College of Law

I recently attended the Black Lawyer's Association of Cincinnati 19th Annual Scholarship and Awards Banquet held at the Hilton Netherland Plaza. This event, which was hosted by Local 12's Angela Ingram, honored LaDonna Wallace Smith of the Cincinnati Bar Association, three scholarship winners, and the Class of 2011 from the UC College of Law and the NKU College of Law. A wonderful dinner was provided - Salad with Balsamic Vinegrette and Braised Beef with Whipped Potatoes, Asparagus, Cipollini Onions and Roasted Mushrooms- in addition to to the opportunity to network and celebrate with your classmates and take photos on the "red carpet".

Here are some photos from the event:

Table for UC Class of 2011 Members

Members of UC Law's Class of 2011

More photos from the event will be available at the GL Lewis Photography website (www.gllewisphoto.com) : http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/store.aspx?p=20733

This event marked the first event on "The Road to Graduation." Throughout April there will be several events leading to the Hooding Ceremony on May 14th at the Aronoff Center. In addition to the annual Senior Banquet, many student organizations such as the Law Review and the Black Law Student Association will have end of the year celebrations or good-bye dinners for the 3Ls.

It’s hard to believe that I have started my FINAL semester of law school. Last week, I had to opportunity to take a one week Employment Law short course (UC Law offers one week short courses before the beginning of each semester in order to enable students to earn 2 credit hours before regular classes begin). As a law clerk at Kroger, I had the opportunity to research many employment law issues and this course was a great compliment to my practical experience. I learned a lot about the larger framework in which employment issues occur and I think having this foundation will help me with future research. Another bonus of the Employment Law course was the opportunity to hear a variety of speakers discuss various employment law issues such as health care, labor negotiations, family and medical leave, and workplace safety. This added a helpful real world perspective on the material covered in class and gave students an idea of the various career paths they could pursue with a background in Employment Law.

This week, I began my regular class schedule- Labor & Employment Rights, Trademark & Unfair Competition Law, and Family Law. When making my schedule over the past two years, I have taken a variety of business law coursework. After this semester, I will have completed most of the soft intellectual property (Copyright/Trademark track) coursework (Introduction to Intellectual Property, Copyright Law, Trademark and Unfair Competition Law, and Advertising Law) and the labor and employment coursework (Employment Discrimination, Employment Law, and Labor and Employment Rights). These are the two major subsets of business law that I had developed an interest in during my experience as a law student, and so I focused on making sure I had these courses in addition to a variety of bar exam classes. Prospective students can look at the following webpage in order to get a better idea of the areas of study offered at UC law: http://www.law.uc.edu/prospective-students/academic-programs/areas-study.

As a final note, please do not forget the UC College of Law Blood Drive sponsored by the Black Law Student Association (BLSA) on Monday, January 31st, 2011. The Bloodmobile will be by the College of Law and Blegen Library between 10:00 AM and 12:15 PM and between 1:30 PM and 4:00 PM. To schedule an appointment please visit WWW.HOXWORTH.ORG/UC. All donors will receive a special gift !!!

It's hard to believe that after a few short weeks, I will only have one semester of law school left. Wow... time flies !!! I've been extremely busy lately - working two days a week at Kroger, keeping up with my four classes, editing for law review, and networking/job hunting -- luckily, UC Law offers a month long winter break, so students can rest and recharge for the spring semester. However, I will return to school one week early to take one of the accelerated short courses before the regular semester begins. UC Law offers 1 week accelerated courses for 2Ls and 3Ls, in which students can earn two credit hours - this often helps lessen the course load during the semester so students can devote more time to study, extracurriculars, and work.

Despite the cold weather (brrrr!!!), the great thing about this time of the year is the Holidays... the opportunity to enjoy delicious food, beautiful decorations, and most importantly spend time with family. During the Holiday season, many student groups at UC Law have holiday activities such as Thanksgiving dinners. So even if you are not from the Cincinnati area, there are still many ways to be festive during the holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving to the UC Law Family and Prospective Students Everywhere :)

The last 3 ½ months have been super busy, but fun. Most of my summer has been dedicated to working as a Law Clerk in the Kroger Law Department, fulfilling my obligations as a Citations Editor for the UC Law Review, and studying for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE).

Kroger:
Since May, I have been working as a Law Clerk in Kroger’s Law Department. I have had the opportunity to do research and draft memoranda in a variety of areas of business law including labor & employment, advertising law, trademark law, food & drug/liquor/regulatory law, etc. I have also drafted other types of legal documents including letters, position statements, and a corporate policy and was given the opportunity to interview employees on several occasions.
I feel that the opportunity to work in-house has given me a more well-rounded perspective on business law. This experience along with my business internships in college and my law firm experience last summer have allowed me to see the way business and law interact from three different perspectives, which helps you to understand both the business and legal sides of issues.

Here is a picture of me a summer intern event (Reds Game):

Citations Editor: I have had the opportunity to edit several articles written by students and law professors this summer. My duties as a citations editor involves making sure all of the citations comply with Bluebook format, checking quotes for accuracy, and locating missing sources.

MPRE Prep: I used BarBri to prepare for the MPRE this summer. In order to take advantage of their services, all you have to do is put a down payment on your BarBri Bar Review Course and the MPRE review materials are included for free. BarBri provides a variety of study materials including an online lecture, exam software, and a commercial outline. I felt that these materials complemented what I learned in my Ethics course nicely. I took the MPRE on August 6th and I felt that I was prepared for the exam.

In my spare time this summer, I’ve read several novels, kept up my weight training routine, and caught the latest summer blockbusters on the weekend.

I am excited to begin my final year of law school. I will be going to class three days a week and continuing to work as a law clerk at Kroger two days a week. I updated my schedule since the last blog entry, replacing secured transactions with employment discrimination. I had the opportunity to work on several labor & employment projects while at Kroger and enjoyed the work I did. So, I decided the expand my knowledge in this field of law.

It's hard to believe that I have almost completed two years of law school... time flies !!!
I have already began planning for next year. I recently scheduled my classes - Sales, Secured Transactions, Advertising Law and a First Amendment Seminar. In addition to those courses, I will receive two credit hours for my work as a citations editor for the Law Review. Additionally, I accepted a position at Kroger as a law clerk that will continue throughout my 3L year. So my last year should be busy, but fun and exciting!

This summer, in addition to working as a law clerk, I will be preparing for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) in August. The MPRE is a 2 1/2 hour multiple choice exam required for the admission to the bar in Ohio and most other jurisdictions. The purpose of the exam is to measure a candidate's knowledge and understanding of established standards relating to a lawyer's professional conduct. I am taking Legal Ethics this semester with Professor Spring and I feel that it has been good preparation for this exam. I also plan to take the review course through BARBRI this summer.

The end of the school year is also filled with banquets and other social events. Hopefully, I can attend a few in between preparing for finals.

It's been a busy semester. I have been balancing five classes, law review commitments, and job hunting.

Seeing that my family own's three German Shepherds, the highlight of my week was when an officer brought his K9 to my Criminal Procedure class. All of my my dogs have basic obedience and protection training, but this K9 takes it to a new level. This special K9 currently works as a drug sniffing dog who has recently been certified to identify four different types of narcotics. The highlight of his visit was when he demonstrated his tracking skills in class by locating "the stash" hidden in our classroom. One of the things I enjoy most about law school is when you see the real world implementation of the law you learn in class. We had recently learned that the Supreme Court does not consider a dog sniff to be a "search," therefore officers can allow dogs to sniff a person's property without obtaining a warrant. Real life examples really reinforce what you learn in your textbooks !

If anyone is curious, here is a photo of my three BFFs:

It is hard to believe that there are only five weeks left before exams. Luckily, one of the remaining weeks is spring break. I plan to use my time off to catch up on several papers and a little extra sleep :)

The Hoxworth Blood Drive sponsored by the Black Law Student Association was a great success.
It was the largest drive the College of Law has hosted as long as UC Hoxworth's digital records date back. 35 donors were registered and 31 units were collected. 13 volunteers were first time blood donors. I would like to thank everyone who came out and made the Blood Drive a success.

The Barrister's Charity Ball was also successful. The SBA raised lots of money for the Spina Bifida Association, and the all of the students who attended had a great time - enjoying dinner, dancing and socializing.

The law school is still dedicated to raising money for the Haiti relief efforts. The SBA and BLSA recently co-sponsored a Pancake Breakfast for Haiti and the SBA is planning a Karaoke Night scheduled for the end of the month to continue to raise money. I encourage everyone to participate in the efforts to support Haiti.

Spring Semester has started. Classes have been great so far. Three of my five classes have less than 12 people enrolled. This is nice because it allows for good class discussions and personal interaction with professors. I have also been busy researching a new topic for my law review article this semester. With so many interesting topics, its hard to pick just one.

Lots of exciting events are happening at the law school this semester. I recently purchased my ticket for the Barrister's Charity Ball, popularly known as "law prom." Proceeds from this event benefit the Spina Bifida Association of Cincinnati, so its nice to know that you are helping someone by participating in this event.

I have also been hard at work organizing the upcoming Hoxworth Blood Drive sponsored by the Black Law Student Association. It will be Monday, February 1st beginning at 9:30 AM.
All students and faculty are invited to take part. If you are interested in participating please schedule an appointment at the following web address: http://www.hoxworth.org/uc/collegeoflaw.html.

Winter Break is finally coming to a close. I enjoyed celebrating Christmas and New Year's with my family and it was nice to have a few weeks to relax and re-boot after exams. I am a movie buff, so I was happy for the opportunity to catch up on the latest blockbusters. I also took time out to read for pleasure, weight train, complete the daily cryptoquip, and watch plenty of football with my grandpa, dad, brothers and nephews !!! In the midst of spending time with my male-dominated family, I was able to carve out some time with my mom, favorite cousin, and friends to shop and catch up on girl talk.

Classes start Monday. This semester I am taking Legal Ethics, Criminal Procedure, Corporations II, International Trade, and Copyright Law. I usually try to pick a mix of bar classes and classes in subject areas I am in interested in. The first year of law school your schedule is made for you, so it is quite a change to be given the freedom to pick your own classes the second year. You need to be conscientious when choosing courses. If you are having trouble making decisions about what classes to take, I would recommend including some bar classes (for example, Evidence, Corporations, Wills & Trusts, etc.) in your schedule. These courses provide you with a framework for bar exam study and insight into various areas of the law. In addition, many bar classes are prerequisites to upper level courses in various subject areas and need to be taken early in one's law school career to make sure you can fit in all the classes necessary to concentrate in an area of law. During the mandatory 1L meeting regarding scheduling for the second year, which will be coming up during the end of spring semester, students are provided with information on the various areas of concentration law students can choose (i.e. corporate, criminal, estate planning, intellectual property, etc.) DON'T PANIC ! There is always someone available to help - professors, mentors, fellow students, etc.

I am looking forward to a busy spring semester. In addition to new classes, I will also be working on another law review article. I am currently looking for a new topic and I hope that I find one that I like as much as last semester's topic. I will keep you updated on my search !

Happy New Year !!!!!

Only one more week of classes remain, and exams are around the corner. I have been enjoying my classes and my experiences as second year law student. Here is an update on some of the highlights of the past few weeks.

Law Review: I recently completed the third draft of my law review comment. Currently, I am focusing on cite checking a lead article submitted to the University of Cincinnati Law Review for publication. It is one of the responsibilities of associate members to make sure that all of the citations are accurate and are in proper Bluebook format. For prospective students, the Bluebook is a guide to legal citation that you will be introduced to in your first year lawyering class. The Bluebook contains all the rules for citing cases, articles, books, etc. in legal documents (memorandums, briefs) and academic writing (law review articles, notes, and comments).

BLSA: The Black Law Student Association (BLSA) recently completed its Annual Red Bag Thanksgiving Food Drive. Every year the UC Law Students and Faculty collect red bags full of enough items to make a full meal for an entire family. Often Professors will hold competitions against each other and provide a prize to the section or class who can bring in the most items.

BLSA also had its annual Thanksgiving Dinner last Sunday. It is a chance for members and their families to come together, relax, and enjoy a potluck style Thanksgiving dinner.