Heena Hirani

Age : 23
Undergraduate School: University of Texas - Austin
Undergraduate Major: Sociology / Business Foundations
Hometown: Fort Worth
Status: Full-time day Student
Email: Heena531@gmail.com

Dear Diary,

4/13/07
The ongoing announcement this week has been "we only 3 classes left."  Allow me to take a moment and freak out a little bit.  Three classes, and my outlines are barely started.  At the beginning of the semester I told myself that if I just spend every Friday updating a little bit, I'll be fine for finals.  It's a legitimate statement and definitely one I believed.  Did I act on it?  Not so much.  However, this time around I feel I MAY have a better grasp on the material.  Once again, we'll see.

We had to do our oral arguments (based on our motion for summary judgment briefs).  I went on the second day.  I definitely did not deliver my argument the way I had practiced.  I went first that day and all my nerves came back.  Oh well, at least it's over.  At least I know I'm not meant to litigate.  Perhaps it was just an off day.  Honestly, I'm a bit shocked that I freaked out that much because I am used to public speaking. 

Registration is also coming up.  I really need to figure out what classes I must take and what I want to take.  Preparation for my second year...came a bit faster than I had anticipated!

Tomorrow is the Barrister's Ball ( a.k.a. Law School Prom), but I'll be in Austin.  I hope everyone that goes has a great time!  Sounds like it will be a lot of fun.  Also, enjoy the weekend of studying and catch up because I know we all need it. 

4/6/07
FINALLY, IT IS OVER!!!!  So, remember how I had more work done than the norm?  I took that for granted.  The editing, the citations, the formatting...all of it...waited till the end.  Wednesday night went to sleep at 11pm, woke up at 2am and worked till it was due.  I had a huge problem with the formatting because the template was set to a format that would not keep all the writing on one page.  I was so frustrated that I almost threw my laptop at the wall.  I just pounded on it a few times.  I went to school to print out my cover page and when I get there I can't find my pen name.  Anywhere.  So I go to the secretary's office so she can give it to me.  She was gone for the day and left a note to see the someone else.  I went there.  She also left.  Then I followed her note.  Basically anyone I needed to see that day was gone for Easter.  This is why you NEVER EVER wait till the last minute to do things.  EVER!  My TA gave me a name about 2.5 minutes before class started so I literally ran to the computer lab and printed something out.  At that moment, I really appreciated the size of the school. 

After the paper, we all went out to celebrate.  Then I went to Dallas to go have dinner with a few of my friends that I had not seen in ages.  It's so strange that I live only 30 minutes from them, but I haven't seen them in 4 months.  But they all understand and support my reasons for never going anywhere with them.  I make it sound like I study all of the time.  That's a lie.  I'm not sure how to explain the process of studying law.  You can't be tired, hungover, distracted...it just won't work.  Well for me it doesn't. 

Last week, there was a 1L moot court competition.  Two of my friends placed 2nd and 3rd (Way to go Coleman and Jason!!!) and everyone that placed was in my section.  I'm really happy for them.  It took a lot for them to read all 200 pages of cases and then work on their brief.  That's dedication. 

It's supposed to be pretty cold, but random freezes are normal here.  I hope everyone has a Happy Easter!

3/30/07
I hate to admit this, but this is the first time I have completed so much work for a large writing assignment in advance.  It's a bit strange.  I've been getting the research down, and the writing isn't too bad.  Naturally the fact that I am not stressing out is stressing me out.  Make sense?  I learned from the last memo that I MUST put an end to the perpetual research, otherwise I'll end up in circles and waste valuable writing time. 

Last night was Fools Night.  Not many 1Ls went because of the brief, but I felt I deserved some time off.  I knew I wasn't going to touch that thing on Thursday.  If I saw everyone, there were three 1Ls.  I started to feel guilty because I thought I should join them in the library.  I got over that with a quickness. Fools Night was pretty good.  It's always interesting to see your professors jam on their guitars.  They did a great job!  I didn't stay for the whole show, but from the skits I saw it was entertaining.  A good side-track from the school.

I have spent everyday this week on writing, and am getting the arguments down.  However, keeping it within the page limit is a bit more tedious.  Initially I thought writing 16 pages was absurd.  Now that I'm on fourth paper I prefer more space.  I suppose they are trying to train people like me to get to the point.  It's working!

I don't have much planned for this weekend, but finishing up the brief.  EXCITING!

03/23/07
Spring Break was relaxing BUT absolutely useless for catch-up time.  I did a little bit of research for the trial brief, but stopped because things became a bit confusing.  I spent a lot of time contemplating my outlines and thinking I would start the work so I should not make any plans.  Hmm not so much.  I went to California for a day.  Nothing exciting.  The week back was a bit intense because now I realize how much work I actually have to do.  I was supposed to go to Houston, but due to some family matters I will not.  Now, I'll just sit in the computer lab and research till I go cross-eyed.  I usually have to discipline myself like that, or I will not get much done.  We'll see what happens.

The semester is ending a bit too quick.  Is it horrible that I want it to last longer???

3/9/07
Spring Break officially started!  I definitely need this week off.  I actually plan to work on my outlines and get caught up, and I don't think I mind considering finals start in five weeks.  Where did the semester go?!?! 

There hasn't been too much going on this week.  A lot of the students are in the process of finalizing their summer plans.  I think I will be going to Austin to work or I may just stay here and take summer school.  I'm still going back and forth. 

We were given our trial brief assignment and we have four weeks to complete it.  I haven't even looked at the topic, but I'm going to go ahead and guess it isn't going to be remotely easy.  In any case, I hope everyone enjoys their spring break!

3/1/07
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals heard oral arguments at the law school on Thursday. One case was in regard to an individual on death row, and the other case was about a man who hit a child with a stick that caused serious bodily harm. It was interesting to see and hear how an attorney was able to theorize as to why the case should be a less offensive crime than what was decided at trial. I expected it to be intense - as I see on television (regardless of how inaccurate they are), but it wasn't. The judges were actually humorous and were not nearly as intimidating as I imagined. They do ask questions that require anyone to be thoroughly prepared. For some reason, I thought the moot court competition was a bit more nerve-wrecking, or maybe I'm just over the fear of public speaking. In any case, it was great to see something like that, and I'm glad the law school hosted the event.

For the next couple of classes, the two sections of contracts will be combined. It's a little strange to have a class in the auditorium because we have our laptops and books, but desk to put it all on. I'm mastering my balancing skills or just taking up the seat next to me and using it as my desk. We went over a sample short answer problem in property. I have a feeling that I am not going to do nearly as well in that class as I did last semester. It seems as if the information doubled from all of last semester, and we're only half way done with this semester. Trying to memorize my outline two weeks before finals is NOT going to work in here. Actually it won't with any of the classes now. Great, I just realized how much work I have to do!

I'm thinking about going to Austin for a summer internship, but am not sure if it will work out or even if I want to. I love the city, but I would like to stay here or go up north. I'll wait to see what happens with that. Spring break is the week after next, and I am definitely ready to not wake up early and take some time for R&R. I don't have any great plans this year, but I definitely don't mind because sleeping in late sounds just as good as Miami (okay, that's a stretch).


2/23/07
Spring weather may cause the demise of after-school studying. After weeks of freezing weather, all I want to do is walk around downtown in the sun. I compromise and study outside, but that only lasts for so long. I figure I have another week and a half to focus solely on the reading (which again seems minute in comparison to writing a memo) and will enjoy it until I have to start writing my trial brief.

In criminal law we have started the discussion on rape. The topic is loaded with emotion and many opinions from our class. One of the upsides of attending law school is the availability of sitting in on a heated discussion with individuals who share their opinions and rationales while keeping their minds open to the people around them. Granted there are a few people who blurt out something so outrageous (even under their breath) that may stir up the person in front of them, but with time I think they will become more aware of their surroundings...or so I hope. 

I was not able to go to the social last night, but I heard it was a lot of fun and more people showed up than last time. The weather, of course, was too nice to just sit in inside! Currently I am helping my sister plan an engagement reception. It's a bit insane. I prefer working on my outline than trying to work with caterers. 

Today, I am attending a Sports and Entertainment Law Seminar in Dallas with a few of my classmates. It may provide insight on finding an internship here. My mentor said I'd probably have to move to California. Although I'm not opposed to the idea, I think I'm really starting to like Fort Worth! 

Enjoy your weekend!


2/16/07
Finally the research memo is complete! To make the week better, mother nature has been great to us! Thankfully, the snow has stopped and the sun has been shining. After I turned in the memo, I wasn't really sure what to do with all of that free time. I know I should be updating all of my memos, but I felt the need to reward myself after such a studious weekend. Basically, I've just been reading for my classes and relaxing. Our client letter is due in two weeks but that seems trivial in comparison. 

I did realize one important lesson from this week. I missed a class because I was awake the entire night and figured one absence would not make too much of a difference. Wrong. Property is one class you do NOT want to fall behind in, because the material just moves so fast. I had a horrible time trying to make sense of what was going on in class on Thursday. Thankfully, Missy gave me her notes and was able to explain all the new material. Although our professors take it easy on us with the amount of reading for the week, they expect us to be in attendance and will not halt their material regardless of a memo. Rightfully so.

I am going to San Antonio today to meet some friends I haven't seen in a while. I'll take my books in case I can't handle the lazy weekend. I doubt it. Hope everyone enjoys a less stressful weekend!


2/9/07
The memo is due on Tuesday, and I'm pretty sure everyone, including me, is stressing out. The funny thing is that this assignment is only worth 25 percent of our grade; the major assignment will be due in April. Looking forward to some good times. Classes are still carrying on. However, many of the professors have taken pity on us and lectured the entire class. I have gone on a hiatus from most of the world, but am looking forward to getting a life back on Tuesday. It's a giddy sort of anticipation.

I have not contacted my mentor, because of the workload. I'll eventually have an update on that. We received our class rankings yesterday. I'm pretty content with where I stand, but know that there is room for improvement. I also know that that I can easily fall if this semester does not go well. Grades and rankings definitely do not define who we are, but it helps to see what my efforts stand for in the academic world. Motivation if anything. 

Well, back to my memo. I apologize if these last few entries have been completely redundant. I suppose it gives you all an insight on the life of a 1L....when school demands attention and memos are due, life will be slightly mundane.


2/2/07
I'm currently in panic mode because of the research for the memo. I feel like I am going around in circles, which apparently is a good thing because that means my research is complete. I find that hard to believe. In any case, that is what I am focusing on this weekend (and finishing all of my reading for the week so I can just sit down and write).

Classes are still interesting and it seems that everyone is really engaged. We're learning about landlord/tenant law in property, which all of us can relate to on some level. In criminal, we discussed statutes and whether legislatures should impose a mental state requirement before stigmatizing an individual as a rapist. This really got people stirring. We are finishing up Erie in civil procedure, which is the bane of my civil procedure existence (one of the most wishy-washy theories I have learned while in law school). In contracts, we're talking about warranties and what exactly a consumer is entitled to when their good malfunctions. 

We are about to register for our courses as 2Ls and are advised about classes that will assist us in passing the Bar Exam. Talking about the bar and preparation for it, might be one of the most gut-wrenching feelings. In any case, I'll be looking at what classes to take (that interest me and will prepare me for the bar) next semester.

Other than research for the memo and keeping up with classes, there is not much else going on. There was a social last night, but I wasn't able to make it because I stressed out and just ended up falling asleep. Don't panic. It serves no purpose and you miss out on good times. Hopefully next week is more eventful and productive!


1/26/07
Is it possible for the month to slow down, just for a moment? Well, maybe it isn't THAT bad if I could manage my time more efficiently. School is taking up the same amount of time as it always has, but it is my "non-school" life that is demanding a substantial amount of steady attention. This includes volunteer activities, family, friends..the areas that are necessary to maintain sanity. Perhaps this week seemed a bit more intense solely because the previous week was sporadic.

We are still in our research classes and continue to learn SO much. One would think the task would be easy considering the databases we are use to (i.e., Google and Wikepedia - I'm an avid supporter of those two), but WRONG! This is an intricate process that contains every case opinion, statute, law review, etc.to answer your legal question, write your memo, or write your brief. I am certain this will be a breeze once I get a hang of the shortcuts, but until that time it's going to be....ummm a useful learning process. (By that I mean, late nights of frustration). 

The case readings have become pretty interesting. In contracts, we read a case about what chicken means (not that poultry intrigues me), and I realized because of issues requiring us to "define chicken", there will always be a need for a lawyer. Can't outsource this job....I think. We also read a case involving Warner Bros (unfortunately, they lost). The outcome of this case REALLY bothered me. I'd go into detail except I have this fear that I'll type something about the plaintiff that will be misconstrued and she'll end up bringing suit against me for an obscure reason. However, I'm intrigued with many cases and theories that relate to the entertainment industry so I am really looking forward to taking entertainment law. 

Some of us signed up for the mentor program sponsored by TYLA (Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association). We were assigned a mentor who practices in an area of law that interests us, or is similar to it. I think it will be a great experience to talk one-on-one with a recently graduated attorney that will be genuine about his/her thoughts, experiences and ideas on law school and working at a large firm. 

Over the weekend, I busted a tire and I think I broke my cousin's car. Not crashed it but broke it (something about an axle). Why do extraordinary things occur when you are not using your own stuff?? In any case, I ended up missing my study group session, which drives me insane. I really wanted to stay on top of outlining this semester and clear up confusion as early as possible. I'll have to get an update during the week.

Good luck to everyone on the memo!


1/19/07
This was a strange week. We did not have classes on Monday in observance of MLK Jr. Day. Tuesday was a regular day. Wednesday classes were canceled, because it snowed! Thursday our classes were postponed due to inclement weather. Personally, it threw off my week a bit. Not a legitimate excuse, BUT still true. 

We also received our new memo assignment, which will be open research. Talk about a daunting task! We had a training session with Westlaw and LexisNexis last week, and in the upcoming weeks we will have more research classes. Although research is absolutely necessary to do well on this assignment, it is tedious. They told us about past students who would take home 17 law review articles on a Friday afternoon expecting to read it by the weekend. Some of those articles are 50 pages! This is why it is important for us to know how to navigate the system and zero in on the pertinent information. 

Other than trying to get back into the swing of things, I am trying to find some internships. I would like to practice entertainment law, but I have been told that it is nearly impossible for a 1L to find an internship in such a specific field. Can't hurt to try! The summer is far from now, but I am constantly wondering how I should be spending it. Do I want to take an unpaid internship in a field that I do not want to practice and gain some experience, travel to another state for an unpaid internship (money is an obvious issue), take summer school, or do I just want to travel? The last idea would be great if I didn't think it could hurt chances of finding a job as a 2L; assuming a world extravaganza will not provide a legal skill set. 

The third week is about to start. I better get out of this transition phase!


1/12/07
Welcome back! I have officially finished and survived the first semester of law school, and now I am about to begin the final semester of my 1L career. The last time I wrote I was in the middle of finals. Well, it ended with a killer final. Not exactly the way I anticipated the semester to end, but that is how it played out. The three weeks off were fantastic. I visited California, New York and Houston. It was a relaxing, fun, and a well deserved three weeks off. 

In between those three weeks, grades were always on my mind. I was forewarned that grades would not be posted till after Christmas so that kept me from checking the Ramlink web site every 2.5 seconds. However, I did turn a little fanatic over one multiple choice future interest question from my property exam. I am not exactly certain why this one particular question was bothering me, but I ended up talking about it with most of my law school friends at other schools. They were obviously NOT interested. In any case, while I was in New York I expected to see my grades because classes were going to start in two days. That's when I started checking every half hour. Literally. I tried to drag my friends into various Internet cafes, used Blackberrys, racked up some outrageous Internet bill on my cell phone, and had my sister checking at her house. In the end, grades were not posted till after classes began because the registrar was sick. Oh well, no serious harm.

I am happy about grades. Not ecstatic, but satisfied with them. However, I am waiting on one grade, and then I'll know how the semester went overall. One of my professors gave the class some "last words" after we went over his exam. He told us that our grades do not define who we are. It may be a cliche but there is some obvious truth behind it. He also gave us a reality check. Although our grades don't define us, we can control them. If there is something you don't like about your grades, do something to fix it. Mope for a day or two, and then get over it and work on excelling this spring. I know everything he told us went without saying, but it was 1) a good pep talk to end the week, and 2) reassuring that our professors care.

This semester we have Criminal Law. Our class is definitely engaged in all of the issues presented, and the professor presents topics that most of us have solid opinions about. We also don't have Friday classes this semester! Last night was the first SBA social of the semester. It was good to see everyone and catch up. 

I hope everyone had a great first week and is ready for the rest of the semester, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!


12/8/06
If you haven't heard it before, you will hear it as soon as you enter law school, through law school, and now. You will never experience anything like writing a law exam. My torts final was on Monday and property was today. To be quite honest, I am not sure how I feel about any of them. Actually, torts kind of gave me an ulcer. Well, studying for it did. No matter how much I studied, I don't know if I could have written that exam to perfection. It was as if every rule, that I could never remember during the semester, just came to the forefront wanted to be written about...and that's just not possible. In any case, we'll see how that goes. A lot of people don't like talking about the exam for several different reasons ( e.g., jinx, realize they forgot something, want to forget that they took it, etc.), but it never really bothered me. I think I prefer to talk about it so I know, sort of up front, what I could possibly miss points for - I don't really care for surprises.

We had the option to type our property exam. I, the laziest person when it comes to writing, jumped on that option with a quickness. I had my doubts when I heard about the glitches, but apparently the IT guys fixed everything and all of the exams were submitted. Personally, I think it's a great method to take a test because you actually have more time to write about everything that you want to and don't have to think about how your hand is about to fall off if you write one more line.

Well, that's two down and two to go. Earlier this week I finally realized how fast this semester, actually year, has gone by. The first semester of law school has been a great experience, and I've met some really great people who have so much to share and been engaged in some interesting conversations and several entertaining moments. The amount of material I have learned is a bit beyond me at this point, because I just didn't realize I could retain that much information. Well, I'm hoping I did! So here's hoping that all of this work was enough to get me to my goal. Hope everyone is hanging in there, and when it's over, enjoy three weeks of absolutely nothing!! Seriously, the thought makes me a bit giddy.


12/1/06
About a month ago, I began to fear the topic for this specific week's entry - the few days before my first law school final. As I imagined, an anxious feeling has set in. Thankfully it isn't a panic! I also know I have a lot riding on these next two weeks, because this will determine how I do for the rest of my time here. Pressure has become my sidekick.

The last time I wrote was a week before Thanksgiving Break. I don't think much has happened in between that time. I attempted to study the entire time, but my cousin had her engagement party that weekend and it was a two night soirée. Although it was great to see all of my family, it wasn't so great to have expectations put on me. The above mentioned "sidekick" grew a substantial amount that night.

Oh yea, I had another first year horror story happen to me (or am currently experiencing it). I have a terrible cold. There is nothing, I mean NOTHING, worse than having a quasi-flu the week before exams or even a residual cough during an exam. You can eat every green leafy thing, take every vitamin, sleep plenty, but if three 4 year-olds come up and want to jump on you after playing with other children, it's quite likely you're gonna get sick. 

It snowed in Fort Worth yesterday afternoon. It seems like it would be uncommon, but the one thing to know about Texas weather is that nothing is uncommon. If it isn't sporadic, it is uncommon. In any case, since we're Texans and we don't deal with the snow, classes were canceled and we made it up today. I wasn't expecting that, considering we have three days before our first final, but perhaps it's necessary.

I feel like I have most of the rules down. It's not that I draw a blank when I look at a practice problem. It's more that I want to start applying every rule, and that obviously isn't going to work. My biggest fear is that I will feel like I am learning material for the first time for a particular class, because I have been so focused on another. I will have to work on scheduling next semester.

The next two weeks will definitely be stressful. We all have our own reasons for what motivates us, and some reasons may be more life altering than others, but that reason is going to be one thing that will keep us going till 4 a.m. and back again at 7 a.m. The whole competition aspect of law school demands attention during finals, but it seems so trivial at this point...mainly because we're all tired and have no clue what we all know until we get into that room and write for three or four hours straight. On that note, I need to learn 3-4 hours of material to write about. Good-luck!


11/17/06
Stressful week. Well that's actually an understatement. The second memo (you know the one that's worth 50 percent of the class grade) is due Monday. I hate to admit, but I went on a slight reading hiatus in all of my other classes because of it. Not a good idea when you're probably going to get called on. And yes, I was called on. Thankfully, all of the professors were understanding but definitely did not want this to become a habit. Plus, you have a "safety pass" that comes in handy at this time.

That's pretty much it. Next week, I'm sure everyone will be ready for the quasi-break from school. Good luck to everyone on the memo.


11/10/06
This past week was packed, which made it seem long, yet it passed way too fast. Needless to say (but I will), three weeks till finals has put many of us on edge. I started to realize how much I have to memorize...or learn. Thankfully, I have my outlines sort of updated. Earlier this week, my computer decided it wanted play some evil trick on me by losing my contracts outline. I'm pretty sure I almost hurled in the library. You hear horror stories like this, and take extra precaution. I spent a decent amount of time updating that thing, and when I looked down a few minutes later, the last heading is "firm offer." That was probably from a month ago. Thankfully, a couple of my friends were nice enough to send me their outline to make sure I had everything in there (thanks Ginny and Brendan). In any case, it's fine now, but I'm definitely going to buy one of the external hard drive things. I suppose you live and you learn.

Friday afternoon I volunteered at the Moot Court Competition. It was interesting to watch and gave me a glimpse into next year. However, it did make me a bit nervous, but I have a good amount of time to get over it. 

Saturday I took the contracts practice exam. The practice exam that is given out by Academic Support is a fantastic resource for exam preparation. It may not be something your professor wrote, but the overall concepts are the same and you will receive pertinent feedback from your TA. After the exam, I stayed on campus to study property. Have you ever gotten into a debate about the placement of a comma or a hypothetical in which "B" loses his interest in the property before possession? If not, go to law school. By the end of the afternoon, something will HOPEFULLY make more sense.

Oh, here is a bit of information about downtown parking. If you happen to park at a meter that turns into a valet spot at a specific time, do not even think about moving your car five minutes after that time. Someone will have called a tow truck by then, and you'll end up running down the street only to still receive a ticket. Good lunch, pretty annoying end.


11/3/06
The first week of November is finished. What significance does this hold? ONLY FOUR WEEKS UNTIL FINALS! Naturally, I'm nervous. I can't imagine anyone who is just relaxed about the whole idea. 

A few things have happened this past week. We turned in the first part of our second memo. It wasn't the bulk of our assignment, but it is being graded. This will be the first time (in my writing section) that we will be writing a full legal memo. It's a daunting task that not only decides our grade for the class, but provides material to submit as a writing sample when we bid for internships.

The entire 1L section attended a Career Services Orientation on Wednesday. It's assuring to know that I will have help in finding employment. From the brief glimpse that I received of the office, I think it will be a fantastic resource. Unfortunately, they recommended that we start completing our resumes by December 1. This little thing called "first semester finals" is demanding most of my time. Meeting a deadline won't help if I don't do great on finals. We'll see what I can possibly get done; they did say there will be some more opportunities in January. Crossing my fingers.

I received my first graded memo. I wasn't exactly doing a happy dance, but I'm not horribly angry. One thing I've noticed about law school is that NOTHING is certain. You can always do better. Hence, I'll just have to do better - but then again that isn't certain to help. Do you see the dilemma? 

Well from here on out, I'm pretty sure everyday is going to feel like a Monday morning. At least you can rely on random discussions with your classmates in the student lounge to know that you're not in this alone. 

Enjoy the weekend!


10/27/06
Until this week I was always able to reason my way through any confusion within the reading...you know, right before I fall asleep. Then I was introduced to executory interests. You hear horror stories about it, and it's all true. I remember my friend telling me about it over sushi, and it all seemed relatively easy, but he insisted I was going to hate it. I just shrugged it off. HE WAS RIGHT! I re-read the same 10 - 15 pages over and over and OVER. After throwing my hands up in frustration, I decided to sleep and hoped I could reason it out. You can't. Well, maybe you can, but I couldn't, and it drove me insane. I came to school early the next day hoping that the environment would work some sort of magic. Nope. I think I scared my friend into thinking that there was no way anyone could get this material. WELL, TURNS OUT I UNDERSTOOD IT! The professor put some problems on the board and it just sort of "happened." In the end, I no longer dislike my property professor. Granted, only after I spent a good chunk of money on supplemental reading. I've turned into a supplemental junkie. Let's hope it helps.

It's so strange that I only have a month left before my first semester of law school is complete. Where did October go?

I have to make some progress on my outlines (it truly is a sport in law school) before the weekend officially starts. Happy Halloween!


10/20/06
The memo is over! Actually, it seems like it was due weeks ago...maybe it's because this has seemed like a long week. Property has turned for the crazy. Who knew that a placement of a comma could mean so much in grant language. Actually, I'm not sure I even see how it makes THAT much of a difference. I'm still enjoying the classes, and the whole problem with zoning out for a moment or two has stopped happening...yes, it did happen every now and then. Contracts was great this week...it usually is. The professor is hilarious and definitely makes the material more entertaining. I finally fixed my outlines and got them up to date. It was definitely an annoying process. At one point I felt like I had accomplished so much by printing out all of my notes and organizing them. Actually, that IS an accomplishment. I'll give myself credit wherever possible.  Anyhow, I am more at ease knowing that I have that done...well excluding all of this new estate material in property. 

It turns out that we'll have our next memo assignment by this coming week. Just when you feel like a weight has been carried off (the cliche has never held more truth) another memo assignment is posted on the web site. A couple of 2Ls said it gets worse...something about an appellate brief. Thanks for the warm fuzzy feeling ; )

SBA is having a casino night, but I'll be in Houston. Eid is either Sunday or Monday so celebrations are in order. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend. Till next Friday.


10/13/06
I finally walked to downtown for lunch. The reason I am noting this is to let you all know that you can have a meal off-campus without losing your parking spot (which we all know is tedious to find after a certain time). The final draft of the first memo is due Monday. Regardless of the amount of time I have spent on it, I can't say I feel comfortable turning it in. Unfortunately, that has been my focus for the week, which is horrible because I DO have four other classes to worry about. Four classes that have started new subject matters that seem so simple at the beginning, but this is law school...NOTHING IS SIMPLE! However, I am actually starting to really enjoy torts. Not that it wasn't a great class before, but the cases are more interesting (that is, cases past 1920).

I haven't been spending as much time in the library because I THINK I might be getting sick, and I'd hate to be the cause (or even proximate cause...) of having a portion of the class gone. Actually, I just wanted to go home and pass out for about four hours, hoping it would alleviate the sore throat and headache. Not so much. 

I am also working on some of the content for the Aga Khan Foundation Partnership Walk. It's a walk in which 100 percent of the proceeds are given to Aga Khan Foundation, which directly assists third world countries, such as Afghanistan, Uganda, Kenya, Tajikistan, etc. It hasn't hit the point where things are being demanded of me, but it will eventually. But I don't mind, it's definitely for a good cause.

Overall, it's been a good week. Not as productive as last, but that's what next week is for!


10/6/06
This was a pretty intense week. Well only because I doubled up on my study
time. We're at this point in ALL of the classes where it has become
necessary to review all of the old material - because it's now all jumbled
together. MAYBE IT'S JUST ME! We also took a practice midterm exam in
Contracts. Way to light that fire under you! It's odd how each concept
when mushed together makes no sense. What trumps what? Better to have
figure that out now than later.

Back to the books. OH yea, call for the game: Texas by 7. HOOK 'EM!


9/29/06
I was finally called on in a class.Of course, it was for the case that made little sense to me. It's usually how it works. In the end, it went well...or didn't go terrible.

Other than that the week was pretty uneventful. I caught up on all of my reading and will be studying all weekend. Sometimes a week is just ALL law school. Hopefully more next week. Till then.


9/22/06
Our entire class has heard "there will be times when life comes in the way and you will have no control over it." Perhaps it was just me who heard. Point being, it happened this week. Control...out of the window. BUT the upside is that discipline trumps lack of control. Does that make sense? One of my closest friends relayed it to me and it sort of stuck. Discipline is what will get you through law school and probably the rest of your life because it is one of the hardest, if not THE hardest, attribute to acquire. ERRR...I sound like an episode of Grey's Anatomy. To sum it all up, you will have times when "life happens" but it will not necessarily affect your school life.

We turned in our memos this week. Subsequently, we went over what it SHOULD have looked like. Questions and concerns were coming in every direction. Luckily, it's not for a grade and we'll receive pertinent feedback. I started working with a study group. It helps. A LOT. 

By the way, a couple of friends and I located Potbellys in Downtown. If you haven't eaten there, try it out!


9/15/06
This week made me realize why I am going to love law school. Every class I had this week led to some heated debate about why a rule exists or how we would work our way around a rule (perhaps heated is extreme, but there was definite energy). It is great to be around such a curious group of individuals. Can you imagine the boredom of sitting in a class where everything was just taken for what it is?!

The first part of the memo for legal writing is due Monday. The case presented is not hard nor is knowing what one wants to say, but it is presenting a logical analysis guided by the precise rules one has to follow. Fortunately, this draft will not be graded.

Last night was another SBA social. I made it to this one. It was tons of fun. Per the norm. I met quite a few of the 2Ls and 3Ls (and yes, they were all cool).

My friends are coming into town this weekend so I won't have much time to do anything. On that note, I'm going to finish my memo. Till next time!


9/8/06
Is it horrible that I am already tired of reading? ONLY 14 more weeks to go! Note the sarcasm. I admit I am being dramatic, but this week has been the most unproductive school week. I blame it on all of the reading I did during the labor day holiday. After that, I couldn't fathom sitting for another six hours every night to decipher cases, notes, and hypos. So instead I went to happy hours with old friends. I should mention, not doing anything is not an option. How much you decide to do is another story. This week, I hit the low end - three hours a day. This obviously cannot become a habit.

We received our first memo assignment this week. Along with it, we received our edited diagnostic assignments from orientation. It's weird, but I feel it was done in that order to spark some sort of motivation: "RED IS AN UGLY COLOR SO I WILL DO BETTER...MUCH BETTER!"

I also need to start working on my outlines, read for the week, start the memo. Hmm, I supose the transition phase into law school is officially over! Hope all of my classmates are hanging in there and enjoying themselves....

OH YEA....GO LONGHORNS! (big TX/OSU game this weekend)


9/1/06
I believe my entries are a little behind, so I'll try to catch up on the first two weeks of school. As imagined, TONS of reading. I am not joking when I say, "I go to sleep with cases on my mind." That situation needs to be changed...A.S.A.P.

All of the professors are fantastic. You can tell that they have a lot of information to share, and they actually have a sense of humor! I also "researched" in the library for the first time. I use that term loosely because it was 20 minute exercise to teach us how to find the cases we need. Not nearly as intimidating as you might expect.

We had our 1L social at the end of the first week. I had a great time and was able to meet a few of the people in my class.  Unfortunately, I left early to catch a flight. I'd say it's convenient for a pub to situated about 2.5 seconds away from the school. Perhaps strategically placed.

SBA elections are going on. I'm not running, but a few of the people in my section are. I'd use this as a way to pub for them, but I can't really pinpoint who they are. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF THE CANDIDATES. Last night, SBA hosted their first social of the year. Due to my horrible planning, I couldn't make it, BUT from the way my torts class was talking, it was a great event. Note to all who read this: GO TO THE SBA EVENTS!

The second week has ended leaving us with a lot of information. I suppose I have no choice but to utilize this 3-day holiday to produce some sort of sense out of all of the rules, cases, etc. All in all, an excellent 1st two weeks of law school. 


8/25/06
I have officially completed the first two days of orientation. It's a done deal. I (along with many others, even a 20 year-old) are bonafied first-year law students.

Not nearly as bad as I had expected. Granted I had not anticipated any sort of HBO drama series to happen within 16 hours, but I was slightly "freaked out." This is solely due to the sympathetic look I receive when I tell anyone I am attending law school as a 1L. Way to give a girl a warm and fuzzy feeling, eh? To be completely honest, at this point I'm hoping just to feel anything. There were a few comments that lead me to believe this would be a mind-numbing experience but OH SO EXCITING! Whatever that means.

In any case, everyone here is extremely pleasant and definitely wanting to help out. I met some cool people in my writing section and quite a few more in my regular section (my colleagues as Dean Fontaine referred to them). I did not think the class size would be as large as it is.  

Well, just as expected there are some serious amounts of reading to take care of before Monday.  Have I started? Hmmm, not so much. I have to admit that doing the pre-reading assignment for orientation helped the time go by more smoothly. No point starting off the next three years in mass confusion. On that note, I might actually get my textbooks out of the locker. Till next time.