Ever have one of those weeks that seems to fly by and yet drag so slowly at the same time? Well, this is one of those weeks for me.
I am so blessed to have gotten so many opportunities to interview with different employers at my school this week. It really makes it much easier to have the employers come to you - rather than vice versa. I kind of enjoy interviews - you get to meet so many different sorts of people, and it is always a nice reminder that lawyers can't really be stereotyped into one mold or another. They really are a very diverse bunch of folks!
Anywho, I think the majority of them went really well. I didn't leave wishing I had said something else or regretting anything that I did say. Sometimes my mouth gets ahead of my mind in interviews. But, I definitely came away from each one with a different impression of the firm. Suffice it to say - some interviews are just plain fun, while some are a countdown in your brain until the 20 minutes is up! I chock it up to the fact that God is leading me to the firm that will fit me the best, and that necessarily means that not every firm will feel like a good fit. :)
In addition to having multiple interviews every day, I also had journal orientation this week. I am actually pretty excited about my journal this year - it seems like a great bunch of people to work with. In addition, I am thanking my lucky stars that my first cite check assignment involves cases, almost entirely. That will make my job SO MUCH EASIER! And I appreciate easier right now.
So, as the week winds down, I am basically waiting on my reference desk orientation to begin. (I am going to be the "legal research genie" who can answer all your questions at the library ref desk!) After that, I will head back to the apartment, grab some stuff that I need for the weekend, and drive on home.
Why home, you ask? Because I already have a callback interview scheduled for Monday - which means that I will miss the first day of class. Boo. But, I can't complain too much, because it also means that I *might* be blessed with a job for next summer very soon!
So, there you have it. That is a recap of my first week of 2L year. As busy as this week was, I can only wonder what the rest of 2L year will be like!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Running to Win...
Hello!
It's been a while, hasn't it? Since writing in 2009, I've had some amazing experiences. I won't recount them here, but suffice it to say that God has stretched me and pushed me in ways I never anticipated. Life was so busy that I honestly didn't have much time to blog.
I'm at the point in my life where I think a blog will be a helpful tool for me to reflect and ponder things. A nice way to chronicle my days and share my thoughts with family and friends. So, here goes!
I've recently found a new hobby - jogging. I read about Disney's Princess Half-Marathon, and I thought it sounded so exciting and fun. I couldn't help but think what an accomplishment completing something like that would be for me.
So, my sis and I committed to running the half-marathon together in February 2013. That gives us both enough time to train, while still giving 100% to our busy lives at school. We're each doing something different to train up.
My plan is to slowly increase my running distance over time. I am currently working with the Couch to 5k Program, and it has been awesome! I am up to the Week 4 schedule - which is a HUGE accomplishment for me. I really enjoy running - especially running outdoors. It's a refreshing way to start the day!
After the 5K, I am planning on training for an 8k, then a 10k, and finally working towards THE half-marathon.
I registered for my first 5K race, which will take place in December. I figured it would be neat to run these smaller races in preparation for the big one. Plus, it'll force me to stick with my training schedule, and it's just neat to mark milestones by these "running celebrations."
Till Next Time,
Melissa
It's been a while, hasn't it? Since writing in 2009, I've had some amazing experiences. I won't recount them here, but suffice it to say that God has stretched me and pushed me in ways I never anticipated. Life was so busy that I honestly didn't have much time to blog.
I'm at the point in my life where I think a blog will be a helpful tool for me to reflect and ponder things. A nice way to chronicle my days and share my thoughts with family and friends. So, here goes!
I've recently found a new hobby - jogging. I read about Disney's Princess Half-Marathon, and I thought it sounded so exciting and fun. I couldn't help but think what an accomplishment completing something like that would be for me.
So, my sis and I committed to running the half-marathon together in February 2013. That gives us both enough time to train, while still giving 100% to our busy lives at school. We're each doing something different to train up.
My plan is to slowly increase my running distance over time. I am currently working with the Couch to 5k Program, and it has been awesome! I am up to the Week 4 schedule - which is a HUGE accomplishment for me. I really enjoy running - especially running outdoors. It's a refreshing way to start the day!
After the 5K, I am planning on training for an 8k, then a 10k, and finally working towards THE half-marathon.
I registered for my first 5K race, which will take place in December. I figured it would be neat to run these smaller races in preparation for the big one. Plus, it'll force me to stick with my training schedule, and it's just neat to mark milestones by these "running celebrations."
Till Next Time,
Melissa
Friday, August 21, 2009
Eating Out, Watching Monk, and Blogging
Olive Garden takeout for dinner. Yummy awesomeness.
Watching Monk later on tonight. Favorite show. Last season. Boo.
Just got an e-mail about an Ice Cream Social to welcome new grad students to the Intervarsity Graduate Christian Fellowship. Sweet (and yummy).
Nervous about law school. Excited about law school.
And that's all she wrote. :)
Watching Monk later on tonight. Favorite show. Last season. Boo.
Just got an e-mail about an Ice Cream Social to welcome new grad students to the Intervarsity Graduate Christian Fellowship. Sweet (and yummy).
Nervous about law school. Excited about law school.
And that's all she wrote. :)
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Textbooks, Orientation, and Stuff
The countdown is on! I have officially ONE WEEK left before I leave for law school.
I've bounced between feelings of nervousness and excitement pretty much all summer. I've heard from law students that feeling like you are in over your head is normal for a 0L (mostly because you pretty much are in over your head). At times, I wondered what the heck I was thinking when I applied to law school. At other times, I knew without a doubt that law school was the right decision for me. Up and down. Like a crazy roller coaster that you force yourself to ride just so you can say you did it.
With only a few more days to go before orientation, I am feeling 70% excited and 30% nervous. I'm excited to meet all my new classmates, to live in a new town, to attend a GREAT university, and to finally begin a program that will teach me a career. I like that I will be learning a definite set of skills that will translate into a job upon graduation.
College was great fun and I learned a lot, but I realize now that half the majors available for study really don't pave the way into any definite career. If you're just starting out in college, make sure you double major. Study what you love, but also study something that can eventually lead to a paycheck one day. I picked smartly without even really knowing what I was doing - I have an education degree with a teacher's license, and I also have a history degree - which led to law school.
In other news, my apartment is totally set up. I LOVE it! My Mom and I decorated it completely from secondhand stores. I swear, Design on a Dime needs to do an episode covering my apartment. Everything from the silverware (a 60 piece set of Oneida silverware which I snagged for 12 bucks from a retiring caterer at a garage sale) to my vintage Chromcraft kitchen table with 6 chairs which I bought from Habitat ReStore for 40 bucks (and sells for hundreds in antique stores) was bought secondhand. It was addicting....you never really knew what you were going to find!
The only new thing in my apartment is my 32" HDTV. And some computer stuff. Oh yah. Be jealous. :)
Anywho, I read my first case from one of my textbooks!! I couldn't help myself. Specifically, it was Johnson v. M'Intosh (1823), and it was in my Property casebook. Oddly enough, I found it to be a very interesting read. And I understood it. (Or, at least, I think I did.) The plaintiff in the case said that he had the rights to a certain piece of property because it was deeded to him by the Indian chiefs of the region. Another man claimed he owned the property because the government deeded it to him (even though it was at a later date than the plaintiff). The court ruled in favor of the defendant because precedent dictated that Indians were allowed to occupy their land, but they were not allowed to sell or deed their land to anyone. European precedence robbed Indians of their sovereignty. Indians could live off the land and had a right to live on the land, but they were not ultimately in control. It's acquisition by discovery...when a person discovers a land not previously known by Christian peoples, they are the rightful owners of that land.
That's a tough decision to swallow, but it's amazing to see how much history and society can influence the law. Am I sensing a future in real estate law? Hmm.... ;)
I've bounced between feelings of nervousness and excitement pretty much all summer. I've heard from law students that feeling like you are in over your head is normal for a 0L (mostly because you pretty much are in over your head). At times, I wondered what the heck I was thinking when I applied to law school. At other times, I knew without a doubt that law school was the right decision for me. Up and down. Like a crazy roller coaster that you force yourself to ride just so you can say you did it.
With only a few more days to go before orientation, I am feeling 70% excited and 30% nervous. I'm excited to meet all my new classmates, to live in a new town, to attend a GREAT university, and to finally begin a program that will teach me a career. I like that I will be learning a definite set of skills that will translate into a job upon graduation.
College was great fun and I learned a lot, but I realize now that half the majors available for study really don't pave the way into any definite career. If you're just starting out in college, make sure you double major. Study what you love, but also study something that can eventually lead to a paycheck one day. I picked smartly without even really knowing what I was doing - I have an education degree with a teacher's license, and I also have a history degree - which led to law school.
In other news, my apartment is totally set up. I LOVE it! My Mom and I decorated it completely from secondhand stores. I swear, Design on a Dime needs to do an episode covering my apartment. Everything from the silverware (a 60 piece set of Oneida silverware which I snagged for 12 bucks from a retiring caterer at a garage sale) to my vintage Chromcraft kitchen table with 6 chairs which I bought from Habitat ReStore for 40 bucks (and sells for hundreds in antique stores) was bought secondhand. It was addicting....you never really knew what you were going to find!
The only new thing in my apartment is my 32" HDTV. And some computer stuff. Oh yah. Be jealous. :)
Anywho, I read my first case from one of my textbooks!! I couldn't help myself. Specifically, it was Johnson v. M'Intosh (1823), and it was in my Property casebook. Oddly enough, I found it to be a very interesting read. And I understood it. (Or, at least, I think I did.) The plaintiff in the case said that he had the rights to a certain piece of property because it was deeded to him by the Indian chiefs of the region. Another man claimed he owned the property because the government deeded it to him (even though it was at a later date than the plaintiff). The court ruled in favor of the defendant because precedent dictated that Indians were allowed to occupy their land, but they were not allowed to sell or deed their land to anyone. European precedence robbed Indians of their sovereignty. Indians could live off the land and had a right to live on the land, but they were not ultimately in control. It's acquisition by discovery...when a person discovers a land not previously known by Christian peoples, they are the rightful owners of that land.
That's a tough decision to swallow, but it's amazing to see how much history and society can influence the law. Am I sensing a future in real estate law? Hmm.... ;)
Friday, August 14, 2009
Why Tylenol is My Worst Nightmare...
I can't swallow pills.
Seriously. I haven't been able to swallow a pill in years and years. I get the pill on my tongue, and my throat starts acting like an iron vice. It's a pain, since I've been forced to take liquid tylenol (which tastes like rotten cherries) for near a decade now.
So, today I am at the grocery store and I see this little box of tylenol on sale. It promises to be an EZ tab...easy to swallow due to its peculiar shape and sweet coating. "Great! Finally something to help me manage to swallow a pill and toss the liquid junk," I think.
Yah. I haven't had to actually take any tylenol as of yet...so, the final verdict isn't in.
I have, however, spent some time researching different methods for swallowing pills. (Which is incredibly nerdy and something only a die-hard researcher and over-achiever like myself would do. I am well aware.) Turns out tips for swallowing pills are a dime a dozen.
One lady recommended practicing beforehand using "pill-like" foods. Smarties...M&Ms...etc. I love Smarties and M&M's, so I really don't want to ruin my love of them by pretending they are pills. I decided to use peas....cooked peas, of course. I used them in a dish tonight for dinner....I didn't just randomly decide to cook up a bag of frozen peas. :)
Anywho. I think I may have found my method. I put the "pill" on the middle of my tongue. I furiously sip a juice drink through a straw while tucking my chin down. And the pea is swallowed whole. I hope this transfers to pills. And, yes. I just blogged about my trouble with swallowing pills. Does anyone else share this problem? Any suggestions for how to break the problem? And that, readers, is why Tylenol is my worst enemy.
Seriously. I haven't been able to swallow a pill in years and years. I get the pill on my tongue, and my throat starts acting like an iron vice. It's a pain, since I've been forced to take liquid tylenol (which tastes like rotten cherries) for near a decade now.
So, today I am at the grocery store and I see this little box of tylenol on sale. It promises to be an EZ tab...easy to swallow due to its peculiar shape and sweet coating. "Great! Finally something to help me manage to swallow a pill and toss the liquid junk," I think.
Yah. I haven't had to actually take any tylenol as of yet...so, the final verdict isn't in.
I have, however, spent some time researching different methods for swallowing pills. (Which is incredibly nerdy and something only a die-hard researcher and over-achiever like myself would do. I am well aware.) Turns out tips for swallowing pills are a dime a dozen.
One lady recommended practicing beforehand using "pill-like" foods. Smarties...M&Ms...etc. I love Smarties and M&M's, so I really don't want to ruin my love of them by pretending they are pills. I decided to use peas....cooked peas, of course. I used them in a dish tonight for dinner....I didn't just randomly decide to cook up a bag of frozen peas. :)
Anywho. I think I may have found my method. I put the "pill" on the middle of my tongue. I furiously sip a juice drink through a straw while tucking my chin down. And the pea is swallowed whole. I hope this transfers to pills. And, yes. I just blogged about my trouble with swallowing pills. Does anyone else share this problem? Any suggestions for how to break the problem? And that, readers, is why Tylenol is my worst enemy.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Hello!
Welcome to the first update from the Girl in the Law Library!
I suppose I should start out this first entry by explaining a bit about the purpose of this blog. My reasons are threefold....
One, I wanted to have a place where I can write updates for my family and friends about my wacky adventures, triumphs, and trials while in law school. As a 0L, I've yet to really know exactly how true all the rumors of the 1L year really are. From what I have heard, the upcoming year is going to be a trial (no pun intended) like no other. This blog is my attempt at making sure I keep in contact with everyone who may be interested in keeping up with the goings on in my life. :)
So, I promise to update as often (and with as much detail) as I possibly can. We'll see how far that promise goes, but you can be perfectly sure that my intentions are completely honorable.
Secondly, I've scoured the internet for blogs written by law students. I've searched and searched, and what I have found isn't entirely promising. There are a few blogs authored by law students here and there, but they are always negative or grossly crude. There are also the plethora of lawyer joke blogs, which provide nothing for those of us seeking to read about the experiences of law school. Since I'm a glass half-full kind of girl who dislikes the debasement of the English language through crudeness and vulgarity, I am fairly certain my blog is unique. I'm setting up blogging shop in an area that has been neglected.
Whether this is because of a true lack of optimistic lawyers, or simply just an oversight...we shall see.
Anywho, this will be a blog about a girl who is learning how to be a lawyer and experiencing everything that law school is...and isn't. A sort of journalistic recounting of the day-to-day. It's a record of everything (or, at least, some things) a 0L wants to know but doesn't know who to ask or where to look.
I want this to be the something akin to the blog I never had, but desperately wanted, to reference as a 0L.
Thirdly (and finally, I swear), I want to have an outlet for myself to write about thoughts, events, and experiences. I write a lot...so I just don't think I can stop writing for personal enjoyment simply because I am suddenly inundated with required writing. It's just my personality to write everything down...so why not share?
So, there you have it. I'm a 23 year-old recent college graduate fulfilling my lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer. I've been accepted at the law school of my dreams, and I am literally days away from starting out on the next three years of my life. It's going to be a lot of work, but I know that God is faithful and He will lead me along the path He has laid out for me. I suppose I'll close with a little message one of my friends gave me recently:
"I can do THIS through Christ."
It's sort of become a catch-phrase for tackling life. The Bible says we can do all things through Christ, so that naturally translates into being able to do the current task set before you. Applying God's promises to the here and now...and all that. :)
Till next time, Mel
I suppose I should start out this first entry by explaining a bit about the purpose of this blog. My reasons are threefold....
One, I wanted to have a place where I can write updates for my family and friends about my wacky adventures, triumphs, and trials while in law school. As a 0L, I've yet to really know exactly how true all the rumors of the 1L year really are. From what I have heard, the upcoming year is going to be a trial (no pun intended) like no other. This blog is my attempt at making sure I keep in contact with everyone who may be interested in keeping up with the goings on in my life. :)
So, I promise to update as often (and with as much detail) as I possibly can. We'll see how far that promise goes, but you can be perfectly sure that my intentions are completely honorable.
Secondly, I've scoured the internet for blogs written by law students. I've searched and searched, and what I have found isn't entirely promising. There are a few blogs authored by law students here and there, but they are always negative or grossly crude. There are also the plethora of lawyer joke blogs, which provide nothing for those of us seeking to read about the experiences of law school. Since I'm a glass half-full kind of girl who dislikes the debasement of the English language through crudeness and vulgarity, I am fairly certain my blog is unique. I'm setting up blogging shop in an area that has been neglected.
Whether this is because of a true lack of optimistic lawyers, or simply just an oversight...we shall see.
Anywho, this will be a blog about a girl who is learning how to be a lawyer and experiencing everything that law school is...and isn't. A sort of journalistic recounting of the day-to-day. It's a record of everything (or, at least, some things) a 0L wants to know but doesn't know who to ask or where to look.
I want this to be the something akin to the blog I never had, but desperately wanted, to reference as a 0L.
Thirdly (and finally, I swear), I want to have an outlet for myself to write about thoughts, events, and experiences. I write a lot...so I just don't think I can stop writing for personal enjoyment simply because I am suddenly inundated with required writing. It's just my personality to write everything down...so why not share?
So, there you have it. I'm a 23 year-old recent college graduate fulfilling my lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer. I've been accepted at the law school of my dreams, and I am literally days away from starting out on the next three years of my life. It's going to be a lot of work, but I know that God is faithful and He will lead me along the path He has laid out for me. I suppose I'll close with a little message one of my friends gave me recently:
"I can do THIS through Christ."
It's sort of become a catch-phrase for tackling life. The Bible says we can do all things through Christ, so that naturally translates into being able to do the current task set before you. Applying God's promises to the here and now...and all that. :)
Till next time, Mel
P.S. ---> If you read this, please comment. I like to know who's reading my stuff and what they think.
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