejecting to make offers to others). Those without offers can take solace in the fact that they did everything they could (unless their names are Bernake or Paulson -- then they could have done much more). The co-op program is also a great safety-net for a lack of a summer associateship. While students enrolled elsewhere can find themselves at a loss when a summer associateship does not materialize, here at NUSL there is a network of employers ready and willing to pick up the so-called slack. Personally, I was one of the lucky ones. I went to law school knowing that I wanted to work for a large firm in Boston when I graduated. It didn't particularly matter which one, as all the firms seemed the same at the time. Throughout this recruiting season, though, I've had the chance to learn a lot about the different firms and about the things that draw me to some of them more than others. Earlier this week I accepted an offer with a firm I absolutely loved throughout this process. The more I got to know about them the better the fit seemed: great reputation in Boston and beyond, small summer class (and a relatively transparent recruiting process), growing corporate/IP practice, beautiful location (though admittedly I have yet to see a firm in a lousy location), and most importantly -- really awesome people. The way I see it: we spend so much of our lives with coworkers that it makes to really be excited about seeing these people on a daily basis. Can't wait for summer to start. http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/10/recruiting_recap.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/10/recruiting_recap.html Co-op Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:17:53 -0500 Stacey Dogan and Rashmi Dyal-Chand. Last year, an IP symposium came to campus, and all the local law schools have IP-related presentations that rotate amongst the campuses which students are invited to attend (and which are an amazing opportunity to learn from and interact with some of the best minds in IP law). Additionally, NUSL hosted the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board last night for a hearing on an opposition to a trademark application. The board normally sits in Washington, DC, but does occasionally travel. Having them come to NUSL is a privilege and an opportunity for Northeastern to expand its reach and name-recognition beyond Public Interest. Sitting in our gleaming, brand-new moot courtroom for the occasion, I couldn't help but think how wrong I had initially been about what this school was about. So, if you are interested in Public Interest law, I hear we're pretty good at that -- but if you are not, turns out we're not just a public interest law school. ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/10/not_just_a_public_interest_law_school.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/10/not_just_a_public_interest_law_school.html Academics Sat, 25 Oct 2008 08:51:52 -0500 Amy mentioned in her blog, last weekend NUSL capped off its 40th anniversary with a party at the Moakley Courthouse. For starters: I have never seen a more beautiful federal building. I am sure there's more to share, but I just got a call from the body shop -- my car is ready. And if you think I am spending one extra second in possession of the refrigerator on wheels -- well, you just haven't been paying attention. ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/10/refrigerator_on_wheels.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/10/refrigerator_on_wheels.html Outside Law School Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:06:26 -0500 all-you-can-eat hockey tickets! Paramedics with defibrillators are standing by. You do have to feel bad for the Bruins. They are located in a town which is crazy about sports and are at the same time owned by a guy who couldn't care less (by the way, please note the use of couldn't in that expression, I know the cool new way of saying this is "could care less", but that makes no sense, because it means he could actually care less. The point is that he could not. Between that, "irregardless" and the "their/there/they're" mess, we have covered the top three ways that people abuse the English language that get under my skin -- and aren't you glad we did?). The owner of a sports team needs to be a fan first and a businessman second. Teams that win championships consistently generally spend a significant amount of money on payroll, and thus are not nearly as profitable as teams that generate a lot of interest, but do not have the same high salaries. Jeremy Jacobs figured this formula out years ago, and so the Bruins are consistently good enough to get in the playoffs and play well enough to generate buzz (which hopefully carries over into next season) and generate revenue, but are always a piece or two short from a championship team, because the owner refuses to spend money. In the sixth-largest TV market in the country. In a part of the country where hockey is a natural sport, enjoyed by many in outdoor rinks for five months out of the year (unlike Florida, where ice is something you put in your drink, not something you skate on). Well, as those of you who have read this space over the last year know, I refuse to let myself be drawn into this. Jeremy Jacobs will not be getting any of my money, regardless (not irregardless) of how much free food I'm offered. While on the subject of sports -- the entire sports universe is a mess, isn't it? The Red Sox are one loss away from being eliminated by a team we all lovingly called the "Double-A's" as recently as a year ago. The Patriots have lost their starting quarterback and are behind the Buffalo Bills in their division. Though, it is important to note that if the Pats are not going to win the division (or the Superbowl), then I'd want the Bills to do it. Buffalo fans are some of the most knowledgeable, dedicated fans on the planet. That, and let's be honest -- Buffalo needs this. What else do they have to look forward to up there? In school-related news, there are events planned throughout this week to commemorate the school of law's 40th anniversary. The events culminate in a capstone reception at the new Federal Courthouse on Saturday. Now, this is a curious numbering system, since Northeastern's School of Law was actually the founding school of this university (in 1898). The school was then shut down in 1956 and re-opened in its current form in 1968 (hence the 40 year anniversary, I suppose). Why we celebrate the 40 and not the 110 years... I will never know, but I guess the number of years is not terribly important -- what is much more interesting is that this Saturday I will find myself voluntarily donning a suit to participate in multiple social interactions with other suit-wearing human beings, and none of it can be called an interview. That's definitely something to look forward to. Maybe I can convince someone there to buy the Bruins...]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/10/hockey_the_forgotten_sport.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/10/hockey_the_forgotten_sport.html Outside Law School Student Life Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:37:56 -0500 agreed, vacating the order. Wachovia and Wells Fargo are currently trying to get the case removed to Federal Court. Simultaneously, Wachovia went to Federal District Court to try and get Citibank enjoined from enforcing this same exclusivity agreement. Interestingly, the crux of Wachovia's argument seems to be based on a provision in the newly-passed $700billion bailout, which seems to imply that there will be no liability for those who find themselves in the position of Wells Fargo -- meaning in violation of an exclusivity agreement. A hearing on this was originally scheduled for this past Tuesday but has been moved to Friday as the sides attempt to settle the dispute. Meanwhile, Wachovia shareholders in North Carolina managed to get a preliminary injunction which would prohibit Citibank from enforcing... yup, this same exclusivity agreement with Wachovia. By way of a "cherry on top", Citibank also sued Wachovia and Wells Fargo for $60 billion ($20 billion in damages and $40 billion in punitive damages), a number which reportedly might grow to $200 billion if the current settlement talks do not work out. This means there are currently three different courts looking at the same provision of a contract between Citibank and Wachovia! As you can see, some of the rulings are clearly in conflict with each other, which is what makes this situation so interesting. Another amazing aspect about all of this is that one could teach the entire first-year curriculum from this one event. There are multiple Civil Procedure elements: jurisdiction, venue, summary judgment, preliminary injunction, etc. Contracts issues are also obviously present, for example why did the Citi/Wachovia deal lack a punitive "walk away" clause? Constitutional law issues arise with the passage of the bailout, which has provisions which are questionable, to say the least. Property would be easily satisfied by looking into the details of the proposed mergers. While I see no actual Tort crimes having been committed, there is some talk of damages which would be useful in that class. No criminal charges have been filed yet, but this may just be a matter of time. My only regret is that I am not closer to the action on this one -- thought I suppose if I were, I might be worried about keeping my job, so perhaps this is a good thing. Have a good weekend everybody! (my weekend starts today). And Go Sox! ***Firms hire summer associates with the expectation of giving them offers for full-time employment after graduation. So, in effect, the firms are in the process of figuring out what their needs for first-year associates will be roughly two years from now. This process can't be easy when the economy is in the state of flux it is in right now.]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/10/the_law_of_bailouts.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/10/the_law_of_bailouts.html Outside Law School Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:51:37 -0500 The thing that tilted the balance of school-selection towards NUSL, for me, was the co-op program. My undergrad institution had one, and I knew first-hand the benefit of "hitting the ground running" when you graduate. There is something to be said for having actual, practical experience to differentiate yourself from everyone else with a shiny, new, diploma. At the same time, the co-op program at NUSL offers something even more valuable: because you are required to work with four different employers, your horizons are necessarily widened. When I started law school, I was very certain what I wanted to do when I got out: patent prosecution work, in the software field. I had a ton of experience in software, and it was the interaction with some patent attorneys that got me "over the hump" of choosing to quit my job and go back to school. However, once I got here, the blinders started to come off a little bit. Sitting in first-year classes that had nothing to do with intellectual property, or technology was none-the-less fascinating, as a way of connecting the legal world with the real world. When it came time to pick my first co-op, I talked to everyone I could find about it. I cornered the co-op staff in hallways, I called friends at all stages of their careers, and I talked to professors, second and third-year students and even the weird homeless guy with the "The World is Ending! Repent!" sandwich-board. With the exception of the homeless gentleman (who suggested I intern at Starbucks, which is odd in itself), everyone I talked to suggested either a judicial internship or a prosecutor's office. Choosing the U.S. Attorney's office, I had the expectation of learning a lot, but being incredibly bored with the subject matter. After all, what interest do I have in criminal law? I couldn't have been more wrong. This summer, I got to push for the extension of Belton-type searches to car trunks with pass-throughs. I got to argue what "regular business operations" for a drug-dealing conspiracy are, in order to establish a reverse-sting operation as being "within normal business practices". I learned that possessing a "receiver" for a gun that was once designed to fire automatically requires registration of the weapon, even if it can no longer fire at all, much less in an automatic fashion. I got very closely acquainted with sentencing provisions, especially when it came to departures for "substantial assistance" and whether that meant other factors could then be used to reduce sentences further, under the Supreme Court's relatively recent rulings. I was never bored with the subject matter. While researching the sentencing departure issue, I also had another epiphany. The most relevant First Circuit decision was written by a judge whose opinions are known for their wealth of vocabulary, their clarity, and "non-lawyer-speak" manner. It was clear, it was easy to read, and it was absolutely brilliant. We had read some opinions written by this judge before (in class), but getting to use it alongside other decisions to support my argument highlighted how much better the writing of this particular judge was. That instant, I was sold. Even though I had planned to make the U.S. Attorney my only foray into non-corporate law, I absolutely knew I had to work for this judge during one of my next three co-ops -- it is an opportunity to learn from the best that I simply could not pass up. Seek, and ye shall find. The judge is a participating co-op employer, and I did not "bonk" my interview this past Monday, which, combined with my eval from the U.S. Attorney resulted in an offer. So this winter, I will be interning with a judge on the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Not just "a judge", though -- the judge I knew I absolutely, positively, without a doubt just had to work for -- no matter what. I guess I better go buy a new dictionary, I'll need it for all those vocab words. All thanks to the co-op program. http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/10/why_i_chose_to_keep_working_without_getting_paid.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/10/why_i_chose_to_keep_working_without_getting_paid.html Co-op Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:34:39 -0500 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.]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/09/better_late_than_never.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/09/better_late_than_never.html Outside Law School Outside Law School Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:26:30 -0500 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. http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/09/crap_happens.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/09/crap_happens.html Academics Outside Law School Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:54:11 -0500 "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. http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/09/my_fail_english_thats_unpossib.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/09/my_fail_english_thats_unpossib.html Academics Outside Law School Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:16:52 -0500 ran past us up the mountain. The AMC members at the hut even offered us leftover breakfast items gratis, for which I thank them, though I doubt they will ever see this (not exactly an internet hotspot, that hut). Due to a missed left turn, we ended up hiking down about 1/8 of a mile before we realized that the trail that continued on for a mile was in the other direction. Refusing to hike back up, we decided that 8 miles was enough for our first real hike this summer and hiked down to the car. A familiar feeling enveloped me when we got there. Exhausted, with leg muscles I didn't even know I had cramping up, we noticed a sign we hadn't seen on the way up. This sign informed us that the hut we just hiked to and back was 3 miles away, not 4. Just like that, we were robbed of 2 miles of distance. Choosing not to dwell on it, we congratulated ourselves on the successful completion of the hike and headed for the car. Never before have I looked at the clutch pedal in any car with as much disdain as I did just then. ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/08/when_at_first_you_dont_succeed_try_try_again.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/08/when_at_first_you_dont_succeed_try_try_again.html Outside Law School Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:12:36 -0500 great blue heron sits fifteen feet away from me, curiously but cautiously watching the weird guy in the bright red shirt, overgrown beard and U.S. Attorney's Office of N.H. hat attempts to type on his laptop without making a sound. I think I am as foreign to the bird as he is to me. Soon, something will spook him and he will take off for the relative safety of the island across the creek. For now, however, we find ourselves in the envious position of having nothing better to do than sitting here, enjoying the sunshine and each other's company. The same college buddy who I referred to in an earlier posting was kind enough to coordinate the birth of his first child (and boy does that make me feel old) with the last week of my internship. I suppose that makes us even, I mention him in my world-famous Admissions blog (tm) and he somehow convinces his wife that it is time to give birth. The timing allowed my wife and I to go down to NYC to see the new addition without feeling rushed to get back for work-purposes, and to extend this visit by spending the rest of the week at her grandmother's house. Which is where I find myself in the staring contest with the magnificent bird. While there are many worthy topics to write about, such as: the Red Sox putting everyone and their mother on the disabled list lately, the end of the Patriots' training camp, the start of classes in less than two weeks, the curious decision in Nevada where a gym was disallowed from charging different membership fees based on sex, but allowed to have areas of the gym designated as female-only, and so on... I am on vacation, and my new friend seems anxious for me to put away the laptop and go back to my previous activity: napping. And so I shall oblige. One last note, actually more of a warning: those who do not regularly visit a gymnasium have no business thinking they can kayak like they could when they did visit such an establishment on a regular basis. ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/08/a_bird_a_plane_no_just_a_bird.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/08/a_bird_a_plane_no_just_a_bird.html Outside Law School Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:39:57 -0500 Some people think that the Olympic Games started with the U.S. Women's soccer team losing its opening game. These are probably the same people that think the Olympics are being held in China this year. Ha! For the record, the Olympics started last night with an event that can be best described as drunken volley-soccer, in Brighton, Massachusetts. Actually, with the time difference and all, it was this morning at approximately 1:45AM, that your faithful scribe was awakened by the sound of a ball being awkwardly dribbled, thrown, kicked and otherwise smacked around on the access road of Commonwealth Avenue. Now, I do not condone drunk driving in any way, shape or form, but I do admit that a part of me thought it would be just peachy to combine the gentleman (the term is being used loosely) who got arrested in Gloucester the other day for his 14th DUI with the impromptu sporting event happening outside my windows, for it would have been a reasonably quick solution to the problem of being awakened roughly 4 hours before I had to get up to go to work. That option being unavailable, however, I decided that I would, in a rather annoyed and loud baritone, explain to the would-be Olympians that they had two options: the first was to lose the ball and go home, and the second was for me to make a phone call to the local constabulary. An incredible thing happened next: my new, more-than-slightly inebriated friends chose the first option. I am not sure whether I should attribute this to their inexperience (it is August, after all, not March -- they haven't been at this all year yet), or to the fact that I have started to sound more authoritative with age, but I was much amused that instead of being told to perform and act that I am not flexible enough to accomplish (and subsequently having to call for reinforcements), I was instead treated to a "Sorry, dude." and a hasty retreat. Based on this rather sorry performance, I do not think we should be counting on Team USA to receive any medals in drunken volley-soccer. Incidentally, the last time I was awakened in the middle of the night, it was because one of my neighbors decided to loudly serenade someone with "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt. That was obnoxious enough to require a call to the police without a warning. It also took about 45 minutes to resolve, with the song being cycled on repeat the entire time. I was not a big fan of Mr. Blunt before this event, afterwards, I am about as excited about this song as my brother is about Sweet Caroline being played at the end of Sox games (which is to say, not too excited at all). The point, for those who think I must have one: when choosing your housing, be extremely careful where you decide to live. Boston is a city of neighborhoods, and one block can be vastly different from the next. Almost seven years ago, I chose to live in a "student" area, because it is never boring. And as long as you don't mind being awakened in the middle of the night with a friendly game of volley-soccer every once in a while, I cannot think of a more fun place to live. However, those that prefer a more controlled environment should probably seek refuge in a different section of town. Ask your realtor, ask your friends, or ask complete strangers. If you have doubts (and time) -- tour the place on a Saturday or Sunday morning when the evidence of late-night debauchery is still fresh on the sidewalk. And if all else fails -- maintain perspective. I would much rather have an impromptu Olympic event break out at 2AM than be faced with real problems. http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/08/usa_usa_usa.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neuslaw/Leon/2008/08/usa_usa_usa.html Outside Law School Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:03:00 -0500