EJW Summer Corps

If you're a law student doing public interest legal work this summer, be sure to check out the Equal Justice Works Summer Corps. It only takes 10 minutes to complete the online application, and you could get a cool $1000 for your efforts, so long as your job qualifies. EJW started taking applications Wednesday, and they're considering them on a rolling basis, so the sooner you apply, the better your chances. Think of it as a $1000 study break. Who wouldn't want that?

Posted 05:35 AM | Comments (3) | law school

Contracts Schmontracts

Yeah, ok, the contracts final wasn't so bad. I'm in no hurry to get the grade, but I'm sure it could have been worse. On to ConLaw and ppppppProperty!

But not just yet. First, I want to read about Dick Cheney's absolute right to know and not tell, which is much more fun after a CivPro exam than I'm guessing it would have been before. I'm all over that writ of mandamus!

I also want to see what John Kerry Is A Douche Bag But I'm Voting For Him Anyway.com is all about. I mean, I think I can figure it out, but I'll take a few moments to ponder the implications, nonetheless.

And what about Operation Take One For The Country!? I think this will take some rigorous analysis. [UPDATE: Link via Three Years of Hell. Sorry I forgot to mention that in the first place.]

Then maybe I'll put my music library online with iPlaylist so you can all mock my musical knavishness, then add some recommendations to the Music Recommendation System for iTunes. Seems like a good idea, at least in theory.

Or maybe I'll just watch some crap tv. ;-)

Posted 07:22 PM | Comments (1) | law school life generally

Coulda Shoulda Woulda

1L Spring Exam #2 coming up in just over an hour. The pre-test feeling is much different today than it was on Tuesday. Instead of feeling calm and collected, I'm jittery and anxious. I still haven't been able to nail a practice question, whereas before my CivPro final I was pretty comfortable with my ability to produce a fairly lucid and complete answer to just about any question. Contracts and Sales seems somewhat logical, it seems simple, but there are so many twists and turns a case can take that it really becomes much more difficult than it looks. I get bogged down in the details of one claim and forget what I was going to say about another one, then I run out of time.

Nevermind. I could have studied more during the semester instead of saving it until the end. I should have done that. And I would have except, well... wel... I don't know why. I like pain? I think what I'm really saying is I'll be really really glad when this exam is over and I swear I will never ever ever procrastinate my studying like this again. Never ever. (Now when next Sept./Oct. comes around, will someone please remind of this? Thanks.)

Posted 11:54 AM | Comments (3) | law school

Contractual Panic

Doom, doom I tell you. Contracts final tomorrow and I'm bombing out. I look at practice questions and my mind goes mushy. I see the issues as if through a fog; I vaguely recall lots of talk about assignees, battles of forms, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness and the ever-present constructive condition of prior performance by the other party, but my grasp on these concepts is so tenuous that I can't seem to pull them out of the ether as I need to do in order to cobble together some semblance of a response to the fact pattern.

This is not good.

I look not for sympathy or encouragement, I'm merely venting. 24 hours from now, it won't matter, will it?

UPDATE: I can no longer despair now that I have Mr. Buffalo's Contracts Cheers to power me through my studying and exam taking. Thanks to Energy Spatula at Will Work for Favorable Dicta for the tip! And in case you haven't been acquainted yet, Energy Spatula is a superhero! Who shoots guns! Definitely a welcome addition to the roll de blawgs.

Posted 06:37 PM | Comments (2) | law school

Libel La Law

Here's a fun lawsuit/study break: A website called ProBush.com has a big "traitor list" featuring names and photos of prominent people who are supposedly "traitors" because they've been critical of President Bush. According to the site:

Traitor: If you do not support our President's decisions you are a traitor.

Obviously a lot of deep thought went into that. In fact, so much deep thought went into it that now the site is being sued for libel by former U.S. Sen. James Abourezk whose name and photo were added to the "traitor list" last year. Abourezk is suing for $2 million in damages. Nice. ProBush.com has been kind enough to post its own brief in support of its 12b6 motion to dismiss (PDF), as well as Abourezk's response. The motion was denied.

Speaking of slightly bizarre links having something to do with libel, check out these short "movies" from some law students at UVA. My personal favorite is the first one: We salute you, 1L's long-distance boyfriend who is going to lose your girlfriend to a 3L! According to the website, these movies are connected with something called the "Libel Show,":

The Libel Show is an annual comedy program at UVa Law, now finishing its 96th year, that lampoons our professors and life at the law school through a variety of impersonations, song parodies, and skits.

At GW, we have something similar called the "Law Revue" which is really very well done and always very funny (I'm told; I'm a loser and I missed it this year), but it appears they're going to have to step it up a few notches if they're going to compete w/UVA—technologically, anyway.

Finally, no post about libel would be complete w/out a nod to elle who also started exams yestertoday. Instead of posting to her blog, she's probably studying for her next exam. Hmm, maybe I'll try that...

Posted 07:21 AM | law general law school

Missing Homeownership

One year ago yesterday I sold the cutest little house I'll ever own. It was the cutest, because it just may be the only house I'll ever own, but after all the work I and my parents and sister and friends put into it, it was darned cute. One year later, looking at the pictures, I really miss that house. Damn nostalgia! But it's not just nostalgia. In Urbana, IL, where I used to live, I bought a two-bedroom house in 2000 for $50,000. My monthly mortgage payment was about $420/month. (I also paid $100-$300/month for utilities and whatnot; it varied a lot depending on the weather—poor insulation.) But that mortgage payment was more like a bank deposit because I got it back w/interest when I sold the place. Here, in the middle of D.C., L. and I each pay $850/month for rent alone ($1700/month total), and that's really a pretty great deal for around here. The kicker: We pay twice as much, and not one cent of that money is coming back. When we move out of this place, we'll be lucky to get our deposit back. Renting just blows. And don't even get me started on car parking (which is impossible around here; plan to spend minimum half hour circling the vicinity every time you want to park unless you just get really lucky) and the lack of a yard.

I want my house back.

Posted 06:17 AM | Comments (9) | life generally

Whew. Three to go.

CivPro is byebye. Issues I "spotted":

• document requests
• motions for dismissal
• compulsory joinder of parties
• objections to document requests (including attny-client privilege, work product doctrine, and overly broad or overly burdensome requests)
• motions to compel discovery
• motions for summary judgment
• choice of law (Erie)
• standards for appellate review of different issues
• JMOL motions both at close of evidence and after the verdict (a.k.a., JNOV)
• motions for new trial
• appellate review of JMOL, new trial, and interlocutory appeals under collateral order doctrine and/or 28 USC 1292

Now that's what I call fun!

If there was anything about preclusion doctrine on there, I didn't see it. In all, the exam was either awful or terrific; I was done with my first take on all nine questions in just over two hours. Problem: It was a three hour exam. I went back through to check answers, polish some things, add in more obscure issues, etc. I found some problems and holes to fill, but not too much. So either I just knew it and type really fast and got it all down, or I missed some big issues. Probably the latter, but we'll see. Doesn't matter much at this point, does it?

But it does matter in that I'm trying to figure out if there's anything to be learned from this experience as far as study habits go. Last semester I labored in obscurity on every exam, making my little outlines and running through practice questions on my own. That worked, um, just ok. For this CivPro exam, I worked much more with other people, trading notes, discussing issues, and running through sample questions and answers in a group setting where everyone could point out what anyone else was missing. So the question is: Which works better? The solo or the group method? I guess I'll learn something when grades come out this summer.

Now, it's time for contracts, sales, and UCC for you and me. Or me, anyway.

Posted 04:53 PM | Comments (7) | law school

Game Day

Six hours until CivPro, and I'm feeling, well, fine about it. If I can feel this prepared for the other three, all will be well. I may not get A's, but I don't think I'll crash and burn in to the GPA cellar, either.

Running through practice questions yesterday w/friends who did much better than I did last semester I learned that I often think I've answered completely, when really I've left things out. I mean, it's like we know and understand the same things, we I just don't get them all down on paper. Apparently I sometimes just skip over elements of a rule or test that are in my outline, as if my brain is filling gaps in my answer even as my typing fingers create the gaps. I'm not yet sure how to prevent this, other than to remind myself to write down every damn issue from the fact pattern, somehow, then be sure to tick through every single possible step in my outline related to that issue. Perhaps I just need more practice. Yeah. There's still time. Yeah, that's it.

Posted 06:53 AM | Comments (3) | law school

Practice Testing

In a review session this morning w/Prof. CivPro she said we shouldn't worry overly much about things we didn't spend a lot of time on. For example, she said, we just rushed through preclusion doctrine at the end, so it probably won't be a very prominent feature of the final.

Guess what's featured in nearly every single practice exam she's made available? That's right: Preclusion doctrine.

Thanks.

Posted 04:35 PM | Comments (3) | law school

You need backup

One of the best lines from "About A Boy":

Suddenly I realized — two people isn't enough. You need backup. If you're only two people, and someone drops off the edge, then you're on your own. Two isn't a large enough number. You need three at least.

So true, but in this case I'm not talking about family and friends, I'm talking about your outlines, your notes, the study aids you've meticulously prepared (or are currently meticulously preparing) to get you through your final exams. Have you backed all that up recently?

If you haven't, you probably should.

This has been another public service message from your friends at ai. We dunno nothin' —nah-theeng! — about collateral estoppel, but we no longer care. We have backup!

Posted 07:58 AM | Comments (1) | law school

Timing, Mooting, Injustice

Sounds like ConLaw, but no, we're in the land of CivPro here. I now understand the "Collateral Order Doctrine" re: interlocutory appeals. This is a small triumph. No applause please, again, just throw money.

But then there's that damned preclusion doctrine (a.k.a. collateral estoppel and res judicata)and mutuality and offensive v. defensive preclusion and what's a countervailing federal interest on the RDA side of the whole Erie/choice of laws analysis? Nevermind. I'm not really asking. Just spewing random bits at this point.

My brain was not made for this.

Posted 04:58 PM | Comments (3) | law school

Two Day Tick-Tock

The countdown is on. I'll spare you the angst and just recommend another bit of music to study by.

Hovering helicopters provided the soundtrack almost all day yesterday, presumably surveilling the IMF/World Bank protest. Barriers everywhere down town. Police overkill. Today they'll probably repeat the performance for the March for Women's Lives. I hope to take a study break and go, but I was introduced to so much new material in CivPro yesterday that I'd just never even seen before that I don't know if I can afford the break. Who even knew additur and remittitur were words!?

UPDATE: Just to note the great links recently at Three Years of Hell (who appears to have entirely too much time for political commentary at the moment—I can't keep up!) and buzzwords.

Posted 05:55 AM | law school

ConLaw Practice Exam

Since I'm supposed to be learning all about Constitutional Law for a final, um, in a week or so, I'm a little concerned that I don't have more complete responses to the Constitutional quandaries in the headlines. Therefore, as a public service to any law student studying for ConLaw, I present two real-life ConLaw practice exam questions:

Question One:
Health and Human Services (HHS), an agency under the executive branch, is refusing to release information to Congress (and the press, but that's a different story). What arguments can HHS make to support its claim that it doesn't have to comply with a Congressional request for information?

Question Two:
The U.S. is currently holding more than 600 foreign nationals at a military base in Cuba as suspected terrorists. The Supreme Court recently considered whether these prisoners should be accorded any due process rights, or if they should be denied those rights because the executive says they are "enemy combatants." What arguments can the executive make to support its position that U.S. courts have no jurisdiction over these prisoners, that these prisoners have no due process rights, and that the executive has complete discretion to decide these matters?

In a related question, Yaser Hamdi, one of the Guantanamo prisoners, turned out to be a U.S. citizen. Does that change the executive's power to detain Hamdi? Does the executive have unreviewable authority to deprive a U.S. citizen of his Constitutional rights? What arguments can the executive make in its favor? What are the flaws in those arguments? (A bit more on these questions here.)

__________

How would you answer these questions on a ConLaw final? They say practice exams are a great way to study. Feel free to practice in the comments! ;-) Click "more" for my very superficial/general thoughts on these questions.

General Thoughts on Question 1:
Can HHS withhold information from Congress under executive privilege? If so, does the executive's need for confidentiality outweigh the public's need to know this information? The answer to that probably depends on whether you'd like to see a second Bush term. If you'd like to see Bush reelected, then the public doesn't really need to know how duplicitous the executive was here. If you'd prefer to see Bush leave office, then the public's need to know this information is quite urgent.

This issue might also raise other, more difficult Constitutional law questions, such as: What happens if an executive agency lies to Congress about the cost of a program, then Congress appropriates money for that program, and then the executive says, oops, we need more money? I mean, I guess there are no Rule 11 sanctions to impose on the executive branch, but really, there should be. I'm guessing the only "sanctions" are accountability to the public—if people are angry enough about the executive's duplicity, they'll indicate their anger at the ballot box. Let's hope. Of course, if voters can't get the information, or if the information remains clouded in enough controversy that voters can convince themselves the executive may not, in fact, have lied here, then that ballot box accountability becomes a bit dubious, doesn't it?

General thoughts on question 2:
At a basic level the enemy combatant cases present questions about the extent of the executive's powers under the "commander in chief" (Art. II, § 2) and possibly "vestiture" (Art. II, § 1) clauses. But then, these seem to conflict a bit with the executive's responsibilities to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed" (Art. II, § 4). I mean, especially in Hamdi's case, since he's a U.S. citizen, we do have laws about due process that the executive has an obligation to uphold, right?

Posted 09:31 AM | Comments (4) | law general law school

TypeKey No Thanks

During a study break (yeah, that's it) I learned that MovableType is beta testing MT 3.0, which they say isn't a feature release, except for the one big feature, comment registration, a.k.a., TypeKey Authentication Services. The point of TypeKey is supposed to be that it will reduce spam in the comments of MT blogs, which seems like a neat idea, except that problem has already been pretty well solved with MT-Blacklist. So instead of solving problems for users, it seems like TypeKey is just going to create hassles and reduce the fun and spontaneity of blogs by forcing people to "register" and "login" if they want to comment on blogs that use TypeKey. How often have you thought about leaving a comment somewhere, but decided not to when faced with a registration or login screen? I generally don't fight through those things; it's usually not worth it. I mean, I enjoy leaving comments on blogs, and I certainly love to read the comments here at ai (they're really what make blogging worthwhile, to a large extent—more comments, please!), but part of the fun of blog comments is that they're quick and easy. Read a post, jot a thought, and move on. Registration and login systems add those extra steps, thereby raising the barrier for commenting.

On the plus side, this faq says you don't have to use TypeKey to use MT 3.0, and it sounds like they've built at least some of the functionality of MT-Blacklist right into MT itself. I hope they keep things that way for all future MT upgrades, as well. I also hope MT-Blacklist sticks around and someone continues to update it. I think it's a far better solution to the spam problem than TypeKey promises to be.

Posted 06:37 AM | Comments (5) | meta-blogging

Float On

I hereby predict the definitive "indie" rock anthem of Summer 2004 will be: "Float On" by Modest Mouse. [video, lyrics] If I were you, I'd follow this advice:

you MUST TURN IT UP LOUD SO THE DRUMS AND BASS MAKE YOU CRAZY. holymoly! dan!!

Now accepting nominations for other contenders in this or any other category of must-listen music. Studying requires a good soundtrack, no?

BTW: Several free (legal) and yummy mp3s here. And Better Propaganda also promises to be a treasure trove of great new tunes.

Ok. Back to making Erie my docile little plaything.

Posted 08:03 PM | Comments (5) | life generally

TV Turnoff Week

Due to what must be a magical alignment of the planets, this week, the week I'm supposed to be spending every available minute studying (obviously that's not working) is also TV Turnoff Week! We didn't realize this until Tuesday, but the TV has been dark since then. It's kind of nice, actually. Of course, our friend Tivo is saving up a few goodies for us to watch later, like The Daily Show and Survivor All-Stars, but, well... That's not really cheating, is it? Oh, that reminds me, have you heard about what's happening on The Apprentice? Now that's what I call must-see tv!

Posted 05:50 AM | life generally

Math class for English majors

What happened to Math Class for Poets? Judging by the last post, its author went to work, and isn't/wasn't liking that too much. I wonder how that worked out...

Blogs blawgs. So temporary. It's sad when one stops, isn't it?

The reason I was thinking about this in the first place (besides the fact that thinking about anything other than CivPro is just irresistible right now) is that I was thinking if law school is like math class for poets, poetry is like math class for English majors. That's why I never "got" poetry. I don't do math. (I don't want to go into what I mean by "get" —maybe some other time—but let's just say I'll never be much more than a poetry tourist. Also, if the logic of these analogies seems twisted beyond reason, that's because it is.) And I was probably thinking about all of this because Scoplaw has been posting poetry and, well, it makes you think, is all I'm saying.

So, full circling, tph of Math Class for Poets, if you're reading this, here's hoping you figured out some way to cope with that job situation and everything is going well. Your blog will be visited and read again should you decide to resume posting there.

Posted 05:31 AM | Comments (6) | law school meta-blogging

Indebtedness

I got a big scare yesterday that I'd missed financial aid application deadlines. I've since learned that's not true, but it GW's "need-based aid" is pretty much first-come, first-served (for those who qualify), so I went ahead and did all the outstanding paperwork. It's pretty sobering. At the end of one year of law school at GW (yeah, ok, the end except for those pesky finals), the numbers are:

Current educational loan debt: $68,025 (includes roughly $35k in undergrad and previous grad school debt)

Estimated expenses for 2004-2005: $49,495 (as estimated by GW)

Amount that will be borrowed to pay for 2004-2005: Probably all of it, unless GW comes through w/some aid, but that's looking unlikely. Borrowing it all will put total indebtedness a year from now at $117,520.

Bottom line: Law school is making a PhD in English look pretty cheap. And it's worth all of this, why? Oh, and keep in mind, I'll be lucky to make $40-60k/year upon graduation as a public interest lawyer. Many many starting positions pay much less. Very discouraging....

I guess this is why the good kids do their financial aid way before finals, huh?

Posted 08:30 AM | Comments (15) | law school

Totenberg Reports

On Tuesday the SCOTUS heard arguments "about the constitutionality of detaining so-called "enemy combatants" at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba." For some of the best concise coverage of the case, listen to NPR's Nina Totenberg set up the case the morning before arguments, provide first reactions of the arguments themselves, then wrap up and look ahead to likely outcomes the next day.

Nina Totenberg rocks my world.

Posted 06:49 AM | Comments (4) | law general

Attack of Plan

Ok. 1L classes are now officially over. Hooray?

Now is when the rubber meets the road. Did anything sink into my head this semester? Better question: How much can I cram into my head for near-instant recall in the next six days? I've got good outlines for every class. No, I didn't make a single one. Yes, I know that's not how you're supposed to do it. If you're a law student, I'm telling you this to boost your confidence. Think of this as my gift to you: You are more prepared than I am, so rest easy. This is especially true if you're in my section at GW. I'm here to make sure you'll land at least a bit higher on the curve. Please just throw money.

The plan:

1. Today: Conlaw. Must get an overview in head.
2. Tomorrow and Friday: CivPro. Reviewing outline and Glannon, taking practice exams.
3. Saturday and Sunday: Contracts. Same gig w/the outlines and the practice exams.
4. Monday (4/26): Contracts in the Morning, one more CivPro practice test in the afternoon.
5. Tuesday (4/27): CivPro all day. CivPro final at 2 p.m.
6. Wednesday (4/28): All Contracts, all the time. Practice exams!
7. Thursday (4/29): All contracts still. Contracts final at 2 p.m.
8. Friday (4/30): Property practice exam in the morning, property review w/ProfProperty at 1 p.m.
9. Saturday: Happy May 1st! If I were in Finland I'd celebrate Vappu. But since I'm not, I'll be drowning myself in Property and Conlaw.
10. Sunday and Monday (May 2&3): Conlaw conlaw conlaw.
11. Tuesday (5/4): Conlaw final at 2 p.m.
12. Wednesday (5/5): Property! Practice exams yeah yeah yeah!
13. Thursday (5/6): P-p-property! Property final at 2 p.m. Collapse at 5 p.m. Gradually become human again. Remember that life outside of law school is a wonderful thing.

There. It isn't pretty, but it will have to do. I call it my "Please please let me pass" plan. Feel free to use it yourself. I know you want to.

Hail Mary: If you have any tips, any at all, for remembering/understanding tricky or big-picture points of any of these subjects—CivPro, Contracts (Sales and UCC Art. 2), Conlaw, Property—please please please share. You will be loved and thanked and placed high in the upper levels of the ai pantheon of wonderful peoples. Your children and/or future children will respect you more for your generous spirit and wisdom, and the next time you have Chinese food you'll get a really stellar fortune. I promise. Thanks!

Posted 07:04 AM | Comments (12) | law general

Scary Search

Forget about why this person might have ended up here at ai, the real question is: Why is someone searching for "what exempts someone from the draft for war" in the first place? Is Nader's draft talk having some effect? Or was this search prompted by a Republican Senator's call to reinstate the draft?

Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on post-occupation Iraq that there isn't an American that doesn't understand what the troops are engaged in Iraq and what the prospects are for the future.

"Why shouldn't we ask our citizens to bear some responsibility and pay some price," he said

Hmph. I thought this whole Iraq adventure was supposed to be a cakewalk (also more cakewalk). It sure is a good thing our fearless leader never makes any mistakes. Do you feel more secure yet?

Posted 06:36 AM | general politics

Transfer Tip

Thinking of transferring law schools? Check out JCA's ginormous list of links to transfer policies at various schools. Ah, if wishes were fishes....

Posted 06:35 AM | law school

Honor Roll

Thanks to Venturpreneur for adding ai to its Law Student Blog Honor Roll, even though ai didn't win the poll. Thanks also to all who voted for ai. ai loves you.

I'm not sure what this honor roll means, but since it's w/out doubt the only honor roll your humble blogger will have any chance of making this semester, I'll take what I can get. Congrats to the others on the roll, as well! No offense to Venturpreneur, but here's hoping you all make certain more important honor rolls in the coming weeks.

BTW: What's up with the U of Wisconsin Law School and blogs? Venturpreneur's UW blogroll has a dozen entries, and he may not be including them all. Does any other single school have more? Why do some schools have many bloggers (including faculty), while others have almost none? GW has a student body of at least 1600 students and I know of three GW blogs, including ai. What's up w/that?

Posted 06:29 AM | Comments (4) | law school meta-blogging

Fresh Apples

Apple updated its iBooks and Powerbooks today, but the recently-updated eMac is by far the most Mac for the money. Check this out: G4/1GHz/256/80/SUPERDRIVE/56K for only $895. I'm not buying, just saying...

Posted 03:19 PM | Comments (2) | mac geek

Two more days

Today and tomorrow. Two more days of 1L classes. First final is a week from Tuesday. I write these things to remind myself. This is serious. 1L is almost over. Must focus on finals. If Dubitante is correct and a law school semester is like a golf tournament, I'm in big trouble. I've been following something like Jeremy's Four Week Exam Plan for, well, all semester really, except I haven't looked at any supplements at the bookstore or checked out any treatises from the library. I have stapled some stuff, though, and it felt very satisfying. In fact, where is my stapler. It's a red swingline...

Posted 07:01 AM | Comments (1) | law school

Ernie Says So

What's the best computer for an attorney? Why, a Mac, of course. Ernie the Attorney says so:

Call me crazy, but I think that computers should be so easy to use that the word 'configuration' becomes obsolete as a computer term. There are so many things about Apple computers that make life easier (e.g. they rarely crash, rarely need rebooting, and simply don't need to have the OS reinstalled every year as part of 'routine maintenance'). Macs are more secure, and not just because people don't write viruses for them. I could go on with all of the things I've learned about Macs in the past year. But I'm really wasting my time here because if you have a Mac and run OS X then you already know what I'm talking about. And if you only use PCs then you are going to have to defend your choice (which for many, many people isn't a real choice because they just bought what the herd was buying; at least that's what I did up until a year ago).

So, ok, he concludes by saying that you'll still need a Windoze machine because they're so pervasive that he "probably can't live without one." That's debatable. I have a Windoze machine because GW stupidly requires it if you want to take your exams via computer. Other than that, I've found zero reason to have a Windoze machine—at GW, anyway.

Whatever. Whether you need a Windoze box for some reason is not the point. For day-to-day use, Macs are just better. Listen to Ernie. He's a very smart man. [link via the Unofficial Apple Weblog]

Posted 06:23 AM | Comments (2) | law general mac geek

Superman Loves Wyoming!

Jerry Seinfeld and Superman want you to use American Express. I hate that I enjoyed this so much. It's an advertisement, fergoodnessake! I saw the Daily Show episode last week where Seinfeld was talking about the extra-long commercials he was making for AmEx, and as a matter of principle I was determined not to go watch them. But then I was supposed to be studying for finals, so any distraction is a good distraction. Yesterday I turned over our washing machine to see if I could figure out why it was making such loud banging noises. (Answer: It's broken.) Yeah. Distractions are good. And then Scott at L-Cubed had to go and link to the Seinfeld ad, so of course I had to watch it. And then it had to feature Wyoming. And Superman. I mean, maybe I would be able to dislike the ad if I weren't from Wyoming, but I am, and the poor state just takes so much grief that even an ad that makes fun of Wyoming is a heartwarming change. And this ad is funny. It is. Dangit. And it has Superman wiping mayo off his face with his cape that is impervious to stain.

Just watch it. Give in. Succumb. You will be assimilated.

Posted 10:11 PM | Comments (1) | life generally

Future Self Failure

One year ago yesterday I decided to attend GW. One week from this Tuesday I'll take the first of four finals that will complete my first year at GW. I'm not sure which makes me feel worse: Thinking back on the decision I made a year ago, or thinking ahead to the finals I'm so not prepared for.

Now is not the time to think about the past. Now is the time to think about the fairly immediate future. There will be plenty of time for navel-gazing three weeks from now when the finals are finished. Nose Down, Keep Going.

Thank you for reading my inner dialogue/self-pep-talk. I'm going to study now. Really, I am. Contracts, sales, UCC glee, all day long! Professor Contracts, who seems to be one of the most popular and beloved professors at GW, finished our final class last Thursday by teaching us sales law in three easy lessons:

1. What is the P's claim? Always the same: You made a promise and you didn't keep it, you dirty rat. (Keep your eyes out for implied promises such as those of merchantability and fitness of goods!)
2. What can the D say in his defense? Make a list of possibilities. It may be quite long. Along with each possible defense, list all the possible exceptions to that defense which the P might raise in response. This is where the fun is!
3. What remedies might the buyer or seller seek? There is also fun here: The UCC provides for lots of fun remedies, each of which is available in only specific situations, which you must also know. Enjoy

I know. Lots of 1Ls already had all this fun last semester, but GW spreads contracts over two semesters and puts all of sales in the second one. That means the UCC and I have really only been casual acquaintances up to this point; now is the time for me to try to make us fast and intimate friends. Emphasis on the fast part. Why didn't I study more and blog/surf/watch tv less? Yeesh.

In addition to teaching us Sales in three easy lessons, Prof Contracts also congratulated us on how far we'd come this semester. We learned a lot about contracts, yes, but in addition, he said, "Your mind has changed. For better or worse, you'll never think about things the same way again." Hm. True. I think. The problem is that better/worse part. I can't decide which it really is.

But that's not really important at the moment. It's time to study. Meanwhile, if you're still looking for advice on how to construct a schedule for your 2L year, Slithery D has some advice and links to others' thoughts. Is it just me or does GW's schedule seem way ahead of that of the majority of law schools? We had to plan our schedule weeks ago and the final GW final will be over by May 7th. I finish May 6th at 5 p.m. It's gone quickly, but I'll shore be glad when that moment rolls around. Yessir. So very glad.

Posted 07:18 AM | Comments (4) | law school

Knowspam?

Knowspam claims it will eliminate 100% of spam. I discovered it by sending email to someone who uses it; I got a quick reply from Knowspam telling me to click a link to verify the email I'd sent was coming from a human. No big deal, but a bit of a hassle.

Anybody have any experience with/thoughts on Knowspam?

Knowspam: It works well! I love it. OR: It's a pain in the arse! Discuss.

Posted 08:01 AM | life generally

Nahnahnah, heyheyhey, Bye Bye Chief

Thanks to This Modern World, I just learned that yesterday students, faculty, and community members at the University of Illinois have taken over the Swanlund Administration Building to protest the school's racist mascot, Chief Illiniwek. More up-to-date information (with pics and movies—this is a high-tech sit-in!) is at the activist's site, Retire the Chief.org, and one of the activists—a Philosophy graduate employee—is blogging the action. It sounds like they've done exactly what the GEO did two years ago when we took over Swanlund for a day to demand the University recognize the rights of its graduate employees to organize and bargain collectively. The sit-in strategy worked that time; the University agreed to recognize the results of a union election, which the GEO won, and now the union is bargaining for its first contract. (A glacial process, it seems). Here's hoping the Retire the Chief activists are as successful!

UPDATE: It looks like the action was successful; how successful is still unclear. While we wait for the press conference, how about a little taste of UIUC spin? Check out its announcement of why Swanland is closed today:

For the safety of students, faculty, staff and the public, the Swanlund Administration Building is locked today. Campus administrative activities are fully staffed and continuing in alternate locations. For the convenience of the public, offices have been established on the third floor of the Illini Union Bookstore and the Turner Student Services Building. Regular telephone numbers for the relocated offices are being forwarded to the alternate locations.

Um I think that should read:

We can't get into Swanlund today because we refuse to retire a racist mascot. We've got flack-handlers spinning to the press and public on the third floor of the Illini Union Bookstore and Turner Building. Everything is definitely not ok. Thanks for asking.

On a mostly unrelated note: Why doesn't the GEO have a real blog that nicely organizes and archives their news? I designed the current GEO site in about 2001 before I knew what a blog was. They've hacked my design into complete ickiness, and it looks like it's time for a thorough reworking of things. Maybe when he/she gets out of the sit-in, the blogging Philosophy grad could help whip the GEO's site into shape?

Posted 07:48 AM | Comments (3) | general politics

Audiovisual Crack

Maybe you're spending the day doing last-minute taxes, or maybe you're heading into finals period, or maybe you're just at work wishing it were Friday instead of Thursday. Whatever the case, you need some mental breaks. So, for your viewing pleasure:

• The M&M's Easter Commercial I mentioned the other day but couldn't find. I knew it had to be online! Thanks Cinnamon for finding it!
• We Like the Moon, apparently the inspiration for some Quizno's ads I haven't seen. This is far and away the funniest use of flash animation I've ever seen. Every time I watch it I bust out laughing again. Of course, YMMV. The first few seconds I watched it the first time, I didn't really get it. It just seemed dumb. But by the time it reached the end of its first loop, I was hooked.
• The great Cat Smackdown: A hilarious home video compilation of two cats, well, smacking each other down. Mostly it looks like Bumpo smacks down Francis on a regular basis, but it looks like Francis mostly enjoys it.

Posted 07:59 AM | Comments (3) | life generally

I Am Whatever You Say I Am

You are a GRAMMAR GOD!

If your mission in life is not already to
preserve the English tongue, it should be.
Congratulations and thank you!

How grammatically sound are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

This is so not true, but I'll take it. Now where's my crown and fiery halo? They were here just a minute ago and I think they might come in handy when I have to go to school and try to convince my professors not to flunk me. ;-) [link via a mi parecer]

UPDATE: It looks like Windoze users should not take this quiz —it might be loading crapware onto your computer! See the comments for more info.

Posted 06:31 AM | Comments (5) | life generally

Streaming Law School

I've missed some class recently (shock!), but thanks to Passover, at least one of my professors videotaped several of the classes I missed. As I watch these taped lectures, I realize once again how broken the learning model is at a major law school like GW. What do I miss by having not been in class and watching the class on video instead? Absolutely nothing. Sure, there was the one day per semester in each of my classes where I had to "perform" the ritual of regurgitating the day's reading, acting as little more than a foolish foil for my professors' otherwise largely canned lectures, but aside from those 4 days of class, I might have watched the whole semester on video. I would have learned just as much. In fact, I might have learned more; it's nice to be able to rewind to listen again to the confusing parts.

So what do I pay for in law school? Why doesn't GW just package videos for me to buy, rather than making me move to DC and actually show up on campus for classes? I can think of many reasons—attending class is only one part of a full law school experience—but it's hard to shake the feeling that the attendance requirements are just a mask for the fact that big law schools are just degree factories that long ago sacrificed learning models for business models. Sure, we do learn this way, but let's just drop the pretense, shall we? Charge me half the tuition, send me the videos, I'll watch them at home, and we can all stop pretending there's really a need to pay for the plasma screens in the lobby that no one even looks at. Grrrr.

I'm not dissing my professors. They are almost uniformly terrific this semester (as they were last semester, w/one notable exception), and their lectures—canned or not—are generally very very good. Also, I'm not really advocating online learning; it comes with its own problems. That doesn't change the fact that when you're dealing with classes of more than 100 students each, actual physical attendance seems to add very little value.

Oh, but don't mind me. I'm probably just bitter that I've missed so much class and am going to do so poorly on exams. ;-)

Posted 06:10 AM | law school

Electra Made Me Blind*

Speaking of bikes (see the last post) check out the cool new Electra Townie. It's an upright (traditional) bike that's supposed to put you in a sort of recumbent position so you can put your feet flat on the ground when you stop, while still maintaining the proper distance from pedal to seat when you're pedaling.

Although it seems many people aren't aware of it, you generally should not be able to touch the ground when sitting on the seat of a traditional bike. If you can touch the ground w/more than a tiptoe while sitting on the seat, your seat is probably too low and you're not getting maximum efficiency out of your pedal stroke. Worse, you could damage your knees riding with the seat too low. Trust me on this. When I started riding 70-120 miles/day, I found out the hard way how much difference proper seat adjustment can make. After the first week, I could barely walk because my knee was so sore, and I couldn't figure out why. But I raised the seat a few centimeters and suddenly, all was well. The knee pain magically disappeared. All was right with the world. So, long story short, if you're riding a traditional bike, stop/go traffic can be kind of a pain because if your seat is at the right height, you have to keep coming off your seat every time you stop.

That's why the Townie makes so much sense -- it's the perfect commuter bike. Not only would it be good for stop/go traffic, but also the upright riding position would give you a great view of the road and traffic. The 8-speed Nexus hub and the fenders on the Townie 8 also help make it the ultimate commuter. Suddenly my Bianchi Milano -- with it's loose bottom bracket and off-true wheels from a hard winter of commuting — appears out-classed and out-cooled. Good thing I can't possibly pay for or store another bike right now, or else I might be in trouble.

Oh, and congrats to SuperD, who just got a neato new bike of her own.

* Kudos to anyone who can name the source of the title to this post, but since that's so random, I'll give you more: It's a song title. Who's it by? Of course you can do a search, but that's cheating.

Random related: The Macintosh was briefly and unofficially codenamed "bicycle,"— it was like a "bicycle for the mind" because it allowed your mind to move faster and more efficiently, just as a bike allows your body to move faster and more efficiently. The name didn't stick, but how cool is that?

Posted 10:18 AM | Comments (5) | life generally

Welcome Scoplaw!

Venturpreneur's first poll* for his "Law Student Blog Honor Roll" seems to have spurred (or been a pivotal part of) a mini-boom of interest in law student blogs and pre-law blogs. Adding to this mini-boom, Venturpreneur's first poll has been followed by a second, and accompanied by Legal Underground's comments about those polls, including a little list of new pre-law blogs and a kind word about ai. (Thanks, Evan! No need to feel bad; I'm just that very rare beast: an anti-competitive law student. More on that later, perhaps.)

All of which is to say: If you're looking for a great new pre-law blog, say hello to Scoplaw. What could be more interesting than a poet going to law school? A poet who bikes to law school! Ok, I don't know if he's going to bike to law school, but he rides bikes, he has a garage full of bikes and bike parts, he refurbishes old bikes -- how can you not love this guy?

But yes, Scoplaw is also going to law school, and he's going to blog about it, which promises to be fascinating. How will a poet w/an MFA react to law school's demand that you replace creativity with regimented banality? Will he find a creative way to adapt, or will he feel like he's landed on an alien planet where nobody cares about the thoughts in your head except insofar as they mirror a blackletter law outline? ;-)

Ok, it's not that bad. But still, I can't wait to hear how things go for Scoplaw, because in some ways he and I may be a lot alike. Granted, a poet w/an MFA could be very different from a former candidate for a PhD in English, especially when that English PhD program was more cultural studies/critical theory than literature. For example, the English department I was in had a sort of invisible wall between the MFA program and the MA/PhD program, an oil and water type thing based on politics and petty power struggles, mostly, but also on what seemed to be a mutual disdain. The creative writers seemed to scoff at the seriousness with which the "Lit" people took their theory and cultural studies, while the "Lit" people scoffed at what they assumed was the creative writers' free-floating superficiality and lack of critical consciousness. The two groups did different things, and therefore had different goals, but that's exactly why Scoplaw's experience of law school should be so interesting. I imagine it's a lot easier to go from lawyer to poet/creative writer than the other way around, but I'd be very happy if Scoplaw proved me wrong.

At any rate, check him out, and wish him luck. We all need that.

* Note: Speaking of that Venterpreneur poll, if ai is going to lose any contest, it would be hard to think of a better blog/blogger to lose to than Mixtape Marathon. I'm not familiar with Sapere Aude, but I'll be checking out out in the future since it's so well loved.

Posted 05:43 AM | Comments (7) | law school

Finalizing

My first final of the spring semester is two weeks from tomorrow. At this point, I've done about nothing to prepare. This is not good. Loose ends still remain to tie up before I feel I can focus on finals, but that focus is going to have to come soon or I'll be seriously testing the conventional wisdom that no one flunks out of law school (because the school wants your $$!). Those loose ends include:

Summer Job Update: Thanks in no small part to all the good advice from you, my readers, my summer job dilemma has been resolved for some time now -- I took the public defender job. At first I was very torn and regretted having to make that choice, but since then I've been very very glad to have the job thing settled and to be doing something this summer that will provide such great experience. Taking that job also allowed me to qualify for a GW Summer Subsidy, which I was awarded last week. (Last week was an incredibly full week!) So the summer is looking like it will be terrific -- exactly what I need. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to say about the details of the job here, but I'll certainly post what I can.

FYI: I'm not working in the D.C. Public Defender's office. That office is known as one of the best PD offices in the country, so it would be great to be there, but I'll be spending my summer at a nearby PD office. I didn't even apply to the DC office, mostly because the job hunt went so quickly I just never got around to it. I'm

Scheduling for Next Year: Thanks to everyone who also offered advice about my course scheduling questions a couple of weeks ago. For now, the schedule for fall looks like this: ConLaw II, Evidence, Labor Law, Admin Law, and probably the Moot Court Competition for one additional credit (for a total of 14 credit hours). This might change during drop/add in the fall, but that's it for now. I'll probably be taking the Consumer Mediation Clinic in the spring, along with CrimPro, Ethics, and other things I can't think of at the moment.

Property Review: A couple of weeks ago I offered to share my notes from a Property review session. For those who expressed interest, the notes are here. I've since learned that those notes are even more superficial/surface than I at first realized (if you rely on them for the rule against perpetuities or to navigate through the maze of servitudes, you'll be in a world of hurt), but they still provide a good big-picture overview and might give you some structure on which to hang your own outline.

Posted 06:54 AM | Comments (2) | law school

Bawk! Bawk!

You know you live in a consumer society when you associate holidays with ads as much as with anything else. I can't think "Happy Easter!" without thinking of a 1980s tv commercial for M&M's candy, that featured a kid in a chicken suit saying "Thank you Easter Bunny! Bawk! Bawk!" If you know of an online version, please point it out because I can't find it and I'd love to see it again.

Nostalgia for television commercials. How sad.

For Christians, this is supposed to be a day of happiness, and I hope it is. Yet, regardless of your religious beliefs, today might also be a good day to think about the world we're living in. Just about a year ago the U.S. went to war in Iraq for no clear reason. Thousands have died in the last year — for no clear reason.Now, the Bush administration has declassified the August 6, 2001 memo saying Bin Laden was determined to strike in the U.S., that al-Quaida cells were in the U.S., and that their plans included hijacking planes. It's no coincidence that this memo was released on a late Saturday afternoon on a holiday weekend; clearly, Bush and Co. are hoping people will be too absorbed in their holiday observances to pay close attention to the significance of this development. Meanwhile, the completely lackluster walking corpse that is the Democratic nominee for president is MIA. Oh happy day!

I've been so absorbed in moot court competition (I didn't make the board, by the way), the auction and the finals looming over my head that I haven't had time to pay much attention to the news. I'm sure I'm not alone; it really is easier in many ways to concentrate on your own life and what's going on w/in your immediate sphere of existence than to devote time and thought and energy to the larger world. And there's certainly a bliss to ignorance, but where is our bliss leading us?

But what am I saying? It's Easter. We have funny television ads. Thank you Easter Bunny! Bawk Bawk!

p.s.: I really didn't sit down to write such a bitter pill, but then I read that memo and there you go.

Posted 07:35 AM | Comments (4) | general politics life generally

That Decision...

Falconred has made a decision about where he's going to law school this fall. Almost exactly one year ago I was making the same decision, thinking about the Legal Activism class at GW and whining about trying to get more financial aid. I made a choice based on rankings, and I've since learned that I might have been wiser to base the choice on other criteria, but there you are.

Someday I'll post something about the things I wish I'd done between the time I chose a school and the day school actually started, but that's going to have to wait a bit. As the ai coundown (right) indicates, finals are just a bit more than two weeks away and ConLaw beckons...

The bad part about being finished with the auction: I now have no excuse for not doing my reading or going to class or polishing outlines or taking practice exams. In other words, I have be a law student again now for at least three more weeks. Ick.

Posted 09:18 AM | Comments (5) | law school

Not Dead Yet

The 2004 GW EJF Auction is now history (thanks to anyone who voted in the eBay auctions—they turned out quite well), so things may get back to normal around here soon. Catching up on email, I see that I've just about missed the competition for the Law Student Blog Honor Roll over at Venturpreneur. For whatever good it does, it's always better to make a nice showing in the polls, and currently ai is sadly lacking in the love department. If you have a spare moment, please click ai a vote and I promise to share more stories of law school madness! Or not. Finals are coming, after all...

UPDATE: Um, never so much mind the request for votes in the Venturpreneur poll. I just read the criteria for making the honor roll and I don't think ai qualifies:

To make the Honor Roll, a blog must be by a law student or law strudents and must relate primarily to law or the law school experience. The blog must have content! No once-a-week postings here. I am looking for a steady stream of insights. Good writing of any sort is the lodestar. Of course, I am not attempting to set myself up as the ultimate arbiter of law student blogs; these are just some that I liked very much. In addition, one technical requirement: since I am using Bloglines, the blog must have an rss feed.

ai has an rss feed, but on the whole, I'm not sure ai is primarily about law school or the law school experience. Really, it's primarily about its author and whatever random thing he decides to post about, much of which just happens to relate in some way to law school. Also you won't find a steady stream of insights here, only a steady stream of random observations and thoughts and many questions. For insights, I'd definitely look elsewhere. ;-)

Posted 07:15 AM | Comments (3) | law school

GW EJF Auction

Hi. Apologies for the radio silence. ai has temporarily taken a backseat to other things, most notably the Equal Justice Foundation Public Interest Auction at GW. Much like similar student groups at many other law schools, GW's EJF holds an auction every year to raise funds for those working in the public interest during the summer. As part of that effort, GW's EFJ has opened eight eBay auctions so that anyone, anywhere, can contribute to this good cause:

Do you have family or friends who need a terrific hotel to stay in when they come to D.C.? Do you know any country music fans, REM fans, Washington Caps fans, Baltimore Ravens fans, or Elizabeth Dole fans?

If so, the EJF has just the thing for you: The First Annual EJF eBay Auctions!

Faithful and generous ai readers:

Although I've tried to avoid begging you for cash on a regular basis, for this I make an exception. Can you help out the GW EJF by bidding on one of these eBay auctions or passing the links on to someone who might? It's a great cause, your bids (up to fair market value) are tax deductible, and if you're a fan of one of the stars or teams mentioned above, you'll get a great collectible for your efforts. But hurry, the auctions will close very soon!

Thanks!

Note: ai will return to its regularly scheduled programming sometime next week. Maybe. I hope. Of course, I hear finals are three weeks away, so no promises at this point...

Posted 07:54 PM | Comments (2) | law school

That's Done

The moot court competition is over. Thank goodness. It's fun if your judges seem to like you (as indicated by their post-round feedback, not necessarily their questions during the round), but not so fun when the judges clearly don't like you (or your arguments).

It turns out, despite what Tom Petty might say, the waiting isn't the hardest part. The hardest part is dealing with a practicing attorney who's pretending to be a judge but who has not prepared nearly enough and who does not understand the statute at issue in your argument. It's also hard when your panel of judges tells you to begin, and while you're painstakingly laying out your argument, the judges proceed to ignore you while they have a little mini-conference about which one of them is supposed to be keeping time. Finally, the waiting is hard. Round two for me was this morning at 9 a.m., so I had to wait from about 9:40 to 1:30 to learn if I was going to the final round, then wait another hour for the final round to begin, then wait an extra five minutes for judge three (also a practicing attorney, also demonstrably lacking in familiarity with the issues and cases you're arguing about) to park his car.

After all that, I'd say the chance that I made the board is about 10%. But hey, it was good fun, I learned a bit, and at least two out of four panels of judges really liked my argument, so it's all good.

Posted 04:00 PM | Comments (1) | law school

Moot Wait

GW's annual first year Moot Court competition is currently, at this very moment, nearing its final round. This year the competition is being run in tournament format. Preliminary rounds were yesterday, semi-finals were this morning, and now the law school is all aflutter with nervous, business-suited 1Ls waiting to hear whether they're advancing to the final round.

Too bad GW didn't build a nice sound system into the student lounges when they remodeled last summer. Now would be a great time for a little Tom Petty.

Posted 11:48 AM | law school

arg

What day is this? Oh yeah, it's the day I quit law school.

Posted 10:02 PM | Comments (3) | law school