Sowande, 2L

It's my favorite French word. Swah nyooz monh. It means "carefully." I like it for its pronunciation more than I do for its meaning.

Anyway... I have three weeks left here in Santa Barbara. I've really settled in at my co-op, and it feels like I've been there as an employee--not as a law student. I think part of that feeling is because of my past experience as a court employee. Having an understanding of how the different "branches" of a court operate--e.g., clerk's office, judge's chambers, security--has allowed me to focus on the work that I'm doing instead of daydreaming about how files are routed through the court. Hey, sometimes a distraction can morph out of control and before ya know it, ten minutes have passed and there's a line of letter 's' streaming across a memo that's to be turned in by the end of the day. My current situation is a little sad though because I'm used to being a deputy clerk, as opposed to being a judge's "employee." But working at a time when the court is really busy and when I'm the only extern is just tops! [I'm also not used to putting the period inside of the quotes under all circumstances, but American English and grammar it is...]

My schedule for the winter quarter has come together very well, but I don't know that everyone's been so lucky. The talk of the town lately is course selection, and it can be really challenging to fit everything in, get the professors you want, and get into the most popular classes. Personally, I'm going for cut and dry. I know that I need to focus on bar exam classes so my schedule is very, very traditional. Corporations, Business Bankruptcy, Secured Transactions, and Professional Responsibility. I'd love to take advantage of the specialized classes, like International Human Rights Legal Research and Entertainment Law, but in my case if I can argue my way out of a wet paper bag, but haven't provided myself with a solid foundation in traditional legal concepts, the bar exam is going to be that much more challenging.

I mean, I'll come right out with it and say that I didn't grow up in an environment where business transactions, home purchases or my parents' investments were discussed at the dinner table--haha, what investments? In fact, I never had those conversations at any point in my life so I feel like maximizing my exposure to what, for some, are simple aspects of American business/life (e.g., buying a home or managing investments) will be most beneficial to my future in the legal field.

Still in love with bankruptcy law.

*chuckle*

Yes. It's Friday.

I spent today's lunch at a Families Advocating Compassionate Treatment (FACT task force meeting. FACT is forming a task force to build a treatment facility in Santa Barbara for dually diagnosed individuals (mental health and co-occurring substance-use disorders). Many have severe psychological issues (e.g., bi-polar disorders and schizophrenia), and their challenges are compounded by drug addiction and being caught in the revolving door of the criminal justice system, with very little hope for any sort of rehabilitation.

There were numerous parallels between their activities, and my law office's first-year project. For example, one of the purposes of today's meeting was to bring community stakeholders to the table, including prosecutors, law enforcement, public defenders, families, and the general public, in order to hash out and discuss the various ways of going about reaching their end goals.

I didn't say much because I was on my lunch break, and I was sort of the new/visiting kid on the block--but they are engaged in the same discussions that my law office had when we were developing strategy for our project (a state-wide Restorative Justice Diversionary Program/Youth Tribunal for at-risk youth in Massachusetts). The people present at today's meeting included concerned family members, members of the local legal community, local law enforcement, and a local university professor.

While my law office's project has gone quite far, and continues to have impact on the development of state legislation, I believe that if this organization continues to forge ahead with the involvement of at least the stakeholders who were present today, they should do well.

Bon weekend!

It's been raining off and on for almost 24 hours. I've been blamed by several people for bringing this weather from the east coast...

"Condemned to the use of words, we can never expect mathematical certainty from our language." - Justice Thurgood Marshall said it right. Grayned v. City of Rockford, 408 U.S. 104 (1972). I'd provide the page number but it's better if you find it yourself. That case is chock-full of literary confection.

This morning I got to work excited to sit in on a hearing for which I'd done a lot of significant writing, research and preparation. The work was intense, and dealt with a lot of issues with which I was very unfamiliar. Also, the emotional charge of bankruptcy is almost ever-present but what's particularly difficult and even ironic about the work is that the lure of adhering too closely to the black-letters is powerful. Translating the arguments of individual human beings, who fear losing their homes, cars, or whatever, into something that makes sense within the Federal Bankruptcy Code requires more than a dry sensibility because the average human being just doesn't speak the language of the Federal Bankruptcy Code.

Years ago, I dreamt that I would some day translate between Japanese-speaking and English-speaking record executives. Or between French and Japanese, I don't know, pie makers. But what I am doing now is beautiful because what I do all day is translate. Translate between a pro per party and the Court. Translate between state and federal law. Dive deeply into a phrase contained within environmental law, and translate that into bankruptcy law. Haha, I feel like a gameshow host, "all this and more..."

I definitely don't do it alone. I've had a lot of excellent conversations, help, comments, support and suggestions from the Judge to the US Marshalls. I've been experiencing a lot of deja vu, and from what I recall it means that I am on the right path--or it's too late and I need to "deja vu" my behind to bed.

On a heavier note, I saw the new Michael Moore movie this evening with my mom. It's an interesting perspective and an interesting start. I'll just say that it was a little peculiar to sit in a Santa Barbara boutique theater, watching a film about wealth and capitalism in the United States. *grin*

***LSSC NEWS FLASH***

I just got an email from my LSSC Law Office 12 Faculty Mentor, Prof. Susan Maze-Rothstein, and portions of our Restorative Justice Youth Diversionary project are being incorporated into proposed legislation which will be heard tomorrow by the Massachusetts State Senate Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. Law Office 12--and you know this.

//end LSSC News Flash

This weekend was the 23rd Annual Avocado Festival. The festival is held in Carpinteria, CA, which is actually where I grew up. (Bullhead CIty has only been home for the last 2.5-3 years.) Carpinteria is one of the main producers of avocados, and is about 15 miles or so south of Santa Barbara, CA. It's a small, sleepy California beach town where everyone knows each other, and where avocados are grown like whoah. I saw some REALLY old friends from elementary school and days spent at the beach.

The first time I volunteered for the festival was with my entire family, my mom, dad, older brother, older sister, and younger brother--in 1986. We all worked in the Pepsi booth together and had a great time. This year, my mom and I volunteered and had a great time selling event merchandise.

Enjoy the photos.

You deserve it so here goes...

I had to take a break from another project with a tight deadline, so I walked downtown. I figured I'd take side streets, go to Barnes & Noble and browse the economics section for anything that could give me some water-cooler talk topics outside of our normal workload. Along the way I ran into a really old friend of mine, who happened to be on his way to the "bunny festival". Seriously. Santa Barbara's got an annual bunny festival that's held in the sunken gardens behind the Superior Court. I don't know much about rabbits, but I've always thought they just smelled disagreeable, among having other odd natural qualities.

Gotta love Cali Spanglish... It's good to be back...

Last Friday, I went down to Los Angeles for the Extern/Law Clerk training at the US Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California, Los Angeles Division. Geez, that's wordy. A classmate of mine was there too, and I have to say we were definitely up on our game. NUSL and you know this!! We both took Bankruptcy last quarter, and now we're both externing for bankruptcy judges in the Central District (I'm in the Northern Division, she's in the Los Angeles Division). The training was interesting, albeit thorough, and it was really great to hang out with a classmate outside of Boston.

We met students from other schools, and one in particular referred to Northeastern as, "ohhh THAAAT Northeastern!" I've noticed that a lot of people, attorneys, law students et cetera, don't know about our Cooperative Legal Education Program, but when they find out what it is and how much work we do, they are amazed. That's without even getting the chance to tell them about LSSC.

I didn't realize how distinct NUSL's program is prior to getting out on Co-op. We get to do what other law school students do during the summer, but we do it four times over... And, for people on my rotation, we're already ahead of the game because we've had a year and a quarter of school.

Having taken Evidence, Intellectual Property, Bankruptcy (of course), and even Communication Law has had a powerful impact on my first Co-op. Bankruptcy involves every area of law imaginable. I've already worked on cases involving FCC licensing, fraud, endangered species, intellectual property, and I'm only in my fourth week. It's pretty powerful stuff, but it's a lot of hard work--I mean a lot. On the other hand, being graced by the presence of the occasional celebrity doesn't hurt either.

I will say that nothing, NOTHING will ever compare to LSSC in terms of work load--which is nothing but a plus. Full-blown summary judgment memo in four days--sure why not. Let's just say I feel prepared and THAT'S what really matters.

Looking 12 years old...

Co-op is fantastic but I can't believe I'm already at week THREE. I am being kept very busy and I definitely chose the right place to work. I enjoy one on one time, a good amount of pressure, and complicated projects. And I can't tell you how exciting the cases are... I mean I really can't because I promised I wouldn't discuss. Bankruptcy is all over the place in terms of the topics involved, so for someone like me it's a great fit. Seriously, intellectual property, real property, taxes, corporations, FCC licensing (no really)--it's a mixed bag.

The automatic stay has got SWAGGERRRRR!

Friday I'll be heading back to LA (and back to San Diego--oh yeah, again, see infra) for an Extern/Law Clerk training that the Central District is putting on... with free lunch. And, AND I get to see a fellow Bankruptcy classmate who is working in the same district, but in a different division. It will be quite nice to compare notes.

Mmmm, I don't think I was supposed to go all the way down to San Diego this last weekend but I did. I went from having no plans after getting out of work (or off of Co-op), to waking up on Saturday morning with my mom in my FACE talking about, let's go to LA... then wandering off into the sprawling metropolis called So-Cal, and ending up in San Diego. It was really wonderful seeing friends I haven't seen in years--and since they're broke too, we were all on the same level in terms of recession chic.

Wearing out my signature look... [Santa Barbara Superior Courthouse--it's not where I'm working, but it's down the street]

Well, it is, there's no better way to say it.

Santa Barbara: I may have grown up here, but it's a very different place twelve years later. The Greek/Italian Deli that used to be at State and Ortega--gone. That place was an institution. The pastrami was boomin. So many of the stores on State Street have changed, but at least Metro Comics is still around.

Since I've been working, I haven't had too much time to get out and really see the city, but I will in good time. Three-day weekends, like the one coming up, are good for that.

Classes vs. Co-op: Let's talk about hands-on work. There is no better way I've come across, to understand in-class concepts than to apply doctrine on Co-op. When I was working, before starting law school, I could only draft so much of a pleading, or explain potential client inquiries to a limited extent, or tell a judge what I thought in very limited terms when asked what I thought about how a trial went. The discussions are much different now, and I feel as though my contributions are more insightful and substantive.

On the real though, I can't wait to get to the beach. It's been about 80 degrees and sunny for the last, I don't know how many days. I'm just going to have to bring my trunks to work and hit the beach right after. It's been done.

Hey 1Ls, welcome and all of that "jazz'eration". Hope you're ready to learn real good! Suggestion--if you haven't done the readings that are posted on the WeBoard yet (the inside bulletin board for school of law students), DO get on that, and early. Classes get going quickly. The farther ahead at the start, the better. I'm just sayin'...

A lot is happening next week. 1Ls begin, most of us on Fall/Spring are starting our Co-ops, it's the first of the month... *le sigh* Where has the time gone? I'm hopping on a midnight train from Kingman to Santa Barbara on Saturday. Such a tragedy. Summer weather, beaches, family and old friends. Life is rough ain't it??? I just hope the place doesn't light up while I'm there. Poor California is constantly on fire, and devastatingly broke these days. Maybe I'll be able to look into one of those municipal bankruptcies while I'm working there. That would be quite rad--to learn about, not necessarily to happen.

"Les attitudes les plus incompréhensibles dans la vie sont souvent dues à la persistance d'un moment intimidé dans la jeunesse."

Bon chance a tout!

Speaking of "bon chance" don't forget about the Goodwill. I know it sounds gross to some, but there are some nice things a good dry-cleaning away from being quite presentable. I got two gold-button blazers at one out here in the remotest of Arizona, and they are HIGH quality vintage designer blazers. Not a single flaw... and this after trips to various local clothiers wanting at least $140 for low end blazers that didn't even fit me correctly. Pish tosh.

A lot of people seem to want to know what the law school campus is like in terms of Mac laptop users. They are everywhere. I recall that more than half of the students raised their hands when asked, "who of you are Mac users?" in an all-class meeting. The entire campus is extremely Mac friendly, and students can take exams on Mac versions of the examination software.

No love for Linux just yet. Bottom line--if you want that Mac for law school, "git er done!"

I was lucky from the git... I knew exactly what laptop features *I* required for law school:

(1) has to be a tablet;
(2) has to be under 1500 (total, including any extra service plans--there went the ThinkPad);
(3) has to be fly;
(4) has to be quiet.

There are tons of other features that I wanted, but most laptops come with them as pretty standard features; e.g., >150gig hard-drive, wifi, other basics, dvd burner, et al. I ended up with the HP TX2500z, a burning hot, LOUD, tablet that was under my 1500 max, and with which I am very happy.

If YOU are considering a tablet PC, I suggest Tablet PC Review.