A while back I spotted in a US Blawg (I forget which, sorry) some "types" of law student that can be frequently encountered in American Law Schools. A month or so back I introduced to you a few types of the Pro Bono lady on my first day of lectures. Having now been a law student for a month, I have been able to observe my fellow students and describe types according to Susie Law School. This list isn't exhaustive but these are the most obvious ones. I realise generalisation and stereotyping isn't very open-minded, but it's fun so get over it. If you don't like it, don't read my blog.
Type 1 - The Mature Student
The Mature Student is not specific to Law School. He or she can also be found at any undergraduate university. The Mature Student is keen and driven in a very different way to the young 'uns. This is because they've been around the block once or twice and now they are settling into doing something completely new and different for the first time in a good few years. The Mature Student has two significant characteristics. Firstly, he or she always asks questions. At the end of every lecture, every tutorial. She is here to learn, and learn she will. Having been out of education for a long time, getting back into academic study can be a challenge and as a result the Mature Student may find that things need explaining a lot more than other students do. They will ask until they are satisfied. Instead of some of the younger students who cannot wait to get out of lectures to head off for the pub and thus ask no questions, the Mature Student is the polar opposite. This brings us to the second characteristic - the Mature Student is not sociable. He is friendly and makes the effort to chat and is very nice and liked. However he has not come to Law School to make friends and also probably has children and a spouse who take precedence. Thus the Mature Student does not partake in pub outings.
Type 2 - The Activist
The Activist is pretty much the same as the Idealist from the Pro Bono class. He abhors all that corporations and City lawyers represent and wants to see them suffer. He has come to Law School to take on the world and change it. He is essentially slightly grungy. Some Activists wear clothes made from hemp or other similar materials and washing or combing their hair is something they may do sparingly to save water. Don't get me wrong, the Activist is not necessarily unhygienic or gross or anything, but much more "student-like" than other types and dresses the part. His favourite subjects are Human Rights, Criminal Law or something else that he can use to defend the oppressed. He will get heavily involved in Pro Bono and qualify to earn little money doing Legal Aid work out of his little office at the back of Tesco, but he is doing it for The Cause. Everything is worth it for The Cause and he will probably help a lot of people in his career. He might even become famous and rich but that isn't what being a lawyer is about for the Activist. His mortal enemy? The Eton Boy.
Type 3 - The Eton Boy
The Eton Boy went to Oxford, or at the very least Cambridge. He is a upper-middle class tosser whose so-called intelligence is highly questionable and in any case unnecessary thanks to a little something called Daddy's Money. The Eton Boy isn't stupid, obviously, since he has a degree from a world-renowned University and presumably quite a few acceptable A-level grades from Eton, Harrow or other similar all-boys private school. Neither is he a geek - money buys plenty of pink cashmere jumpers, tan leather shoes and designer jeans. What he is, however, is arrogant. He speaks with a finely-tuned "posh" accent, has perfected his laugh to be as engaging as it can be patronising, along with practising the flick of his floppy Tory-boy haircut to have maximum effect. He probably played some kind of sport at University. Nothing as vulgar as football, but probably hockey or lacrosse. Maybe even Rugby. Or the quintessential favourite - rowing. He probably has a training contract at a Magic Circle firm - he is not concerned about quality of work, only money and lots of it. Oh and of course status. Only the best will do - therefore only the top firms with other Oxfordites as partners will be deemed acceptable to him as a future place of employment where his by now second nature "old boys club" mentality will be reciprocated by fellow Eton Boys. If you are a nice normal girl, beware the Eton Boy. He will believe himself to be truly irresistable and his confidence and flashiness may fool an innocent little law student. Not so much after you spend your first date with him competing for his attention... with himself!*
Type 4 - The Desperate Housewife
The Desperate Housewife often comes hand in hand (literally) with the Eton Boy. She is the ultimate in suburban chic - fairly attractive, well brought-up, intelligent and well-spoken. She has also probably attended a good red-brick university, has good grades in something arty like Philosophy or English and has come to Law School determined to find one thing... a husband! The Desperate Housewife if not concerned with money or status. She is not becoming a lawyer for the career prospects but for the eligible bachelors. Her plan is to get trained up, work a few years in a nice little City firm until she hits the jackpot and finds a young man firmly on the partner track, to marry her. Then she will stop working with no regrets and transform into the perfect little wife, complete with a detached house in a leafy part of Surrey or Berkshire, volunteer work and two or three little angels running around, their place in Eton confirmed at birth. Of course if you have been paying attention you have probably already realised that the Desperate Housewife can easily find her match at Law School. That's right - it's the Eton Boy. For the Eton Boy not just any little lady will do, he wants one willing to be submissive and act in an appropriate manner for a corporate lawyer's wife. The Desperate Housewife is also not concerned with such minimal matters as "love" and "personality". All she wants is a husband to provide for her, pay for her fine wardrobe, take her to parties and the more time he sends in the office the better. Perfect match.
*Please note this is not from any bitter personal experience. I would not date an Eton Boy!
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Washington D.C.
Finally - I've returned to my holiday updates. I realise all of you have by now forgotten about the fact that I went on holiday, let alone that I never finished posting about it, but not to worry. I haven't forgotten and I'm finally organised enough to return to telling you about my adventures.
So. The Smoky Mountains trip is where I last left you. Thus we arrived in D.C. After Leesburg, and lunch at TGI Friday's. Would you believe our waiter was called Randy! What are the odds! I daresay he failed to appreciate my amusement at his name... we drove off in the rain towards the capital, and actually managed to find our hotel without any mishaps. We heard that D.C. is notoriously difficult to navigate but we had no problems!
We stayed at the M Street Hotel, predictably not on M Street, but on New Hampshire. Still, it was very nice and lovely, although the concierge wasn't quite as in Charleston. There really was no question about what we would spend the remainder of the day doing, once we dropped off Randy (we had some trouble finding the car rental drop off but it was all due to BAD SIGNAGE!!!!). So yes, you got it, we went SHOPPING!!! We headed off to Pentagon City which is clearly near the Pentagon. Now I always thought the Pentagon is out in the sticks but it actually has a suburb all its own. And a Mall! A big huge giant mall! It's so pretty!
We spent the first hour and a half in Benetton where Miss S knew all the staff and they kept dressing her up like a little doll. $700 later we moved away from the green and on to other shops. Please note I bought a hat for $20, I felt slightly inadequate. But we had much fun looking around the shops and eating pretzels and McDonald's. Now for the record, I never eat McDonald's. I saw Supersize Me, it put me off for life. The only time I ever have it, is after a drunken night when it's the only place open. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that McDonald's in the US is actually much nicer!
The next day we were up nice and early, ready to investigate the city. Miss S is a seasoned capital-goer so she knew all the places to go. We had planned to walk up the Mall, then head to the Smithsonian - American History Museum, but found it to be closed. That was disappointing.
We started off at the Lincoln Memorial, it was all rather strange to be walking around places I have seen so many times on films and TV. Now for those who don't know I am a HUGE West Wing fan. So D.C. has a very special place in my heart and I was very excited about the day. And all the stuff we learned on the Charleston trip helped too! So we walked along from the Lincoln Memorial to the War Memorials with its fountains and a pillar for each state, and the Washington Monument, which was rather weird as there really is nothing else around for miles. Everything in D.C. is pretty flat, there are rules about building heights etc, and this really could be seen when standing around the Washington Monument.
It was here we espied our first glance of the White House. And yes, you got it, the WEST WING!!! We decided to take a stroll up there but were rudely interrupted by POTUS who was having a press conference in the Rose Garden so the back of the White House was closed. Now personally I think this was just very inconsiderate of him - how dare he schedule a press conference for the only day we were in DC! But we went to the front anyway and took some pictures. We were highly amused by the man with cardboard cut outs of Bush and Clinton, who would take a picture of you with them for the not-very-reasonable price of $8, $5 if it was your own camera. Really really bad photos too.
So we trooped on up to Capitol Hill. The whole White House Capitol thing was so surreal for me. Especially with the whole West Wing thing... so up we went, took lots of photos, and even had one taken of us by some kind German tourists.
The failure to attend the Smithsonian threw our day a bit out of whack but since by this point we were getting hungry, we decided to regather the troops and have some lunch. We headed to Union Station and had proper food for the first time in ages. No junk food, nothing fried, nothing in crispy greasy paper but real gorgeous pasta. As we had the afternoon to do more sightseeing, we decided to take the trolley tour around the capital.
The trolley tour was great fun, although we had already seen the Mall, we got to see so much more on the tour! The trolley took us around the Jefferson and FDR memorials, Arlington Cemetery (our fourth visit, we liked it so much and DC really is THAT SMALL!), the FBI and the theatre where Abraham Lincoln was shot. It's still there, how exciting! We swapped onto the other trolley route which took us up to the Cathedral and to Georgetown.
Georgetown is gorgeous. It's like Hampstead but better. All the houses are lovely, and very narrow, since they did use to have frontage tax. Unlike Charleston, as some may remember if you've actually paid attention to what I've been writing. Unfortunately we didn't have time to get out and have a wander but it truly was lovely. But the law states that the houses can't be destroyed or defaced in any way, only painted, so everything is very cute. And expensive. Real estate gets pricier the higher up the hill you go!
In true Susie Law School geek-style here are some interesting facts:
The White House wasn't built white, it used to be brown but got painted to cover up all the bulletholes.
The Museum of the American Indian has no corners because the Indians believe eagles lurk behind them.
There used to be a direct line of sight from the Capitol to the White House but Jackson (Possibly...?) built the Treasury to block it because he didn't like the government.
Mr. Smithson of the Smithsonian never set foot on American soil but is buried there.
The Jefferson statue in the memorial looks into the Oval Office.
There are 61 Starbucks in D.C. One for each square mile.
That will do for now, there are plenty more I'm sure but I don't want to bore you.
The evening was a Friday, and one of our few going out nights. We had dinner on K Street at McCormick's and Schmicks Steakhouse. Lovely lovely lovely. I had lovely salmon and although a bit pricey it was truly gorgeous. Miss S got chatted up by an old man at the bar but managed to escape. We carried on at a random bar on M Street, fully intending to just have a few drinks but it started getting busier and we stayed to chat to some random men. Somehow Miss S got a bit drunken so although we did do some dancing and stuff we headed home reasonably early. Probably a good thing since we had the Greyhound to catch the next morning! And NEW YORK BABY!!!
I seriously loved D.C. I could live there. It is gorgeous, full of history and a much more exciting place than some give credit for. I've heard that its dirty and boring and stuff but we really enjoyed ourselves. Obviously it was summertime so it was pretty empty everywhere but I would love to go back when Congress and Senate are in session!
I promise I will finish the story soon with New York! Be patient little ones!
So. The Smoky Mountains trip is where I last left you. Thus we arrived in D.C. After Leesburg, and lunch at TGI Friday's. Would you believe our waiter was called Randy! What are the odds! I daresay he failed to appreciate my amusement at his name... we drove off in the rain towards the capital, and actually managed to find our hotel without any mishaps. We heard that D.C. is notoriously difficult to navigate but we had no problems!
We stayed at the M Street Hotel, predictably not on M Street, but on New Hampshire. Still, it was very nice and lovely, although the concierge wasn't quite as in Charleston. There really was no question about what we would spend the remainder of the day doing, once we dropped off Randy (we had some trouble finding the car rental drop off but it was all due to BAD SIGNAGE!!!!). So yes, you got it, we went SHOPPING!!! We headed off to Pentagon City which is clearly near the Pentagon. Now I always thought the Pentagon is out in the sticks but it actually has a suburb all its own. And a Mall! A big huge giant mall! It's so pretty!
We spent the first hour and a half in Benetton where Miss S knew all the staff and they kept dressing her up like a little doll. $700 later we moved away from the green and on to other shops. Please note I bought a hat for $20, I felt slightly inadequate. But we had much fun looking around the shops and eating pretzels and McDonald's. Now for the record, I never eat McDonald's. I saw Supersize Me, it put me off for life. The only time I ever have it, is after a drunken night when it's the only place open. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that McDonald's in the US is actually much nicer!
The next day we were up nice and early, ready to investigate the city. Miss S is a seasoned capital-goer so she knew all the places to go. We had planned to walk up the Mall, then head to the Smithsonian - American History Museum, but found it to be closed. That was disappointing.
We started off at the Lincoln Memorial, it was all rather strange to be walking around places I have seen so many times on films and TV. Now for those who don't know I am a HUGE West Wing fan. So D.C. has a very special place in my heart and I was very excited about the day. And all the stuff we learned on the Charleston trip helped too! So we walked along from the Lincoln Memorial to the War Memorials with its fountains and a pillar for each state, and the Washington Monument, which was rather weird as there really is nothing else around for miles. Everything in D.C. is pretty flat, there are rules about building heights etc, and this really could be seen when standing around the Washington Monument.
It was here we espied our first glance of the White House. And yes, you got it, the WEST WING!!! We decided to take a stroll up there but were rudely interrupted by POTUS who was having a press conference in the Rose Garden so the back of the White House was closed. Now personally I think this was just very inconsiderate of him - how dare he schedule a press conference for the only day we were in DC! But we went to the front anyway and took some pictures. We were highly amused by the man with cardboard cut outs of Bush and Clinton, who would take a picture of you with them for the not-very-reasonable price of $8, $5 if it was your own camera. Really really bad photos too.
So we trooped on up to Capitol Hill. The whole White House Capitol thing was so surreal for me. Especially with the whole West Wing thing... so up we went, took lots of photos, and even had one taken of us by some kind German tourists.
The failure to attend the Smithsonian threw our day a bit out of whack but since by this point we were getting hungry, we decided to regather the troops and have some lunch. We headed to Union Station and had proper food for the first time in ages. No junk food, nothing fried, nothing in crispy greasy paper but real gorgeous pasta. As we had the afternoon to do more sightseeing, we decided to take the trolley tour around the capital.
The trolley tour was great fun, although we had already seen the Mall, we got to see so much more on the tour! The trolley took us around the Jefferson and FDR memorials, Arlington Cemetery (our fourth visit, we liked it so much and DC really is THAT SMALL!), the FBI and the theatre where Abraham Lincoln was shot. It's still there, how exciting! We swapped onto the other trolley route which took us up to the Cathedral and to Georgetown.
Georgetown is gorgeous. It's like Hampstead but better. All the houses are lovely, and very narrow, since they did use to have frontage tax. Unlike Charleston, as some may remember if you've actually paid attention to what I've been writing. Unfortunately we didn't have time to get out and have a wander but it truly was lovely. But the law states that the houses can't be destroyed or defaced in any way, only painted, so everything is very cute. And expensive. Real estate gets pricier the higher up the hill you go!
In true Susie Law School geek-style here are some interesting facts:
That will do for now, there are plenty more I'm sure but I don't want to bore you.
The evening was a Friday, and one of our few going out nights. We had dinner on K Street at McCormick's and Schmicks Steakhouse. Lovely lovely lovely. I had lovely salmon and although a bit pricey it was truly gorgeous. Miss S got chatted up by an old man at the bar but managed to escape. We carried on at a random bar on M Street, fully intending to just have a few drinks but it started getting busier and we stayed to chat to some random men. Somehow Miss S got a bit drunken so although we did do some dancing and stuff we headed home reasonably early. Probably a good thing since we had the Greyhound to catch the next morning! And NEW YORK BABY!!!
I seriously loved D.C. I could live there. It is gorgeous, full of history and a much more exciting place than some give credit for. I've heard that its dirty and boring and stuff but we really enjoyed ourselves. Obviously it was summertime so it was pretty empty everywhere but I would love to go back when Congress and Senate are in session!
I promise I will finish the story soon with New York! Be patient little ones!
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
The downfall of every good law student...
Yes, you got it. Land Law.
Next year, my Law Firm has told me, one of my electives must be Commercial Property. Thus to make life easier both next year and during my training contract (when I will undoubtedly be stuck on a property seat for six months) it is in my interest to do well in Land Law.
This has inspired me to consider Land Law in great detail and I have now solved the conundrum of why law students generally do not like Land Law. Why do students find it such a chore to get through it? I have heard the comment "Land Law is dull but when it evolves into Property Law, it gets better... " Why do you think that is?
I know the answer. It came to me today.
Land law isn't boring as such. It's also not hugely complicated. When you get through all the unnecessary complexities of language and monotony of lecturers the actual principles are pretty straightforward.
But there seems to be some kind of unwritten rule that by definition, land law must be made boring. Law students thus dislike Land Law not because it IS boring and complicated, but because Land Law lecturers are on a secret mission to MAKE it boring and complicated.
As an example, the seminar I had today had an interesting starting point - answering people's property-related questions - but the will to live was sucked out of the whole group by the approximately 190-year-old tutor who was unable to answer a single question posed to him without launching into a five-minute tangent about something that "isn't really relevant yet and you'll learn about this later but i'll just quickly explain..." At the end of his answer we were still none the wiser about whether he had actually understood the question and how the answer was supposed to relate to the question exactly.
The course outline text we have been given for Land Law is another example. It is written in English so complex and old-fashioned that Chaucer would be proud. The textbooks are boring and drab, and again written in a most complex manner. Why, oh why can the authors not follow the principles of other course leaders whose texts are in fact pretty straightforward and written in plain English? No. Land Law lecturers have a death wish. Not for themselves but a sadistic one for their poor students. Thus it will take you two hours to do work for Land Law that would take an hour to do for any other subject. This is because the first hour is spent translating the text you're working on to English, then the next hour actually doing the work. Going to lectures and tutorials may well be futile as it can confuse you more than help you, in which case you might not bother and just teach yourself. It is possible.
Land Law lecturers are nothing but sadistic. They are inherently boring and are out to get you, to make things as complicated as possible. I don't exactly know WHY yet, but at least I have solved the problem of why students hate Land Law.
No need to thank me. Just live happily in the knowledge that Land Law is not difficult, as long as allow more time for it than your other subjects. Problem solved.
Next year, my Law Firm has told me, one of my electives must be Commercial Property. Thus to make life easier both next year and during my training contract (when I will undoubtedly be stuck on a property seat for six months) it is in my interest to do well in Land Law.
This has inspired me to consider Land Law in great detail and I have now solved the conundrum of why law students generally do not like Land Law. Why do students find it such a chore to get through it? I have heard the comment "Land Law is dull but when it evolves into Property Law, it gets better... " Why do you think that is?
I know the answer. It came to me today.
Land law isn't boring as such. It's also not hugely complicated. When you get through all the unnecessary complexities of language and monotony of lecturers the actual principles are pretty straightforward.
But there seems to be some kind of unwritten rule that by definition, land law must be made boring. Law students thus dislike Land Law not because it IS boring and complicated, but because Land Law lecturers are on a secret mission to MAKE it boring and complicated.
As an example, the seminar I had today had an interesting starting point - answering people's property-related questions - but the will to live was sucked out of the whole group by the approximately 190-year-old tutor who was unable to answer a single question posed to him without launching into a five-minute tangent about something that "isn't really relevant yet and you'll learn about this later but i'll just quickly explain..." At the end of his answer we were still none the wiser about whether he had actually understood the question and how the answer was supposed to relate to the question exactly.
The course outline text we have been given for Land Law is another example. It is written in English so complex and old-fashioned that Chaucer would be proud. The textbooks are boring and drab, and again written in a most complex manner. Why, oh why can the authors not follow the principles of other course leaders whose texts are in fact pretty straightforward and written in plain English? No. Land Law lecturers have a death wish. Not for themselves but a sadistic one for their poor students. Thus it will take you two hours to do work for Land Law that would take an hour to do for any other subject. This is because the first hour is spent translating the text you're working on to English, then the next hour actually doing the work. Going to lectures and tutorials may well be futile as it can confuse you more than help you, in which case you might not bother and just teach yourself. It is possible.
Land Law lecturers are nothing but sadistic. They are inherently boring and are out to get you, to make things as complicated as possible. I don't exactly know WHY yet, but at least I have solved the problem of why students hate Land Law.
No need to thank me. Just live happily in the knowledge that Land Law is not difficult, as long as allow more time for it than your other subjects. Problem solved.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Law School Week 2
So week two is over, the induction is over and as of Monday fully-fledged lectures and seminars will commence. This means the real work will commence.
Yesterday was "The Test"- the multiple choice fun and games on the English Legal System that must be passed in order to continue on the course. It wasn't hard although there were a couple of questions I was kicking myself about because I should have known the answer but hadn't bothered to revise. Instead I relied on my Law A-level and Masters stuff and read through the notes a few times. I'm a perfectionist, I can't help it! I definitely got at least 40 right out of 50, another 6 I think I pretty much got right, the rest I have no idea. Results at the end of the month so a while yet!
As it turns out, drinking heavily is a part of student life I am getting a bit too old for. I did not feel well this morning. Admittedly starting at 4.30pm is probably where we went wrong in the first place...
That aside, I'm very excited about all the studying. So far we've had two lectures in all seven subjects and the seminars start this week. That's the stuff I'll actually have to do work for. Tomorrow I will start. I'm so excited.
Monday is a pretty heavy day on the timetable, three lectures and two seminars, but I LOVE IT!!! Watch this space for the lowdown!
Yesterday was "The Test"- the multiple choice fun and games on the English Legal System that must be passed in order to continue on the course. It wasn't hard although there were a couple of questions I was kicking myself about because I should have known the answer but hadn't bothered to revise. Instead I relied on my Law A-level and Masters stuff and read through the notes a few times. I'm a perfectionist, I can't help it! I definitely got at least 40 right out of 50, another 6 I think I pretty much got right, the rest I have no idea. Results at the end of the month so a while yet!
As it turns out, drinking heavily is a part of student life I am getting a bit too old for. I did not feel well this morning. Admittedly starting at 4.30pm is probably where we went wrong in the first place...
That aside, I'm very excited about all the studying. So far we've had two lectures in all seven subjects and the seminars start this week. That's the stuff I'll actually have to do work for. Tomorrow I will start. I'm so excited.
Monday is a pretty heavy day on the timetable, three lectures and two seminars, but I LOVE IT!!! Watch this space for the lowdown!
Thursday, October 12, 2006
The art of outlining
DISCLAIMER: This post is in no way supposed to cause offence, I'm just really really curious!!!
Ok, so I read quite a few US blawgs and the ubiquituous outlining has come to my attention more than once.
I was intrigued. What is this "outlining" that everyone seems to know about? All the blawgs talk about it and people are constantly posting about doing their outlines and suchlike, so I decided to look deeper into it.
Buffalodawg was kind enough to tell me what it is. It's exactly what it says on the tin, an outline of all the course material. This disappointed me somewhat, I was convinced there was some secret study skill the US Law Students were privy to, that I am missing out on. So I delved deeper and found this. Basically it means making notes of all the material in one place. Lecture notes, case book notes, textbook notes, statutes etc.
This struck me as odd, this is what I would always do, take all my reading and stuff when i come to do revision and combine it all in one place. But it seems to be a unique method known only to law students, but surely not? Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all up for the study skills but as graduate students, having been in education for a good few years by the time you start law school, have you not been doing this for years already?
There's got to be more to it, right? Like some kind of special method or something, it can't just mean "revision notes"? So, dear American colleagues, please please tell me what's the deal with the outlining, why is it such a big deal and is there some technique to it? Do you fail if you don't do it? I feel like it's possibly something I should be doing to do well in law school and would like to know what I'm missing out on :-(
Thanks muchly.
Ok, so I read quite a few US blawgs and the ubiquituous outlining has come to my attention more than once.
I was intrigued. What is this "outlining" that everyone seems to know about? All the blawgs talk about it and people are constantly posting about doing their outlines and suchlike, so I decided to look deeper into it.
Buffalodawg was kind enough to tell me what it is. It's exactly what it says on the tin, an outline of all the course material. This disappointed me somewhat, I was convinced there was some secret study skill the US Law Students were privy to, that I am missing out on. So I delved deeper and found this. Basically it means making notes of all the material in one place. Lecture notes, case book notes, textbook notes, statutes etc.
This struck me as odd, this is what I would always do, take all my reading and stuff when i come to do revision and combine it all in one place. But it seems to be a unique method known only to law students, but surely not? Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all up for the study skills but as graduate students, having been in education for a good few years by the time you start law school, have you not been doing this for years already?
There's got to be more to it, right? Like some kind of special method or something, it can't just mean "revision notes"? So, dear American colleagues, please please tell me what's the deal with the outlining, why is it such a big deal and is there some technique to it? Do you fail if you don't do it? I feel like it's possibly something I should be doing to do well in law school and would like to know what I'm missing out on :-(
Thanks muchly.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Law School Week 1
So, my first week of law school is behind me and I'm still very excited about it all.
I have collected about 30 textbooks, and read parts of a few of them. I've had two full days of lectures and one day of a tutorial and some more lectures, and some basic information sessions, computer registration and suchlike. Workload is heavy still, but I love it.
The thing is though, I'm not a procrastinator by any means. I am not one of those people by nature who will think of any possible excuse to not study. However I have not got as much done this weekend as I had hoped and this must be remedied to ensure the year is as productive as my times at University. I propose to you that there are two, concurrent solutions that I must thus adapt:
1) Start going to the library. The library was my haven during undergrad and postgrad. I went there with the express intention to work, and work I did. I had my little spot I would sit at for a few hours at a time (or 10 hours a day when it was exam time, lunchbreaks permitting) and get on with my work. I'm not really distracted at home as such, but I don't really want to mix business with pleasure so to speak, so tomorrow I will be off to the library like a good little law student.
2) Engage in a hectic extra-curricular life. Start going to dance classes regularly again. Examine societies, committees etc at Law School. Arrange to meet people I haven't seen in a while. This will all contribute to the hectic schedule I know and love and as a result will make me work all the more hard to keep my grades up. Hurrah! (And yes, I am one of those annoying people who is capable of still spending a whole afternoon in the pub doing nothing and getting all her work done.)
Once I get my proper timetable I'm sure it will all help me get my time organised, currently too much stuff going on to get a proper routine going. Very exciting though, all the law stuff....
I have collected about 30 textbooks, and read parts of a few of them. I've had two full days of lectures and one day of a tutorial and some more lectures, and some basic information sessions, computer registration and suchlike. Workload is heavy still, but I love it.
The thing is though, I'm not a procrastinator by any means. I am not one of those people by nature who will think of any possible excuse to not study. However I have not got as much done this weekend as I had hoped and this must be remedied to ensure the year is as productive as my times at University. I propose to you that there are two, concurrent solutions that I must thus adapt:
1) Start going to the library. The library was my haven during undergrad and postgrad. I went there with the express intention to work, and work I did. I had my little spot I would sit at for a few hours at a time (or 10 hours a day when it was exam time, lunchbreaks permitting) and get on with my work. I'm not really distracted at home as such, but I don't really want to mix business with pleasure so to speak, so tomorrow I will be off to the library like a good little law student.
2) Engage in a hectic extra-curricular life. Start going to dance classes regularly again. Examine societies, committees etc at Law School. Arrange to meet people I haven't seen in a while. This will all contribute to the hectic schedule I know and love and as a result will make me work all the more hard to keep my grades up. Hurrah! (And yes, I am one of those annoying people who is capable of still spending a whole afternoon in the pub doing nothing and getting all her work done.)
Once I get my proper timetable I'm sure it will all help me get my time organised, currently too much stuff going on to get a proper routine going. Very exciting though, all the law stuff....
Monday, October 02, 2006
Types of Law Student
Today I learned about Equity and Trusts law and received some refresher information about, statutory interpretation, judicial precedent, mens rea and suchlike. 700 students in one room is a tough crowd, especially when they've been there for seven hours of lectures already. However, the final speaker, a pro bono lady, had this to contribute and it amused me.
There are three types of law student:
1. The Idealist
Those who come to law school to change the world, make the world a better place and assist those less fortunate than themselves. They have a "cause" they are passionate about, something that gets them going (you may be surprised that "sex" does not qualify, an answer that had been given by a guy the previous year). They are keen, excited and ready to go to save the puppies, reduce poverty or make the government feed hungry orphans. This is why they are becoming lawyers and this is why they do pro bono.
2. The Corporate Fat Cat
The students heading for the City firms, ready to jump into action on cross-border transactions and sign on the dotted line for their Porsches. They're competitive, hard-working overachievers. They do pro bono to make themselves feel better and to make themselves look good. They work for law firms that do pro bono to make the firm look good. Or they like puppies.
3. The Slacker
They came to Law School because they didn't really know what they would want to do with their life, and it seemed like a good way to kill two years without having to get a real job. They're not interested in any particular area of law and they do pro bono because they can't think of anything else to do.
I have in my two days' experiences so far found some other law school stereotypes that are a whole different categorisation altogether. In the meantime, can you guess which of these categories I belong to? Yeah thought so, pretty easy.
Meaow!
There are three types of law student:
1. The Idealist
Those who come to law school to change the world, make the world a better place and assist those less fortunate than themselves. They have a "cause" they are passionate about, something that gets them going (you may be surprised that "sex" does not qualify, an answer that had been given by a guy the previous year). They are keen, excited and ready to go to save the puppies, reduce poverty or make the government feed hungry orphans. This is why they are becoming lawyers and this is why they do pro bono.
2. The Corporate Fat Cat
The students heading for the City firms, ready to jump into action on cross-border transactions and sign on the dotted line for their Porsches. They're competitive, hard-working overachievers. They do pro bono to make themselves feel better and to make themselves look good. They work for law firms that do pro bono to make the firm look good. Or they like puppies.
3. The Slacker
They came to Law School because they didn't really know what they would want to do with their life, and it seemed like a good way to kill two years without having to get a real job. They're not interested in any particular area of law and they do pro bono because they can't think of anything else to do.
I have in my two days' experiences so far found some other law school stereotypes that are a whole different categorisation altogether. In the meantime, can you guess which of these categories I belong to? Yeah thought so, pretty easy.
Meaow!
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Law student 1.0
First day of law school was quite fun. Short and sweet, involved some administrative exercises, collecting 7000 textbooks and going to the pub with some of new group.
The lectures start tomorrow with a whole day's worth. The volume of reading is unbelievable but I'm quite excited. Quite glad I have a training contract already and thus don't have to get a part-time job as I seriously don't know how I would do it with the amount of time I will spend in the library.
A legal friend of mine suggested that there really is no need for me to study as all I need to do is pass since I already have a job guaranteed. I laughed and asked "Do you know me?!" I am highly competitive when it comes to academics and would never be happy with "just a pass". I want a distinction. I want to come top of my class and get the best possible grades because I can. That's just the kind of girl I am. So I'm actually quite excited about all this work, although realistically I wouldn't need to do much for criminal law, I hopefully won't ever need it and would only need a pass. But I'm still about to pick up the book and read the first chapter in preparation for Lecture number 1.
Hurrah - I'm a proper law student now!
The lectures start tomorrow with a whole day's worth. The volume of reading is unbelievable but I'm quite excited. Quite glad I have a training contract already and thus don't have to get a part-time job as I seriously don't know how I would do it with the amount of time I will spend in the library.
A legal friend of mine suggested that there really is no need for me to study as all I need to do is pass since I already have a job guaranteed. I laughed and asked "Do you know me?!" I am highly competitive when it comes to academics and would never be happy with "just a pass". I want a distinction. I want to come top of my class and get the best possible grades because I can. That's just the kind of girl I am. So I'm actually quite excited about all this work, although realistically I wouldn't need to do much for criminal law, I hopefully won't ever need it and would only need a pass. But I'm still about to pick up the book and read the first chapter in preparation for Lecture number 1.
Hurrah - I'm a proper law student now!
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