It is only my second semester of my 1L year and already I feel like I have learned so much. This accelerated learning happened the very first day of law school and in the very first class, but not in the way you might expect.

Now of course you learn about the law but there were some unexpected lessons that first day as well. First, the oddest thing happens, your own name becomes the most terrifying combination of words that could come out of someone's mouth. The good news is you get over that. You get to know your professors, what they are asking and even at points really look forward to it. However, the first time it happens...well, you'll never forget it.

What you don't realize in that harrowing moment is that the second lesson has already begun. You see, after being called on, a law student quickly learns to never give more information than is asked for. It's when you try to spout off all the information and legal conclusions you think you've come to in your novice brilliance that things will start getting hairy.

(And just because I like you, I'll give you lesson 3: say "I don't know" if you truly don't. Promise, it will always turn out better that way).

Ok, but back to the second one...a law student learns to answer the question that is asked and stick to the point. If the professor wants more information, they will ask.

So, since this is the very first time we are talking, I'm going to keep it sweet and to the point just like the first day.

My name is Jacklyn Johnston, I am a 1L here at UC Law and I couldn't be happier.

Yes, law school is everything they say. It is crazy, and it's hard and there will be nights when you wonder what the heck you have gotten yourself into, but if it is what you want to do...go for it! My path to law school was different than most but I am so glad I decided to pursue and go after what I really wanted.

There is so much more to talk about but what you need to know now is that one of the reasons I am so excited to be a part of the UC Law blog is because from the time I was thinking about law school, so many people were there to share their stories and give their advice. Now that I'm in law school, those same people are there to encourage me, make me laugh and help me along the way and I want to pay it forward.

My hope is that this will be a forum where if you're thinking about law school you can ask questions. If you're in law school you will be able to laugh at all the stories and experiences we share. And more than that, my hope is that this will be a community and a place to share ideas no matter what you do or where you are in your legal career, a student, a professor, professional or someone who is just curious about what this is all about.

And on that note, I'm going to go finish preparing for Civil Procedure tomorrow so I won't have to relive that fear of my name being called.

In my former life as a children's book publicist, the crazy time of year was the summer. The sweet spot in publishing is your Fall release list. Those were your heavy hitters, your big authors, biggest titles and the ones you bet the barn on. Which meant in marketing, that 6 months out, your job as a publicist was to book the media to convince people that when the book came out, that is what you wanted to buy for Christmas for all your friends and family. So while everybody else was soaking up the sun and sipping on Sangria, you were writing press releases, making media lists and looking at comps. It was only after the Christmas rush, normally around February, when we got to catch our breath.

The opposite is true in law school. I should have known after last February, as a law school hopeful, was filled with sending in last minute applications, filling out FAFSA and looking at housing. February, no matter where you are in the law school process seems to just be jam packed with things to do. All I have to say is thank goodness February is the shortest month of the year.

Naive 1.5L that I am, thought that after one semester under my belt, I would come back to have a better handle on the work. I had better time management, was getting faster at the reading and learning what I needed to pick out. All of this to me, equated into having more time this semester. This is all true, however what I didn't know was that this semester would come at me like a bat out of hell. (I lived in Tennessee, we say things like that. We also will "mash" a button on occasion).

We have already turned in our first brief and are in the clutches of the internship rush. I have sent my resume off the firms that send polite notes that say, "Miss Johnston, we have received your resume materials but regret to inform you that we have had all of our summer associate spots filled for months. However, please resend your materials to us in early August when we will start reviewing materials for Summer 2012."

What?!

And I thought I was a planner!

A couple of our professors warned us from the beginning their classes were front loaded. If you put the work in at the beginning, it will be well worth it at the end of the semester. So I'm just going to go ahead and call this Front Loaded February. The good news is, despite all the craziness between briefs, homework, internships and class, if you put the work in now, it will pay off later. And even though I'm new at this whole law thing, I'm going to go ahead and say that is probably true no matter where you are in your legal profession or education. If you buckle down and do the work now, you'll reap the benefits later.

So February, for the last 5 days of fun, and even March when you decide to join in on the madness, I'm ready.

Photo from We Heart It.

Welcome to Nashville y'all!

I'm sitting on a porch warmed by the sunlight, looking out at the skyline of Nashville as I write this and I cannot believe it is Spring Break. Well, the 80 degree weather and sun on my skin doesn't make the fact that it's Spring Break hard to believe, maybe it's more that I can't believe I am already over 3/4 of the way through my 1L year.

If first semester is when you get used to the reading, the cold calls in class, and the fact that a lot of times your free time is not your own but belongs to the red bound casebooks you've been schlepping around, then second semester is when you learn you can do a lot more than you thought you could.

Second semester is fast, furious, and front-loaded. Just when you feel like you can't possible do anything more, you do. You learn that somehow you can get it all done. You learn that as competitive as law school is, you're all in the same boat, and the encouragement or laughter of a friend might be that little something extra you needed to push though. You realize you can do more than you ever thought you could and there is something so satisfying in that.

And in the spirit of this second semester, Spring Break is turning out to be just as busy. Even though this is turning out to be a working Spring Break, full of outlines, class projects, oral argument preparation and applying for summer aid, I can't stop thinking about what our mentors told us at the beginning of this crazy journey...

As part of UC's Academic Success Program, 1L's meet with a group of advisors from the 2L class to talk about not just how to succeed in academics but how to adjust to law school and start good habits that will stay with you your whole career. One thing that has stayed with me is that you cannot lose yourself or who you are in this craziness. I feel like I've realized that more this semester than last.

In a profession where burnout sometimes seems to be a question of when instead of if, it's so important to always make time for yourself, friends and what you love. I have definitely dropped the ball on that.

The second part of this semester I'm going to squeeze time in to go run, to hang out with friends, write, and cook. Like I've mentioned before, your first year of law school is a huge learning curve. Everyone expects that. What people don't expect is how much you learn about yourself, how you work, how you play, how you succeed and how you thrive. Not just in class but in life. That might be the best lesson you can learn before entering the legal career. It's all about balance.

So while the first part of this semester was fast and furious (and I don't see that changing anytime soon), the second half is going to be about balance. Starting today.

After a full day of getting things in order and outlines filled out a bit more, I'm going to celebrate Spring Break Nashville style. It's time to relax and recharge. Time for a run, wine on the porch, and dinner and a movie with friends.

Work hard, play hard right. Everything in balance.

Photo from Rumours East Website

Photo from the Columbus Dispatch

His smile was contagious, his strength inspiring, and his story unforgettable.

It was a Tuesday afternoon and I was swamped. Things were already in full swing after Spring Break the previous week. I had my practice oral argument that morning and with those jitters out of the way, I was looking forward to having the whole afternoon to work on homework since my Crim Law was cancelled.

I quickly ran to the library to print some cases off before heading home, and out of habit checked my email. Sitting in my inbox was an email from my Crim Law professor, who also serves as the Director of the Ohio Innocence Project, saying that although class was cancelled, there would be a speaker, and if we attended the presentation, we would receive extra credit.

I'll tell you this...in law school, you never turn down extra credit.

Annoyed, I gathered my things and rushed down to where the presentation was going to be, with each step mentally rearranging another part of my night to fit all I had to do in my newly changed schedule.

Students were ushered into the room and as it quickly filled up, I found myself sliding into the front row. Like I said, law students never turn down extra credit in law school.

However, what started off as something I begrudgingly went to, quickly turned into something I will never forget.

Our speaker that day was Robert McClendon, a man of immovable strength, faith and conviction, who spent nearly two decades of his life in prison for a crime he didn't commit.

With the help of UC's Ohio Innocence Project the Columbus Dispatch, and DNA testing, in 2008 Robert McClendon was exonerated from prison. For the first time, the public knew what McClendon had known all along. He was innocent.

Every time he came before the parole board, instead of admitting to a crime he did not commit (which would mean he'd have the possibility to go home), he held to what he knew was true. While he was talking I couldn't help but wonder if I would have the strength to be that steadfast in my conviction.

I was captivated by his story and all those behind him who supported him and fought for his freedom. Those people, McClendon said, were the real heroes. It was in that moment that all the silly things I had been so consumed by this semester were suddenly put in perspective. This wasn't just busy work, empty readings, late nights and trying to tackle the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for no reason. In that moment it hit me, as obvious as it sounds, that it all matters.

What you do matters. Whether you are a law student, a lawyer, in undergrad, or in another profession all together. What you do is important.

I have been so caught up in all the busyness this semester that I somehow lost sight of why we do all this work. Education no matter what type, but in my case a legal education, is a privilege. And with that privilege comes great responsibility. Because a group of reporters took wrongful convictions and flaws in the Ohio justice system seriously McClendon's case was given a second chance. Because a group of both former and present law students took that responsibility seriously, a free man is no longer in prison. And because McClendon is not going to let 18 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit jade him, and takes his freedom and the justice system seriously, he is helping to blaze the trail for innocence reform and procedures here in Ohio with Senate Bill 77.

What started out as being a way to get extra credit turned into so much more. It was a chance to step outside myself and all the craziness, and remember why I decided to go to law school, to put in the work and to learn all these crazy new terms. It put everything in perspective.

McClendon's story was absolutely incredible and his attitude, awe-inspiring. To read more about Robert McClendon and life after prison check out Mike Wagner's story, Uneasy Freedom.

So now it's your turn. Why do you do what you do?

A little bit about OIP: "Harnessing the energy and intellect of law students as its driving force, the Ohio Innocence Project seeks to identify inmates in Ohio prisons who are actually innocent of the crimes they were convicted of committing. Innocence is often determined by DNA testing, but can include other types of new evidence such as new witnesses, new expert testimony, or evidence of police misconduct. Once an inmate's innocence has been established through investigation, the OIP sends the case back to court and litigates in the hope of obtaining the inmate's freedom. Innocence Projects across the country have freed more than 250 wrongfully convicted inmates to date. The Ohio Innocence Project to date has helped 10 individuals obtain their long-sought freedom."