Sidebar On A Tuesday Afternoon

So in the last blog, I wrote about achieving a little balance in our hectic lives. I am thoroughly disappointed and almost ashamed to say that I have yet to see enough of you at either Sidebar or Sensational Subs for Tues night beers with any regularity. Come on people…relax! I suppose it is difficult to do with all the hours we put into externships, internships, GRA positions, clerk positions, and school but come on…..live a little! And when you finally do go out and have that pre-bankruptcy martini or your pre Tax Law Bloody Mary because you had too many pre-bankruptcy martinis the night before (I know who you are….I’m sitting right next to you wondering who stole my pickled okra,) please don’t just sit around and talk about law school. Don’t we get enough of that? It is such an insular environment. We spend all our time here so it is so hard for so many of us to have non-law school friends and actually find the time to spend with them so for those of you who only hang out with other Type-A law types….shut up. Nobody at the bar wants to hear you screaming about Torts or Subprime Investments….talk about sports for once or the hot chick at the bar who is never ever going to give you the time of day if all you talk about is RWA. In fact, get out of the law library, get off campus, and try to meet some folks who don’t go to law school and couldn’t tell you what Con Law stands for. But be careful because when you have a few to many cans of Natty Lite at your Oktoberfest campsite and start spouting off about personal jurisdiction, the Fourth Amendment, or Harvey Woodley (we all know that name by now … right?) look out because those non law school friends are going to be long gone…heading for the hills….getting away from all the legalese you so like to espouse. Try it…I promise it’s a great way to clear a room. Remember that nobody really cares that you are in law school…they aren’t hanging out with you for free legal advice….and you are not super cool just because soon you will have an Esq. after your name. They are hanging out with you for you so try not to let go of who you are during your time here. It’s all too easy to do.

Put a Little Life in Your Law

I thought I would take the liberty of subjecting all of you online followers to the inaugural post of "Put a Little Life in Your Law." It is the ongoing blog for the Georgia State University College of Law's Docket Newspaper of which I am the featured blogger. Law school is now in full swing and this year is shaping up to be crazier than the last. They say 1L year they scare you to death, 2L year they work you to death, and 3L year they bore you to death and although I can't yet speak to the latter, I feel that the first two holds true from most likely the majority of law students around the country. Law school can be very demanding and it is true that the law is a jealous mistress. She will consume your life and demand that you give her all your affections/attention to the exclusion of all others including your friends, family, and even yourself. Well, I am here to tell you to cheat on your jealous mistress. Now I don't think I am supposed to encourage anyone to skip a class here and there in favor of a martini at SideBar (oh who am I kidding...do it....it's worth it.) But I am definitely here to tell you to go out on weeknights, come to class with eyes so bloodshot from the night before that you have to wear sunglasses through the whole thing, and give the canned answer of "unprepared" every once in a while in class. It will make you feel better. I am not suggesting anyone neglect their studies, show up to school drunk, or sing loudly in the law library although I have seen all three happen with more frequency than I care to recall. I am merely suggesting that we all learn to inject a little balance in our lives because without balance, we teeter along the edge until eventually, we fall off.

And so it begins....again...

Law school is once again in full swing and 2L is shaping up to be an interesting year. I started off with a few schedule changes and have now surprisingly settled in to a schedule that I feel I will really enjoy. A few days ago, NPR had a program on nerds. It was surprisingly.....nerdy. Today during tax law, faded memories of that NPR program popped up in my head as I realized that they were quite possibly talking about someone like me. I have fallen in love with Tax Law and Bankruptcy is following as a close second. The professor, who is the same for both courses, is dynamic and knowledgeable and this really helps in keeping us engaged in the material but I really find that the complex and sometimes intersecting nature of these two courses is facsinating. So to all of you who are getting into or back into law school, my hope for you is that you find at least some of the material as interesting and engaging as I am finding Tax and Bankruptcy law.

Out of State Job Hunting - the summer associate

Finding a summer associate position where you live and have built a network is hard enough. Finding a job with a firm in a different state is beyond difficult. This summer begins the search for a summer associate position for next summer. Given the current state of the economy, you may imagine that it is a bit difficult. Martindale-hubbell and NALP websites have been visited hundreds of times and countless cover letters and resumes have been sent out to firms of interest. There have been a few bites here and there but I need a chomp. You know - the kind you get when you are fishing and you know you have a big one and it's hooked - yeah - that kind of chomp. It seems like my free time in the summer and early fall is spend writing, re-writing, and proofing cover letters and traveling from one interview in one state to a career fair in another state to another interview in another state. Now don't get me wrong, I am glad to have interviews, but the firms that I am lusting after have yet to acnowledge my presence on this earth let alone contact me for an interview. So for now, I will keep doing what I have been doing - or as some friends say - "keep on keepin on" and hope that the elusive out of state summer associate offer from firm x up north will materialize. Until then - I have some cover letters to write.

2L Summer Job Search

It seems like the 2L summer job search is just getting underway and progressing quickly. There is a minority job fair scheduled for the end of this month to which I have recieved one offer for an interview and am an alternate for two firms - one of which I am very interested in working for. I suppose it is also time to start sending out the resumes (unsolicited) to the many many firms I am interested in working for. And then we have what used to be called Lavender Law in September in New York. The Stonewall Bar Association was gracious enough to extend a scholarship opportunity to me and after looking at the list of firms who will be talking with students, I am very excited. I currently live in Atlanta and have a few opportunities in that city but Lavender Law will give me the opportunity to meet with a variety of firms from very geographically diverse areas. I have an inkling that I may like to leave Atlanta one day and am hoping that this gives me the opportunity to potentially do so. So, over the next few weeks, it looks like I will be busy putting pen to paper and getting that all important resume prepared for what promises to be a nerve racking experience albeit one that I am really looking forward to.

Revolt like it's 1979

Yesterday was the 1 week anniversary of the shooting death of an Iranian woman named Neda. She has become the symbol of the rebellion in Iran. Her name means "voice" in Farsi and although Neda no longer has a voice, the revolution is giving her theirs. These pro-democracy supporters have been demonstrating since the election and have found a rallying cry for the rebellion. Over dinner, we talked about Neda and the revolution. My aunt was on the streets during the 1979 revolution and said that she did not see anything quite like this. It is a shame that the election has come to such violence but hopefully Neda's death can unite a broken country and bring the Iranian people together in force to push the regime into adopting a truly democratic environment. Neda's death could have instilled fear in the people of Iran but instead, it has given them the courage to hope.

The Vita Society

If you follow this blog on facebook, please take a second to check out the Vita Society - http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Vita-Society/157978210226?ref=mf

The Vita Society is the foundation I started to raise money for local animal rescue groups who are, due to the current state of the economy, having a hard time raising the money that is needed to help the animals that they rescue. Many of these animals come in not only lacking vaccinations, but they also require a spay or neuter, heartworm and flea and tick preventative, basics like food, dishes, toys, and bedding, and some need more medical care such as heartworm treatment and even extensive surgery to heal injuries sustained while surviving on the streets or enduring abuse. The need for donations has not subsided with the downturn in the economy. Please take a second to check out the page - there are some links to animal rescue sites - and we also could use some help getting together bands/venue/etc. for our first fundraiser which will take place in August. Thanks in advance for your support and donations are always appreciated. Donations can be made through the Causes application and here is the link for any who are interested: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/268054?m=3db756a1