Sowande, 2L

So here you are. You've taken a crucial step in your search for educational fulfillment and you probably want to know what to do, who to talk to, where to live, what you'll eat, why Northeastern, why Boston... why law school...

I've got to say, "congratulations to you," because seeking out what it is students have to say about where they are going to law school, and why, is an essential resource. These blogs give you a rare opportunity to read about what those of us going through the process are thinking--okay, maybe some of us wonder what we were thinking once in a while so there's definitely quite a bit to say. So folks, with that in mind, I'm really going to encourage you to read everyone's blog.

"Just who is this Sowande guy?"

I grew up in Santa Barbara, California, spent a [very] long time figuring out where I was headed in my undergraduate studies, and took my time exploring many different areas of study before graduating with my B.S. in Justice Studies from San Jose State University. I moved to Kingman, Arizona, a few days after graduating in December 2006, where I was a courtroom clerk up until coming to Boston to embark upon my law school journey.

Since this is my first blog entry, I'll just Keep It Simple and Sweet because, you see, I have no doubts that I will return to stories about my zany misadventures between way back when and now because believe it or not, they are of much value.

Law school at Northeastern, in my opinion, has not been a simple process where you are fed information, you memorize it, you write the occasional paper, professors ask you puzzling questions, and you eat, read, sleep, read, etc. Law School at Northeastern has so far been the beginning of an epic tale, and very few interesting epic tales go on and on without providing any context. At Northeastern, my fellow law school students provide the context. I provide the context. What happens to me on the T (public transport) provides context. Everything I see between home (J.P., you'll hear more about that later) adds to the context. Even the food I eat gives my experience context.

I plan to share with you how that context has shaped my getting here to Northeastern University School of Law. I also plan to share with you how context adds to my 1L experience, and perhaps beyond.

Please do comment and ask questions because yes, I will be answering them as best I can, and yes, your experiences and thoughts as future 1Ls will add important guidance as to how this blog can help you in shaping your epic tale as you navigate your path to becoming a 1L (at Northeastern University School of Law, of course).

I got asked a question by a reader, and wanted to answer it briefly but then got caught up in a memo and decided, "why not make the answer to the question the entire blog for this week..."

Is that cheap? I don't think so. There are many more weeks ahead and I did say that I would shape the blog around what people ask:

So, reader asks why I chose Northeastern... hmmmm.

That's been an interesting question that I've gotten from a lot of people here in Boston when they find out that I came from the west coast.

That Northeastern is in Boston, or that it is so far from where I am from, had very little influence on my decision to attend. Northeastern seemed like the type of school where I would graduate with something unique under my belt other just than a school name.

The education is both traditional and non-traditional. We take the usual American Bar Association courses, but we are also taking a very intense social justice component throughout our first year.

In my first post, I mentioned my appreciation of context. My undergraduate studies allowed for quite a bit of contextual discussion, and I wanted to continue that in law school. The social justice component has us reading very dense, yet relevant cases and journal articles that allow us to relate a lot of the “dry� materials we learn in our traditional courses with contemporary social issues.

And I also have to mention Co-op. All of the local legal community is aware of Northeastern students and our co-ops; four 11-week internships to put it bluntly. I was at an event recently, and as soon as I mentioned that I was a 1L at Northeastern, the member of the legal community with whom I was speaking says, “Oh, you Northeastern grads come ‘practice-ready’.�

Now… all of this is said with one thing in mind—winter is not yet upon us. Be sure to check back to see what I think once it really starts to get cold.

This last week was wild for us all. Practice examination results, students were participating in last-minute fair election efforts, and memos and nonplussed assigned readings burgeoned forth like no other. I did, however, find the time to be interviewed briefly for a CBS news story.

As for the election, what can I say? One professor said, in class, that this election was most important to him because for the first time in a long while, a law professor was elected president!!! I'm just floored that a Black law professor was elected, well, the first Black law professor... well the first Black man was elected president.

Ladies and gentlemen, for me it doesn't get much more validating than that. All one need do is look for the statistics. How far fewer Black men are in law school... let alone graduate high school as compared to how many Black men are under the thumb of the criminal justice system? Shocking.

My mom, the woman who adopted me as a single mother, and who has been number one all of my life and was in the front row to hear Dr. Martin Luther King speak during our March on Washington, sent me the following email:

hey honey... "amped up" that's how We were all feeling when he took the stage for his acceptance speech...awesome....Ey...next step...after Law School, maybe the White...uhhh "Black" House in some capacity...I just know that the Pres. Elect will be looking for bright, aspiring, minds to help in some capacity!

Ohhhhh the future...wish that grandma was here to witness it...i just know all OUR folks are a-stirrin and spinnin, where ever their souls are...

I am just tooooo happy...You should have heard me scream...me scream and auntie bawling her eyes out...just too beautiful...so much emotion...still am reeling from the enormity of it all...

so glad I got to see you and hear your voice. nice...
mom

Whoa, this week was a little bit much.

So, law school is very much about pushing limits I didn't even know I had. I'll admit it though. I've had to head to campus super duper early to catch up on readings in the library or wherever I can find a quiet spot. The building is warm, well lit, and there is plenty of furniture AND you can eat in there--yeah, seriously! For those of us who are constantly eating (or dream of constantly eating), it's an all-of-the-above experience.

The library is being renovated floor by floor... which should be interesting. I think they're bringing it up to date to try to match the new Dockser building that opened up this year especially for me for the whole law school.

On to more serious things, we are having a client meeting for our Social Justice component project client today. So, I have to whip out the fancies and shine up the shoes... and shave. Today's class will be especially long because my law office is having the client meeting, having discussion, meeting about a transition memo we are creating in smaller groups (did anyone catch the media discussion about President Elect Obama pouring over a significant transition memo?), and then having some social work-free time with our Lawyering Fellow. Lawyering Fellows are upper-year law students who facilitate the Social Justice component coursework for a larger portion of the first year.

And... it's almost 7:30, the library calls. In the mean time, in between time, here's a photo I took last night. Yeah, it's real. My first New England fall. It was taken in Brighton.

I'm taking a break from non-stop studying for Friday's Property exam (and preparing for others next week) to drop a quick note while it's on my mind.

I, along with a small set of fellow mentees, met with my faculty mentor of color today, Professor Susan Maze-Rothstein, to talk about pre-exam jitters, study strategies, and other things that were weighing heavily on our minds. We spent a significant amount of time going over everything from how we've attacked the really complex issues we will be tested on, to the social dynamics of exam preparations. It was time apart, needed by all of us, to really connect with a faculty member and one another in the midst of what is a very time-intensive and tiring process.

Faculty mentors are available to all students. We were told this on the very first day, and were encouraged to seek one (or more) out; e.g., one for career path, one for networking, or just someone to share general interests with. They are important connections to make and if you get the right one, they can be a powerful ally with whom you can discuss everything you want to share. Academics, future path, to what to do if you suddenly have to move into a new place...

Speaking of new places, we had our first snow yesterday and I took a few pictures from my office window (I don't know if that's a chicken coop, a vineyard or a torture device down there, sorry), and our balcony, yes, balcony. On another note, today, it was in the teens and didn't get over 20 degrees. Ever so cold... but the cold is manageable. After 15 or so minutes in it, you stop feeling things... And it's supposed to get quite a bit colder 'round here.

It's not fun having to tell loved ones that you can't plan for the holidays with the zest, zeal and gusto of years past because you have exams to study for, the preparation for which takes up all of your waking hours during the most crucial holiday planning phase.

Calm down, the Sugar Plum Faries will live to see another year.

Even though I told close family that I was going to be busier than all get out, it is still difficult for some to grasp the idea that anyone could possibly be that busy... Well, it was even difficult for me at one stage to grasp the idea that I was going to be "that busy", but I am.

Just to give you readers a sort of "biopsy" of what is happening at this stage for me, I am at the tail end of synthesizing everything I've packed into my skull, and learning how to express it in the context of responses to fact-tastic, hypothetical examination questions. What's most exciting is that while there are so many concepts that were thrown at me during the regular coursework portion of the class, it comes into focus with almost unreal clarity the more practice examinations I've done, the more study group discussion I've participated in, and the more I've forced myself to grit my teeth and read.

What "fires me up"? Well, I don't know where this is coming from but I'll say it, "I almost don't want to let the professors down." There's a lot to unpack in that statement so here goes. It's a given that I have my own high expectations of myself for exams and coursework, so let's set that aside for now.

The key here is that the professors I had are very passionate about what they do. It's not like large undergrad classes where the professor mumbles for an hour three times a week, you do homework that looks like it was first generated circa 1974 on a "ditto" machine, and then you take a long multiple choice question examination on a scantron. The professors seem to get really intimate with the material they plan for the semester, and just have a powerful knack for guiding the class. I guess I could just say that they obviously put a lot of work into every aspect of their classes, and then go the extra mile by choosing teaching assistants whom they trust to help students in need of an extra boost, and they arrange for pre-examination review sessions--some of which they themselves lead. And, they don't disappear the week before examinations.

So, with all of that hard work, I feel like I can return the favor by giving them an interesting examination to read. How can I do that? By gritting my teeth, and getting to know the material.

Now, I will warn that it is "easy as" to find little things to do around the house, i.e., "oh, I haven't dusted the ceiling fan blades like I wanted to... or dusted the door jams, or cleaned all of the windows inside and out, or gone grocery shopping... or written this week's blog..."

BACK TO WORK!!

I don't mean to say that the exam was scandalous, but wow.

(1) I don't know, for me it was fun being finally able to attempt to apply what I've learned to a fact pattern that will be scrutinized and develop into an evaluation of my work for the semester in Property.

(2) No matter what school a law student goes to, there seems to be a commonality in the level of pre-examination jitters. I stayed away from campus. That's what worked for me to keep me from getting swept up in any possible whirlwinds of over-contemplation, anxiety and concern. It's not that I don't have high expectations of myself, but I do feel that I need to be able to keep external influence at a minimum. That's also not to say that there are not nooks and crannies in which one can hide out and get some focused studying done on campus.

(3) It's all about perspective though. I was careful to work through practice problems, and made sure to attend each and every one of Professor Brook Baker's Analytical Skills Workshops through ASP. I'd say that traditional logic and analytical reasoning is not one of my strengths. I am more of a foreign languages and linguistics type. However, his course provided the opportunity to work through potential exam issues, and to work on making inferences to which the legal doctrine we are taught can be applied. Ohhhh, yeah. It's good stuff and I felt light-years ahead of where I would have been had I not participated in that wonderful class.

(4) Finally, I realized that my ability to handle stress was really bolstered during my time as a courtroom clerk. Clerking through lonnnnnnnnng criminal trials really builds up stamina, and having to keep track of every word while sitting through those lonnnnnnnnnnnnng trials (to create minute orders, handle sometimes hundreds of exhibits, administer oaths, etc.) for almost two years, was a skill that absolutely applied to my ability to concentrate for four hours on exam problems requiring attention to detail, and my ability to be flexible in thinking while dealing with nerves.

So this weekend has me preparing for our Torts exam on Monday, and Civil Procedure on Tuesday. Next post will probably be after final examinations, so expect a lot of bold lettering and caps lock abuse.

I got on a plane last night at 11:01 p.m. in Las Vegas, Nevada, arrived at Boston Logan Airport at 6:37 a.m., and went pretty much straight to classes this morning at 8:30. Talk about a rush.

Second semester is no joke. Our entire 1L class was advised of deadline upon deadline for our LSSC courses, both the Social Justice component as well as the Research and Writing component, and after the morning course overview, we immediately broke out into our law offices (Law Office 12 y'all, keep us on your radar) and got down to the nitty gritty of ferreting out our final project.

Tensions at school were higher than a well-crafted souffle, and today I was reminded that while Northeastern definitely is one of the more collaborative campuses, there are still many "A-type" personalities because, folks, this is still law school and the people who come here to study have high demands and come from varied backgrounds.

Some are better at handling stress than others, but what it boils down to for me is an exercise in being able to work with and around people whose perspectives and experiences are different from my own, while absorbing the wealth of knowledge and accepting the privilege that law school has to offer.

On another note, hopefully by now everyone's submitted applications. Bravo! Now is the time to really start researching the cost of housing, Boston's interesting weather, what your finances look like, scholarships that are available, and what alums from Northeastern have accomplished. For me, the better my grip was on what I was getting into, the better able to handle law school's gnarly curve-balls.

As my folks back in Arizona love to say, "GIT R DONE!"

Friday's high temperature is noted to be 1 degree Fahrenheit... That's pretty exciting.

We're back in the swing of classes, and along with the heavy, heavy, heavy workload required in our Constitutional, Contracts and Criminal Law classes, is our very... "complex" social justice project.

I really haven't had time to do much of anything outside of classwork these last two weeks--oh wait a minute... a school-mate and I had some amazing Colombian food, some of which has immortalized itself in my Contracts book. I guess I was pretty hungry.

I've been singing the praises of our Northeastern University Dining Hall. They have a tight salad bar, and even have beets. My aunt used to try to make me eat beets when I was little and they were so nasty back in the day--now I can't get enough. A little blue cheese (which they have at the dining hall) and I'm set. They also have cool lunch menus and spaces to work. It's also not too loud in there, because I think not a lot of people go there.

As you read above, we are taking Constitutional, Contracts and Criminal Law this semester, along with LSSC, and I am once again amazed by the professors I have been assigned to. They are "dynamic" in their own individual ways, but the required reading is something to behold, and something I sometimes want to be-THROW out of a moving vehicle... but you read, you learn, and you "keep it moving!!" as my road dawg says.

I am starting to see how classes really build on each other though, and that the concepts we covered last semester come up in rapid fire succession in each of these classes. It's exciting to actually be able to understand the words that are coming out of the professors' mouths.

On to Contracts reading. FYI, what happens when class has to be re-scheduled sometimes is that there is a makeup day--one of which happens to be tomorrow, so we have four classes (instead of the usual three on Thursdays) back to back from 8:55 a.m. to about 6:00 p.m., with about an hour break somewhere in there--I hope.

I'll make it through.

As you probably know, students receive what are called "Evals" (evaluations) of our performance here at Northeastern University School of Law. They are [sometimes] detailed records that become a part of our transcript. Instead of grades, they are credit/no credit, and they contain buzzwords (e.g., excellent, great, good, satisfactory, poor) that potential employers, scholarship organizations, and students use to evaluate performance.

As strange as it sounds, we are not the only law school to use such a system, and I find it to be a very interesting approach. There are certainly positives and negatives. One one hand, the professor's words and impression are included in them, so you get some great talking points for interviews. On the other, they are not so easily understandable at first, and may even say some things that make you think, "whoa, that's a pretty strong word."

I received my set of evals for two of my classes today--Civil Procedure and Torts, and the anxiety building up to this first set was harsh. For me, it feels as though I've completed the first semester of law school--again. But there is a very important sense of closure that has come with receiving them, actually I'm almost hesitant to say closure because these sassy little nuggets are going to follow me from here on out. I get the feeling that my exams were fairly scrutinized, and from them was extracted a sense of the "Torts me" or the "Civil Procedure me" that was put into the professor's own words--some of which I understood outright, and others that it took some reading between the lines.

The difficult thing about evals for me is that they seem to take quite some time to receive. So, as for examining my performance in a class, it's a bit trying to have to wait what seems like an eternity to receive them. Also, not receiving them all at once is a bit difficult, but I'll take what I can get. It's fine now, but the wait had its moments.

Now that that's over, well the first part, I'm heading out for live Brazilian music and FOODS! [Okay Sowande, let's see if we can keep food out of a blog just once...] Oh, one thing about Boston is that there's always some good grub grabbin' somewhere. Take your pick, Vietnamese, Brazilian, Colombian...

Final note: if there is anything on campus or around Boston you want to see, let me know. Camera is at the ready.

Well, I'm here in Dockser Commons (the fresh new space within the School of Law) with three other members of my law office, Matt, Marissa and James. We're talking through the final edit of our first draft of our Legal Skills in Social Context (LSSC) project, and I thought it would be a perfect time to provide some perspective on the LSSC program.

Just to give a little background, the first-year class is divvied up into law offices. There are about twelve students per law office, and each law office is assigned a very legitimate, real, project. Ours, for example, is for Massachusetts Senator Karen Spilka. We have been assigned a very weighty task--to create legislative recommendations for a restorative justice youth diversionary program for the State of Massachusetts juvenile justice system.

What we are doing is assisting in the creation of legislative history, and model legislation, that may be argued in the State Senate, and some day codified. Our client, Senator Karen Spilka has essentially hired our law office to undertake this project, and it has been no easy task.

Each member of our law office, with whom we spent the first semester getting to know (we all have the exact same class schedules), has contributed by doing extensive and substantial research into the existing juvenile justice system, youth courts, and restorative justice. We have spent hours upon hours (which we are tracking using time sheets--as "real" attorneys do, some in six minute increments) researching, drafting and interviewing, to gather the information that we will present to the Senator in April.

The LSSC program is structured in such a way that each step in our venture is planned out, by the program as well as by us, to maximize the professional potential of our end product. This is all in addition to the high demands of our other core classes: Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice/Procedure, Research and Writing, and Contracts. So, imagine if you will, every hour of each day being dedicated to law school.

It's definitely an exercise in time management, professionalism and the ability to burn the midnight oil while tackling the amalgam of LAW, theoretically and in practice. It isn't very difficult to see the applicability of such an intense program to our future legal careers.

Today was definitely symbolic in that with the completion of our first draft, each of us pushed ourselves one step closer to something tangible that just screams of our ability to get out there and do. More on this later as we continue with field interviews and the actual drafting of the model legislation. James and I interviewed Honorable Jay D. Blitzman, a local judge who sits in the Juvenile Courts, which I will share at a later point.

But for now, a hearty "Congrats" to Marissa, who found out today that will be clerking for a judge at the brand new District Court in Springfield for her first Co-op.

It seems a little bit "spring-ish" lately. The ice is starting to melt and we had some 40 degree weather today. The sun made a cameo ("word up!") for a bit, and it's been sprinkling here and there.

Classes have really picked up speed, and we are getting into some very complex topics. Constitutional law in particular is so history-rich, that as a non-history major (well, the more appropriate course is probably Civics since Justice Studies included a lot of discussion regarding the history of incarceration and policing), there is a lot to remember and pull up from 11th grade AP History. I met with a teaching assistant briefly yesterday and have to admit that without the quick review I had with her, I probably would not have been able to add much to today's class discussion.

This afternoon, I tagged along with two of my Law Office members on a field interview at the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services, and participated in a really enlightening discussion about how innovative they really are working to become. The names of juvenile justice "innovators" are starting to come to the surface more and more, and with greater frequency, so I'm really starting to see how small the juvenile justice community is, locally and nationally.

And now it's time for bed.

I watched the Oscars last night... well, as much of it as I could before I my mind started to wander.

[I had a Japanese-language "congratulations" but the site doesn't look like it supports the other language]. I've always been interested in foreign entities winning Oscars and Grammys, and that a Japanese film-maker won was, of course, a lot of fun. His speech was clever too. Check him out here.

The time for me to consider what my first Co-op will be is coming soon, and I am sort of spinning around on the topic. Part of me wants to go for the gold and head back to Japan, years later, to pursue an internship at a law firm there... The other part of me is thinking that perhaps a Japanese refresher course is a better approach, and maybe a co-op that will allow me to work on some entry-level translation.

We worked on client letters in my Research and Writing class last week, and as technical as they are in English, I'm curious about how exactly the game changes when it has to be in Japanese, or from Japanese into English. I'm going to tag that for later discussion and schedule an appointment with Jeffrey Smith, my Co-op Advisor. I'll check back in with an update, so y'all readers can get hint at what it's like to plan a foreign-language/international co-op.

This week is spring break--and it snowed last night. It was starting to warm up, but my Vista toolbar is telling me that it's 29º outside... delightful. The wind has been vicious too lately, but since my partner is here, we've been going to the movies, and stuffing our faces with Boston's finest delicacies. I'm just happy I don't have to trudge to class in this weather.

I'm also happy that I have a BREAK!!!

Now that our "extended" spring break is over (Monday was actually a snow day), I have returned to the rigor.... The second and third-year students have also returned from their Winter co-ops, and the commons are quite full.

Over the break, I scheduled an appointment to begin discussing strategy for my first co-op applications this fall. Today, I met with Jeff Smith, Director of External Relations for the Co-op program. Our discussion was productive and I look forward to working with the co-op office on my next steps.

We had our weekly LSSC law office meeting, and really got into some very intense discussion among ourselves and with our Faculty Adviser, Professor Maze-Rothstein, regarding the direction of our project. Our second draft was evaluated by both her and our Advising Attorney, Professor David Hall, with great detail, and we were able to voice probably all of the core concerns that we had regarding the comments, and the project in general.

These projects are by no means simple. They require a great level of determination because they seem to be chosen in such a way that they will test our abilities to work with complex, even controversial issues, to create significant, well-supported final products. It was powerful to have been reminded that these projects are opportunities to speak directly to those who have the power to implement very dramatic changes--to shift paradigms, if you will.

I came away from the meeting really thinking about how many opportunities I will have to work with another Senator on really shifting paradigm. This is pretty powerful stuff.

It's been a fast and furious two weeks.

Last week, I finally went to the Massachusetts State House for the LSSC Project client meeting I'd been coordinating and preparing for some time. Two other students (Law Office Representatives, who also put in a huge amount of time), myself, our Advising Attorney, Professor Hall, and our Faculty Supervisor, Professor Maze-Rothstein met at State Senator Spilka's office.

We met with the Senator (via teleconference which was really great because she was out in the field, but took the time out to talk with us for close to an hour and a half), her Lead Counsel, her Aid and her new Policy Analyst. I just have to say that it went SO well. We got some excellent feedback, but more importantly, we were able to show off a tiny bit of what we learned. I was really nervous at first, but quickly became comfortable participating in the discussion because I realized how much I've grown, and felt that I was actually being closely listened to.

One thing I'd heard about law school was that students don't typically get a lot of feedback, so it seems hard to figure out where we stand sometimes. I've noticed that in my experience here, if I seek it out, I am able to get feedback all over the place, which I think is great because there are chances to be evaluated on many different fronts--not just on those two or three, terrifying Socratic moments and a final examination.

Last weekend, I traveled to Springfield to meet up with my mom, who flew into town for her uncle's memorial service. He was 96, and was the oldest of nine brothers and sisters, one of whom was my grandmother. He was a very prominent figure in our family, and I even found out that he had secured his very own U.S. Patent for a stroller safety device--I had no idea!

We stayed with my mother's cousin on Friday night, and made the drive down to Mt. Laurel, New Jersey on Saturday morning. As soon as we arrived into the small town, my mind started to buzz and I was thinking--wait a minute, Mt. Laurel, Mt. Laurel what IS it about Mt. Laurel and it suddenly dawned on me that we'd spent quite some time discussing a very famous zoning case involving Mt. Laurel in my Property class. I spent almost an hour talking about the case with another of mother's cousins, who spent a lot of time in Mt. Laurel and gave me some very interesting background. It's all about context, and coincidence!

That night, I stayed in New Brunswick with a cousin I grew up with, and he and I made the trek to NYC. I hadn't been to the city for eight years, and was in shock to see how much it seems to have changed.

My commute to school from Brighton is about an hour each way... give or take about fifteen minutes depending on the time of day. I usually read on the train if I can get a seat, and I don't mind the ride. It forces me to get outside for a little bit, and the people watching is great.

I usually try to ride with a buddy of mine who lives a little up the street. She helps the commute go a lot faster, and if we get up and out early enough in the morning (usually by seven), we'll check out the dining hall for breakfast. And by the way, it's nice to be re-acquainted with breakfast these days. There's nothing better than a full spread in the morning to help me think about things other than my stomach making funny noises in class.

Anyway, my pal and I checked out a law bookstore after classes were done today, and I picked up some fun flashcards. I've learned exactly how contextual of a learner I am (ya learn a lot about yourself in law school... you'll see), and sometimes doctrine (the As and Bs that "may" lead us to C), although straight-forward, can be difficult to apply.

The interesting thing about these little "tarjetas del estudio", is that for me they are a helpful intermediary between strict doctrine and practice exams. I've been lucky to have professors who do a lot of hypothetical practice during class, but I was looking for even more simple ones to do, to really etch the concepts into my gray matter. They seem to have helped me clarify some of the specific concepts I don't understand, and are quite portable for someone who has to carry some heavy books and who doesn't have a lot of room in his backpack for even more books.

I can't recommend them for everyone, because through talking to different people and going to various academic skills sessions, I've noticed how different the ways are that people learn. I've also heard and noticed that sometimes, they aren't quite on-point in terms of the concepts we discuss in class, and I've had to set some of them aside. But for the most part, they look like they'll help me to keep the concepts fresh, and "pepper in" little bit of magic during the commute.

And now, back to reading.

Wow, I haven't updated for a while! Deadlines, deadlines.

4/1/2009 -- LSSC Presentation

We presented our Massachusetts Diversionary Restorative Justice Youth Tribunal to an audience of more than sixty (60) people! What a relief! We presented to representatives from community organizations currently involved in juvenile justice (e.g., Massachusetts Department of Youth Services), students, family members and friends. It was a great conversation, and a lot of fun to kind of "show off" what we learned over the last eight months.

4/3/2009 -- NUSL Admitted Student Diversity Reception

Oh the shenanigans! Where there is food, there will be law school students. I had a great time meeting some of the admitted students, and catching up with other current students who have been hibernating because of academic commitments. After the event, we took some of the new admits with us to partake in sustenance at a local eatery, and to watch the Celtics game (I know, I know, but a classmate was at the game with good seats so we were trying to catch her on tv). It was really refreshing to hang out with some bright eyed and bushy tailed admits! They were VERY cool people, and really asked some interesting questions.

At this point in time, everyone is gearing up for final exams. It's going to be quite the next two weeks, but the most exciting aspect of preparation this time is that I feel like I have more of a grip on what to expect, and how to write better exams. I would have liked to have had more time with the material, personally, but I feel like I'm at a different level of understanding now. New concepts we are still learning are challenging to grasp at times, but I feel like I have more of a foundation from which to base the questions I ask, to get the answers that will help me try to figure things out.

Now, please enjoy some photos from the admitted student event!

We've had some interesting weather--pants and jacket one day, rain the next, then blazing heat. My wardrobe has had quite the workout.

We are in "reading week", and everyone is preparing for exams. Review sessions galore, outlines galore, and practice exams galore. I'm trying a different approach this time, and already feel quite differently about how I'll do on my exams.

Last Sunday, the Black Law Student Association (BLSA) had its 3L event, and also had a proper send-off for Professor Hall. It was very interesting to hear the words and thoughts of graduating BLSA students. I think that seeing the end-goal put a bit of a spin on how I view the next two years...

[And yes, the food was amazing. I couldn't leave for a while and then come back without anything to say about food, now could I?]

We received our financial aid awards today. Hasn't quite sunken in yet because of exam prep, but I'm sure it will before too long.

First year is over. Let the animerathon begin... I've decided that I'm going to watch the entire Macross series and eat waffles until I pass out. I'm really not kidding. After the last set of exams, I need a serious reset and waffles should do the trick.

I made it back to Arizona (in one piece unlike this last winter's terror flight), and it's beautiful here. We drove up into the mountains with our friends who are getting married next weekend, and took "some lovely... photos." (a little "Absolutely Fabulous" humor there)

So, here's the deal with school. If you've been keeping up, I am on the Fall/Spring rotation. This means that I'll begin my 2L year in a few weeks. I've signed up for a ton of classes, but it seems like the ones I am definitely hoping to get into are Bankruptcy, International Law, Evidence and maybe Communication Law? I'm not really sure though... the only one I'm absolutely 100% certain that I must take this summer is Evidence, but I've got a few weeks to think about it.

I also met with a dean to talk about my future courses, and I may be heading to Japan next spring. Haven't been there for a while! Heh. Temple University has a program that, apparently, they are trying to get some more Northeastern students to check out. I hope to spend some time over the two-week break looking into it, and maybe applying to the program.

I'm looking forward to enjoying Boston in the summer time. There will be very few undergrads, and Boston is an entirely different city. The weather should be really nice, and instead of sweating in a suit, I'll be able to sweat in shorts and t-shirts.

So that's what's up.

I just got a scholarship award letter, so I'm a happy camper. Har har har. "Levity" aside, every scholarship award lessens the amount of money I'll end up owing when this whole adventure is over. It would probably behoove anyone interested in saving some money, to check out some of the scholarships available to law students. For some of the more obscure ones, the applicant pool is smaller. Also, applying for scholarships can only help.

Before I gloss over the idea of school starting in about a week, I'll say that I'm getting excited about returning and digging back into the books (which will cost about $650 this semester... thank you MS Excel). I am taking a pretty hefty round of courses, but I figure they will prepare me for a broader range of co-ops to choose from.

I did some research on the FCC's website, and it looks like they have some interesting internships available in their wireless communications division. Those of you who are avid readers of EngadgetMobile are probably familiar with their FCC Friday posts. For those of you who are not familiar, mobile phone companies (Nokia, Apple, Samsung, etc.) are required to submit certain specs to the FCC for approval. They are required to submit certain images, or diagrams/schematics, and sometimes these images and specs reveal "exciting" information about the newer phones that are being released... I know, "exciting"?

I went to a wedding this past weekend--first one I've been to in ages. I can't really remember the last one I went to... ah wait, Long Beach back in March, 2007? One of my previous co-workers (and a best friend) married her beau up at the Hualapai Lodge last Saturday afternoon... awwww. In actuality, it was more like a Mohave County Superior Court Courtroom Clerk reunion. She hauled in a pretty high-profile crowd, the Clerk of Superior Court was there, our previous supervisor was there, one of the judges was there, jail staff--it was a good 'ol time.

View from the bridal suite.

The more I think about it, the more amazed I am at how much I accomplished during my first year of law school.

Even before the school year started, I was running an uphill battle. I had to figure out how was I going to deal with being so far from everything I knew and loved about my life, friends, partner, and dogs in Arizona, and my closest friends and family in California. I had to arrange my finances in preparation of qualifying for the appropriate financial aid--and then I still had to secure the means to attend law school in a matter of months. I had to gather all of the belongings I thought I would need, and then figure out how to move them across the country. Luckily I had an excellent support system, and a network of friends and family, all of whom were in my corner. They offered everything from words of advice to a nice floor to crash on while I sought the appropriate living arrangements.

I relied heavily on Northeastern University staff, and not just the people in the law school, even before I got into Boston. In retrospect, open communication was really what set the school apart. I'm not here to diss other schools or sell anyone on Northeastern, but I will admit that I kinda based my choice to come to Northeastern on what the voice at the other end of the line sounded like, or how open they were with information. That's MASSIVELY important to someone like me, who was a tiny bit familiar with the rigor of law school, and who moved across the country to jump on in. I'm big on the "moved across the country" thing--maybe I'll make a t-shirt or something.

I'm a second-year law student now. Things feel immensely, immensely--I cannot stress this enough but I will try--immensely different. My classes are smaller, I can actually read cases, the subject matter seems increasingly relevant... what else... I don't know, I mean this is incredible. And who knew I'd love Bankruptcy Law so much?

Last Thursday, I went to the American Civil Liberties Union's First Amendment Dinner. A table was donated to Northeastern University School of Law, and about ten of us attended... let me see, I took some notes here...

The night was in honor of a former Army Chaplain at Guantanamo Bay, James J. Yee, who was arrested and placed in a naval brig for 76 days. He put it down, and gave an awe-inspiring speech about being held for such a period of time without knowing what was going to happen to him at almost every turn. I couldn't imagine...

Oh, and we also heard from Katrina vanden Heuvel, an editor for The Nation, who said something I absolutely loved: "There's never a time to compromise America's highest ideals." Quotable quotable if I do say so myself.

So, a few of us from my old "law office" (see LSSC Thoughts) are going to go to Martha's Vineyard for the weekend. Yesssss, I'll be bringing my books... I've never been, and though I had the opportunity to go a couple weeks ago (SO glad I've been forgiven on that one...) I am pretty dang excited. I can't help but worry about getting sand in my phone, or bitten by ticks and getting lyme disease... whoa, speaking things into existence is where I wrap it up with a lovely picture of me, reading for Contracts toward the end of last semester. //end stream of consciousness

I have been relatively quiet on the issue of marital rights in the U.S. these days because, believe it or not, I am a little bit of a "sit back and watch" type when it comes to politics. This is because for me, many of the intricacies of American social institutions and politics didn't seem within grasp--particularly before law school. My parents lived paycheck to paycheck, so there were no investments discussed at the dinner table or at family gatherings, nor was anything directly lost in the recent economic downturn*. The effects I felt during the last two economic downturns that I remember since 1980 seemed minimal to me at the time.

My first significant introduction to such things was in Property last semester. Our professor gave us a most memorable breakdown of what the "mortgage crisis" meant, and explored several theories as to how it came about. Admittedly, I had very little prior introduction and so I felt like I was being told a big secret.

To many in America, in fact I would go so far as to say to most in America, such "secrets" are coveted and discussed among a select few. The micronization, packaging and resale of mortgages and investments are not impossible to understand in very general terms. I am certainly not saying that I now can solve the problem, or even that I can wheel and deal with the top financial minds, but I feel like I understand what the headlines mean.

More importantly, I see a more distinct line that exists between those who are in the know and those who aren't--and it worries me. If early education continues to be de-prioritized and cut, I think the line could easily become a wall... Many would say, "Well why don't people go out and find out for themselves?" To that I say, a majority of people beyond the reaches of the biggest cities (most of America) aren't instilled with the interest or drive to seek such information out. They--WE aren't encouraged to do so and many of our priorities are backwards. Funny how sporting events still sell out, but library funding and staff are constantly being cut.

Coming back to my main point, taking Bankruptcy still remains one of the best educational choices I could have made. It really speaks to just about every aspect of American life, especially marriage. So far, I can definitely see benefits and downsides to filing for bankruptcy while married. But focusing on the benefits for a moment, I noticed that married couples are availed to certain benefits that unmarried couples (who want to get married but cannot) are not.

I think it would be interesting to see an equal protection case, and perhaps with the current financial situation, we may come across something. Who knows, I'm only a few weeks into classes but I will be keeping an eye out for something good.

*I'm obviously glossing over a very powerful ripple effect, but that would make this post much longer.

I've been lagging on the "bLAWg" so I'm entitled to a two-fer... at least that is what I'll tell anyone who asks.

Two things:

(1) just got an offer from the Co-op in Santa Barbara, so Bankruptcy Court, here I come;

(2) I don't know if you remember the Legal Skills in Social Context (LSSC) project my law office did [Restorative Justice Youth Court Diversionary Program for the Office of Mass. State Senator Karen Spilka see here], but it looks like it is being taken to the next level; that is to say, possible enactment.

I know, don't choke on your popcorn with excitement like I just did. [syke]. Really though, each law office put a lot of hard work into their projects, and I wouldn't be surprised if I hear about more of them being set into motion--either through legislation (like ours), or future case law, or...

Why am I eating popcorn at 12:30 a.m.? Slightly inappropriate budgeting--a $4.00 sausage (and $4.00 fried dough) at the tall ships thing, but what was I supposed to do? Pack a lunch? [Answer: yes]

As of the date of exams, the Fall/Spring 2Ls will have been in school for a full calendar year. I just bought my plane ticket for Las Vegas this morning, and I couldn't be happier.

We are getting busier here at the law school, now that the attention has shifted from securing Co-ops for fall to preparation for exams. Summer in Boston is still relaxing, but I will say that there are a LOT of people in the city right now. I don't seem to remember it being so busy last year, but I didn't arrive until August 1, 2008.

* * *

Alright, I was leaning toward not including thoughts on this topic when I thinking about what to write about for this week, but the Prof. Henry Louis Gates Jr. media blitz has been weighing very, very heavily on my mind this week. I am not going to say anything about it, other than to offer a fantastic link I received from a fabulous classmate. I really like it because it presents varied perspectives, and thoughtful insights.

Read here...

Oh, and CNN aired the second segment of "Black In America" last night, and though I only got to watch about 30 minutes of the presentation, it was FASCINATING! We may have a Black Law Student Association viewing.

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.

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...

***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.

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 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*

I've selected my courses for the winter quarter, and boy are they ever business-y... Secured Transactions, Corporations, Business Bankruptcy--where is all of this going? At least I'm taking Professional Responsibility, right? I figure the timing is appropriate. *wink, nod*

About a week ago at a lunch, a fellow Northeastern aficionado asked me what happened to my public-interest focus. It's still there, but has taken up the back seat for two reasons: (1) we receive public interest perspectives in each of our first-year classes, especially in LSSC; (2) as someone who wasn't predisposed to a lot of the innards of American economics, politics and concepts of legal ownership (home-ownership, investments, etc.), I feel as though I should direct my focus toward the type of classes that are going to best prepare me for the state bar exam. Those classes are mainly business-law related courses.

I think that Co-op, on the other hand, is more suitable for exploration of public interest causes. I just applied to the US House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary for my Spring 2010 Co-op (yes, thinking ahead so that I don't have to concentrate on it during the quarter). If selected, I may be able to work with one or all of the House sub-committee on issues like the Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), net neutrality, and bankruptcy/finance industry reform. Let's see where this goes.