Living in the South things are often slightly different than in other parts of the country. We drink sweet tea, say y'all, and call soda, soda, not pop. I've technically lived in the South my whole life considering I grew up in Florida but most laugh when I say so because though Miami is geographically further down the map, I've been told that saying you're from the South because you grew up in Florida is like saying the manatee by the wharf is your uncle because he's a mammal, like you.

Now that I live in the undisputed South, I've found that despite certain indisputable perks such as the never ending supply of sweet tea, shorter winters yet the ability to experience snow, and ofcourse birds which seem to be everywhere at all times, there are certain things in the legal arena that could use some updating.

Granted, we've come a long way from the days that the US Supreme Court said banning women from practicing law and limiting the profession to men only was A-OK but for women at least, the South still has some ways to go to equalize the playing field. This might be an issue beyond the South (and if so, please share) but friends who practice up North laugh incredulously when I tell them of patiently answering questions at interviews regarding whether or not I'm married, if I have children, or intend to in the future, and ofcourse the dress requirements. Women wear skirts, men wear pants. I'll never forget sitting in a filled to capacity lecture hall as our career advisor passed out a handout illustrating proper interview attire for men and women: Skirts for women along with makeup tips and pants for men. One student raised her hand asking if we had to wear skirts to which the advisor, looking slightly annoyed, told us he receives too many complaints from interviewers at the top law firms wondering why our school's female body insists on disrespecting them by showing up in pant suits: If you want the high paying job in the top notch law firm, play the game. After the talk, I waited for the crowd to die down and approached him explaining I was Muslim and couldn't wear the illustrated skirt for religious reasons to which he responded that it was a shame I didn't wear the headscarf because at least law firms would know why I showed up in a pant-suit. Is that a first y'all? Being told by your career advisor (who is not an imam of any sort) that wearing a hijab might be a good career move? Sadly, beyond the law firms, there are countless stories from women practicing in the South who have told me about JUDGES ordering them to leave their courtroom because they dared walk in in pants and disrespect their courtroom.

Well imagine my surprise (read: sarcasm) to hear that a woman in a head scarf (and undoubtedly pants) was denied access to a deep south Georgia courtroom to contest a speeding ticket because her attire offended the judge. (Thanks for the link Dwyane!) Its outrageous but its not surprising. When I went for my court date I tried my best to show the Judge despite my pants I understood my role as a feminine female by wearing a pink shirt, a matching pink bag and pearl earrings but I still wonder if its why he had such a sour expression on his face and spoke to me as though I offended him with my very presence. I guess if women can be turned away from court for daring to wear pants, a head scarf must have appeared as alien to that judge, as an actual alien complete with eight arms and pink polka dots walking into his courtroom.

It's also not surprising that googling the story resulted in only one article. Because I'm freaking out about the Bar and frankly can't spare the stress I'm already expending on aforementioned bar and my air conditioner (which is still on the fritz) I debated writing about this fearing the confrontational debates that may insist on being had... but I figure if this girl can show up to Court and stand by her principles and not shy away despite the pressure, the least I can do is tell y'all about it. I hope she knows reading her story gave me the extra boost I needed today as I sat with my books towering higher than me, and remembered why I want to practice law in the first place: Civil rights, because its what makes this country great.

Labels: bar exam, current events, law, religion, school

posted by Aisha @ 12:49 AM || 27 comments

Ever had one of those weeks? You know the kind where your AC breaks down in 90 degree weather and because you have friends staying with you in three days you shell out crazy money to get it fixed only for it to break down minutes before they arrive and your house resembles more sauna than home and the AC repairman and the money you gave him is nowhere to be found? And then you go upstairs and as you open your bedroom closet an entire shelf collapses with all the clothes you just hung up? And then open up the laptop you bought because your emotionally abusive one died and discover the salesman gave you the wrong computer and you have to register for the bar exam that day? And then raced down to the store 25 miles away and discovered that the price went up and no they won't give it for what you originally bought, so you buy another with way less features than you want but because you have to register and you need a computer to do so and though Dwayne was very kind and lent you his computer in the interim you know you can't keep it all the way until exam day so you end up purchasing what technically is a laptop but weighs approximately 23 pounds?

And then as a result of all aforementioned distractions, you find yourself on a Tuesday morning realizing that you'll be on campus from 9am to 9pm but forgot to bring food and have no cash? And then wander for a solid hour in 90 degree weather trying to find an ATM but then once locating it realize you don't know where you'll get change for a twenty? So you walk into a bookstore and just as you walk in, the door shuts behind you for the store is now closed but you made it on time and as the cashier tells you they can't open the register, someone walks up to check out allowing them to open the register and give you change so you can eat and not spend the entire day functioning on one cup of Einstein coffee and a diet soda? And as you sit down with your baked lays you suddenly feel so lucky you made it to the bookstore just in time , and suddenly you get a glimpse of all the other ways that life is actually good if you choose to see it that way, and then you suddenly inexplicably feel kinda sorta... happy? Alhamdullilah.
posted by Aisha @ 12:09 AM || 10 comments

The workers in my backyard are doing yard work. The pruning of the trees, the leveling of the hedges. Their supervisor is in the front and these boys dont know I can see them from where I sit. Nestled in the corner of our yard, a purple ball tossed over long ago and long forgotten by a child who perhaps had one toy too many, has lay untouched for years.

The workers in the backyard are Mexican. And because their supervisor is out front, they are playing soccer with this purple wayward ball. Beads of sweat forming on their heads, as they head butt it back and forth. Its strange to watch them. Because when they first arrived, they were Workers. Immigrants. Migrants. Perhaps Illegal. And as I watch them head butt and use the fanciest ways they can find to spin the ball, they are none of these labels, they are undeniably... boys. Boys just as the boys in the favelas of Rio De Janeiro, working solemnly in upscale Ipanema and then laughing as they played soccer well into the night. Which favelas of my city while you be in tonight?

As I sit here, one just caught my eye, his carefree expression vanished as a reddening blush spreads across his face and he motions to the other to return to work. And as I see these boys walk back to the shears and clippers I notice their shoulders visibly droop, their gait seeming to me, this outsider, tired and worn down... downtrodden embodied in a person succinctly.
posted by Aisha @ 10:26 AM || 3 comments

Ever had commiseration unrequited? Like you're dieting and you smile at the dieter next to you also chewing on a celery stalk while your counterparts are biting into something delightful like Chocolate Mud Pie, and you turn to them and say, Ugh dieting bites! To which they smile and respond, Really? I love celery! Dieting is fun!

Sometimes when I've been studying too long in one spot I hop over to Starbucks which, despite the hype, isn't very student friendly. The tables are tiny and teetering and you can barely balance a book. But there is one table, the coveted table large enough to strew all your books casually across and still have space for your laptop. In my local Starbucks that spot is typically coveted by two: Me and Chipper Med Student (let's call him Chip). We both want that table and we both know it. Sometimes I get there first, sometimes he does, but the look of sadness as the other sits at a teetering table is no laughing matter. The desire for the table is indeed intense.

Trudging over today I saw to my delight that the table was empty! As I sat down with book and highlighter in hand I looked up to see Chip as he sighed ready to put his computer on a precariously teetering table. I felt bad. I only had one book today, surely I can let him use the table today. So I smiled and waved him over letting him know. A smile burst over his face as though I had informed he was the new emperor of Rome and as shuffled his books over and we made the switch we had a little chat.

Chip: Whatcha studying for?

Me: The bar exam, what about you?

Chip: Boards, Step one.

Me: Oh wow. Thats a lot of work I'm sure.

Chip: Yeah, I pull ten hour days more than I count.

Me: Yeah its terrible huh

Chip: Pardon?

Me: You know, studying on beautiful summer days like this, it stinks.

Chip: Really? I love studying! Its so much fun.

Me: *figuring that MUST be sarcasm I laugh* yeah.... so much fun!

Chip: Mistaking my shared sarcasm for shared enthusiasm. I know! I mean, you just like, sit there, and you just soak up all this knowledge and all these facts! Its so refreshing.

Me: Staring back at his cheerful face and realizing this man is perhaps quite unstable, and why don't I listen to my mom and not talk to strangers, I smile and nod as I carefully pick up my books and tiptoe away.

Maybe studying for Boards is as fun as sitting by a pool sipping halal frozen daiquiris, I guess I can't speak to that, but studying for the Bar ten hours a day while drinking subpar coffee is not how I'd choose to spend my day. But maybe that's just me.

Labels: bar exam, coffee, humor, life

posted by Aisha @ 12:21 AM || 8 comments

Law School is over so you'd think I'd be lounging by a pool somewhere sipping (non alcoholic) frozen daiquiris (what with the heat and all) and reading fabulous novels (of the Lahiri and Zadie Smith variety) in between shopping sprees at outlet malls and buying purses, lots and lots of purses. You'd think.

In reality, that has not been the case. Far from it actually. Nope, instead of a pool, my home has been a library. Instead of (halal) frozen daiquiris, its diet coke from a vending machine or Starbucks you pinch your nose and gulp down. No fabulous novels being read here- instead, its BarBri Outlines and PMBR sample exams. And the shopping sprees for fabulous purses? Not happening, not even close.

The little bumble bee that stings you with a shot of self pity is when friends run into you and say cheerfully, oh you're done! How does it feel to relax? All this time off before work! As these words sprout innocently from their lips I can't help but long for the frozen (halal) daiquiris that should rightfully be mine and bemoan the immense unfairness that I must revisit concepts I tried so hard to put out of my mind such as the difference between fee simple subject to condition subsequent and fee simple determinable.... I mean, who cares, right? I can't blame my friends for assuming I'm done, its a cruel twist that after three of the most difficult study filled years of my life, I graduate and spend the ensuing months: studying.

And then of course, logic kicks in amidst the self pity and you remember: There's only 6 more weeks of studying left followed by the pure unadulterated panic filled fear as you realize, you only have 6 weeks more weeks of studying left!!! But instead of the logical response of grabbing the closest book you can find and proceeding to memorize its contents, you end up sitting amidst the clutter wondering how on earth you'll learn over ten different subjects some you never took in law school and master them in 6 weeks! And as you fill with such fear, you throw your hands in the air, and do what any other person with a bar exam in six weeks does, you blog. Sigh.

Instead of studying, what about just going to the Bahamas and catching some rays? Maybe you'll flunk, but you might have flunked anyway; that's my point- Jack Handy

Labels: bar exam, gripes, humor, law, school

posted by Aisha @ 12:54 AM || 8 comments

Its a fine Sunday morning. I get up at the bright and early hour of 11:30am (It's Sunday!) and sprightly get ready for the day which involves the usual brushing of teeth, washing of face, and putting a pot of tea on the stove. Then of course the (not mandatory) yawn followed by a plop on the couch to turn on the most mindless television I can possible find (Usually MTV will not disappoint) as I sit with laptop in lap, a click to connect and respond to e-mails awaiting reply (and perhaps squeeze in just a few surfing moments to peek at Amazon.com before the teapot and Bar review books cry for my attention). But this morning was different from other Sundays for on this particular Sunday morning, as I held laptop in lap and clicked the button... just as the screen turned on it went.... blank. Yes blank, as in blank and black. Confused I turn it on again. Same blank blackness. Now y'all know I've had a lot of issues with my computer. I love my computer but at times its vindictive behavior of falling apart just as I need it most makes me wonder why I bother staying in this emotionally exhausting relationship where I sit with tears slowly forming as it freezes/crashes/forgets-to-save for the umpteenth time... but just as I get ready to kick it to the curb with a battle cry NO MORE... the screen will flicker just so and promise that this time it would be better... and just as in any emotionally draining relationship I believe this time will be different. Such has been this tumultuous relationship for the past two years. So this time facing black blankness I rolled my eyes foreseeing the tug of war to come, but not this time- As I sat there this Sunday morning holding it in my arms, squealing teapot beckoning I knew no cajoling and promises to try harder would work. Restore. Reformat. Nothing. This time blank blackness was my only response.

Its mixed feelings really. Sure it froze on me in the middle of exams, deleted my bookmarks because it felt like it, and decided I could no longer burn CDs on it long ago.... never the less, I'd be lying if I said it hadn't been good to me. Beause it had. For over two years it patiently waited as I typed up notes, surfed the web in class, and though its battery power was not what it once was it always stayed on long enough until I could find an outlet... and to be fair, there's always two sides to every story and if the computer could talk I'm sure it would have plenty of gripes to share.... but regardless, for better or worse, its gone.

And now there is Toshiba, sitting wrapped and unopened in the corner of the room. Its like bringing in a new puppy after your albeit rabidly insane but sweet and affectionate dog just died. Toshiba seems nice and all, but to be honest, I'm actually scared. I seem to have a knack with computers, in that if I touch it somehow I break it. I dont know what to do. I install the best anti-virus stuff I can find. I do system restores anytime I detect funny business. And you know you teach computers how to treat you too. So for now I'm thinking of what I can do to ensure my computer will be good to me, won't die on me, won't shut down right in the middle of exams... Any advice on how you keep your computers running well? Your advice and condolences much appreciated.

Labels: computer issues, gripes, humor, life, question

posted by Aisha @ 12:29 AM || 14 comments

Ever had one of those moments where you unexpectedly come across something and it speaks to you as though it was waiting just for you to come along? If you've read my blog on a regular basis you know I'm a very "in pursuit of the meaning of life and what my purpose in this world is" type of person. Lately I've been struggling to figure out the question of purpose and wondering if perhaps everything is not imbued with meaning or purpose and that perhaps moments are purely as they seem: coincidential and random. As I consider this very idea, a random walk down a random library corridor brings me face to face with a golden plaque:


Everytime I begin to fall back to the quite reasonable reasoning that life is simply a garbled mess of random chaos just as it appears to the naked eye... something as simple as a random wrong turn makes me believer in an order and a rhythm.. and a meaning... all over again.
posted by Aisha @ 12:39 PM || 18 comments

I went to contest a traffic ticket I got a few months ago. I hate confrontation and the thought of appearing before a judge to defend myself intimidated me. But I thought- right is right, and I did nothing wrong. So armed with evidence I took the stand. I had truth on my side- justice would prevail: It didn't. Long story short the judge sided with the cop's version of the story.

This morning I got a response from the better business bureau regarding the issue I had with Mind Body Day Spa. I normally wouldn't have done it but did so in the spirit of standing up for myself. I had truth on my side- justice would prevail: It didn't. Long story short, they took the spa's word over mine.

Knowing how difficult it was for me to stand up for myself and knowing I lost twice and knowing there's usually something to be learned from every event in life I can't help but wonder-what's the lesson here? Aisha, you know how you get nervous about standing up for yourself and usually don't? Yeah, how about you go back to doing just that. I'm batting zero for two and to put salt to my wounds I'm a soon to be lawyer! Aren't I supposed to walk into a courtroom flash a big grin throw my hair to the side and passionately show the wisdom in reason? Was I never meant to be a lawyer, was it silly to spend three years trying? My friends insist thats unrue though agree a career as a traffic attorney probably isn't in the cards for me.

Though I know the world is not made of chocolate pudding, seeing the darker side of people disappoints and hurts me each time I encounter it. But recently I saw a show on forgiveness. She said its not as much about forgiveness as it is about letting the anger and frustration go and moving on. When I think of the judge with his passionless eyes and the police officer lying with a straight face I feel an overwhelming sadness and frustration I can't shake. But whats the practical result of dwelling? The frustration and bitterness doesn't reach out and tap the person who caused it telling them how they've upset me. No- they will never know how they made me feel, and it is all together 100% likely they won't care. If I sit here upset about the injustice.... I know its nothing but heading down a path from which comes no good.

Researchers found happier people didn't dwell on the sadness and disappointments in their life, and when encountering bad situations and let things go. Unhappy folks tended to replay the experience, dwell and internalize and hurt. I guess it comes down to a choice you make to either move on, dwell on it, or fake it till you make it. I think its important to believe that though justice may not come in the way I tried I will take respite in that even Justin Timberlake has reminded us that "what goes around comes back around" While I don't know if I can forgive and forget I can at least try to let it go and trust in the cosmic balance of life.

Labels: gripes, law, life, school, thoughts

posted by Aisha @ 12:47 AM || 17 comments

I've been meaning to compile the things I wish I'd known when I started law school to share with those starting this fall or other falls to come. They worked for me, they might work for you! I hope you find it helpful.

1. Book buying: Law school books are expensive ranging from $90-$180 each. It gets even costlier when professors have multiple required books. My recommendation is to get our book list as early as possible (like now) and take a visit to half.com or amazon.com. You can get books for literally half the price. Also, I found that I rarely used the supplements to the casebooks they asked us to buy which cost between $20-$40 each. I would wait on the supplements to the text until you see how much they're relied on. Often you can get the cases that are in the thin 20 page supplement and get it off the legal search engines provided to you when you start law school.
   
2. Consider older editions: Books that are just one edition older than the current edition are often sold for nothing but a few dollars even though the content from one edition to the next rarely varies. If you can get your hands on an older edition from the library take it with you to the bookstore and compare. It may be worth your while to save $100 and buy the $10 older version. Ofcourse if the variations are enough to really throw your reading assignments totally off this option is not worth it.
   
3. Beware of supplements. Supplements are extra study aides students get to help them with courses. Some are treatises providing black letter law, some provide practice questions, and some a little of each. This is a huge book selling market and you will likely FREAK OUT at how complicated everything sounds and buy tons of supplements to assuage your fears. Take a deep breath before you do and research which supplements are best before you buy. If you can find a friend to share supplements with and share the cost. Just be careful because many supplements are crap and cost a LOT. Also, some supplements are outdated and therefore contain incorrect data. Be careful to check the copyright dates and steer clear of the extremely outdated editions. I'd advise that if you're considering a supplement first check it out from the library and use it for a day or two to see if you'll actually find it helpful before investing.
   
4. Supplements I recommend: Despite my warnings on supplements the following are live savors and I highly recommend them: Glannon's Examples and Explanation Series: Civil Procedure and Torts are the best. For Constitutional Law invest in a Chimerinsky and you'll be thankful you did.
5. Don't overlook Cali: Cali is great. Sometimes schools dont tell you about it but its an online system with free tutorials! Particularly useful is the Property one on future estates that will save your life. You might not know what that is now, but when you're in Property and the word future interest comes up, go to the Cali 2+ hour future interest tutorial. It saved my grade.
   
6. Easy on the briefing. You'll hear a lot about briefing your cases which means with each assigned case you write outs its rule, issue, analysis, etc. Though this is a good thing to do a few times for the most part its cumbersome and time consuming and not very helpful in your final grades. The truth is you have one grade for each class and class participation does not count. Ofcourse you should prepare for class but not to the point that your studying for the exams is hindered. Lexis Nexis and Westlaw have search engines where you can look up your cases and summaries with the rules, procedural posture and issues stated clearly and concisely. Skim the actual case after that. And in class pay attention to discussion. That's what worked best for me. If you must brief...
7. Use the highlighting method. If you brief (which I don't blame you if you do in the start) I recommend the highlighting method. Invest in a pack of highlighters of different colors. When reading cases, highlight the rule in yellow, the procedural posture in pink, the issue in green, the holding in blue, and so on and so forth for all the different aspects of the brief. Obviously it doesn't matter what color you use for what, it just matters to be consistent on them but it makes it easier to refer to the different portions without spending too much time preparing the briefs.
   
8. Chill about getting called on. I used to panic if I was called on in class. There is something so intimidating and ominous to be the one called on in a 100 person class where the teacher doesn't ask you "yes" or "no" questions but instead challenges each response and often times makes you feel as insignificant and unintelligent as a baby porcupine. (for baby porcupines who may perchance be reading this, don't fret, age and wisdom will give ye maturity). This can be an overwhelming feeling and can cause many 1Ls to freak out and brief like mad for each assignment. First of all, there are a lot of people in class and you will not get called on as much as you fear. Second, your being called on and the quality of your response will not improve or harm your grade which is how your professor will truly remember you- your grade.
   
9. OUTLINE. Outline. Outline. There are a ton of commercial outlines out there. Make your own. If you listen to nothing else I say, please take my advice here. Outline yourself. I used to take the table of contents of the text and type that out as my shell outline and then fill it in with first my notes on each topic, and then with any other supplement I was using including commercial outlines. But never use a commercial outline or a friend's outline in lieu of making your own. The experience of compiling the information and organizing it on your own is the single best study method out there. I used to make two outlines for each class. One large one with almost everything I learned, and then a much smaller one, maybe 5-12 pages with the most important things to take from each topic. I found this useful.
   
10. Read 'Getting to Maybe'. I found this book my second year and wished I'd found it earlier. Its advice from professors on how to take exams and worth reading before starting law school. Law school exams are very different from any other and because you only get once chance to get it right they can be very intimidating. This book helps you understand how exams work and take away the fear of the unknown.
11. Try for moot court and/or law review. If you score very high in your 1L oral argument you'll automatically make moot court. If you're one of the highest ranked after your 1L grades come out you will automatically make law review. But for the rest of you, try out and do your best to get on these. Though extra curricular activities are important, these two in particular are very important to set you apart and get the most job opportunities. It can seem overwhelming or intimidating to try out for either but its worth it to give it a go.
    
12. Don't forget to network. Law school is more than just about grades, don't forget to make connections with your peers at seminars and lectures and workshops. I would not have gotten my fellowship if I hadn't networked and tried to get to know people. The legal community is a tightly knit one.
13. Don't burn bridges. In law school you are judged against your peers which can lead to a very competitive environment. This was new for me and it can be disheartening to interact with people constantly trying to psych you out and make you feel insecure. Don't be one of those people. Law school is very short and you can burn bridges with people you may need help from some day. Like I said in #12, the legal community is a tightly knit one.
14. Don't let people psych you out. Because of the competitive environment just be careful and watch your back. I have seen people hide books that others need, and omit items when e-mailing notes from a class people missed. I have had people tell me "oh X assignment was easy" when you know you struggled and you begin feeling stupid and dumb. Don't let this happen to you. When you hear this kind of talk try to tune it out and know that such a person is not someone you should be interacting with.
    
15. Study groups are good to a degree. They're okay but be careful who you pick and be careful how you utilize them. Some people just want to hang out and use it a socializing method. That is just a waste of time, its good to make friends but studying time is to study and time is limited. There are others who just use it to further psyche each other out. For me once I found a good study group, I found it most useful to meet a month or so before exams just once to go over outlines and make sure we were on the same page, and then meet closer to exams to review practice exams and quiz each other. It helps to do the practice exams on your own and then meet with the group to compare answers. For me, that is the most useful a study group will be.
    
16. Beware of the sophomore slump. People who don't get on law review or aren't ranked in the top 10% of their class, the second year of law school can feel like a tough time to be and you question why you are even there in the first place. The sexiness of law school has worn off and you wonder what you'll do with this degree because its not as easy to get jobs and do what you want as you may have thought. Though this may be a legitimate question, just know you're not alone. This may seem obvious, but for me, I really sincerely thought I was the only one who felt so alone and confused about why I came to law school in the first place.
17. You're not stupid. Many times I felt I harbored a great secret: I was the biggest moron and the admissions people had goofed up letting me in. I thought this because law school was at times soooo incredibly difficult. You are not the only one who feels this way. Law school involves an entirely different way to think and reason and learn and its okay. I've heard many say that it takes towards the end of the first year to feel like you're getting the hang of it. They didn't make a mistake letting you in. You took the LSAT, you wrote the application and you were chosen. Don't lose faith. They made the right decision.
    
18. The house might get dirty and food might be sparse. When its six weeks and counting to exams my house begins resembling less a home and more the dwelling home of Hurricane Loopy. Its normal, you're busy and there are not enough minutes in the day. Learn to love left overs and hire a maid if the messiness gets to you. But it will likely get messy and you will likely eat cereal for dinner on many a night. Its okay.
    
19. Be nice to your significant other. Often times in law school we become very self centered as we think about all we have to do and study and learn. But if your spouse isn't in school, its also a big change for them. No more hang outs after work, and the weekends aren't available for spontaneous getaways like they used to be. Your spouse will be adjusting just like you are to the new schedule. Don't forget that they are sacrificing for you too, appreciate them and though you should use them as a shoulder to rely on... also remember that in some ways they are a student with you as well. Be kind and be understanding when they dont understand your stress. Sometimes law school stress is best understood by other law students.
    
20. Take advantage of the practical work experience. It can't be underestimated how extremely important summer internships are. Oftentimes they begin recruiting for the summer in the fall. Sometimes people don't apply in the fall because they are so consumed with their studies. Don't let that happen. Start getting your resume ready and cover letters together now and apply for all summer internships you are interested in. Experience really matters and its best to get it while in law school. The majority of students who have jobs upon graduation get them from their summer internships. Also take advantage of practicum courses and clinics, they can help you put something on a resume and give you much needed real world experience.
21. Pay attention in class. Ha, you might be thinking... ummm duh?! Not as easy as it sounds when you can have the laptop in class and surf at leisure. I am so guilty of this as well but I've learned that when I surf in class, I end up having to do double the work outside of class. Pay attention and if you can't resist surfing disable it or write with a pen and pad. You'll be glad you did.
22. Live. I know people who study from dawn to beyond dusk and fret in the time in between. Don't forget to live your life. See your friends and family. One tip that many gave and I took wholeheartedly was taking one day off per week that I did not study at all. Just like you shouldn't lift weights every day when working out, a day off from studying can be a great way to recoup and refresh.
23. Working out burns adrenaline. Law school is stressful and I found that when I began running on a regular basis I was better able to manage my stress. It might not work for you but you should try to find something that will help you deal with stress and anxiety. Oh, and working out will help make sure all the cookies you consume as you study will not ALL land on your hips :)
24. Don't go part-time. Unless you are at a job where getting the degree will simply give you more money or advance your position then perhaps part-time works, but if you are planning a career change, I'd almost reconsider going to law school in the first place. Your rankings are delayed so you are not as competitive as your counterparts when it comes to hiring for summer internships which are the key to full time jobs upon graduation. You also miss out on many networking opportunities and feel very disconnected from the learning process. I went one year and switched to full-time. I feel part-time is the worst decision I ever made.
    
25. Check the grade distributions before taking a class. Some schools have them on reserve and you can see how each professor grades and you can pick those who give higher grades. Though you should take classes for what you learn, at the same time you don't want to risk taking a professor who is a notorious low grade giver and you're then stuck with a lower GPA then desirable for that simple reason. And grades really matter in law school.
26. Sign up for BARBRI early... verdict is out on PMBR. I'm doing the Bar thing right now and it pricey. It helps to put your deposit down the first year to lock in the rate because the prices do increase. If you can be a rep for them that is great because if you sign up a certain amount of people you get a free course, and most of the people I know who were reps got free courses. This will save you about $2,700. I personally have felt that PMBR is really not that worth it. BarBri is very all inclusive so you might want to do a little research on what others have to say on PMBR before you invest the money.
    
27. Around exam time brace for the panic. People freak out and particularly hours before the exam you will see mania like never before. Find a quiet classroom and don't be a part of the drama. Its only going to hurt you. Also, AFTER exams, leave. Don't stick around to discuss the exam. Whats the point? Its over. And it will likely only panic you more and get you more off balance for the next exams you will have that week.
28. Buy earplugs for your exams, the typing can get loud. My library offered them for free, but I'd invest in them because the typing can get very very loud.
29. Stock up on some food to keep your energy levels up. Like any other exam, wear layers and bring some liquid and some candy to keep the energy levels flowing.
    
30. Type your exams if you can but its not essential. I found typing to be the best way to take an exam but I noticed when I had to hand write my grades were never significantly different. Its up to you and your preference, the grades end up the same in the end. I do like computer because you can go back and delete so you get an easier to read copy.
    
31. When taking exams... read it once and take a deep breath (because I normally have a complete anxiety attack) then read it again but highlight the issues you see as you go. When ready to write it out make sure to incorporate the word BECAUSE after every point you make and make sure to also use the words ON THE OTHER HAND to show the other point of view. If you remember those two things your grades will be much higher. I found my grades highest when I stated the issue, the applicable rule, why it applied to the facts, and why it possibly did not apply to the facts.
    
32. Don't freak out about RWA and oral arguments. You will take some course and it might be called something different but you will do legal writing and some oral arguments. I was among the many who took this class way too seriously. Its a very small credit hour class and it has very little significance in your GPA. But because the assignments are more regular and you get graded more, people put WAY too much focus on this class. Relax and just go with the flow and know the curve is VERY tight in these courses and dont waste too much time fretting about it.
    
33. Lexis and Westlaw resources. Both law school search engines provide free printing. I wish I'd known that early on. Lexis will even hole punch it for you. They also have a live help funciton where in an instant messenger format someone will help you locate anything you need. Its invaluable.
34. Take classes you like. Though you should take some of the bar courses, remember that BarBri will prepare you for most of what you'll need to pass the bar. Take some classes you love. Your grades are very important in law school and I always did best in the classes I loved.
    
35. Go to your professors. They get bored and like it when you ask for advice. The one thing I found most helpful with going to professors is to ask your professor to review a sample exam you did, it doesnt cost a dime to ask but you could get an incredible boost if they agree to look at it.

Labels: law, lists, school

posted by Aisha @ 2:14 AM || 11 comments

1. How does it feel being from Hell, TX? When I first lived near Jupiter, FL I couldn't stop giggling when I found ways to casually incorporate this fact into random conversation like "Jupiter is such a nice place to live... great schools... lovely atmosphere!"Is Hell a nice place to live?

2. Why do I have the urge to clean every inch of my house, cook elaborate meals, run several miles on a daily basis, and watch America's Next Top Model marathons in its entirety, but absolutely no desire to sit down and study for the bar exam which takes place in approximately 6 weeks?

3. Why do I never crave M&M's much less think about them, unless I am on a diet, at which point I long for just one chocolaty morsel with such earnest desire you'd think it was some exotic delicacy from a remote village of Fiji I craved, and not 44 cent M&M's located just down the street at my local Walgreens?

4. Why am I so nervous about my court date this Friday for the ticket I know I didn't deserve? Aren't I supposed to be excited that I'm a soon to be minted new lawyer excited to stand up for all that is right and good in the world and particularly stand up for wrongs committed against myself? Or am I just a wimp?

5. Why do I choose to drink approximately 9 cups of chai (of which's caffeine content I am fully apprised of) on a Sunday night, three of which were consumed after 9pm and then lay awake wondering why I'm not one bit sleepy resulting in my having to write and your having to read random ramblings such as this?
posted by Aisha @ 2:39 AM || 10 comments