Catching Up and New Years Resolutions

Wow. How time as flown! I never even realized that I hadn't posted a blog entry since Halloween until a friend of mine asked where my blog went. The only thing I can blame is law school, but even that excuse is unrealistic since I've been on winter break for the last few weeks.

Finals were definitely a marathon run. Two weeks is a long time - two weeks of exams is even longer. Unless you're in law school, it is hard to understand exactly why law students complain so much about finals time. Final in high school were hardly more than a regular exam. Finals in undergrad were tough, but completely manageable. Finals in law school are just Hell. Typing furiously for 4 straight hours and still not finishing the exam is an experience that is hard to imagine without doing it at least once. But, I appreciate my friends, family and boyfriend for their patience and understanding during those weeks. Looking back, I'm not really sure how I managed to get through it all with as little sleep as I had.

Now, it is just a waiting game. When the tests were first over, I could care less about what my grade was. I mean, of course I was curious, but I was in no rush to think about those finals again anytime soon. Now that I've been home and working in the real world again for a few weeks, I'm antsy to know how all that reading, studying and pain paid off. I did get one grade back - B+ in Criminal Law. Considering I was freaking out about that exam more than any other, I'm pretty darn pleased with myself.

Now, it's a mere 4 days before I head back to Drake to start my second semester of law school, and I've got so much to do. Laundry, more laundry, packing, starting those first assignments - this break went by far too quickly. Of course, it's not really a break when I drive home on Friday, start work full-time on Monday and take a 3 day weekend before heading back to start the next stint. Then again, I love coming to work at Affinity when I'm on my breaks.

Since this is supposed to be a blog about my life in law school, and I've seemed to fail horribly at that since I can never seem to find time to post, I guess I'll throw in a "law school-ish" lesson.

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Legal Lessons Learned

Everyone always harps about the importance of networking and internships. I've had the privilege of working at Affinity Law Group in St. Louis for the last 3 years of school breaks, and it's been fantastic. It was my first summer at Affinity that convinced me I wanted to become a lawyer in the first place, and now each break deepens my knowledge and desire to be successful in this field.

The importance of internships isn't to find the best firm name to put on your resume. Affinity has shown me that it is the type of work that you do for them that is the most important. Even before coming to law school, they've worked with me to draft deeds, taken the time to explain the different kinds of corporate entities that one could form, and given me knowledge of what types of estate plans are better for certain kinds of clients. A lot of it goes over my head the first time. But when I'm sitting in class and a term comes up that I at least recognize, it makes all my hard work for Affinity feel worth it.

Aside from legal work, I even get to use my undergraduate major quite often. Well, one of them anyway. Being a PR major has some perks when applying for an internship or position because it demonstrates an ability to market, and law is all about marketing. With this experience, I am able to take advantage of a creative outlet while doing some great work for the firm. Ordering napkins and organizing catering for open houses, drafting and editing attorney bios, creating a portfolio of news coverage, working with social media like Linkedin and drafting radio advertisements looks fantastic on a resume. It's not the standard "answered phones and filed documents."

All in all, I'd like to thank Affinity Law Group for being so good to me over the years and constantly finding more work for me to do while I'm at home. I look forward to another summer with all the attorneys coming up in just a few short months!

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The title of this post included New Years Resolutions, and while I don't normally make them, I thought I'd try it out this year. So, here's what I came up with:

1. Work on my relationship with my sister
2. Run 4 days a week
3. Post a Ginger Snap at least every other week
4. Read a book of my choosing, just because I want to
5. Have lunch with an IP attorney once a month to get more information about working in the field without a science background

Good luck to all of you that have made resolutions this year! I'll take whatever luck I can get as well, because this semester is going to just fly by, I know it!

Until next time!

I'm Not Bad...I'm Just Drawn That Way

Last weekend was Fall Break, and while it was super nice to go home, I am paying the price for it now. It isn't that I am behind. I've still gotten a full draft of my memo (Due Monday) completed and my reading done for every class. The problem is that I am no longer ahead and reading and such. I'm not used to reading for a class the night before, and with this memo sucking up every spare moment of my life, it has been difficult to find time to catch up to that place I want to be.

Mental note - some work is still required when you go home for break! But, it was still nice to relax.

The only other thing to talk about is the fact that Halloween is next weekend, and I am actually really excited this year. I'll be attending the Delts Halloween Party, and I actually bought a costume. Yes, I know I shouldn't have spent the money, but I figure it is more of an investment since I can promise I'll be wearing it for years to come. After all, what Halloween Part is complete without a Jessica Rabbit? And, I just really wanted to be Jessica Rabbit for Halloween. What self-respecting ginger would I be if I didn't pay homage to one of the most iconic redheads in cinema?

It should be a lot of fun!

Things at law school have been hard to far, but great. Now that we are getting things like midterms back with shadow grades, I feel a little better about the work I have been doing, as it seems I'm understanding the material enough to do fairly well on practice exams. Let's hope that trend continues as things heat up for the end of the semester!

Speaking of heating up, I should get to work on these research problems.

Til next time!

A Late Update

I apologize for not posting as frequently as I promised. Know that every week I have had the intention of posting, but I want to make sure that it is things people will actually care about. To that end, my life has been pretty boring lately, and I figured no one would care about the daily life of a 6-foot tell, redheaded law student. Considering the pestering of some friends, I was wrong.

The most significant thing that's happened to me over the last few weeks is that I successfully turned in my first memo, got it back, and did rather well on it. Percentage-wise, it was a 90%, though we don't know what the curve is going to be yet. Hopefully I did well enough to keep my A! Lord knows I worked hard enough, cried long enough and sweated profusely enough to warrant such a mark. That was a tad over-exaggerated, but you know what I mean.

Now that we are working on our second memos, which are significantly more challenging than the first, it is time for the agony to start all over again. I spent the weekend wading through three different cases in my attempt to synthesize a rule, and just got out of my conference with my professor to discuss it. She always seems helpful when I go in to talk to her, but then I sit down later and realize she didn't really tell me anything. Hopefully that works out for me this time as well as it did last time.

This Thursday I get to go home for the first time since law school has started, and I have to say that I am quite excited about it. I am going to have a lot of work to take with me between getting a functioning draft of my memo out by the following Tuesday and working through our LexisNexis training assignment (which keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the list), but seeing my family and that man of mine will be worth it. The 6-hour drive on the other hand, might not. Focus on the light at the end of the tunnel I suppose!

It's weird to think that we're half-way done with the semester already. People are starting to talk about finals, I have a midterm to do tonight, and just the thought of law school finals puts a knot in my stomach. It doesn't help when you're surrounded by intelligent people that seem to have it all figured out. You have to tell yourself that they don't - that they are just as confused and freaked out about it all as you are, but at the end of the day, your perceptions are that they go home and breeze through their reading while you're drowning in a sea of Torts with no foreseeable means of escape. It's not true - I got into law school because I am intelligent, and everything is going to be fine. We'll see how long that mantra lasts. haha.

The last thing I have to say is that I celebrated my 5-year anniversary with my boyfriend back on the 5th. It sucked that we couldn't physically be together for it, but we got to video chat for awhile, and that was really nice. Lord knows it hasn't all been a walk in the park, but for the most part I have more good feelings than bad, and I couldn't imagine my life without Larry at the moment. Seeing him this weekend is going to make it all worthwhile. :)

Signing off!

I made it...

...through the worst week of law school so far. It wasn't necessarily that many horrible things happened, but more that there was a lot going on that all stressed me out. For one, we had a make up class for Civil Procedure, so instead of the normal 3 class periods a week, we had 4. While I love our professor (who always matches the colors of his powerpoints to his suit and tie for the day), that is just a lot of jurisdictional issues. Too much time with jurisdictional issues.

Then, we had a HORRIBLE research assignment with digests. While trying to follow my T.A.'s instructions, it took me 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete 1 section. When I finally gave up trying to follow his outline and just did it my own way, I got the correct answer in 10...that was a lot of wasted time I just didn't have.

The worst thing about it all was that we had our first legal memo due this morning. Now that it is turned in, I find myself elated, but it was one of the more challenging 7-page papers I have ever had to write. I think the hardest part of it all was that I am so used to being really confident about my writing, and I just didn't feel that way about this one.

I spent so much time on it before Wednesday of last week, when I decided to re-write 4 of the 6 pages I had already written because it was just not going in the right direction. At the end of the day, though, I am happy with it, and am definitely anxious to get it back to see if I did everything right. Until then, I'll enjoy the 24-hour break before our next memo assignment is given to us.

At least I had a good weekend though. I try to spend my weekends (at least Friday night and Saturday) doing fun things with some homework thrown in there somewhere. Well, I actually got my memo edited and finished my reading pretty much through Wednesday, with the exception of Torts. I also found out that Larry got a job, and starts today! I am so happy for him - it certainly isn't the best job, but at least now it takes some of the stress off and he can focus on getting back in shcool.

To top it all off, I got to watch possibly one of the greatest movies of all time: Sharktopus.

I know what you're thinking - sounds like some crappy SyFy Original Movie, right? Well, that is true. Never the less, you should check out the trailer before coming to any snap judgments. If this movie doesn't win any awards in the special effects department...I'll just be shocked.

That good weekend is turning into a good day at least, as I got my shepardizing assignment back (which I thought I bombed) and actually did REALLY well on it. Happy day!

5 Things I've Learned About Law School in 4 Weeks.

Alright, I know I promised posts on Saturdays, but that is proven more difficult that I originally thought. Still, I am attempting to be weekly. Take what you can get, people!

Tomorrow will mark the end of my fourth week of law school at Drake University. Crazy! It is always amazing to me how it has already been four weeks, but at the same time I find myself thinking, "Wait. It's only been four weeks?!" All joking aside, I feel like I have finally fallen into that law school groove, complete with lack of motivation by the time Thursday comes along. Thank god we're done by 2!

This week, I thought I would offer the top lessons I've learned since coming to law school. Note, they are in no particular order, just some musings from a sleep-deprived mind.

1) Don't try to do work with the iTunes visualizer on in the background. On the one hand it blocks the rest of the screen from view, forcing me to not look at Facebook and turn my attention to the words on the page. Of course, my gaze doesn't stay down for long. This visualizer is mesmerizing, and I love it! Still, not necessarily conducive to a distraction-free working environment.

2) Read BEFORE class. I, of course, always make sure to get my reading done at least the night before, but this warning is more for others. If the other students in your class can tell that you didn't read the case, or you weren't paying attention when you read the case, you better be sure that the professor knows that as well. Cold calling is a horrific thing, but it is even more awful (and awkward for your classmates) when we all have to wait while you flip through the book, searching for that one, unhighlighted sentence.

3) Start a Classical Music Playlist. I have had one for a long time, but you better believe that it has gotten quite the workout over the past few weeks. If you're anything like me, it is hard to focus on reading in a completely quiet room -- all the ambient noise of the parking lot outside, the buzzing of the desk lamp and ever single bump from the hallway just drives me crazy. With the classical music, the atmosphere is just more welcoming and allows me to focus even better on that brief that has to get done tonight.

4) Spend the first few days/weeks trying to find that one place in the Library quiet enough for you to actually be productive between classes. This one can be tricky, and quite frustrating. I don't know if it is like this at all law school libraries, but Opperman is very beautiful, but not necessarily well designed. Marble floors and stairs look really nice, but women in heels create echos that can be heard throughout the entire floor.

It took me awhile to find my one place in the library, far enough from the stairs that the clicks of heels are dulled enough to let me focus, and there is a clock there. Of course, there is squeaky shoe kid, but I find that he is not there as often as I am. I guess there are still some powers on my side.

5) Lastly, don't do anything work-related on Friday nights. By the time I have had a whole week of not turning my brain off, it is nice to lay back on Fridays, watch a movie or two and just veg. Of course, going out with friends is nice too, but if you're like me money can be a little tight. Invite them up for a movie or something! It is good to take a night off, get a good night's rest (turn off that alarm!) and start fresh on Saturday with some smaller tasks. Sunday can be the work day, if it is still necessary. And, if it isn't, then you don't have nearly as many reading assignments as I have.

So, that's about it for the time being. As my first semester of law school progresses, I'll make sure to mention more nuggets of wisdom for your reading pleasure. If there is anything you're specifically wandering about (not that I'd expect anyone reading this to consider me a law school authority), feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me, and I'll make a mention of it.

Until next time!

Dear Mr. Squeaky Shoe Man...

Why must you sit at the table behind me? I'm sitting here, trying to plow through the remainder of my Civil Procedure cases for the week, and all I can think about is the piercing squeal of rubber being ground against waxed wood as your leg jiggles almost uncontrollably. Never did I think that the law library would be home to your negligence. I simply came here for peace and quiet between classes so that I can actually get some sleep tonight, but it seems you've foiled my plans.

I'd be tempted to think that you just can't hear the pain you're causing my ears and brain because of the headphones in your ears. But that just can't be right, since I have headphones on also, and it clearly isn't stopping the scream from tingling my spine with each upstroke and down.

Please Mr. leg jiggling, squeaky shoe man...for the love of all that is holy. Put your leg to rest! Let the muscles relax, let your shoes experience the joy that comes with stability! I beg of you...

This is just adding to a list of things that are making this day just "one of those days." This morning I woke up and tried to put my shirt on with the hanger still inside. Then I had to change shirts because I realized that it is only 57 degrees out this morning. Wednesdays were always unpleasant for me, but now they are turning into a whole new monster entirely. 4 core classes means 7 rather heavy textbooks to carry in my backpack, and 4 folders to jam into my computer bag with my laptop. It also means a headache for the hour between contracts and torts. It makes sense that I would encounter Mr. Squeaky Shoes on this day of woe...Woeful Wednesday. That's what I'll call it.

Don't be concerned. Law school really is going great! I am enjoying most of my classes, and had a great weekend to go off of. Wednesdays just bring me down, and it seems that this was is destined to go down in my history of bad Wednesdays. At least I am starting to get involved on campus, having already joined the Drake Law Women and the Intellectual Property Law Society. Tonight is the meeting for the Delts law fraternity, which is bribing us with free pizza, and tomorrow night is the International Law Society social, which promises to be a lot of fun.

What's that? Oh, the sweet sound of silence. The squeaking has stopped! What a happy occasion.

...

Oh no...it started again.

I guess I should do something about this, shouldn't I?

Law School: Week 1

Wow, it's amazing how time flies when you're starting law school. While this first week at Drake seemed like it went by really quickly, at the same time it seems like I've already been in school for much longer than 1 week. I keep getting those questions from friends and family as to how it went, and I have to say that it was all fine. The classes are great, I've already started getting to know some really awesome people, and it's pretty easy for me to know which professors I am going to like and which ones are just going to confuse me on a weekly basis.

By far, my favorite professor is for my Torts class. I think the reason for that is that he cuts through the crap in cases and tells us exactly what we need to know. He doesn't sit there and "milk the mice" as he repeats in class. If you haven't heard that phrase before, don't worry. I hadn't either. Basically, it means don't try to make some thing substantial out of something small -- stick to the main issue of the case and then move on to the next one. While in some classes we take 2 or even 3 class periods on one case, we get through 4 or even 5 cases a class in Torts. I like that.

He also talks about strange news stories, which are one of my favorite things. There is one specific example I have in mind. I think I'll try a Dane-Cookish explanation of this. We'll start with what he said, and then work backwards to figure out what exactly was going on to bring this comment about.

"Why don't you wrap your lips around the barrel of this shotgun, Punk."

Let's go back, let's go back.

Recently, we have been discussing the law around intentional torts, that is infractions by one individual against another individual where they intended to do something. Our specific topic of the day was false imprisonment charges.

After a class going through the actual cases in the casebook, Professor Albert pulls out a manila folder of newspaper clippings. As he is going through the stories, all news stories about false imprisonment cases, I begin to see a trend in them -- they all are regarding a store called Manards.

In one particularly incredulous story, a man was detained at a Manards for being accused of stealing a 19 cent nail he brought into the store with him to match the nails be was purchasing with, since he needed them to match for the same project. When he refused to sign an admission of stealing and a waiver of liabilities form, Manards called the cops.

When the cops came, they refused to arrest this gentlemen, and went out the back entrance. On the way to his squad care, a Manards security officer pursues the cop and tells him that the cop needs to open the trunk to make sure that he didn't steal anything while he was in the store. THE TRUNK OF HIS SQUAD CAR!

Damned if the cop didn't do it.

So, after he tells us this story, my professor shook his fist in anger, brandishing the newspaper clipping towards a wall. He said:

"Is this the new pecking order? Manards security officers, then state troopers? I mean, with a shotgun and a German Shepard sitting in the front seat, this security officer has the AUDACITY to inspect the trunk and make sure that this officer isn't stealing anything after refusing to arrest a man for a 19 cent nail he didn't steal? Well, I tell ya, I know what my response would be."

He dropped his arm, setting the clipping back in the folder as he turned, all in silence. Looking back up at us, his face dead-set in seriousness, he spoke in a lowered voice.

"Why don't you wrap your lips around the barrel of this shotgun, punk."

Who knew law school could be so entertaining?

On a more administrative note, now that I have my schedule I have decided that Saturday is going to be by blog post day, so expect a weekly Ginger Snap on Saturday nights!

Night all!

Orientation - Day 1

Oh so much to talk about while combating the exhaustion that follows a full day of lectures and information. I suppose I should start chronologically, because it has certainly been a full schedule.

I woke up this morning with the right side of my upper lip so swollen it covered that corner of my bottom lip completely. Without getting too graphic and grossing people out, I think it was a zit that I popped before it was quite ready. Of course with orientation starting today -- the first day I get to meet the rest of my class and start this new journey, I guess I just got a little antsy. Anyways, what response did this freshly independent 22-year-old law student have?

I did what any self-respecting independent person does - I called my mommy.

Long story short, the swelling is now down, and aside from a little scab that I wish would do away, my face no longer looks like I belong in a freakshow. Thanks to some fancy maneuvering with a hit towel and an ice cube, I don't think any of my classmates think I am a deformed, escaped circus-freak. At least not from my physical appearance, but we'll save that for another day.

Starting at 8:30 this morning, I sat in one lecture after another, mostly about what we can expect in law school. There were 2 lectures (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) that were actual classes, which I just finished a 73 page reading assignment for. "Introduction to Law," as it turns out, is apparently a boot camp to show us what an actual class will be like. It is the first day of orientation and this professor has no problem calling people out by name to explain the facts of the cases we read, some of which were from the 1800's and written in some bizarre English I wish we had a whole semester to learn how to read.

We also had a lecture on how to case brief. I know that everyone says it becomes second nature at some point in your law school career, but I have to say that these scare the crap out of me. I'm sure a post will come in the future where I rant about the evil that is case briefs, though they are apparently a necessary evil. Time will tell.

Tomorrow we have another Introduction to Law lecture, then I get to go on a tour of the Iowa State Court House, which will be really cool. More lectures in the afternoon, then a reception where I can mingle with more of my classmates. The ones I have met so far as really interesting! There are so many backgrounds and facts about people that fascinate me - this is going to be a lot of fun getting to know these people over the next 3 years. Let's hope they are as excited to meet me as I am to meet them!

More to come soon - my calendar is already starting to fill up as more of my syllabi trickle into my hands, so I'll probably set one night aside a week for Ginger Snap posts. That day will be determined in the next few weeks.

Until next time!

Preparing for the Dive

Well, I am moved in, have officially purchased all of my books, and am currently working on the reading we have due for orientation. I have to think that this is going to be a recurring feeling over the next three years, but I got to Drake University feeling rather prepared. The Admissions office e-mailed us a few weeks ago explaining that there was a reading assignment for Orientation, which is on Thursday, with a link to one case. No problem - I read the case while I was on vacation with plans to review it before orientation begins on Thursday. I felt ahead of the game.

Unfortunately, I went to the bookstore to pick up my last few books, only to discover that there is a 73 page packet that we have to read before Thursday. In the words of Karen, the woman that runs the bookstore, "if you don't do the reading, this professor will murder you." Scary.

Anyways, I am glad that I got here as early as I did, because this is a pretty dense packet we have to get through. Trying to read it in one night would be a lot worse than it already is. The first article is about why people distrust lawyers, and whether it is actually important to improve the image of the lawyer amongst laypeople. Very interesting stuff. Let's hope the cases towards the end are as interesting as this original article!

More about the apartment will come in another post. My new roommate just arrived earlier this afternoon, and she and her boyfriend are still in the process of unpacking. Once we have a chance to look at the apartment as a whole and get the things we are missing, I'll post some pictures of what my life at law school is going to be nice for the next 10 months.

Until then, if you have any advice for a new law student, I am more than willing to listen! I'll take whatever I can get!

Moving Day Approacheth

Wednesday was my last day at Affinity Law Group for the summer, ending another great summer of experiences that are going to help me as I embark on the path of law school. This summer was awesome in that I got to do a lot more "lawyerly" things, including drafting more complex documents and working on some marketing things for the firm that have been a great experience. I think that these experiences are going to really come in handy as I embark on the next stage of my career. After all, I am moving to law school day after tomorrow, and that will no doubt be the start of many new changes and adventures in my life.

As I mentioned earlier, Sunday is moving day, and there is so much I have to get done before then! It always amazing me how much stuff I have when I go to pack it. Yesterday I managed to get my DVDs and DVD racks packed, most of my office supplies, and my shoes. That means I have kitchen stuff, clothing and furniture to pack up and then I am good to go.

Time is a bit of an issue, because today is my 22nd birthday, which means that I have birthday festivities to attend to. I like to think that this is a good pay off for all the hard work I have put in, and it is nice to have a couple days of fun despite the stress that packing has had.

Something else that is nice is that I got my schedule for the fall last night. It is going to be a lot of work, but I am excited to get started. I think I am ready for the challenge, and while I am only enrolled in 14 credit hours, I am sure that is going to be a lot for me to handle this first semester. One piece of advice that I got from the law firm is that you have to remember that it is a lot of work, but you have to make time to have some fun, otherwise it won't be nearly as enjoyable. I am sure the advice all the lawyers at Affinity gave me will come in handy as I face the challenges ahead.

Anyways, my next post will probably be after the move, and I will make sure to let everyone know how it goes! Wish me luck!

Random Life Update

There have been a lot of things going on in my life as of late, and since I am currently in a van with 5 other people (my family and my awesome college roomie), now seems like the right time to get it all out in the open before I drop off the radar for a week.

The most significant update is that I have sent in my second seat deposit for Drake, so I am now officially enrolled for the fall semester. I even got a confirmation e-mail explaining all the things I have to do before orientation on August 19th and 20th. This includes getting ready to buy books, purchasing a response clicker and licensing fee, getting ready to pay for parking and looking over the orientation schedule, while looks to be a little packed. There is also some summer reading apparently, so I better get on that! Of course, I need to find the assignment first.

Work at the law firm has been going well, especially in the sense that I have been doing some really interesting work. Now that my official title is "law clerk," I have been doing more lawyerly things, and am enjoying every second of it. It is nice to work in a place where I feel like I am learning useful skills for my own future career while at the some time contributing to the success of the company. The fact that I am also working on some marketing stuff for them as well, meaning I get to use my college major, also adds to the enjoyment I have been getting.

I guess the last real update is that I am on my way to a week-long cruise with my family and best friend! Undoubtedly, I will come back with some interesting stories and pictures to share. Right now we are driving down to Florida, where we will get on the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas. This is not my first cruise with Royal Caribbean, which is really good for my younger brother and sister, but the fact that I get to share it with a friend will make this cruise one for the record books!

Anyways, when I get back on the 19th, I will make sure to post something about the cruise, give my own review of food, fun and ports. Stay tuned!

"Summer" in Full Swing

Wow, it has been awhile since I sat down to make a post. Sorry about that!

There have been some recent developments on the law school front. SLU called me earlier this week with an offer of admission for their accelerated part-time program for the fall. What would this entail? Well, basically, I would be part-time my first semester, full-time evening in the second semester, take one class during the summer, and then I would be regular full-time after that, still graduating in 3 years.

As excited as I was for the offer, I ended up turning it down this morning. The main reason was that I want to concentrate in intellectual property law, specifically trademark and copyright law. Drake has a pretty well-recognized program, and until yesterday, I was unaware that SLU even had a concentration in IP. In fact, they just got an IP program approved for this coming fall, but it is so new that they don't even have any materials printed for it. This, coupled with the fact that they wanted a decision within 24 hours, and I am not sure if I want to end up practicing in St. Louis or not, lead me to turn the offer down.

I still have not accepted the offer from Drake - my Dad and I are going to visit the campus a week from Monday, but unless I just absolutely hate it there, I plan on enrolling in the Fall 2010 law class at Drake University School of Law. Exciting, right?

Aside from making law school decisions, the only other thing that is really going on in my life is that I started work this past Monday. Even though I have been working at Affinity Law Group, LLC during breaks for the last 2 years, I am always ready to come back for more! Now that I am a law student, I am hoping that they are able to give me more work specifically in the law field, and that wish was granted when one of the attorneys asked me to do some case law research on common law trademark protections in Missouri. Sounds like a party, right? It's amazing how interesting case law can be, while at the same some infuriating when you cannot find a straightforward answer to a pretty simple question.

On a completely unrelated note, I hope everyone is keeping up on Lost and Glee! They are both getting so good! All I can say is that I like getting answers, and I LOVE KURT!

Umm...other than that, I guess there isn't really anything else I have to say. "Summer" is in full swing, even though there is very little rest involved. I am already looking forward to the family vacation we are going to take in July! I am even more looking forward to the fact that Aubrey is coming with us, which is going to be one rocking good time. It's a shame that the Florida beach house thing didn't work out, but with the oil spill, I am pretty sure that plan would not be the best of ideas. I am secretly hoping for a cruise, but we'll see what the parentals come up with.

Hope summer is going well for everyone else! And thanks for all the well wishes regarding law school on Facebook! It means a lot to me that I have such amazing friends, even if we are all separated by a few states! I miss all my Pepperdine friends! If there are typos in this post, it is because I am typing under exhaustion, and need to get to sleep before another storm hits and I can't fall asleep in the first place.

Night everyone!

My Future Awaits

So, this post is a little late since most of you already know the good news, but I finally got a moment to sit down and think for more than 5 minutes at a time. This last week I drove from California to Missouri, unpacked almost all of my things, worked at the law firm for a short day and then headed to my Aunt and Uncle's house to take care of my cousin while they are on vacation for their Anniversary.

However, the most exciting news came on Wednesday night, when I received admittance to Drake Law School! I am beyond thrilled to know that I have somewhere to go in the Fall of 2010, and unless SLU (St. Louis University) accepts me off the wait list, chances are that I am going to to be in Des Moines, Iowa starting August 20th. It's a far cry from Malibu, but I like that it is only 5 or 6 hours away from my family and friends here. I can say that Larry is really excited about the shorter distance, which was a relief as well!

One of the great things about Drake is that they have an excellent Intellectual Property program, which is the kind of law I would like to pursue. However, from what I can see of the first year schedule, it is going to be very intense (16 units over 7 classes). At least there are no 8am classes, and it looks like I would be done by around 4 every day of the week! I'm going to go visit the campus with my Dad in a few weeks, so we will see how the campus feels when I get there, but from the pictures I can find, it looks pretty and the apartments I would be living in look really nice with hardwood floors, private bedrooms and new appliances, including dishwashers! I'm really excited to check them out!

The only other thing I can really say about this is that it is such a relief to know that I have options for the Fall. As happy as I was to have graduated from an amazing 4 years at Pepperdine, it feels like a weight has been lifted from me now that I know I can pursue the one thing I have been working towards these last 4 years. Graduating is now, officially, a great thing, and I am really excited about the future!