Monday April 18, 2011 12:54 a.m.

See that beauty? It's my final research paper for my negotiation class that I had absolutely no time to write. Friday night I had no idea what my thesis would be. My research was hardly started. I hadn't written one single word. Furthermore, I didn't have all weekend to work on it as I have two other finals to study for. So, the fact that it is complete, that I feel that it is an actually decent paper, and  that it's ready to turn in hours before its 5:00pm deadline later this evening is nothing short of a miracle. In fact, Friday night I prayed that Heavenly Father would give me the strength and ability to get everything done I needed to this weekend. I must say, he has answered my prayer.

Finals Must Haves

Alright! It's that time of year again--the time of year where I study my brains out, get no sleep, blog too much, and consume way too much Diet Coke. 

FINALS!

Just thought I'd share some "must haves" for all of you who might wonder what a law student needs to get through these awfully stressful weeks.

Exhibit #1: Laptop with side monitor. All your notes will not fit into one screen, thus the need for two. 

Exhibit #2: An awesome study chair. Your rear end will be in that chair for hours on end, so make sure it's comfy! (Thanks to my hunky husband who let me splurge on this beauty!)

Exhibit #3: Slippers. Let's be honest, these are a must have no matter what time of year it is.

Exhibit #4: Diet Coke with Lime to get you through. Really, any caffeinated soda will do. Some prefer Red Bull, but it makes my heart race and that scares me. Be prepared to consume your beverage of choice  from 9am until you finally pass out at night. If you start showing the signs of overdose (jitters, racing heart, etc.) you might want to hold off for a few hours until you start lagging again. 

Well, I'm all set. Notice I didn't mention motivation, although that probably is an essential too. I better go look for some. 

Today.

6:00am--Wake up
6:15am--Get out of bed, shower, get ready
7:05am--Kiss Husband as we both run out the door, realize it snowed again
7:20am--Arrive at school, it is still dark outside
7:25am--At desk at school, check email, Facebook, and news
7:30am--Study Business Associations, finish outline, go over class slides, listen to lectures
9:50am--Realize that I am wearing black jeans and a brown coat. Lock coat in desk
10:00am--Class (Professional Responsibility), shiver through class
11:00am--Girl talk with Rachel and Lauren
11:15am--Study group, go over Business Associations
12:50am--Bathroom break and grab an orange and a granola bar from my desk for lunch
1:00pm--Class (Immigration Law), eat orange and granola bar
1:20pm--Go back to desk and study more Business Associations
3:00pm--Take Business Associations MIDTERM, be surprised that it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be
4:00pm--Start source verification for the legal journal edit
7:00pm--Still doing edit and realize that I am hungry. The sugar from the granola bar and orange has run out.
7:45pm--Pack up and drive home, car is FREEZING, it is still dark outside, realize I never saw the sun today
8:05pm--Arrive home to empty cold house, turn on heater so it is warm when husband gets home from class
8:10pm--Microwave Smart Ones dinner, celery stalks, and Chuck
8:45pm--Get back to editing assignment
9:40pm--Husband gets home! Kiss husband.
10:15pm--Husband goes to bed. Kiss him goodnight. Keep working on edit.
11:05pm--Finish edit
11:06pm--Check Facebook
11:10pm--Update resume and fill out application for ILMR Journal Board Member position
11: 39pm--Submit application (20 mins before the deadline!)
11:40pm--Read news, wonder what will happen in Egypt
11:55pm--Start this blog post, feel like it has been a productive day
12:05pm--BED TIME!!

Tis The Season . . .

. . . to freak out. It's that time of year again. No, I'm not talking about Christmas, although that may be happening too. No, I'm talking about FINALS. That dreaded time of year when I am faced with a brutal understanding of just how much I DIDN'T learn this semester. Ugh. Well, at least I have a nice desk to study at, comfy PJs, a space heater to keep my toesies warm, and a coco motion that makes the PERFECT cup of hot chocolate to keep me going. Oh, and I have 2 cases of Diet Coke. They are already almost half gone. But hey, I only drink them during finals, so I am allowed. 

Also, I wrapped, packaged, and sent all my Christmas packages today. Yay me! They went to New York, New York; Phoenix, AZ; and Berlin, Germany. I hope they bring my brothers and brother-in-law some smiles. 

Oh, and my husband has been wincing in pain all weekend from a toothache. Poor guy. I had to take care of him, but I don't mind. I love him, so it's OK. He's at the dentist right now. Thank heavens for good friends that are dental hygienists and so they can get him a last minute appointment on a Monday morning!

Well, that's it for me. Time to get back to freaking out, oh, I mean studying. 

Here's a picture of our Christmas decorations. I love our little tree. Did you know I collect nativities? I just love them. Joe had to point out that we have seven baby Jesus-es in our living room. Isn't that just great?!

STUMP the Professor

So, I said that I was going to post every week, and after one week I failed. Sad day. But to be fair, I did have a midterm (that was actually a comprehensive final) on Monday morning that I had to study for. I am so glad that is over, but finals are right around the corner and I am NOT ready at all. Oh man.

This last week was STUMP the Professor at school. I, along with 2 other girls, have been planning this all semester. We've easily put 30 hours into it each. I am so glad that it went off well! Basically, STUMP is a charity event that benefits the local battered woman's shelter. Students buy tickets and then they get to submit questions that are submitted to 2 teams of law professors. If the professors can't answer the question, then they are "STUMPED" and the student that submitted a question gets a prize that has been donated by local businesses. All the proceeds and left over donations go to the battered women's shelter. It was a lot of work to put it together, but it was a lot of fun too! We raised over $1100 for the shelter, and that's a new record for the law school! Wahoo!

The winning team: Professors Fee, Baradaran, Scharffs, and Gerdy

The runners up: Professors Daniels, Baradaran, and Anderson-Jones. (Professor Moore not pictured).

The Party Planners: Me, Stefanie Franc, and Camille Borg

Founders Day Dinner

At the start of every semester, the law school puts on a grand dinner in downtown Salt Lake to commemorate the founding of the law school. Prominent attorneys from all over the region come (Elder Dallin H. Oaks and Elder Christofferson as well as many members of the Utah Supreme Court for example). The  school also gives awards to distinguished alumni. The school gives the law students the $45 meal for $15. So, it's a great excuse to dress up and feel like real fancy lawyers for an evening.

Here's our table. Unfortunately the girl who took the picture failed to focus it so it is fuzzy. But as you can see, the food was fantastic!

Here's some of my favorite classmates: Jennifer Rajan, Kandis Bryant, Heidi Moss, and Lauren Shaw. 

Some of my other favorites: Camille Borg, Lornalie Merideth, Rachel LeCheminat and her husband Casey.

And here we are! Don't Joe and I just look so professional?

Just so you know, it wasn't all about the food (although Joe might argue otherwise). I found the speaker's remarks really interesting. Chief Justice Christine Durham of the Utah Supreme Court spoke on the quality of our elected judges and the recipient of the distinguished alumni award spoke of her struggles in being a woman attorney in the 1970s when she graduated from law school. Overall, I really enjoyed the whole evening!

Sometimes Law School is Like High School.

At times I feel like I am right back in high school (except the homework is harder and all the students are over achievers).

Take this week for example. We had the Law School Student Body Association Opening Social. This consisted of free pizza for all who attended (we get WAY too much pizza), all the student body leadership dressed up as make shift super heroes (think thrift store leotards) and a hoola-hoop contest between the faculty and students. It reminds be of spirit week at my old high school. I'm sure that we seriously scared all the first years. The truth is, it was fun. Where else can you get footage of your Constitutional Law professor's hoola-hoop skills?

Professor Anderson-Jones is on the right with the pink hoola-hoop. The funny thing is, after this, she proceeded in lawyerly fashion to argue why should should win anyway, as she continued to hoola-hoop. She is one of my most favorite professors, I have to say.

Back to School.

That's right. The school year has started again and I find my self spending endless hours in the library reading from black and white pages already. I'm taking:

Civil Rights

Wills & Estates

Evidence

The First Amendment

Basic Mediation

Overall, I'm pretty happy. My professors seem really great and I feel like I have a better grasp of things. At least I think I have a better idea of what I am supposed to be doing. The fact that I don't have any class on Fridays may have something to do with my optimism. All I can say is that it is WAY better being a second year than a first year. 

This picture of my study group (some of my very favorite people, you know) was taken last April after our last final. Don't we all just look so tired and ecstatic to be over for the year? Just imagine how we'll look at graduation!

A First Day

Today was my very first day . . . working in a law office. I have to admit, I didn't sleep very well last night. It was nerves mixed with me missing my pillow top bed I think. I just tossed and turned until I found the only comfortable spot/position in bed at 5:30am. Exactly 30 minutes BEFORE I was supposed to get up. Needless to say, it was pure adrelinine driving me today. I got up, showered, put on my power suit, and remembered that ladies are supposed to wear nylons. Dang. So, I rushed out the door while shoving a banana down my throat and sped to Fred Meyer to get the LEGGS, changed in the store restroom and got to the office with 5 minutes to spare.

The office is really nice and everyone was smiley. Those who says lawyers are grumpy meanies have not met these people. A nice young associate greated me, showed me to my awesome cubical and let me get aquainted with my computer for a bit. Then another nice associate took me around to meet all 25ish attorney's and 25ish more legal assistants. Everyone was so nice. My goal is to have everyone's name and face memorized by my halfway mark. Then I went to court and saw my first hearing be postponed. You can walk from the law office to the courthouse. Another reason I love Salem is everything is so close. Some of the attorney's took me out to lunch and gave me a lot of great advice. It was very enjoyable. Then I spent all afternoon on a really facinating research project. In all, it was a good first day. I feel like I have no idea what I am doing, but I'm happy and ready. Bring it on.

Today's Journey and a Beginning

My legs are sore and my bum is numb from sitting in the car for 13 hours. I've driven through three states today and made the long journey from Provo, UT to Salem, OR. It was a pretty uneventful trip except for a bird hitting my windshield and totally freaking me out. Poor bird. I drove it alone as Joe had to stay behind to work. I love Oregon. It is just beautiful here and it is great to see my family. But I have to admit, I miss him already. I better really focus on my extership or I can see these next four weeks as being very long and lonely without him.

I left early this morning and was able to make it here before dark. I love leaving for road trips early in the morning. They just go by so much faster that way. It was a beautiful drive. All of it (including Idaho) was green and lush. Spring is my favorite. I also was accompanied by a lovely Book on CD. I listened to The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I'd heard great things about it and I have to say, it's a great "read." It's about an African women who opens a detective agency in Botswana Africa. It not only chronicles her work as a detective, but also tells the life journey of her and her father. Although there are some slow parts (it may just have been when I was getting tired driving), by the end all the events fall into place into a enjoyable resolution. It was a great way to pass the alone time on my drive. I hardly ever get to read anything for pleasure these days. So to be able to listen to a CD and listen to a whole novel in one day was really wonderful.

I'll be here in Salem for the next four weeks working for a local law firm and missing my husband. However, I am excited to get some "real world" legal experience and reconnect with Nathan and Cecily. Nathan is as tall as me now. I'm officially the shortest of all of my siblings. The oldest and the shortest. Ah well, there are worse things.

Consequences of a Highlighter High

I think I am going crazy. I have used so much highlighter in the past 72 hours that I think I am on a little high. Sticky notes are everywhere. I have overtaken the kitchen table...well the whole kitchen actually. It looks more like an office. Several books are open to various pages. My backpack's contents are dumped all over the floor. I haven't actually gotten dressed since Friday. My bum is sore from sitting so long. I think my computer might overheat. I have consumed more calories in the last 72 hours than any person should eat in a week. I have no idea whether it is cold, hot, or just right outside. Every time my husband asks me a question, all that comes out of my mouth is some legal mumbo jumbo.

You've guessed it. The storm is approaching. Bring on FINALS!

I CANNOT tell you how excited I am to get this semester OVER with.

Jury Duty

Found this funny cartoon here.

"The prohibition of women on juries was derived from the English common law which, according to Blackstone, rightfully excluded women from juries under "the doctrine of propter defectum sexus, literlally, the 'defect of sex."'

~United States v. De Gross

960 F.2d 1433, 1438 (9th Cir. 1992).

Tell me that's not a gross statement to you.

I won't take the right to be on a jury for granted again.

On another note, I finally called the Marion County, Oregon jury duty coordinator to clear up my little jury duty mishap. Turns out if you don't show up when you are summoned, they can put out a warrant for your arrest. They didn't do that to me because, as the nice lady said, "we don't jump on that." But hey, it's one more thing off my chest. I actually wish I could participate on a jury. Goodness knows once I graduate from law school, no attorney will ever let me on their jury. This might have been my only chance. Sad.

Law School Musical

Some may think that lawyers, law professors, and law students never have any fun. Boy are they wrong. Just take a look at how these two law professors bring music and the law together.

Just to give you a little background, Professor Lee and Professor Fee (yup) are singing about two cases dealing with the right to loiter. In 1972 Papachristou v. Jacksonville came before the United States Supreme Court. Jacksonville had passed a law making it a criminal offense to loiter on city streets. What is loitering you ask? Well, walking around downtown after dark of course. Or, if you take a drive late, you're loitering. Oh, and if you were a man who was supported by his wife financially or if you were seen leaving a place that sold liquor, you're a loiterer. You were breaking the law. Basically, if a police officer thought you were up to no good, they could stop you and arrest you. There goes any social activity for persons ages 16 to 30.


The problem is that that statute opened the door for all kinds of discrimination. Men and women (predominately of African decent) were being arrested for merely driving late at night or for going on a nightly stroll.


The Supreme Court found the statue unconstitutional. It took away a persons basic right to travel. Also, the law was so vague that a reasonable person would not be able to tell when they were breaking the law. We can't have that no can we?


So what does this mean to you? You can move around freely without worrying that the cops will arrest you. So, go ahead and take a stroll on those sleepless nights. Go for a nightly drive with your honey. The Supreme Court's got your back.

DON’T GET AROUND MUCH ANYMORE
(Papachristou/Morales Version)
Musical Talent by John Fee, Lyrics by Tom Lee

Miss my vagabond ways
Juggling I adore
But-with no purpose apparent
Don’t get around much anymore

Play my horn at a club
Was strolling home until 4:00
Policeman said that’s “nightwalking”
Don’t get around much anymore

May it please the court I guess, my mind’s not at ease
I’ve no clue I confess, when the cops are displeased

I would go wand’ring all night
My lady won’t leave me poor
But if they know they’ll arrest me
Don’t get around much anymore

[Solo]

May it please the court I guess, my mind’s not at ease
I’ve no clue I confess, when the cops are displeased

Now my due process rights
Have just been squashed on the floor
So until Papachristou
Don’t get around much anymore

A first...

Today is my first law school exam. I've spent all week memorizing the principles of property law and land inheritance. We'll see how this goes!

Wish me luck!

Currently...

. . . I've been feeling a lot like this.

Today is the day...

. . . that I start LAW SCHOOL.

I've already spent all weekend doing homework and yes, I am SO excited!

I'm getting excited...

...to go to law school in a month and a half!!

Adding More To The Mix

Just more to choose from.

Law School

I got in. Now the big question. Where should I go?