« February 05, 2006 - February 11, 2006 | Main | February 19, 2006 - February 25, 2006 »
Beginning of the End
Congratulations to Monica who has finished her last class of law school! Her last class came a bit early compared to the rest of us graduating this spring because dhe attends Northeastern, which is on a quarter system and also requires that students spend every other quarter (I think) working. So she has a quarter left but will spend it “working” Florida. Sounds pretty good, no?
And so the end begins—the end of law school for the Blawgging Class of 2006. According to the calendar, I still have 13 weeks, but three of those I'll be spending on vacation in Wyoming, so it's really 10 (my one and only final is May 4th). Kind of hard to believe it's so close to over—especially when I have so much to do right now.
So I wonder: What is going to happen to this Blawgging Class of 2006? Will the blawgs live one? Will they be abandoned? Destroyed? Will the blawggers keep in touch? Blogging as a lawyer seems, in many ways, more challenging than blogging as any other sort of person b/c there's so much about what you do that's confidential. That said, lots of lawyers have great blogs, so it's obviously possible.
Here's another question: Can anyone think of a good example of a law student blog that has successfully transitioned to a lawyer blog? A couple of examples: L-cubed and Sua Sponte apparently hung up the keyboards (although I sort of suspect they're still posting somewhere and I'm just not privy to the info), and the blogger behind A Mad Tea-Party started blogging at bk! after a year or so hiatus. Andrew Raff, Screaming Bean and E. McPan have all continued blogging, but will that change when they all get the legal job of their dreams?
Do law students quit blogging after graduating because they are afraid to continue? Do they quit because they no longer find it enjoyable? Do they quit because they no longer have the time? Or is there something else going on?
Whatever the case, it will be sad if/when so many of the blogs I read regularly end up on permanent hiatus. That's not to say the imbroglio won't suffer the same fate. We can never tell what the future holds, can we?
Posted 02:34 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack | law school
Battlestar Runway Survivor
Let's set aside the fact that I watch too much tv and focus on these important questions: 
One: Why is Battlestar Gallactica becoming a right-wing propaganda machine? First they make peace activists into terrorists, then they make abortion illegal. What gives? Did Karl Rove take over the show, or what?
Two: Who is going to win Project Runway? As I learned here, you can find all the collections online (Santino (much more dignified and even plain than expected), Chloe (nice!), Daniel (snore), Kara (much better than expected, but unfortunately it's only a decoy). Based on those collections, I'm thinking it's going to be a close race between Santino and Chloe. I've liked them both throughout the cycle so either would be good as far as I'm concerned. If I had to choose, I'd give it to Santino b/c he really seems to want it, whereas Chloe is definitely more ambivalent about it.
Three: Is Shane the most insane Survivor contestant ever? It's almost hard to watch Survivor after the impressiveness that is Project Runway. The designers on Runway are seriously talented and accomplished people, while the “survivors” are a real mixed bag. I guess it's a little like comparing apples and oranges, but in many ways it just seems that Runway is much more difficult than Survivor. And there's less to talk about with Survivor. I mean, the new exile island twist definitely is adding an interesting element and the Courtney tribe is crazy town, but otherwise? Well, we basically know what to expect. It's still just unpredictable enough to keep me watching, but just barely.
Posted 01:48 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack | tv land
Alaskablawg Hangs 10
Speaking of trials, Steven Wells, a blogging public defender, just won a hung jury in the murder trial of Rachel Waterman, “a Southeast Alaska teenager accused of plotting with two former boyfriends to murder her mother.” Wells writes about the verdict on his own blog, saying in part:
We started this case with people literally across the world reviling my client and we came to this trial and showed that the State was wrong. I cannot consider this anything but a win and I will try it again and again and again and again if necessary.
As Skelly puts it, “A great lawyer blogs among us.”
For more information about the Waterman case, CourtTV has been following it pretty closely. One of the angles that makes the story especially interesting is that, like her lawyer, Waterman was a blogger:
Her last blog entry before the police seized her computer and took her to jail said:
I have a feeling that final post did not make Wells' job any easier, which is all the more reason for him to be proud of the hung jury.
Posted 09:37 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack | crimlaw
Close, but still no trial
Surprise, surprise! I didn't actually end up having a trial today after all.
I knew I shouldn't have posted about it beforehand.
So the judge ended up being too busy. We sat around for about 4 hours before he got around to telling us it was highly unlikely he'd get to our trial today and did we want to reschedule? So yeah, I guess I'll be saving my stellar sneaker arguments for a couple more months.
It was still a somewhat exciting day. You'll just have to trust me on that one, I guess.
I have two more trials scheduled in the next few weeks so I'll be sure and let you know if either of those actually happens. Of course, I probably won't be able to say much more than “I finally had a trial!” but at least that's something.
Posted 11:51 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack | 3L
The Secret of Today's Success
Everyone say it with me now: An average, everyday tennis shoe cannot be a “dangerous weapon” in DC unless its manner of use inflicts “serious bodily injury.”
That's what all the cases I read say, anyway. Let's hope the judge agrees with me.
Unfortunately, even if the judge agrees on that point, there's another charge for which I have no such neat response. Ok, I know what I'm going to argue about it, but, well, I'm a bit less confident that my argument will carry the day.
Anyway, unlike my last “first” trial which ended in a failed plea agreement, this trial is almost certainly going to go today. In, like, a couple of hours. Am I really ready for this? I guess I'll find out soon enough....
Posted 07:28 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack | 3L crimlaw
Bite Me, Lexis!
Dude, I have a trial in the morning and this is what Lexis is telling me every time I try to pull up a case:
Sweet.
Posted 10:53 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack | 3L
Lover's Rock
In honor of Valentine's Day:
“Lover's Rock,” by The Clash, is a great song, but its lyrics are nearly indecipherable.
Discuss.
Posted 08:34 AM | TrackBack | life generally
Heartowie: Please Send Anti-Valentines
Energy Spatula, everyone's favorite superhero, has had a little romantic setback. Don't you think she deserves a card from you?
Posted 09:42 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack | life generally
Graduation Application & Information
If you're a 3L at GW, heads up! You have to fill out a “graduation application” (PDF) and turn it in to the Records Office by February 15th.
It's nice that they put the form online, but why not make it a webform that we can submit online, too?
The school has also put up information about its graduation ceremonies. I have to say I don't feel like I'll be missing much, and I'm quite glad to not have to worry about “tickets and regalia.”
Regalia? Get over your bad selves, people.
Posted 09:37 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack | 3L
Ambivalent Question: Do we need the spying?
This week's Ambivalent Question asks: “Its legality aside: Does the U.S. need Bush's NSA domestic spying program?”
Here is the basic background: Shortly after the attacks of 9/11/01, President Bush authorized the NSA to begin eavesdropping on telephone and email conversations between Americans in the U.S. and Americans and non-Americans outside of the U.S. This program remained secret until last December, when the NY Times published a story about it (after holding the story for nearly a year). There is great disagreement over whether the program is legal, but the latest chorus I'm hearing is that if it's illegal, Congress is more than happy to change the law to make it legal. So the Ambivalent Question sidesteps the legality issue to ask: Is this a necessary program? Does it do us any good? Do its benefits (real or potential or theoretical) outweigh its costs (again, real or potential or theoretical)?
Voting and comments are open, so whadyathink?
Posted 11:22 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack | ambivalent questions
Cartoon Poll: Publish w/restraint
The last Ambivalent Poll asked: “What do you think about the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed?” (Related post.) The final results were:
- 28.6% of respondents said “The media have the right to publish, but they probably should not do so.”
- 28.6% said “Impeach Bush.”
- 25.7% said “A cartoon, no matter what it depicts, can never justify violence.”
- 17.1% said “Western media should publish such things; it's a matter of free speech.”
- 0.0% said “Western media should *not* publish such things; doing so is insensitve to Muslims and Islam.”
I was in the majority on this one; it's probably best to exercise restraint in publication of these cartoons and yes, we should definitely impeach Bush. As L. pointed out, the original motivation for the cartoons could very well have had a large racist component, so while reprinting them might seem like an expression of support for free speech, it also ends up reinforcing whatever racism might have motivated the cartoons in the first place.
These are hard questions. I'm tempted to agree that cartoons alone should never justify violence, but it's hard to say that the violence we've seen is really a result of these cartoons. The cartoons may have been the touchstone, but it's clear the anger and resentment were there already. What to do about that is the gazillion-dollar question.
Thanks to all who voted. A new Ambivalent Question will be up soon.
Posted 10:22 AM | TrackBack | ambivalent questions
Blawg Wisdom: Updated
Just FYI: Blawg Wisdom got a few updates this week thanks to great posts from Songius, Funny Yet Accurate, and Divine Angst. Check it out.
And, as always, if you see any great advice for law students in your reading 'round the web, please share.
