Mini-Tantrums

Today while "condensing" my notes after lecture, I stopped and yelled at my computer: "Oh my god, I don't care!" It was just an irresistible impulse. Like a reflex to studying Evidence. If I think about Evidence for more than six hours a day, apparently I have to yell about it. I'm pretty happy no one else was around me at the time. It was akin to throwing a mini-tantrum. Great stuff.

Inspired by something I read, here is what I have learned so far from bar studying: Record your deed immediately. Do no accept a quitclaim deed, someone is screwing you over. Tumblrs about studying for the bar are more interesting than studying itself. I am capable of giving a crap for over five hours a day, but less than six. Don't go into property law.

Just booked my bar trip to Peru. It's gonna be baller. Machu Pichu, the Amazon, and Lima. I can't wait.

The Weakest Link

I went into today feeling good, not great about Computer Crime. As the day progressed, I felt better and better. Remember the curve. In the morning, I was studying with a friend when three other people in the class came over and started asking us questions. That was fine for a little, but after a while it gets annoying. I'm your classmate, not your tutor. I'm happy to help, but not teach you the things you totally missed. Studying with more than three people is almost always a waste of time, so I declined the invitation to go "talk about possible policy questions" in the afternoon. My best guess is that was code for "reassure ourselves that we'll be fine despite not paying much attention during the semester." I didn't really need to do that. I find it a better use of time to study rather than to wallow.

The review session was also confidence-inspiring. A kid spent five minutes asking our professor about mens rea requirements. And not some nuance in the law. He didn't understand the role of the jury in determining whether a defendant did something "knowingly" and how you would go about proving that. The concept really baffled him. Dude, you introduce evidence and elicit testimony. That's how trials work. Always. You should have learned that in 1L Criminal Law. Actually, you should have learned that watching "Law and Order." You are the weakest link, goodbye.

That awful feeling when all the sports teams you care about lose in the same night.

Of Birthdays and Finals, Hopefully Not Final Birthday

Let's recap. My birthday and finals have both happened, generally in an intertwining narrative.
Friday night was probably the highlight of the weekend. Kerry took me to a cocktail bar called the Columbia Room. It is a ten seat bar, framed as a speakeasy - unmarked in the back of another bar. They have real bartenders. Not "I can make a rum and coke" bar tenders. They use high quality ingredients and top notch techniques. Usually they do a flight of three cocktails. Two are chosen by the house, the third is based on your preferences. The house choices were Prohibition-era style cocktails. We got the history of them and everything. It was interesting and the drinks were good. For my third cocktail I asked for "something with whiskey...or gin." and the bartender made me her favorite martini. It's was a dry martini with Plymouth Gin and a fancy dry vermouth in equal parts, with a twist of lemon. It was good - though not my favorite thing ever. Kerry had a neat ginger cocktail. And someone else at the bar got a vesper martini - the original James Bond drink. Pretty cool. We also got an extra drink (cause how often do you get the opportunity to sit at that type of bar). For that I asked for something spicy. I got a drink called a Sun Burn. It involved whiskey, bitters, ginger liqueur, tobasco, and an egg white. It was pretty incredible.
Apparently this bar is on GQ's list of top 25 cocktail bars. Well it's right up my alley. Huge fan.

Sunday was my actual birthday. As is tradition, I listened to "December 4th" by Jay-Z. We have the same birthday. No big deal. I'm practically him, right? I got the nice deluge of facebook posts, which was an appreciated distraction. But I spent most of the day studying Evidence. 'Tis the life of a December-born student. But this is the last time my birthday will ever interfere with finals! Alena and Kerry made dinner and baked a cake, respectively. It was delicious, and clearly the highlight of a study day. And I still lost at Settler of Catan. Great.

After another full study day yesterday, my first final came today. Evidence. It began in curious manner. I got to the exam room an hour in advance. Jon and I plugged in our computers and after a couple of minutes a socket down the row began smoking and making popping sounds. Umm that's cool. Someone called facilities about that, and it turns out that the school flooded last night (it's basically built on a swamp...like this city). So our basement classroom had been flooded, causing electrical problems. And making the carpet throughout the lecture hall damp and mildew scented. The first two rows of seats were roped off, and despite the smell and general sense of dampness that hung over the room, we all took the exam. Not what you'd call optimal test conditions.
I hope it went well. I'm nervous. I left the exam 20 minutes early. I had already read over my answers twice. Now that I am out of the test, I know that I got one answer wrong. But I just didn't know it, so those 20 minutes wouldn't have helped. Some crap about the Confrontation Clause changing in 2003. But aside from that question I feel pretty good about it. I think? I hope! At least it's over. Face towards the future. Towards tomorrow. Towards an Antitrust exam at 9:30 in the morning.

I'm not sure how this is going to go over with the professor but I made a little joke on the exam. The problem had to do with a prosecution for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. I wrote: "The potential for prejudice is high (no pun intended)." I hope my professor likes puns. Specifically bad ones!

Oh, I passed the MPRE. I am more than minimally ethical in all U.S. jurisdictions. I should hope so from a philosophy major!
I wonder if like...Jack Abramoff took that test? It's clearly a really good screening tool. Better we should have ethics shock treatment.

I remember that two years ago during finals it was freezing. It was so cold I was wearing two pairs of socks to school. Today it was mid-60s and raining. What is going on here? Why is DC now a tropical rainforest? It's December! Get with it. I want some snow. I want another snowpocalypse. I want classes cancelled, snowball fights, and hot toddies.

Shaked got me the next two seasons of How I Met Your Mother. All I want to do is watch them! But I promised I won't until the end of finals. An exercise in self-control.

Tupac says "It's hard to be legit and still pay the rent." That depends in large part on what your rent is. If you live in a mansion, yeah. If you live at your momma's house, like Snoop Dogg (Gin and Juice), it's not hard at all. If you "raise the roof" of your house, that would cost a lot. And there's always the threat of that roof being on fire and someone "let[ting] the motherf***** burn."

Second to Last Second to Last Day of Classes

I'd like to call it the last day of classes, but I guess I do have Public Interest Lawyering tomorrow night. That's barely a class. So today was the last day of "real" classes. And we just give applause to any professor on the last day of class these days. Even my Evidence professor, who was useless all semester. Today's class period was dominated by reviewing a practice test, only we didn't get through the test because my classmates were busy asking redundant questions or coming up with crazy hypothetical facts that were never implicated in the question. I thought the practice test was fairly straightforward. I'm not saying I would have aced it, but I would have done pretty well for the minimal amount of studying I have put in to date. Don't worry, I'll study more before the actual test. But I am relieved to see my classmates blundering so badly. Remember, grades are on a curve. Oh the joys of pointless law school competition.

This evening my Evidence professor emailed the class saying that he would be out of the country for the next two weeks and good luck on the test. The "suckers" was implied.

I had the pleasure of finishing my second Antitrust outline today. One is historical, one is by issue. I think I'll need both. And I have about 75 cases to remember. No big deal. This is what I get from the one class I liked this semester. It's a busy study period.

I don't really get what was going on with Crosby, Stills and Nash. And Young? What's the deal?

I went with Giri and Dan to get lunch at a group of food trucks today. The first one we approached had a lot of options - like ten different things. I was about to order some sort of chicken wrap when the guy in the truck informed me that all they had left was Chicken Bahn Mi and Lamb on Rice. Giri ordered the lamb, and that was the last lamb on rice they had. Dude, why is your truck still here? Go home and restock. You can't give me ten options to ogle and then only have one. Especially while there are at least two other trucks right there. Competition fail. I clearly went to another truck. Even if I wanted chicken bahn mi, my sense of propriety was so offended. You should have at least a third of your menu.

Welcome To Finals

Thanksgiving came and went. It was nice to get away from school and DC for a bit, but the brief vacation left me wanting more. For the third straight year, my mom and I went to a weird family thing in upstate New York. It's at a "mountain house," which is fun if you like group hiking trips and fresh mountain air. But I don't. I mean, the air is fine. But I'd prefer other activities. Like sleeping and shooting apples off of people's heads. Someone did that once to his son. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about.
My room was on the hallway outside the dining room, so every morning I got to hear stupid little kids screaming before and after breakfast. And their parents: "Billy knows all of the presidents. Billy, whose picture is that? No, that's Herbert Hoover. He was president." Apparently Billy does not know all the presidents. Now get to breakfast and stop hanging out in the hall outside my room. It's before 9 AM, have some respect.
Actual Thanksgiving was served at noon. A tradition I am not the biggest fan of. But the food was good. And Alan Alda was there. Not a joke. He actually goes there for Thanksgiving each year (and I bet he loves it when people yell "Hey Hawkeye!!!"). I also got to play Settlers of Catan with some cousins, so that was good.

Then I got about a day and a half at home. Not enough time. I didn't get to see nearly enough people. I was split between working and relaxing and got to do neither properly. So here I am back in DC. And now it's time to suit up. Or...outline up. Due to a lapse of judgment, or an attitude of ambivalence, I didn't realize when my finals were. Turns out they are scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday. That's pretty close, so it's business time.

The bad news is: I don't know Evidence and I have a long way to go in Antitrust. The good news is: most 3Ls are even lazier than me and even more behind in finals preparations. The best news is: these are my last fall semester finals and the last time that finals will interfere with my birthday. In a theme that will probably be repeated on this blog: I cannot wait to be done with law school.

The drive down to DC from Boston took a good long time. Thanks for driving, Nakul! Aside from spending half the drive in Jersey, the most exciting thing that happened was being right behind a police bust. As we were driving through Connecticut, four police cars stopped traffic, pulled over a truck, and approached it with weapons drawn. Hey now, that's something you don't see every day. We were front row for a potential firefight. Think I'm exaggerating? Check out this huge gun one dude had.



Yeah, that's what I thought. What was going on?? My guess was a drug bust, but you really never know. Luckily, the men in the truck went peacefully. Front row is good for cirque du soleil, but not a gun battle.
Photo courtesy of my iPhone. Yeah, it's nice to have a phone that takes pictures, not to mention one that I can actually hear.

The Part

Sugary cereal is the best! Especially as dessert. I'm doing the Trader Joe's equivalent of Frosted Flakes. Mmmm poverty cereal (as my roommate calls it).

I started outlining for my Evidence final. I'm using a hornbook. It is approximately 7.5 times as good as my professor at explaining the material. So teaching evidence to myself is working out well so far, but it makes me wonder why I spend money on tuition when I could use a $30 book just as well for this class. The sole relevant thing my professor said during our 55 minute class today was "Physical objects are not protected by attorney client privilege." The other 54 minutes were taken up by him tangentially discussing ways that lawyers can become an accessory after the fact to a crime and end up spending some quality time in prison with their client.

Basically, I really want Thanksgiving break to come. Motivation is slipping away.
Though I am realizing that this is my last year of school. Ever. 19th grade is coming to an end, and there is no 20th. (Thank goodness!) So next semester I plan on enjoying myself. Easy schedule, time to hang out and to travel a bit. I'll probably pass/fail a class and not care very much about any of the others either. What's the name for this? Senioritis? 3L-itis just isn't as catchy.

iPhone! The future is now!
Except it took me almost a week to learn how to set up my voicemail. Would it absolutely kill Apple to send me a user manual? It's hard enough for me, I can only imagine how much less intuitive it is for someone of an older generation! I have sympathy! Or maybe I just feel old. Not "hip" and "with it." I don't know what the kids are listening to these days or how to use their new fancy phones.

I got a hair cut today and the lady cutting my hair just gave me a part without my asking. Bam, there it was. She said it looked nice - but I'm not sure how keen I am on it. But I didn't want to offend her, so I kept the part. Until I went to the gym and showered. But now my hair seems to want to part itself. It was easily suggestible, apparently. On one hand my hair does not cooperate. On the other hand, at least I'm not Medusa. Her hair would have been a real pain. And I bet she had to go to Animal Control to even get a trim.

J. Edgar Hoover was a real bastard. The movie was a'ight. Not my favorite, but not bad. I'm not sure it showed just how much of a bad guy he was. Though it was certainly not a positive portrayal.

How do I get better at Settlers of Catan? Suggestions?

Non-Phone Things

Yesterday in Evidence a student fainted. He regained consciousness and was alright, don't worry. But it was...jarring. I felt so bad for him. Someone called 911 and an ambulance came. The paramedic had him step outside (he came back in). It must have been super embarrassing. (Also embarrassing - I can't spell embarrassing without a spellchecker.) It was one of the worst ways to lose 10 minutes of class I have ever experienced. I would have far preferred to listen to my professor.

Today I also came across a 2-minute old car accident. I jogged to Safeway to get cranberry sauce and when I came back there was a car in the middle of the road that had just been hit. I missed the exciting part. But what is going on around me this week? The cranberry sauce was used to make a delicious sauce to go with pork tenderloin and mashed potatoes. Delicious. The taste was clearly not marred by the perilous circumstances of the cranberry sauce's acquisition.

Somehow this week I am actually paying attention in classes. Even in Professional Responsibility, which is silly because the MPRE is over. By the way, the MPRE went "meh who knows." As Ron put it, it's the kind of test where you walk out feeling like you failed, but then you pass. I did the first part, I haven't learned about the second part. The first question (of 60) was the juiciest (it wasn't very juicy), about sexual relations with a client. And there was no "good answer," only a "best answer." It isn't good to have an "Oh crap, I don't know" question as your first one. Not a good tone for the rest of the exam. I took the MPRE at American's law school. Across the street they have a Crate & Barrel with a Starbucks inside. I could wait for my latte while shopping for plates. It was the most bourgeois thing ever. It could also be right out of a "Stuff White People Like" post. Hilarious.

After the MPRE, I started reading Game of Thrones again. It is getting crazy. And hard to put down. It was a good call to stop reading when I did.

If you are wondering, the Jay-Z/Kanye West concert was awesome. Jay-Z was better live. He sounds as good, if not better than he does on album. Kanye sounds fine, but his songs have a tendency to be so produced that it just isn't the same live. And he isn't as fast (maybe because he isn't a "real" rapper). They played a lot of stuff from Watch the Throne, and most of their individual hits. I can only think of two Kanye hits they didn't play - Love Lockdown and Through the Wire. But Jesus Walks and Good Life were fantastic live. As were Hard Knock Life, 99 Problems, and Dirt Off Your Should from Jay-Z. It's alright to be jealous in this case. I owe Damien for getting the tickets.

It's time to face the reality that I don't know how iPhones work. Oh, but I said non-phone stuff.

You know whose music is totally unappreciated by my generation? Arlo Guthrie. But he's the man. Huge Alice's Restaurant fan (Thanksgiving tradition to listen to it).

Damn it. I just missed Top Chef.

Does anyone know how to use this damn thing? I feel old - technology is now beyond me. Oh, but not talking about it.

Instead we'll talk about...brunch. The best meal of it week. Really! It's a once-a-week kind of meal. Especially with bottomless mimosas. But it's the best meal. I pretty much discovered that upon moving to DC. They just don't do it the same way in Boston. Stupid Puritan laws. In my youth they still had Sunday Blue Laws! What is that??!! Let the people shop on Sundays. Let them have drink specials! If you were real puritans, you would just insist they run around in those silly buckle hats. I'd be down.

How Was Your First Day?

My biggest reflection on the first day of classes has to do with my Evidence professor. He is an older, portly man who just likes to sit down in random places in the room while he is talking. Plop is really a better word to describe what he does. He just sat down on the table, kicked his legs up, and kept talking about "the elephant in the room" with regards to evidence law for some reason. My favorite part of the class is that while moving around his seating, he ended up teaching about half of the class while sitting in the window sill like a cat. Except he is notably un-cat-like.

My Antitrust professor is just old and kind. Is he a Mormon? I don't know. Maybe. Supply and demand curves almost gave me anxiety, but I mastered the fear. Yes, Intro to Economics was my far and away worst grade in college. I'm not proud of it. But I am facing my fear. Plus I have a few good friends in the class, which helps motivate me to stay. Also, it can be a really useful subject. But there's a lot of reading. And I don't wanna do it. Quiet, stop whining. Suck it up, get back into the rhythm. Deal with it. Alright, fine.

I pissed off a bus driver so badly today by repeating my question twice when his first response was a noncommittal grunt. Sorry, grunting bus driver, sorry to ruin your nonverbal day. Drive the bus now. More speed, less attitude.