time flies . . .

. . . when you’re a third year law student!

I absolutely cannot believe that we’re into the final week of February already. This semester is flying by. I’m enjoying my classes, and how so many of my “extras” are starting to wind down.

Law and Religion is going well now, though the theory portion was very intimidating. Reading Aquinas and Augustine and Hobbes and Luther was all fine and good, but there was no way I was going to be confident enough to talk much about them in class. I am by no stretch of the imagination a philosopher or theologist. Now we’re into the history portion, which is completely manageable. I do have to write a 25-page paper for my Advanced Writing Requirement, which should be interesting if I go forward with the topic I’m considering. And no, I can’t tell you — in case you suddenly decide to write a paper about it and get it published and preempt me!

Criminal Procedure is good, though it seems to be a bit less black and white than I imagined. We talk a lot about policy and reasons for the debate on both sides of an issue, like bail bonds or plea agreements. Frankly, I’m not too sure what to expect on the final exam.

Children and the Law, Mediation, and Iowa Research are all going to be very useful to me after graduation. I’m looking forward into putting what I’m learning in all three of these classes into action when I practice.

As for the rest, I have my last edit to finish for the journal. Tomorrow night is my last student bar association meeting, and today I graded my last weekly research assignment and turned in my answer keys. I still will grade the citations in the appellate briefs and a few writing assignments, but no keys are needed for those. I am still working on organizing the 5k fundraiser for Equal Justice Works, but thankfully have a great group of people to pass the torch on to.

So, I’m taking a deep breath and keeping on keepin’ on. 80 days until graduation!

and the hits just keep on coming…

Just when it seems as though I may have time to breathe, time to relax, time to think about getting organized for finals, I get pushed back into my chair by the Universe and told that I’m not done just yet.

It is three weeks until finals, and I haven’t so much as begun to think about studying for tests. I get to do a second extensive edit on a second article that is just as long as the last one. I have to write a will for myself for a class.

All of those things alone, I could handle.

But today, I confirmed a case for trial on the first of December. That’s right. I have a trial before the end of the semester. Part of me is excited — thrilled even, but the rational part of me says “HEY. You need to slow down a bit before you die from sleep deprivation. Kthxbai.”

No time to slow down now. I’ll just have to keep swimming.

holy to do list, batman

I sat down the other day and looked through my planner, and almost immediately became overwhelmed. Law school does that to you. There’s always the normal stuff — reading for class, going to class, meetings, etc. But then, a perfect storm hits: you have several major projects due and several important events in the next few weeks, plus you have things going on in your personal life outside of school that don’t really lend themselves to spending time working on school stuff (like weddings, yay!).

Between now and November 6th, this is what I have to do:

• Cheer on a friend as she downs a bazillion wings for charity. While wearing a viking helmet, of course.
• Volunteer to supervise educational mock trials for junior high and high school students.
• Finish up the wedding gift I’ve been working on for my brother.
• Finish grading assignments for week 9.
• Take photos for my baby brother’s wedding. Maybe cry a bit because my baby brother is getting married.
• Develop film from wedding and get pics on cd transferred to my back up drive, and get the prints and discs to my brother.
• Work for the clinic, including weekly office hours, client meetings, and three pretrial conferences.
• Grade extra assignments that will be turned in next week.
• Do normal weekly office hours for the Ag J.
• Do an extensive edit for a 75 page article, including source checking, Bluebooking, and proofreading.
• Grade week 10 assignments.
• Hold office hours for my T.A. gig and teach one more weekly class.
• Grade citations for 23 8-page research memos.
• Coordinate an event providing a safe place for neighborhood children to celebrate Halloween, and take photos for it.
• Kick some med student butt in the annual flag football standoff of law school v. med school.
• Plan and/or attend regular monthly or biweekly org meetings, and weekly SBA meetings and committee meetings.
• Go with my sister-in-law to look at wedding dresses!
• Study for the MPRE.
• Finish planning and host an auction that funds the school’s emergency loan fund by auctioning off awesome items donated by professors, like game night at their home or dinner for four at a restaurant. This includes tracking down ever-elusive professors to harangue them into donating.
• Take the MPRE.
• Go to my sister in law’s birthday dinner.
• Oh, and at some point read for class and actually go to class.

I suppose I can always just sleep when I’m dead, right? Or at least after I graduate.

whirlwind

I cannot believe tomorrow is October already. Where has the time gone?

Oh, right. I’ve been working ridiculously hard. The old law school cliche says that in your first year they scare you to death (true), in your second year they work you to death (still true), and in your third year they bore you to death (hmmm…). I don’t know about the rest of my colleagues, but I haven’t had a spare second to be bored.

Between clinic, EJW, the PR committee of the SBA, my T.A. gig, and the Ag Journal, I’ve barely had time to breathe. At this point, having an hour of free time is an absolute luxury — which is why I find myself typing this. Our clinic class was not held today — instead United States Supreme Court Justice Alito is speaking later this afternoon. I found myself with this spare hour, and didn’t know what to do with myself. Six weeks of non-stop go-go-go has apparently taken away my ability to just relax for a minute. In fact, as I type this I feel as though I’m forgetting to do something.

Okay, I’m off to figure out what I’m missing.

completely and utterly

I had three classes today. I taught a class, and then worked for an hour at the ag journal.

Then I traipsed around campus whilst picking up my student loan check and getting my paperwork filled out so I can officially call myself a Drake employee.

I’ve read for tomorrow. I could grade papers now, or wait until tomorrow. It isn’t even 8 yet, which is awfully early to go to sleep.

But I’m completely and utterly exhausted.

And I enjoyed every moment!

the one where they work you to death

According to someone’s wisdom, law school may be broken down as follows:

• 1L year: They scare you to death.
• 2L year: They work you to death.
• 3L year: They bore you to death.

I’m quickly beginning to agree with the first two, to be sure. First year, I was terrified. Now, I am taking five classes, and adding on Ag Law Journal means I’m taking a total of 16 credits. I am a teaching assistant for the legal research and writing program, which I’m told will average me 15 to 20 hours a week. Ag Law Journal will require me to write a note and spend 4 hours in the office spading.

Then, I’m secretary of the ABA Law Student Division, Vice President of Equal Justice Works, Co-chair of a committee for Drake Law Women, and a member of the Delts and the Drake Law Democrats.

Whew. So very much going on.

I can’t wait!

bittersweet

I received a phone call last night inviting me to become a junior staff member of the Drake Agricultural Law Journal, and I accepted. It’s a little bittersweet for me.

Part of me is disappointed that I didn’t make Law Review. The Law Review reserves x number of spaces for top-ranked class members if they want to become staff. I am ranked well in my class, but not quite well enough to grade on. Since I wasn’t offered a position on the staff, that means I also didn’t write on.

At the same time, I’m excited to begin exploring a new area of law. I will be doing exactly the same thing for the Journal as I would the Law Review. The only real difference is that I won’t get to choose a note topic on ANYTHING – I will have to relate it to ag law somehow. I’m looking forward to the experience, and the opportunity to maybe get my note published.