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Lisa Waters
Age: 25
Undergraduate School: University of Texas at Austin
Undergraduate Major: Sport Management
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Status: Full-Time Day
E-mail:
lcwaters@mail.txwes.edu
11/18/09 - Greetings from Lubbock! I was absolutely thrilled to arrive here…so thrilled that I could’ve kissed the oh-so-flat ground. I know it’s just Lubbock, but I would’ve kissed any ground because I was so happy to be out of the air. I haven’t flown in quite awhile, and I forgot how terrified I am of it. I tried to play it cool for awhile, but I ended up making a deal with God that I would not ask for anything all year…okay, all week…actually, the just rest of the day if he’d get me down safely. I know as flights go, this one hour flight was nothing. To my teammates, who were very comforting, the flight was not long enough – by the time they got their notes out, it was time to put them away. Still, no matter how short the flight, it involved an ascent and descent. It’s going to be a long and lonely car ride home.
Everything has basically wrapped up for the year, outside of this competition and studying for exams. Academic Support is finished for the semester. It’s been a great semester with these students. They soak up information like sponges, and they are making us very proud. I have thought all semester that they are very attentive and inquisitive, but I didn’t realize until reviewing their practice exam essays how great they are doing. I have heard my mom talk about moments that make her enjoy being a teacher – although this whole semester has been rewarding, I now know the kind of moments she is talking about.
I had a student tell me how well the Torts midterm went and how proud his/her family was, and seeing the sense of accomplishment in this student’s eyes made mine water a little. I know how hard they’re working, and it’s nice to be in a position to help them along in some small way. They’re going to do a great job, and they are people with whom I’d like to practice one day.
Good luck in exam preparation. You’re almost there, and it’ll be worth it!
11/11/09 - I’m getting help from all angles with my aversion to the word “no.” Knowing he’d solicit that answer, my dad called me with random questions, such as what the last word was in the war-on-drugs slogan and whether the Colts would lose a game this year. He reminded me that when I didn’t know the answer as a toddler, I would say “Gogbo” (pronounced “bow” as in “ribbon,” in case you were curious). So, if I can’t remember to say “no,” I’ve got another response in my arsenal. People would think I was so strange they’d never ask me for anything again. Problem solved. Thanks, Dad!
Speaking of childhood memories, I took an eleven-year-old trick-or-treating this year, and he was in charge of my costume. I asked him which cool character I was going to be, thinking something along the lines of Batman (who has been spotted patrolling our school hallways recently, by the way, although this Batman also answers to “Matt”). When he said he made me a Bookworm, I knew my status as a huge nerd had not escaped anyone.
Patrolling the hallways reminds me of Jeff, my BarBri buddy. Jeff doesn’t let anybody pass him in the hallways without finding out how they are, and he genuinely wants to know. He usually gets a “Fine; you?” in response, but I bet he wouldn’t mind if someone said, “Actually, not so good; let me sit down and tell you all about it.” You’re so busy, but you always make time for others – I’m going to miss seeing you in the hallways next year.
Spring registration was today. Those were the most stressful two minutes of the week – waiting to see if I got the classes I wanted, which I did. Also, my Moot Court coach asked me if I’d consider writing two briefs in the spring. She told me only to answer “no” if it was preceded by an expletive. In so many words, my response was “gogbo,” so there’s still time for an intervention.
Oh, and happy birthday, Jayson!! You two will do so well in Lubbock!!
10/28/09 - People have shown me their support in unusual ways lately. My co-TA, Brad, made fun of my full plate and told me that if he sees me vacuuming the floors or cleaning the bathrooms, he’s going to draw the line and intervene. We did a role-playing exercise where he asked me to be the one to build additional student parking, and I practiced saying no. In a comedic way, he assured me that he’d be there if I needed anything.
In an unrelated event, someone came into Professor Sobol’s office and asked me if I had time to do “a tiny research project.” After inquiring how tiny of a project, I said I’d do it. I didn’t select the phone-a-friend lifeline, but I didn’t have to. Professor Sobol was already dialed in and ready to boot me out of the hot seat as he corrected me and all but said that, actually, “no” was the correct and final answer. I find him unassuming and rather reticent by nature, but when he saw me about to strut off a cliff, he was quick to put his foot down and extend his hand. I need to get a voice-command telephone and program it to call him or Brad automatically anytime I say “yes” or “I’ll do it.”
I recently interviewed with Judge McCoy for a spring internship, and he was quick to notice that fitting that opportunity in edgewise would defy the laws of reason if not also those of physics, so he offered me the summer internship instead. I didn’t need any help with that answer, and I don’t have my voice-command phone yet, so I didn’t make an inadvertent call. Thanks to everyone for all of the support in getting this internship.
Now I must decide how I will complete the first draft of my law review article and adequately prepare for the MPRE before November 7th. Even with the extra hour we get this weekend, I still may postpone the MPRE until the spring…or summer. Before I lock in my final answer, however, I’d like to phone a friend.
10/14/09 - The last two weeks have flown by! Actually, I have to qualify that. The one hour and fifty minutes per class last week felt like an eternity – not because of the substance, but because I couldn’t breathe and had to grab a tissue every few seconds. I never had a fever though, so it was probably just allergies. I like when people say it’s “just” allergies, as if not being able to breathe or focus on a task for 10 consecutive seconds is ever a walk in the pollen- and mold-ridden park.
Realizing I didn’t have time to be sick, I literally took one for the Moot Court team – I killed two birds with one stone by getting a flu shot at Kroger, where I was getting State Fair tickets for my sister’s birthday. I’m telling you this so that if you had any plans to get a shot at the grocery store, you can appropriately weigh the costs and benefits. Yes, it saved time; however, the lady who administered the shot must’ve thought she was throwing darts. I’m not even sure she looked at my arm, but she slung that thing in there like she was trying to win the giant teddy bear at the fair. Speaking of teddy bears, last week was a great week to be working on the brief – I had teddy bear immunity in class and flu immunity at the same time – invincible!
This week, we’re revising the brief. Our team has been very deliberate about leaving enough time for this, so we’re in good shape. The only difficulty has been accounting for a strange rule, the compliance of which involved a ruler, a TI-83 calculator, and the entire team plugging numbers into an equation on the whiteboard to yield the brief’s actual length. I’m exaggerating, but it did make for quite a scene in the Moot Court office. This experience has been great, and I couldn’t have asked for more talented or encouraging teammates - Jayson and Roxanna are incredible, and I can’t wait to watch them shine in oral arguments!!
10/1/09 - It was a friend’s birthday on the 24th, and I was impressed with myself for remembering to contact her in the middle of writing my brief; however, my congratulatory pat on the back was a little premature…
Happy belated 20th Anniversary, Texas Wesleyan Law! I’ll admit I’ve been so preoccupied that I didn’t notice the flyers about the anniversary in time to get a suit to and from the dry cleaners. I was disappointed to miss the celebration; it sounded like something I would thoroughly enjoy and appreciate. As Professor Sobol shared with us, the first graduating class risked a lot to pave the way for us, and I wish I could have thanked them. They set the tone that has led to the song I’ve been singing about Texas Wesleyan Law from the beginning.
Happy belated National Punctuation Day, everyone! Apparently I missed this one, too. I thought I would be on the listserv since I’m a deputy with the grammar police, saving grammar from the flagrant abuse of text-messengers, one semicolon at a time. Somehow I didn’t get the memo (sorry, 1Ls, if that word makes you cringe). To make up for my lack of allegiance to the apostrophe, I have marked my calendar for National Grammar Day on March 4, 2010. It’s going to be a great day of reuniting split infinitives and bringing subjects and verbs into harmonious agreement.
Another day of celebration was one that I knew would fall during the 3rd week in September - National Moot Court Problem Day – the day the problem for the Moot Court Nationals Competition came out. On September 16, 2009, I began 30 straight days of reading and writing about Supreme Court opinions. Someone should get each Justice a blog so they can concur, concur in the judgment, dissent, concur in part and dissent in part, concur in part IV with two Justices but concur in part III-A with two others – somewhere else outside of the actual opinion. The 1Ls turn in their memos around the same time I’ll be finished, so I look forward to hearing the congratulations song in LARW to celebrate!
9/16/09 – An experience over the holiday weekend spoke volumes about the lengths to which Texas Wesleyan Law representatives are willing to go, above and beyond their job description, to help people. It got me thinking about the tension attorneys must feel between having to sprint on the billable-hour treadmill and wanting to make a difference doing something they believe in. I’ve found that these two are often at odds and that a career in this field could challenge me every hour to maximize my potential to the detriment of my desire to help people.
For example, I went to drop off a resume at a firm recently, and I was walking a few feet behind a man who was typing incessantly on his blackberry like a tech-savvy Mr. Magoo. He was so into what he was doing that he let the door slam in my face without even feigning an effort to catch it. Our ultimate destinations turned out to be the same - a door with his name on it. I knew before stepping foot inside that I didn’t want to work there. It was like visiting the Ghost of Law Firm Future and seeing what I would be like in 30 years if I followed Scrooge through that next door. Granted, all he did was fail to be considerate, but it was a glimpse into what life would be like at that firm, and it didn’t bode well. The people at Texas Wesleyan have shown me that you don’t have to sacrifice your compassion for people to be successful. If success requires me to sell out in that way, the cost is too high, and I’m not buying. Call me naïve, but it’s possible to accomplish both – I see it here every day.
I have interviewed with firms that undoubtedly share my values, and it would be wonderful to work for a firm like that. The fit feels right, so I hope it works out. But if it doesn’t, I know that when one door closes (or slams in my face), another one will open – the one that’s meant to.
9/2/09 – During the TA panel last week, we were asked whether law school gets any easier. I had the impression, coming into law school, that it was smooth sailing after the first year, but this isn’t so. The simple answer is that subsequent years are just different. By your second year, you know how to study the law and how to take exams, so you’re more efficient with your time. What you do with that extra time is up to you.
This year, I’m giving my time to the Law Review, Moot Court brief-writing, two 1L classes as a TA, assisting in faculty research, BarBri, the Student Ambassador Recruiting Committee, and blogging. Most people are worried that I’ve taken on too much, and I can’t blame them, especially because that means they care. I put a lot of thought into these decisions, and I couldn’t decline any of them because I’ve wanted to excel in each of these since I came to Texas Wesleyan. My involvement in these endeavors furthers my goals of being a good writer, reaching 1Ls, and assisting professors who made my 1L experience so great. With the first year gone and the third largely dedicated to the Bar Exam, that leaves this year for it all.
I’m sure that those who I represent are worried that the quantity of my work will negatively affect the quality. I would be too, but it means the world to me not to disappoint and to follow through with my promises. So if I have to compromise anything, it will be my sleep and free time, not the reputations of those who attach their name to mine. I did go through a brief period of panic during the summer, but I have the time-management skills and work ethic to do well. I have to do well, and I don’t have time to stress out or complain. So, 1Ls, your second year can be easier if you want it to be. However, if you want to get everything you can out of your time here, it could be busier than your first.
8/26/09 – I hardly know where to start this year…but, as always, I find myself gravitating toward writing about the people of Texas Wesleyan, and now specifically, those who are new to me. These people form two groups: 1) the 1Ls who really are new to the school; and 2) those who have been a part of Texas Wesleyan for quite some time, playing an invaluable role behind the scenes.
First, it’s been great to put faces with names as I’ve met in person many of the incoming 1Ls who e-mailed back and forth with me in the past. It’s also been a joy to meet the new students with whom I have the opportunity to interact as an Academic Support and Legal Writing TA. I can tell they’re motivated to do well, and I look forward to being on the journey with them.
The second group consists of Texas Wesleyan donors and supporters that I had the true pleasure of meeting recently. I always knew they made our scholarships possible, but the profound impact they have had on me became much clearer when I got to personally thank them. They’re the reason that many of us are able to attend law school at all, and they’re a huge reason for my growth over the past year. Because somebody out there was willing to invest in me, I believed in myself and worked harder to make them proud. Being able to share my appreciation for them was a defining moment for me that I won’t forget.
Meeting the new students and the long-time supporters has only confirmed my belief that Texas Wesleyan attracts and produces not only great legal minds but also good human beings with kind hearts. Because these supporters have been so giving of their resources, I am thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to pay it forward in some small way to the incoming group. You all couldn’t have chosen a better environment in which to study law, and you’re an important part of what makes Texas Wesleyan so wonderful. Now, quit reading the blogs, and get back to your books!!
5/20/09 - I haven’t addressed study skills in depth, but I have been holding out in hopes that I’d have the opportunity next year to discuss them in the classroom as a TA. I’ve had to temper my excitement in case it didn’t work out, but I’m grateful that Everett Chambers, Marta Miller, and Professor Sobol saw the passion I have for studying the law and how endlessly rewarding it is for me to pass that along to incoming students. My interest in this started when the office of admissions provided me with an avenue to reach students as a blogger and Student Ambassador, so I appreciate them letting me be in my element.
I’m actually going to miss being a 1L, and I have many more thanks to give than I have space. Thank you to Professor Snyder for investing in our careers, to Professor Carpenter for being a unique “stick in the bundle” that often had me in tears laughing, to Professor Fountaine for making it comfortable to be in the hot seat, to Professor Gillmer for showing me what being well-spoken and charismatic in front of a class looks like, to Professor Harrington for being a majestic example of professionalism (if I didn’t express last semester how great you are, it’s because it almost felt disrespectful - like giving a “shout out” to the Queen of England), and of course to Professor Sobol for not only teaching us but affecting us – I appreciate you as the best LARW professor (officially) and also as a genuinely good person. Thank you also to Carson for relating to us and guiding us, to Brandy for being my common sense outside the books’ four corners and for being the one good friend I let myself have this year – I picked the best, to Lauren for approaching me about outlining – that encouraged me to try to be a TA, and to Rebecca for always asking me to go to lunch with you all, knowing I’d say no until next year. Thank you to my family and fiancé for the unconditional love and support – I hope to make it up to you someday.
I can’t promise my advice is worth more than two cents for those who are unsure whether (and which) law school is for you. You really can’t know – it’s a risk, but if you have a feeling you want to do this, you have it for a reason, so I suggest going with your heart. In the worst case it won’t be for you, and you’ll be thousands of dollars in debt trying to figure out what to do with your life…par for society’s course these days. More likely, however, this is what you were made to do, and you’ll get to realize your dreams.
Keep the emails coming all summer. I’ll be doing just what many of you are doing – getting ready for a wonderful fall semester! See you then!
5/14/09 - I really have very little to write about exams, partly because my brain and eyes are finally waiving a little white flag. I studied as thoroughly as I possibly could, although I don’t know how anything less would be possible after all we put in this semester.
I remember this feeling from last fall – the only thing I know for sure is that I didn’t leave a stone unturned. Outside of that, I trust that the system works such that when uncompromising diligence and understanding of the law are put into the machine, good grades are generated. It’s easy after a test to question how well it was designed to produce a reflective curve, and I entertained those concerns for a fleeting moment before realizing how weak and unhelpful that was. These professors have been studying the law and developing ways to assess students’ knowledge of it for years, while I’ve been studying it for almost a whole nine months (again, recognizing I haven’t even been born yet).
I enjoyed meeting many of you at the Admitted Students event this week. You gave me a much needed social contact and a break from studying, and by asking me to talk about my experience, you gave me a second wind and reminded myself why I’m doing this. I hope you all could see that even in the thick of exams, I still can’t say enough about how great this school is, although in next week’s final blog, I might try!
4/29/09 - I keep promising to discuss study habits, but I’ve been procrastinating, which is not a study habit I endorse. Many students are asking what they should be doing over the summer. If you’re one who gets burned out quickly, you probably shouldn’t do anything. If you can stand it though, I recommend using a study aid to give yourself a foundation before hitting the ground running in August.
For my birthday, my dad gave me 4,000 Law-in-a-Flash flashcards. I went through each one of those cards once and then again as I typed them into an outline for each subject. I’m not encouraging this OCD-like preparation because that’s unrealistic…maybe borderline unhealthy, but I do think there’s something to be said for giving yourself a background so that you’ll have a place to stick the darts you’ll have thrown at you. Otherwise, it will be like doing a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle without first seeing the big picture on the box.
Also, don’t wait until you get here to realize the importance of being able to write well. If you don’t already know the rules of grammar, please get a book over the summer to learn them, and e-mail me if you’d like a list of titles. I did that during the summer between seventh and eighth grade in order to get into AP English, and I use those skills today more than almost anything else. They’re the rules you have to know to play this game – a game actually appropriate for students ages 12 and up.
4/22/09 - It’s been surreal to realize that classes are coming to an end - I thought I would always be in these 1L classes. I’m not a big fan of change, and I definitely like a routine, so while it was neat to read the last page of a couple 1,000-page books, I know I am going to miss my 1L year.
Of course, lest we were tempted to dwell on what has been, it’s time to register for the coming semester, which makes me wish my schedule was handed to me. Many students didn’t like their schedule being predetermined as a 1L, but everybody right now is stressing over which of the 12 versions of their schedules will work out for the fall with the classes they want, at the time they want and with the professor they want. At this point, I think many of us would take Professor Plum in the Billiard Room with a rope if it fit our schedule.
Not being able to register for required classes is a problem, but it really doesn’t matter which professor you get. If this blog has had a theme, it’s been that these professors are incredible – you can’t really go wrong. Just taking a look at their credentials will make you feel like you haven’t even been born. In fact I must admit, as I’m sure Brandy would agree, even if you don’t have the 1L Legal Writing Professor of the Year, you’ve still got a pretty darn good deal.
4/15/09 - I was going to talk about study techniques this week, but I’m on the train and have been bothered while listening to a mother talk to her young child. This kid is a sponge taking in everything that he hears her say – and I can hardly tell it’s English. This is how he’ll learn to write and speak, until someone comes along to show him the importance of undoing those bad habits.
It reminds me how thankful I am for teachers who have dedicated their careers and brilliant minds to making a difference and paying it forward. It can feel like a thankless profession, but it’s one of the most noble. During these crucial law school years, we are like sponges as we learn this “new language” that we’ll be using the rest of our careers. These professors are so invested in us and in showing us how to thrive in this new world.
You can’t choose who will teach you as a toddler, but at some point you do have a choice. You might feel like you’ve been on the wrong path, but you can jump the tracks over to Texas Wesleyan. Part of what makes this school special is that it’s not primarily comprised of those who were placed on the fast track at an early age. Many students made a conscious decision to change their direction, and everyone here is more appreciative of the experience as a result. I’m tempted to encourage this kid to make plans right now to go to Texas Wesleyan in 15 years, but his eyes get as big as saucers when he looks at my books, so I’ll wait.
4/8/09 - This week we got to watch oral arguments from the Amarillo Court of Appeals, and subsequently, two of the justices stayed to share some insight with us. Their top three keys to success in this field were preparation, writing skills and passion for your work.
I’ve been emphasizing preparation lately, but I should note it’s possible to over prepare. I’ve found that when I care most about being prepared, I can do myself a disservice. For example, this has happened a number of times this week; I’m focusing so much on what I’m going to say next that I’m not even listening to the person I’m talking with, whose statements are valuable, to the point that I haven’t even realized they’ve asked me a question. When it’s one that can’t be answered with a default like, “It depends” or “Well, it’s a slippery slope,” I look pretty silly. So, while being prepared for what’s to come is important, the present moment isn’t just a transition to that point – I’d really like to be there for it.
With that caveat, incoming 1Ls should prepare to be even more prepared during the second semester. It’s a month before exams, and I remember this time last semester studying for exams already because I’d read ahead for the entire semester. Now there’s much more going on. For example, you need to be prepared for the VP of Moot Court to ask you to try out even though your brief is almost due. In case you’re not paying attention when she asks you, the default answer is invariably “yes.”
4/1/09 - If you’re unable to interview often, you can practice and prepare in other ways. First, get sample interview questions tailored for the specific position from career services. It’s helpful to actually write out your answers and practice out loud by setting up a mock interview with career services, asking a friend to interview you, or going through them on your own. Actually, if these walls could talk, they’d reveal that I practice in front of the mirror.
The reason for this practice isn’t that you don’t “know” yourself or that you’re fabricating answers, but it’s helpful to establish what points to drive home and how to work them into questions that don’t explicitly call for them. It’s especially important to prepare a “self-infomercial” in case they ask you an open ended question such as, “Tell me about yourself,” which you don’t want to answer in a stream of consciousness manner.
Once you’ve mastered what you have to say about yourself, research the employer to see what you could work into the interview so it will feel more like a conversation than a deposition (and it doesn’t hurt that they’ll notice you studied). Finally, the way you look is just as important as how your resume and cover letter look, and your attire should be tailored to your particular field as well. So, look at what Career Services has posted regarding your attire, and dress accordingly. If suits are foreign to you, shop with a buddy, and take a few laps in your heels so you’ll look natural or at least stay vertical.
3/25/09 - This has nothing to do with getting a job, but law school taught me over spring break to check my mailbox every ten days. I think it’s inherited, but I have an aversion to the mailbox. I find that unless it’s my birthday or I’m applying to law school, nothing good is snail-mailed anymore - I really don’t want another Pizza Hut coupon or credit card approval. So, I was reading about jury selection in civil procedure and learned that, if you’re chosen, the court will send you a juror qualification form to be returned within ten days. I thought to myself that there was probably one getting comfortable in my mailbox right then. Sure enough, there it was - stuffed between a credit card approval and a coupon…as it had been for almost ten days.
Anyway, back to last week’s topic. If you’re interested in a judicial internship, you may find programs that match you with a judge over the summer. Outside of those, get a list from the Tarrant or Dallas County court sites, and send judges letters, or even better, go talk with them in person. It won’t take long to find a judge, or any employer for that matter, who would like some quality/free help. You can also interview for various types of positions as part of a Career Day in Austin, Houston, etc. If you have time, it’s great practice.
Oh, and if any 1Ls are reading this, vote by Friday for Professor Sobol for 1L Writing Professor of the Year!
3/11/09 - I recently accepted a summer judicial internship in Dallas, so while that’s on my mind, I’d like to discuss studying in the context of searching for a job, before I recommend ways to prepare for the first day of class. To that end, I posit that the job search begins with treating it like another class. A career may seem remote to an incoming 1L, but I also believe it should color many of your decisions.
Career services will schedule a day or two in November to introduce you to Symplicity, our online job bank. I’m sure there will be nothing you’ll want to think about less during that pre-exam period, but it’s so important to attend that meeting where you’ll acquire the tools to maximize your winter break. This break is the first chance 1Ls really get to unapologetically relax, but it’s also when you need to get your resumes tailored for legal positions and your cover letters drafted.
I strongly suggest meeting with a career services representative before the break or upon returning to school. They’re eager to help you and tell you how to adapt your materials for this field, which is crucial since a formatting issue can result in your application being discarded altogether. I’d also incorporate your legal writing professor’s memo comments to perfect your writing sample. Once your materials are in order, start applying for jobs and tailoring your cover letters for each one. More about those jobs and how to “study” for the interview next time…
3/4/09 - The admissions office is taking the bloggers out to dinner to thank us for the work we’ve submitted this year. I can’t believe it’s almost the end of the year, and I can’t believe they want to thank us – I’ve loved having this vehicle to share and advise the incoming class as much as possible.
However, so far I’ve made a point not to broadcast the details of how I study, not only for competitive reasons but also in an effort not to get stuffed in a locker or have my lunch money stolen. (Obviously, I’m kidding. Please don’t choose SMU because you think TWU students stuff their classmates in lockers). Also, I’ve always downplayed my knack for studying because it has never earned me “cool” points, but I’ve realized that if there’s a place to embrace your inner nerd, its law school. It’s with that frame of mind and in the spirit of paying it forward that I’ve joined the Student Ambassadors Recruiting Committee and hope to be an academic support TA next year. This is also the reason I wanted to blog; so as the semester draws to a close, I’ll tell you every single nerdy detail, and you can take from it what you will.
This isn’t going to be organized by chronology or importance, which I’ll justify by saying this will allow you to practice putting discombobulated notes into an aesthetically pleasing and functional outline. That’s all for today, but Studying 101 will begin this time next week.
2/25/09 - This weekend had the perfect ingredients to be a recipe for disaster. But just as people say that taste buds change with time and exposure, my taste for public speaking has evolved. Someone’s response to the news that I was going to compete in an oral argument competition was, “So let me get this straight: the shyest people-pleaser I know who only wears Adidas tennis shoes will be wearing heels arguing on stage in front of judges whose job it is to criticize you?” As it turned out, the most uncomfortable part was walking from the train to school in heels, which makes me wonder who decided women should walk on their toes like that.
However, the reason this fish left the water is because the fresh air wasn’t going to be comfortable. Turns out, I wasn’t an ugly ducking at all; in fact, I received great feedback on the areas that worried me the most – tone, eye contact, pace, and articulation. It was also great to go through this with other competitors who united around a common goal of getting through it. Actually, we did better than just get through it. I only made it to the quarterfinals, but three of my classmates made it to the finals. (As a side note, the common denominator among all finalists is that they’re in Professor Sobol’s writing class, so I rest my case, Brandy). Anyway, it was really neat to go out on a limb and find out I might have a taste for this after all.
2/18/09 - I agree with the notion that “it’s all relative” - that your frame of reference can change your evaluation of a given situation. For instance, while many people are groaning this week about how much they dislike writing memos, I’m celebrating an opportunity to write a memo instead of having to orally present the argument. This became clear to me after I hurled myself under the bus that is the Moot Court Competition in the name of self-improvement. While I’m fully capable of doing well in an oral argument, it’s not my preferred method of communication, and it has reminded me of why I prefer writing.
The best part about writing is the backspace function. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started speaking and wished I could press delete a few times and try again. Also, when I’m writing, barring a sudden onset of arthritis, I can hit any given letter on the keyboard with ease. This is not always the case when I’m speaking - I grew up with a stutter that still r..r…rears its head now and again, so I often have to circumvent words that start with R or D and find synonyms beginning with a friendlier letter. I could go on, but another great writing feature warned me that I’ve surpassed the word limit. So, it’s time to leave my comfort zone and turn a good paper into an effective speech, while remembering that this is relatively not that bad - it’s just for practice.
2/11/09 - I’ve been affected recently by a couple of people who suffered enormously because they didn’t think they were “good enough.” With rankings coming out this week, the standards against which we judge ourselves have been on my mind. It’s easy to get caught up in competitive environments, whether it is your school, your job or a circle with an indefinite radius within which you compare everything to yourself at the core.
There is nothing wrong with mechanisms like the ranking system, whether it’s the official one at school or another that you literally or figuratively impose on yourself. It is a very legitimate, healthy and important way to evaluate your relative success, but it can be dangerous not to add your own subjective component. Only you know what circumstances you’re combating in any given situation, what portion of yourself you can give and what factors are important to you that others aren’t figuring into the equation. This is different for everyone, and it doesn’t make anyone wrong or a failure.
Right now a reachable goal for yourself might be ranking #1 in your class; for another it might be balancing writing the best memo you have ever written with being a friend to someone who needs you; for another it might be getting out of bed and putting one foot in front of the other. Whatever your situation, only you know what it means for you to be successful, and an objective “reasonable” person standard alone should not determine whether that’s “good enough.”
2/4/09 - We’re learning this semester how to prepare for our first open research memo, which means the cases are not given to us – we have to hunt for them. I’m usually extremely organized, but since legal research is a completely different realm for me, I’m having to learn these skills. My inclination is to search faster and further as one case or source leads to another. But as they say, a big part of where you’re going is remembering where you came from. I’ve had to learn to leave myself breadcrumbs in order to find my way back to a great source that started my digression, or I end up wasting time having to cover the same ground again.
As much as I thought I would miss the closed research assignments, the opportunity to venture outside the four corners of the provided cases is better than I thought. There was a fear in the back of my mind of being the only one in the class who wouldn’t find the most important case, but as our professors have said, the cases aren’t being kept a secret; many people have worked countless hours to make researching on Westlaw and LexisNexis as easy as possible for us. Also, in the past when I had a nagging question, I ended up bumping up against the box we were confined to. Now I embark on a scavenger hunt for the answers to any concern I have…equipped with a loaf of Mrs. Baird’s in case I get carried away.
1/28/09 - The weather outside is frightful, but the ride (on the train) is so delightful, and since we’ve no place to go … to and fro, to and fro, to and fro.
It was Tuesday morning, and as the media brought us dreary images and promises of treacherous roadway conditions, my eyes were glued to the ticker at the bottom of the screen, anticipating school closures toward the end of the alphabet. I didn’t have images of snowflakes dancing in my head; instead I saw a full day of checkmarks landing all over my to-do list. Just FYI - the TRE runs like the mail service – rain, sleet, snow, or ice. I know because I rode it this morning … all the way to school before I got the call that it had been canceled. So, I spent the morning riding the train to school and back, which is funny because I was just thinking the other day how I get so much accomplished on the train that I could ride it all day. I had half a mind to do that, except laundry was another to-do list bullet point craving a checkmark.
Today is Wednesday, and I just got off the train to discover classes are canceled again! I really don’t mind (because of the aforementioned list) - both days it was my fault for getting to school early. It’s just that this time the roads actually were icy, and deicing the sidewalks for us bag-rollers is likely last on the city’s list. These bags don’t have 4-wheel drive, so skating to school and back wasn’t my favorite part of the day, but it was the most exciting!
1/21/09 - Someone asked me last week how I decide what to write. I was unable to articulate it, but basically, I write about what unexpected and refreshing things happen to me. More about that later …
When it comes to the minutiae, I’m as bad a decision maker as a squirrel crossing the street, but I’m good at making crucial decisions because I rely on what feels right. I hope you all do the same by picking Texas Wesleyan. Students everywhere are reading the same books we’re reading. So the difference isn’t the law, it’s the people, and the people here never cease to amaze me. I frequently find them making my day.
For example, a professor stopped me in the hall last week to make sure I was as confident as she felt I deserved to be. Another professor invited students who were unable to access a laptop to talk with her about ways she could help them. Then, after I decided not to review an exam with a professor that day, another professor (who taught the same subject but who didn’t know me) sat down on a bench with me, completely unsolicited, to talk about blogging, the law, and myself. He actually chose to make me feel important over everything else he had on his plate. So when he asked the question referenced in the first sentence above, I should’ve just said, “Exhibit A.” I didn’t think things like that happened in law school, but Wesleyan’s staff and faculty give law school the intangible quality everyone should be looking for – it just feels right.
1/14/09 - Top 10 Indications You’re a Law Student on Christmas Break:
10. You sat on Santa’s lap at the mall and told him all you want for Christmas are A’s.
9. Instead of letters to Santa, you’re writing cover letters to potential employers telling them what a good boy/girl you’ve been this semester.
8. ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring except for you and your wireless mouse checking for grades.
7. Your family schedules seven Christmases over the break to compensate for the times you stood them up last semester.
6. You get WD-40 in your stocking to fix your squeaky rolling bag whose squeal announces your arrival around every corner in the library.
5. Your optometrist’s gift to you is a prescription for your first pair of glasses because pain pills can no longer mask the damage that marathon reading has done to your once 20/20 vision.
4. Your gift to everyone this year was an I.O.U. redeemable after January 14, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. when your loan check arrives.
3. Relatives you didn’t even know you had begin to come out of the woodwork asking you for free legal advice.
2. You’re stuck with housework each day over the break because your fiancé points out you can no longer use school as an excuse.
1. You reflect back on how far you’ve come this year and how you couldn’t have done it without your spouse’s love and patience, your family’s support and inherited obsessive genes, your professors’ wisdom and encouragement, your friends’ acceptance of how you’ve changed, the staff’s guidance, and your coffee’s caffeine content.
12/17/08 - I woke up on the day of my second 9 a.m. exam, looked at the clock displaying 10 a.m., directed a few expletives at the world, pressed the down button on the 12th floor of the Sheraton Hotel, and darted to my exam room, wondering as I ran how I could have forgotten to study at all for this exam. When I barged in the door, everyone looked up at me and laughed, not because I was over an hour late, but because I forgot to put on pants! Then I woke up. I had a version of that nightmare almost every night during exams and have had it several times since exams have been over.
While I’m pleased to report I did not forget to study anything or to fully dress myself for each exam, I really don’t know what else to tell you. I feel like no matter what I write, it will be utterly anticlimactic. Everybody I’m reconnecting with has asked me if this semester was as hard as I thought it would be, and I’m not sure how to answer. The material is not hard – it’s the law – it should make sense. If the law is hard to understand or counterintuitive, it probably isn’t good law.
The volume is what most people are referring to when they say law school is hard. The volume is not even that troublesome – I am disciplined to a fault. The challenging part for me was resigning myself to the fact that everything I learned, every hour I spent dedicating myself to mastering the material, and every single moment of preparation and sacrifice is bundled up and packed into a single letter grade taken from a single test of three or four hours, representing everything this semester has been. Even the best professor cannot possibly test us on everything we’ve learned in three hours, no matter how masterfully created the test. It’s just a representation – a representation that feels like it will dictate the rest of my life.
As awful as that sounds to those of you trying to decide if you should go to law school, stop thinking about it and go buy an LSAT practice book or ten, and start studying. All you have to do is take the first step, and before you know it you’ll be finishing your last exam of your first semester, and you’ll accomplish so much you never thought you would along the way. My natural inclination has always been to play it safe, and I had to be very deliberate about climbing fences with warning signs in order to get here.
But this is not something “other people” do; it can be something you do if you’ll just take the first step. If you’ve wondered if law school is right for you, there’s a reason the thought entered your mind, so you should do that thought justice and follow through. The last hurdle for me was money, but don’t worry about being in debt – look around – everybody’s in debt! Have a good holiday!
12/3/08 – They say practice makes perfect, but according to the vernacular in the legal field, we will always be practicing – even the most successful attorneys are practicing law. That bodes well for me, since people have always teased me, saying that if I could make a living practicing, I will have found my calling. Getting to basketball practice and games hours early and forcing myself to make 95 out of 100 free throws before the team laced up earned me the nickname of “All-American Practice Player.”
True to form, I’ve been characteristically obsessive about preparing for exams, even though that meant balking at the family’s turkey plans. This year, the last day of classes and the first exam were separated by six days, bisected by Thanksgiving, so the common theme was reconciling quality time with both in-laws and outlines. Thankfully, my family showed me how unconditionally supportive and loving they are by understanding my need to be a hermit this week.
When Monday came, it was a little bit surreal when the proctor told us to open our envelopes and begin, and it was equally as strange when she told us time was up. I felt like I had just begun this intense relationship with civil procedure, and in the blink of an eye it was over. I didn’t even have time to get closure before moving on to another intense relationship with contracts, and I’m pretty sure that’s not healthy. However, psychology will have to wait in line behind contracts, torts, and property to be a concern of mine.
11/19/08 - I’m exhausted from mountain climbing all weekend. I did my undergrad work at UT, but conquering “Mount” Bonnell only partially conditioned me for this steep task of law school exam preparation. I’ve been among the trees all semester, but this weekend I started trekking to the top, so I could look down and see the hundreds of trees for the forest they constitute. I’m sore from using muscles that I haven’t demanded this much of before, namely my eyes that aren’t made for a marathon staring contest with the computer screen. It never once blinked.
Literally though, I really am physically out of shape from sitting all year. In order to catch the train one day last week, I had to sprint halfway there before jumping on board (that’s how badly I don’t want to have to be on that train after dark!). Anyway, I’m not sure which was more embarrassing - having to run or not being able to laugh it off because I was gasping for air.
A prospective student came to visit our Civil Procedure class, and recognized Brandy and me from our blogs. We got to help him out a little and hear how his application process was going. We talked about how funny it would be if I got called on for the first time in that class when he was there. I was as shocked as he was when I was called on and got to (had to?) show Joshua how to be in the hot seat for an hour straight!
11/12/08 - It’s that time of year. It’s the time of year when brisk winds pull leaves from trees, department stores adorn their walls and aisles with Christmas decorations, and law students lose their minds. I can’t actually say I’ve lost my mind, because it’s so book-heavy and laden with deep thoughts that it couldn’t possibly walk away, but I’m certain my mind is changing.
I know it’s changing for the better, the way everyone said it would when we started school, but I’m also certain that while I’m saturating my brain for finals, elementary capabilities are being compromised. It’s like my brain no longer has jurisdiction over the simple things - basic functions like remembering to bring my lunch or engaging in small talk. I’ve never been the Monarch social butterfly by any stretch, but I really used to be able to have a normal conversation with people. Now, I’m halfway through a sentence, and I feel like Dory, the fish from Finding Nemo, struggling with short-term memory issues. “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.”
To top it off, I forgot to go to the last academic support of the semester. It was my first absence in anything this semester, just as I was polishing my dresser in anticipation of my Cal Ripkin award! As my less obsessive but more rational study partner told me, absences don’t count in that class, but I’ve enjoyed going all semester, and my TA has done a great job guiding and encouraging me. So in case I forget to thank him in person - Thank you, Carson!!
11/5/08 – It’s Tuesday, and I hear there’s an election tonight. I can’t imagine who is running for what; we already voted for our student representatives at the beginning of the year, and we don’t vote for our favorite professors for a while longer. I’ve had my face in my books for so long trying to finish reading for the semester, but rumor has it we’re voting for the president…not of our class but of our country! I’m only half joking about how wrapped up we get in studying that the world around us ceases to exist – when my dad was in law school, he didn’t find out until a few days after the fact that the Berlin Wall had fallen.
This year, I haven’t followed whether Ohio will be blue or Pennsylvania will be red, but I know if a citizen of one state sues a citizen of the other for over $75,000, a federal court could hear the case. I don’t know how many children either candidate has, but I know if either candidate wanted to convey an interest in land to his first child to be elected to the Senate, that could vest too remotely, thus violating the Rule against Perpetuities.
Even once I put down the books and vote, after three months of law school, it just doesn’t seem right to have to pick one correct answer – I’d rather cast my vote in essay form and argue both sides. However, if I must pick one…Professor Sobol for President.
10/29/08 - This is supposed to be the most stressful time of the semester, as we’re all wondering if we can fit one more nugget of information in edgewise, produce a treatise-caliber paper, add another (or heaven forbid the first) Roman numeral to our outline, study like the practice exams are real, read and brief for (and maybe speak in) class, sleep (not in class) for at least half the doctor-recommended hours, and still have time to make dinner and get our vehicle’s inspection and registration updated.
We’ve all got the stress, but if laughter is the best medicine, Wesleyan’s got a healthcare policy I can support - it ensures that we’re all covered. Just when I’m starting to feel weak, I can walk into any one of my classes and get a boost. I laugh so hard sometimes in class that I forget I’m not in the front row at a comedy show. Before this year, if someone told me contracts or property could make me laugh like that, that would’ve been the best joke I had heard.
SBA put on a great casino night this weekend and was especially generous to draw my name twice for prizes. I had two lowly tickets, and as bad as I was at gambling that night, I still wouldn’t have bet both of them would be drawn. I’m just hoping my name isn’t selected with that kind of frequency in class. Also, considering my winning streak, things aren’t looking good for Brandy (the blogger who has gone all-in that her writing professor wins the nomination this year).
10/22/08 - Academic support wasn’t kidding back in August in saying the practice exams are never when you’d like them to be – and it’s a good thing, because if they were at my convenience, I would do myself a disservice by never getting to them. True to form, they fall right in the middle of memo season, and there isn’t enough time to prepare.
Up until now the goal has been to stay ahead in reading, briefing, and otherwise preparing for class, which has suited me since I like methodically checking off items on the to-do list. While that’s important, exams being around the corner means I have to deliberately make time for the less tangible task of going back, coalescing all the pieces, and letting them marinate in preparation for exams. This is a difficult undertaking because of its indefinite ending, but there’s a difference between preparing for class and preparing for exams, and my grades will primarily reflect the latter. So after weathering the memo, I spent quality time with my torts outline in order to take the practice exam on Thursday and use the weekend to prepare for another storm.
The final blow of the 1-2 memo punch just hit. The fact pattern of this memo ironically involves a hurricane, which gives me more reason to refer to it as such. Also, it involves statutes this time, which is appropriate since I’ve been wanting to submit my own bill to Congress proposing the addition of six hours to each day…when I have time to get around to it.
10/15/08 - After offending my inner grammar police, I furthered my self-help approach to curing my writing blues by breaking free altogether and writing the majority of my memo outside, which proved to be the panacea for feeling stifled. It was so therapeutic to feel the sun and breeze that I was on cloud nine writing my memo, as incongruous as that sounds. Location, location, location.
On Tuesday, we were all so chemically invigorated and thrilled to be done with the memo that I was just waiting for the artificial energy to synchronize and break us into a choreographed song and dance in a cheesy and impromptu debut of Law School Musical. Promising not to disappoint, our post-mortem legal writing class was laughter-ridden, and was topped off with an encore performance from a guy on video singing his signature congratulation song. We needed and appreciated the light atmosphere.
It’s Wednesday, and I’m experiencing some law school firsts. I actually woke up humming that song, I miss having my teddy bear on my desk (the bear we bought for charity and classroom immunity earlier this week), and I’m going through a bit of memo-withdrawal. Maybe it’s because nothing in our other classes along the road to exams gets turned in, but I became somewhat attached to my paper after putting so much of myself into something of immediate and tangible consequence. Not to worry – I can always go outside; plus, we’re getting another memo assignment in a few days. (By the way, not counting this parenthetical, this is the first time I’ve stayed within the 250-word limit on a blog entry – a testament to how the class has affected me).
10/8/08 - I am not motivated by one factor only to effectively write (pardon the glaring use of passive voice, the offensively misplaced limiting modifier, and the split infinitive all in one sentence!). While writing part two of the memo, my mind shut down (note the rebelliously dangling modifier). So, my motivation for writing this is to avoid writing that.
The first part of the memo seemed to write itself, but I’m overthinking (this word should be two words) this portion to the point that I need to step away. Either the lack of adjectives or the firm structure have caused me to want to break free (surely you didn’t overlook the obnoxious subject-verb disagreement). It is sure to pass, but its taking it’s toll (please disregard the conspicuous possessive that should be a conjunction and vice-versa as well as the inverted subject). The poet in me misses my colorful adjectives and metaphors that hang by a thread. So, ignoring the grammar police in me, I’ve made a decision to purge these writing “no-no’s” out of my system (can you find the nominalization?).
I have to be honest, though; I love learning to be a better writer, and I sincerely can’t imagine having a better writing professor than I’ve been placed with (ugh, I had to end that statement with a preposition, but it won’t happen again because I really don’t approve of that one) – one whose (oops…who’s) invariably accessible, an inextricably “human” professor, and refreshingly comedic and encouraging (the lack of parallel structure must be distracting). Now that it’s out of my system, back to the winery…the winery in the memo…where Johnny climbed the barrels. My need for an escape isn’t that serious yet.
10/1/08 - I wondered last week, if I’m always getting ahead, when I’d ever get to “cash in” the time I had been trying to save. This was answered this weekend when I needed to go out of state to visit my ailing step-grandmother and got a flat tire on the way there. I tend to think these days that I don’t have a life, but I should’ve known that at some point life would have me. I found out that’s what I’d been preparing for – a time when I couldn’t control my situation, but I didn’t get spun out of control either.
1Ls are turning in our Declaration of Intent to Study Law - a confession of everything we’ve ever done wrong in our lives. It’s something I wish I could’ve taken care of ahead of time; although, you’re not supposed to. I bet if I started on it before school, I would’ve had to report that, too. However, I do recommend if you’re going to apply to law school that you get an official copy of your birth certificate now and make good friends (who aren’t your boss or your family) who won’t have to lie to say you’re a good person.
Another random piece of advice in getting ahead is to get comfortable with computers so you don’t have to handwrite all of your notes. Putting pen to paper is a perfectly good way to take notes, but being able to go back and insert or to rearrange your notes into an outline is much easier on a computer. Start saving money now, and take a class if you’re computer illiterate. If my grandfather can learn Word at age 94, there’s still time for you!
9/24/08 - As I become more comfortable here and less “in my own head,” it’s becoming apparent how tangentially related sociology is to the study of law. I’m inclined to study on my own, but I liken the acknowledgment of wanting a study group/partner to dating. After all, no one wants to end up like the lady next door who lives alone with a slew of cats – especially if they’re anything like Fluffy, the cat that keeps rearing its ugly one-eared head in contracts.
Finding a study group, like finding a date, just kind of happened - that’s the easy part. The challenging part comes after that - knowing they’re probably seeing other people and wondering if they’re going to stand you up for your “date” in room 205. Then the blatantly obvious part that was once new and exciting reveals a truth – they’re different than you. But as they say, opposites attract. Part of the reason for that is to share with another so that the world (or class) isn’t just what you “know” about it.
It’s upon this realization that civil procedure creeps into your day, even though you thought class had been canceled. Learning how to proceed civilly is crucial to being able to get anywhere, as dull as it may seem. Both parties have so much to offer, but we’ve found that figuring out how to conduct yourselves so that the interaction is most efficient is key. Relationships like this which encourage growth aren’t perfectly smooth, but they’re the ones that last. I can see myself being in practice with these great people years down the line, looking back at how it all got started.
9/17/08 - I’ve heard it takes about a month to make or break a habit. It must be true, because I’m no longer conditioned to answer the phone when it rings, I don’t nod when a question is asked in class since those people get called on, and I no longer salivate when I hear the word “pizza.”
In an effort to form new habits, I’m perfectly satisfied with leaving class without my questions answered, and I’m much more careful in offering anyone as much as a Tic-Tac for fear of unintentionally creating a binding contract. The sound of my last name followed by “touchdown” or “for 15 yards” used to make me feel great. These days it’s followed by “please stand and recite the facts of the case,” which has conditioned me to sweat bullets and lose feeling in my toes.
We’re all in the habit of reading, briefing, and taking notes, and deep down we kind of like it; but it’s important to break away occasionally. I was in my friend’s wedding this past weekend, so my goal was not to think about the law as I joined the outside world for a day. I must have been successful because it never once crossed my mind to wish them the best in the lifelong contract they just created or to accuse the bride of intentional infliction of emotional distress for making me stand in a sleeveless dress and those high heels for so long.
The break was nice, but that’s the sound of the TRE coming down the track, which is in the habit of telling me every morning that it’s time to go to school…
9/10/08 - Maybe it’s because I put so much effort into boarding up my windows or because this is very feasible, but Memo didn’t really blow me away. It’s a good thing, because I have to make room in my day for the teeny tiny Interactive Citation Workbook that is taking up an enormous amount of time relative to the amount of space it occupies in the biggest and nerdiest of bags.
Last week I was fortunate enough to be appointed as one of the Barbri 1L Reps, and it’s a perfect gig, like being a parking attendant at the Cowboy game – you don’t have to park, but you eventually will or you’ll miss the game. You can fight it if you want, but anybody who knows about Bar prep knows we’ll all eventually run to Barbri, and if you do it now, you get free outlines for 1L exams.
Speaking of outlines, we’ve reached a point in our classes that allows us to tackle the first chunk of our outlines, the nature of which varies depending on the class. Torts and Civil Procedure are very structured, so they’re conducive to outlining. Property has just become less ethereal, so it’s slowly coming together. In Contracts, however, we just recently confirmed the first rule of the semester after 82 pages of text, so it’s conceivable for our outlines to have one lowly bullet point. It is possible that there could be a subsequent indention indicating that an ad is usually not an offer, which those of you who still have time in your life for TV, radio, or perusing the Sunday paper might find interesting…
9/3/08 - The TAs advised us recently to be okay with saying nonsensical things in class and to otherwise be more accepting and forgiving of ourselves and others who may not be perfect under the pressures of law school. I, being such a good little scholar, started on this homework assignment right away by giving myself my first real opportunity to learn this lesson. When I submitted my last blog, my discarded “notes-to-self” at the bottom of the document made front-page news because I forgot to delete them. It actually ended up being less of a disaster than I thought since they more or less related to the topic, but in my eyes at the time it might as well have been my grocery list for the week that had to be visible to the world until after the long weekend! So, learning to be okay with imperfection - officially checked off my list of things to do!
While my roommates spent a good chunk of the Labor Day weekend following Gustav, I was also preparing for a storm. It’s been a relative breeze so far with sporadic classes canceled, a long weekend, and no writing assignments due; but I have a feeling this is the calm before the storm. Memo, appropriately a four-letter word, is projected to make landfall on Thursday. So, many of us are trying to get our footing and tie up loose ends while we can so that this surge doesn’t throw everything into a tizzy. Instead of packing up my bag with wheels and booking it, I’m going to buckle down and ride this one out.
8/27/08 - Roland Johnson, the President-elect of the State Bar of Texas, challenged the entering class to take the time to tell others, those who support us and those who’d like to be in our shoes, what we see. This year I will try to do just that – tell you what I see.
Most of us currently see a nebulous haze of gray fog descending upon a collection of individual trees. This is the product of blending two concepts that are inevitably at odds, initially, “thinking like a lawyer” and learning substantive black-letter law. This fog will gradually dissipate, although, I think the haze is not supposed to lift entirely. My dad told me for months to resist the temptation to use the word “clearly” in law school. As Professor Harrington seconded this week, the point is that the law isn’t supposed to be clear. If it were, lawyers would be out of their jobs that rely on the notion that “it depends” and that there is generally a good argument on either side of an issue. So, onward through the fog…
Oh, and speaking of what I see, the bag with wheels I referenced last week – it’s everywhere. Look around. It appears to be catching on.
8/22/08 - When I told my football team I was quitting to go to law school, I’m sure they thought a linebacker knocked a few screws loose. As fulfilling as playing women’s semi-professional football for the NWFA’s Austin Outlaws was, my body couldn’t take much more, and it couldn’t pay the bills. So, one year and many dollars later, I found myself at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law about to embark on a starkly different kind of rewarding experience.
Ironically, after just one day, I found myself with the familiar feeling of needing ice bags and pain pills after purchasing and transporting the 1L books. It seemed like I was buying several very expensive copies of the Bible. This led to the need for a bigger backpack…with wheels. I avoided it as long as I could, knowing that if this were high school, I would’ve been stuffed in a locker already. But the bag is necessary, even if it means being told I missed my train stop when I don’t exit the TRE at the airport. I can understand that it looks like I’m traveling to Cancun rather than to class.
Law school isn’t all that scary. The books still read left to right, and everyone here makes an effort to put me at ease – from a 2L stopping me to ask about my first day to Barry Simpson so generously helping curb my computer illiteracy. With the burden literally and figuratively lifted off my shoulders, I know I chose a very comfortable environment at Wesleyan that feels like home already!
