Irrational Basis: Bar Exams

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Irrational Basis

Thoughts on preparing for the July '07 California Bar Exam, and a few notes about life in the last semester of law school

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Last Entry: November 17, 2009 at 00:11:25

Sometimes we?re brilliant??.

Posted on November 17, 2009
and sometimes we’re not. For a lawyer and a physicist, the decision to put pizza dough onto a manila folder and load it with toppings before attempting to slide it onto a pizza stone was certainly not the brightest idea we’ve ever had. I’m even creating a “stupid ideas” category just for this...

Easily amused?

Posted on November 13, 2009
It’s my youtube debut!!! With all our money being channeled into the boat, we need really cheap entertainment

Cure for the Overactive Imagination?

Posted on November 06, 2009
I am queen of the overactive imagination. And my imagination gets particularly active at really inconvenient times like, say, when we are out in the middle of nowhere, high up in the mountains, with no one to see or hear us for miles. Of course, those cold, dark evenings are when my brain kicks into [...

So much for new radar :)

Posted on November 05, 2009
It?s Monday night and I?m watching Matt gently slice a cucumber. His eyes are twinkling with delight and he?s giddy with excitement. ?WOW! Look at this! This is AWESOME.? He holds up the shiny new $300 chef?s knife he purchased the day before at Sur La Table and runs his finger along the blade again...

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On Poor Eyesight & a Lesson from my Dad

Posted on October 30, 2009
Last night, I pulled into the local gas station to fill up the car. As I?m removing the gas cap, a young boy dressed in an over-sized basketball jersey and holding a large box, approached me. ?Excuse me ma?am,? he begins, his voice already dragging with obligation and boredom...

All that is very very right and very very wrong in this world

Posted on October 29, 2009
Today, a good friend of mine from law school was offered a position as an attorney for the International Justice Mission. IJM is an organization that sends US attorneys all over the world to assist with prosecuting international human rights crimes. My friend A will be moving to Mumbai in the near future to work with local [...

A show of true commitment

Posted on October 28, 2009
So, as of December 18, I will no longer be gainfully employed as an office manager or a panel attorney. I talked to HR, our CEO, and my supervisor today at work and will be sending a letter to CCAP in a few days. This is the first major step *I* have taken towards fully committing to [...

Countdown to D-Day!! (Something Marvelous on a Monday #3)

Posted on October 26, 2009
As October comes to an end, we head into the last leg of preparation for our big winter departure on the boat!! There is oh-so-much left to do, but when I lay it out like this…. I get more and more excited!! TIMELINE: ASAP: Send in my passport application!! (with my new name! ) Oct...

(Un)pleasantly Plump

Posted on October 23, 2009
If you remember, in the months before the wedding, I was a workout machine… Then, the month before the wedding, things got crazy and we were wine-tasting every night, and the week before the wedding, we were eating out a lot, and the week of the wedding, I was eating anything and everything and now, [...

Wedding of my dreams!

Posted on October 20, 2009
So, I’m officially off the market! The wedding was SPECTACULAR. You know, back towards the beginning of the summer, I had to stop looking at bridal magazines because all the featured weddings were so perfect, I was getting a little overwhelmed with jealousy...

Goin? to the Chapel?

Posted on September 25, 2009
Woo hoo!! It’s finally here… Posts will be intermittent (if at all) since tonight we start the big cross-country drive back east for the wedding. We’ll be gettin’ hitched, sayin’ goodbye to our awesome X-terra (just for now) and will be taking a huge leap towards our big sailing adventure...

My Sailing Blog!

Posted on September 24, 2009
For those of you who care to know more about our sailing adventure, check out my new blog (gotta have one, right??) – WeatherHelmed. The tone of it is different, more fun and lighthearted and it’s all about getting ready for and taking off on our boat trip! [...

Pure Chaos

Posted on September 24, 2009
Oh life has been fun lately… Our priorities have been so conflicted. I finally decided that, since the court is the only one that can really get upset with me, I should turn in that ridiculously long-lingering opening brief that has been looming over my head for the past five months...

It?s a Marvelous Night for a Moondance

Posted on September 20, 2009
especially because I have a SUPER CUTE sign from Etsy Shop “Adropinthebucket” to put either at the front of the house for people to see when they first arrive or to hang just outside the tent as people enter. (the Van Morrison quote was on the front of our wedding invites) Love it!!! [...

One of the Perks of being an OM

Posted on September 17, 2009
… free lunches from local catering companies looking for business

Nothing like the last minute?.

Posted on September 11, 2009
Just got an email from our friends who we originally had talked to about: 1) officiating the wedding 2) making the bouquet/bouts/corsages/all flowers 3) doing all our wedding photography and turns out that N, who was going to handle #2 and #3 may not be able to make it...

Biding my time at the Cube Farm

Posted on September 02, 2009
When I first took this office manager job, the poor place was in dire need of organization. As I walked around, surveying my new kingdom, I had that feeling I used to get at my grandma’s house – the sense that nothing had ever been thrown away and no one had ever given any thought [...

Something Marvelous on Monday #2 (on Tuesday)

Posted on August 25, 2009
I wouldn’t say we’re on a “budget” for our wedding, I’d say we’re on “Cheap.” We never set an actual number, it’s just been our theory and intention to try to do everything as cheaply as possible while still making people feel comfortable and welcome and assured they will go home properly fed and pleasantly [...

Blockbuster Hit? :)

Posted on August 23, 2009
Every once in a while life happens like a scene in a movie. I remember my friend A telling me years ago about a time when her then-boyfriend-now-husband (happy 6yrs!!) took her to a quiet romantic venue and they danced in a fountain as he sang “In the Arms of the Angels” softly in her [...

Wedding ? another fun potential recessional song?

Posted on August 22, 2009
ok, so I really HAVE made up my mind about the recessional song we’ll be using, but the other night I had a yearning for some Bart Davenport and I think his song “Euphoria” (aka “Everyone on earth is so beautiful, even you”) would also be a fun one (and unusual!) to use as you [...

more on wedding music ? recessional

Posted on August 18, 2009
There’s that moment at the end of every wedding when the officiant makes the big announcement – “I now introduce to you Mr & Mrs. SoAndSo!!” and everyone cheers and usually that’s when some fun upbeat song comes on as the happy couple and their attendants make their way back down the aisle or angels [...

Something Marvelous on Monday #1

Posted on August 17, 2009
Something I really love and appreciate is honest, straight-forward feedback on my writing. Today, that would be my legal writing. I got comments back from my mentor regarding my AOB for this last (thank God!!) case I’m working on. It’s the first time this year when one of the mentor attorneys has provided me really [...

Wedding Invites & some pics :)

Posted on August 15, 2009
So, after many many months, lots of money spent at Michaels and a lot of procrastinating, my wedding invitations finally went out to just about everybody (there are always those few stragglers you have to get addresses for! ugh!) Here they are (sorry for the blurs!) along with a picture of the house where we’re [...

Inspiration

Posted on August 14, 2009
When I was younger, probably around Jr. High age, I had this notion that, sometimes, my fingers itched. Not like the kind of external itch that a physical scratching can soothe, but an internal itching that simply wouldn’t go away until I wrote something...

Life Support

Posted on August 06, 2009
We got home from New Jersey on Sunday evening, our friend J picking us up at the airport. We had been in NJ this past week to make some almost-last-minute preparations for the wedding. We’re getting married and having our reception on the front lawn of my sexy man’s childhood home...

Playing Hooky

Posted on July 22, 2009
I’ve called in sick these past two days. I honestly am not feeling 100% – I think the combination of lack of sleep and STRESS have been the primary causes. But, I have not been too sick to get a few things done. And I have to say that these two days at home have [...

Wedding March

Posted on July 20, 2009
Taking a cue from Leen, I thought I’d share what has been the easiest part of wedding planning so far – choosing the wedding march. When I was in high school, Irish music became more well known due to the popularity of RiverDance. During this time, I – of course – went to Barnes & Noble [...

Pixar tugs at (and rips out) my heartstrings

Posted on July 18, 2009
I think most people will agree that Pixar makes some fantastic movies. Yet the only other one that has so deeply affected me as it’s most recent movie “UP” has been “Finding Nemo.” The most moving scene in Finding Nemo, to me, occurs when Marlin (the dad) and Dory are inside the whale...

The End is Near

Posted on July 18, 2009
My last opening brief (perhaps EVER) is due this Wednesday. This case has been a real kicker. There was a Batson-Wheeler motion denied during voir dire and it has caused me enormous amounts of mind-pain and anxiety. When an attorney files a B-W motion during jury selection, s/he is alleging that opposing counsel’s dismissal of [...

Struggling

Posted on July 09, 2009
Words cannot express how much I hate law right now and how much I regret spending all that money on law school and then taking on a second job just to stay in the legal field. Not only did I gain $100,000+ in debt, but I also contracted ADD (my classmates totally infected me) and [...

Almost Complete

Posted on June 26, 2009
Gorgeous wedding dress – check Shoes! – check Veil – check Hair accessories – check Petticoat – check Necklace – check ** All that’s left are earrings and undergarments!

Ya gotta love the city?.

Posted on June 24, 2009
7:30AM, I’m hustling to work, already late, breakfast in one hand, coffee in the other, still trying to wake up. Homeless (?) guy approaches me as I’m standing at a corner, waiting to cross the street. “Hey, got any change?” He asks me crassly, holding out a grubby paper cup...

?Making the Cut? Update

Posted on June 18, 2009
The only reason I’m posting this is because I have searched the internet to find out if people are REALLY getting results from this whole Jillian Michaels craze. I’m just looking for NORMAL people who are seeing changes in their body. AND, I’ve been hard-pressed to find many blogs of people who 1) actually completed [...

Math & Invitations

Posted on June 14, 2009
For the last 5 months, I’ve been developing the design for our wedding invitations and recently began putting them together. The biggest ordeal is that I didn’t buy enough paper to make all the invitations look the same. Also, it was a really stupid idea to try and put together 120 invitations, made basically “from [...

When a cold is not just a cold

Posted on June 13, 2009
My sexy man hasn’t been feeling 100% these days. He’s had a bit of a head cold – stuffy nose, sinus pressure, and, overall, feels pretty crappy. When he gets sick, it shows. He just looks miserable and, if he was dealing with a normal girlfriend, would evoke genuine empathy and nurturing from her...

Riding the ?Shredded? Bandwagon

Posted on June 12, 2009
I?ve dreamed of my wedding day ever since I was little. I?ve generally always said that the two most important things to me (apart from the groom, of course!) are 1) the dress 2) the pictures. In my dreams, I?ve always looked amazing in both. To make my dreams come true, though, I need to be [...

Hacked again.

Posted on June 12, 2009
For the second time this year, someone hacked into the credit card system used by a store I went to, and my debit card info was stolen. Even though they don’t know my passcode (yet, I’m sure), they attempted a $500 withdrawal from my bank account...

30 Days of Freedom (sort of)

Posted on June 03, 2009
Last week I turned in an opening brief for one case and filed a motion w/ext of time in my other case. I swear, you couldn’t have slapped the smile off my face or the giddiness out of my step – I had just bought myself thirty days of freedom...

A Gift?

Posted on May 30, 2009
Last fall, my sexy man and I were sitting at our little dining table with the patio door open behind us when we heard a little rustling noise and the sound of wings. We looked outside and there were two sweet grey doves walking amidst our chives and dill...

While the cat?s away???

Posted on May 28, 2009
Is it possible to get tired of trying on your wedding dress??? I don’t think so

One Day at a Time?

Posted on May 27, 2009
When I was in college, I worked part-time at a local Hallmark store. My manager Leah was a very wise woman and was sort of like a mentor to me while I was there – not just in how to rearrange shelving or take inventory, but a mentor in life stuff...

PMBR Books for Sale

Posted on May 15, 2009
I have the red and blue 2006 PMBR books if anyone wants them or knows someone who may want them. The majority of questions in the red book are unmarked (I would say at least 70% unmarked) and I would say 98% of the questions in the blue book are unmarked...

Heartbroken.

Posted on May 12, 2009
When I lived in Fresno for a short stint after college, I had a ridiculously difficult time meeting people. Thinking a church would be a good place to start, I tried getting involved with a local, young church and found a women’s bible study to join...

Money

Posted on May 07, 2009
With the amount of time I’m putting in and the lack of credit card debt (woohoo!!!) you would think that we would be getting somewhere in the saving money arena… Days like today, when I’m looking at how much having this freakin wedding will cost and how much living on the boat will cost and how [...

A good friend of mine from law

Posted on May 06, 2009
A good friend of mine from law school took the Virginia bar twice and didn’t pass. Her confidence was completely gone and she couldn’t hardly stomach the idea of taking another bar exam again. Somehow, she found the motivation and determination to take the DC bar this past February, and today she passed!!!!! [...

Making Progress?

Posted on April 26, 2009
This morning my sexy man and I cut the first round of paper for our totally DIY homemade wedding invitations. Apparently, though, the hundreds of dollars I spent on paper at Michaels still wasn’t enough to make what we needed for the 120+ invites...

Uninspired.

Posted on April 15, 2009
Oy I’m tired. The receptionist called in sick today, so I spent 9 hours staring wide-eyed at the computer screen, never leaving my desk, and developing shoulder/elbow-itis from reaching for the phone every 5seconds. I don’t know how receptionists do it...

Be still my beating heart?

Posted on April 06, 2009
When I was little, there was a local mini-mart that had a bakery inside. And not just any bakery - Smith’s Bakery is a tastebud’s dream. And if you have an affinity for cakes and cookies like I do, this is the place for you. I have such fond memories of going there with my [...

Bouncing

Posted on April 02, 2009
It’s so interesting how certain people seem to bounce in and out of my life. I have several friends like this - people who I knew way back when, that I’ve kept tabs on, and then one day, I look up, and there they are - in my city, in my same situation...

I need a woman!

Posted on March 28, 2009
The last two books I’ve read (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (SFSF) and North Star Conspiracy (NSC) - both interesting historical fiction in their own right) have been somewhat focused on the bonds of female friendship and communities of women. In SFSF, friendship and community are at the very core of the book...

Attorneys must be abandoning the panel?.

Posted on March 26, 2009
Just a few weeks ago, I was called for my third case. My third case since last October, which is when I got on this appeals panel of attorneys. Three cases in six months. Thank goodness that this third case required me to augment the record and, thus, get an additional 30 day extension, because [...

Love

Posted on March 22, 2009
This morning, both my sexy man and I were in a pretty silly, goofy mood. We got up late, he made coffee, I made breakfast. We had some fun music playing and my sexy man was doing his “robot twitch” dance, making me laugh and preventing me from doing much in the kitchen as he [...

My first paycheck as an attorney

Posted on March 18, 2009
Finally. The state made a budget, the checks were processed and I got some money in the bank! It felt so good to have that check in my hand - the largest check I’ve ever held that **I earned.** It was quite satisfying. And hopefully the money will keep comin since I just got called [...

The worst part of wedding planning

Posted on March 08, 2009
The worst part of planning a wedding, by far, has got to be figuring out the guest list. Having talked to friends, I know that it never fails - there are always people who feel personally affronted that they are not invited to your wedding and, unless you change your mind and invite them, there’s [...

Seconds

Posted on March 04, 2009

You may just get an evite?

Posted on February 21, 2009
Sometimes I get stuck on doing something and, regardless of how much energy, time, effort it’s going to take, I am determined to see it through and can’t comprehend doing it any other way. The latest example of this is my idea for wedding invitations...

Practice does not make perfect.

Posted on February 15, 2009
It’s amazing how we can spend our entire lives “communicating” and yet still be so incredible bad at it.

Going to Press.

Posted on February 13, 2009
I’ve actually been enjoying work these days, largely because I haven’t really been doing anything related to my job description. I’ve been working on a newsletter. It’s a little cheesy, as all good company newsletters are, and totally all-consuming for me...

Why I?m cancelling my subscription to ?The Recorder?

Posted on February 05, 2009
This past weekend, my sexy man and I went camping up in the Sierras. It was beautiful and perfect and the escape from work that I was desperately needing. The thing I love most about camping and being in the mountains is that life becomes so incredibly simple...

A reminder?

Posted on January 25, 2009
Sometimes I come across quotes that seem to describe my life perfectly and help me keep it perspective, like this one I read today: Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for...

The Wedding of My Dreams? or not!

Posted on January 18, 2009
I’ve been married… let’s see… four times? I was married twice in the second grade and once in third and fourth grade. These illegal and failed childhood “marriages” did not, however, prevent me from planning my future weddings all throughout my junior high and (man, this is embarrassing…) high school years...

Unl-AWFUL

Posted on January 15, 2009
Although Obama’s inauguration is just a few days away, and there is a sense of hope and optimism about his presidency, I can’t help but feel our government is still really really really really really really screwed up. Ex. 1: Yesterday, the U...

One Rule to Rule Them All

Posted on January 08, 2009
At my company, there is - in theory - only one rule. In principle, of course, there are several rules and policies, but we still like to believe we really only have “one rule.” And that rule is pretty much a professional/business take on the famous “Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do [...

Thank God for a New Year

Posted on January 05, 2009
I know I’m a few days late, but Happy 2009!!!! The thing that has hit me these last couple of days is how much better 2009 is starting off compared with 2008. This time last year, I was still trying to recover from failing the Bar and trying to psych myself up for the reality [...

What a sparkling new year this will be?

Posted on December 29, 2008
with a pretty little ring on my finger!! My sexy man proposed Dec. 20 and I said yes! I knew it was coming, but I didn’t know when… I really had not thought he’d do it before Christmas, but it was a wonderful wonderful surprise! I will attempt to keep my [...

All work and some play?

Posted on December 17, 2008
The world (myself included) conspired against me on this first appeal. It started last Wednesday when my mentor/buddy told me that I needed to add in an issue that we had previously said may not need to be addressed. I agree, in the end, that it was best to include it, but it didn’t make [...

43 pages and then some?

Posted on December 12, 2008
My first official, filed document to a court as a full-on licensed attorney will be 43 pages long and then some. I cannot wait until this opening brief is sitting on a judge’s desk and no longer on mine!!!

Salary Negotiations - advice?

Posted on December 11, 2008
There are few things I hate, but one of them is definitely salary negotiations. Salaries are like politics - as much as you try to say they’re not personal, they are. The value someone puts on me as an employee is intensely personal, and while I realize that the HR manager might just be the [...

Not-in-such-a-Rush Hour

Posted on December 09, 2008
I am constantly amazed at how ridiculously good and talented the people are who play in the subway (BART) station. Today, there was a guy playing his guitar, with the most beautiful soulful voice… Last week, there was a jazz trio creating a surprisingly relaxed vibe during morning rush hour… It may [...

When I have kids, I?m censoring their Christmas music

Posted on December 06, 2008
No, not for “dirty” lyrics or the connotations of seeing mommy kissing santa claus, but for the unrealistic expectations about the holidays that all these songs create. Not expectations about toys, but expectations about the weather. I grew up singing “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “Jingle Bells,” and all those other lovely [...

If you have a cat?

Posted on December 05, 2008
You will find this video hilarious!

Growing Up

Posted on December 04, 2008
There was a time in my life when I could not tell people how I really felt about … well, you name it. To this day, I’m still not quite sure why that was. Even something as simple as “do you like this sweater?” was difficult for me to answer...

Focus

Posted on December 02, 2008
Me (29yr old): Ok. Now you only have a few minor things to finish on your appeal. Close out your internet browser and just do it. Me (a very articulate 2 yr old): Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Dont want to. 29: Stop it. Just do it. You’re *this close* to being finished...

Noosed.

Posted on December 01, 2008
Ok, so maybe that’s not a word, but whatever - it’s how I feel. I had started an earlier post about how student loan repayment feels like an ever tightening noose around my neck. It is getting harder and harder to measure those loans in friendships and knowledge and increased self-worth...

There are many who have gone before you?

Posted on November 24, 2008
To those who didn’t pass, my heart goes out to you. It sucks. It sucks. It sucks. But don’t give up. The joy and pure relief that awaits you is - somehow - worth it. I wish you didn’t have to be in this position, but know that many others have gone before you and [...

Waiting with you?

Posted on November 21, 2008
It’s 5:55pm and I know that so many of my blogger friends are anxiously awaiting 6:00 when their scores will be revealed. Please know I am waiting with you and waiting to hear if you passed! Good luck to all

WB6DJK

Posted on November 19, 2008
These last couple of weeks, I’ve been thinking about my dad a lot. I don’t think you ever “get over” the death of someone you love, especially someone who you have never lived without. It is much harder now that I’m with my sexy man and we are planning our future together...

Breathing a sigh of relief?

Posted on November 17, 2008
My appeal is not going well. This sucker is extremely challenging and I’ve yet to complete a section. I’ve done tons of research and lots of writing, but nothing is complete. At the end of October, a week before my brief was due to the court, I filed a motion (but not for time extension) [...

Job Satisfaction

Posted on November 13, 2008
Right out of college, I had an awesome job working with the greatest group of people - a very small group in a larger umbrella company - and doing some fun, interesting stuff (like writing commercials!) About a year and a half in, we started losing business due to the fact that we spent 95% [...

Random thoughts about the current state of work, law school, politics?

Posted on November 07, 2008
Even though I am the office manager at work, there is the hope and distinct possibility that it will turn into an opportunity to move into HR. That makes me excited because there is no way in H that I plan to be a career OM although, so far, I’m pretty good at it...

Historic Votes

Posted on November 02, 2008
In a world where so many momentous events take place each day, it is remarkable to know that one of those days will forever stand out in history and mark a turning point for life as we know it. November 4, 2008 is one of those days. And WE are alive to witness it! Who [...

Working on my first appeal?

Posted on October 31, 2008
Oy. This job thing takes up so much time and energy. I, thankfully, was able to get an extension of time on the appeal I’m handling due to the court clerk’s failure to include a pretty important something in the record. At least, I think I got a time extension...

Whirlwind

Posted on October 19, 2008
Did I really temporarily forget I had a blog? Well… let’s not go that far. I’ll just say that these past few weeks have been a whirlwind. First there was the excitement of landing the new job and trying to get used to the fact that I had really chosen to be an “Office Manager” [...

What?s wrong with this picture?

Posted on October 07, 2008
It’s October. There is no fog. There is NO WIND. In San Francisco. I’m wearing short-sleeve shirts in the city at 7:00 A.M. I’m sweating by the time I get to work.

Gainfully Employed :)

Posted on October 05, 2008
It’s official - I have a job. I accepted my position last Thursday and ended my public defender work on Friday. Not only did I get a full-time day job on Thursday, but I received a phone call asking if I was available to take my first criminal appeal!!!!!! I couldn’t decide which job I [...

An Unfortunate Decision Maker

Posted on September 30, 2008
My friend AH and I have often joked that she should market herself as a professional decision-maker. Want to know what to wear tomorrow? Ask AH. Want to know whether you should go out with that guy/girl? Ask AH. Want to know whether you should take that job across the country? Ask AH...

Branching Out and Going Under

Posted on September 26, 2008
Other lawyers have snubbed me a bit recently because I am seriously considering taking a non-law job and (in fact) I have my third and final interview for a non-law job tomorrow (!!). But, today, some news was released that makes me wonder if it’s really going to be all that easy (as though it’s [...

I’ve completed my first week

Posted on September 23, 2008
I’ve completed my first week with the new job and it’s going ok. In a nutshell, I am handling the initial proceedings for in-custody misdemeanor defendants and helping the student interns become more comfortable with court appearances and client interviews...

Good Week!

Posted on September 18, 2008
1) On Monday, I started this new job. 2) On Tuesday, I made my first court appearance as an *ATTORNEY*!!! 3) On Tuesday, I had lunch with a colleague from my pre-law school SF days and got some great potential job contacts through him… 4) That night, I came home and found an email from a private criminal [...

My free time comes to an end

Posted on September 14, 2008
This weekend I went shopping for the first time in a year and didn’t feel guilty. Ok, I feel a little guilty because I spent a LOT of money that I don’t have yet, but it was in celebration of the fact that I will be in court pretty much everyday starting tomorrow...

When Crazy has its Benefits

Posted on September 11, 2008
Every once in a while, I get kind of crazy. Generally, it’s a somewhat controlled, moody kind of crazy but, on occasion, I lose all sense of rationale and do something really stupid. Like, for example, just before Labor Day. The Friday before LD, I was thoroughly depressed, frustrated with the job search, angry, annoyed [...

Sea Trials

Posted on September 06, 2008
Today is my first day of having home internet in almost a week. We were mooching off some people around us who apparently moved because their service is no longer kindly snatched up by my AirPort. We asked our neighbor if we could use his, only to find that his connection is the [...

Informational Interviewing

Posted on August 29, 2008
So far I’ve been on two “informational interviews,” with another one scheduled for next week and another to follow up with after that. The purpose of an II is to get information about the firm, the type of law they practice, the person’s experience with that firm/law, etc...

A Bit O?Sunshine

Posted on August 28, 2008
Now that I’ve spent the last few days ranting about life, I feel better. I had a very enjoyable day yesterday with a good friend and her isitpossibletobeanymoreadorable baby boy. One of those days where I suddenly felt less alone and more O.K...

Great Expectations

Posted on August 25, 2008
Since I’ve been considering trying out the freelance thing, I have looked around online for some information on other attorneys who have headed in this direction. There are so many resources out there for the disgruntled, overworked lawyers, and I, unfortunately, have not been surprised to see counselors and other companies whose businesses revolve around [...

Warning: Life Rant Ahead.

Posted on August 22, 2008
Come September, I will be going into my fourth month of unemployment. I have not been without a job for this long - ever. Other than the ridiculous interview I had this week, I have had NO responses to my search for a full-time job. Not gonna lie, I’m a little discouraged...

My First Interview for an Attorney Position

Posted on August 21, 2008
After I wrote my last post, I started doing a little bit more research on the firm that I was interviewing with. Every law student and job-searcher is told by career counselors all over the nation that you should always find out as much information as you can about the firm you’re interviewing with and [...

Woes, Whews, Woohoos! and Waaaaahhs

Posted on August 19, 2008
Last Friday, I took the train into the hot, smoggy valley to my hometown. I spent an enjoyable weekend with my mom and friends before returning to the Bay Area fresh air, only to discover that I had left my laptop charger back in Bako. Even though my mom overnighted the plug to [...

Fat Envelopes

Posted on August 12, 2008
As we all know, it’s rare that anything good comes in a small, thin envelope. Everyday, I get lots of uninteresting and depressing thin ones - mostly credit card bills and bank statements - but when an oversized envelope or a nice big fat one shows up in the mail, my heart beats a little [...

What happened in Vegas?.

Posted on August 07, 2008
shouldn’t stay there. Post your craziest, wildest stories here, a fun new blog started by some awesome people who - believe me - have already experienced some of Vegas’ strangest…..

School Daze

Posted on August 07, 2008
This time of year, when the malls are all running their “Back-to-School” sales and office supply stores have lists of recommended school supplies, I have to admit that I get a little nostalgic for my own school days. Towards late August, early September, when the air begins to whisper of a coming fall, yet the [...

Snafu

Posted on August 05, 2008
Oy. Do you ever have one of those moments when you make a comment, anticipating it to be received in one way and then observing a reaction that you never would have expected, and not understanding why the person reacted that way? That happened to me yesterday...

Eh.

Posted on August 01, 2008
I’ve been unemployed for almost two full months. I can’t decide how to best use this unending amount of free-time. I feel like I’m spinning my wheels and going nowhere. I don’t know what I want to do, other than I want to be making money...

GOOD LUCK!

Posted on July 28, 2008
Good Luck to all Bar-Takers this week!! Please let me know how it went for you and I hope you each get great news come November

That last week in July?.

Posted on July 25, 2008
I can’t believe it’s already been a year since I sat for my first bar exam. Ugh. I feel for all of you who are approaching this week for the first time - or the third or fifth time - and feeling unprepared and like you’re going to throw up...

Law School = Mistake?

Posted on July 18, 2008
My friend J is being considered for a position with a pretty big well-known company for which J would be paid to travel around California, Nevada and Hawaii on a weekly basis, planning and participating in various outdoor activities (think rock-climbing, bouldering, kayaking, skiing, rafting, sailing, etc) and blogging about them...

Some Days?

Posted on July 16, 2008
Some days I am so hopeful and optimistic and eager about the practice of law that it shocks me. I feel like I can do anything and am truly on the brink of saving the world with my legal skillz. Of course, it’s easy to feel that way when I’m sitting on my couch, reading [...

GPS is not one of the five senses

Posted on July 13, 2008
Today was the first time I had long-term exposure to the talking-GPS-in-your-car thingamajig. I don’t know exactly what it’s called, but there is a little touch-screen with video on which you can enter an address and the GPS computer will “calculate your route” and give you occasional directions in an eerily raspy voice...

Fireworks

Posted on July 04, 2008
Two years ago yesterday I met my sexy man. What a fun, crazy, wild ride it has been since then!! Tonight we will be partying on the boat, out on the Bay, hopefully under a beautiful, clear sky (though, I’m doubtful since it is SF) and watching the fireworks together - again...

Job Hunting

Posted on July 02, 2008
I’ve been applying for jobs and - dare I say it - it’s actually sort of fun. I find a job that sounds interesting, that I am usually totally unqualified for, draft a brief cover letter, attach my resume and hit send. It’s almost become a game… what jobs can I apply for today that [...

Labels

Posted on June 27, 2008
So, I’ve been reading up on the various bar associations, looking for things to do, and one thing I keep noticing is how being an attorney involves so many labels. It seems like you stop being an individual and become known simply by your bar number or where you work...

Book of the Week - Three Cups of Tea

Posted on June 19, 2008
One of my best friends called me on Monday and, before I could even say Hello, explained, “I just read a book that has changed my life. I need you to read it so we can talk about it. It’s called Three Cups of Tea.” Since I trust and love this friend [...

?Home? is where Oprah says it is

Posted on June 17, 2008
Tomorrow is my first attempt at doing something “lawyerly” as an official attorney at law. I am going to attend a training for eviction proceedings so that - just maybe - one day I can represent someone and prevent them from getting kicked out of their house...

I swear?

Posted on June 11, 2008
I was sworn into the California State Bar, District Ct of Northern CA and the Court of Appeals on Monday morning. I cried when I said the first oath (of three). I just couldn’t believe that I had made it to this point in life. Even five years ago, I never would [...

Civ Pro Black Letter Poetry

Posted on June 09, 2008
as requested…. Motions In CA, there is a demurrer, it?s a failure to state a claim If you assume everything P says is true, can P still win the game? A motion for summary judgment says no genuine fact is in dispute, And he?s entitled to judgment as a matter of law, even if P?s claims are viewed as truth...

On to something different?

Posted on June 05, 2008
I feel like the whole process of becoming an attorney is like fighting an uphill battle - just when you think you’ve gained some ground, there is another challenge to shove you back a few feet. Granted, graduating law school and passing the bar significantly boosted me up the mountain, but now, the challenges continue...

CA Distinctions for Evidence & Civ Pro

Posted on May 31, 2008
I feel for those who are going into the exam this summer - whether the first time or *again* - because it is still unknown how the examiners will test the CA distinctions for evidence & civ pro. I know I was not the only one freaking out about a civ pro question in [...

All is as it should be.

Posted on May 27, 2008
Last Friday, as we drove away from the city sounds livening up the local Peets, I took stock of my emotions. Surprised, I turned to my sexy man, “You know, for the first time in - I don’t even know how long - I am not worried about anything...

Office Pranks

Posted on May 19, 2008
From my boss at various points throughout the 5months I’ve worked at the office: “No one has done this job better than you have in just these past few months.” “Why don’t you order yourself a name plate?” “Take a look around and pick out an office… we’ll have to move you from the one you’re in now, [...

Going it Alone (~Advice Already?!?!)

Posted on May 18, 2008
I’ve seen that a few bloggers who got good news this weekend have already starting posting advice/examples of what courses they took, how they studied, etc. that helped them to pass. I don’t particularly feel that I have any great advice to give on how to study, but I do feel that I have [...

I was lucky?

Posted on May 17, 2008
I’m not going to say I didn’t try, didn’t study hard, didn’t work my butt off to earn a passing result, but, I was lucky. If the examiners had decided to test, instead, on certain areas of property law, civ pro, contracts, or remedies, these results could have been different...

Defining Moments

Posted on May 16, 2008
There are times in life where a decision is made, words are said, and it is not until days, a year, or ten years later that you can look back and realize that *that* day was a defining moment in your world. May 16, 6pm, is a defining moment for so many of us...

It is finished.

Posted on May 16, 2008
“The name above appears on the pass list for the February 2008 California Bar Examination.”

Oy

Posted on May 15, 2008
I just checked the grand poobah’s blog and WE ARE DOWN TO *HOURS* May God save us and give us good results.

Unplugged

Posted on May 15, 2008
More times than I can count this week, I have really really really really really wanted to yank the little white earphones out of the ears of those people who appear to be completely ignorant of the fact that everyone around them for at least 2 train cars down can hear every note that comes [...

Blue Skies Ahead

Posted on May 14, 2008
If San Francisco could be any more perfect than it was today, I’d think for sure I’d died and gone to Heaven. Today was exquisite. It was so gorgeous this morning, I knew I had to be outside for lunch. I walked a quick block and a half to the Embarcadero and seated myself on [...

Almost Human

Posted on May 13, 2008
A co-worker came into my office yesterday for her sort-of-usual weekly chat which always begins with, “Can I be honest with you…?” and turns into a 1/3 vent, 1/3 nosing, 1/3 taking-a-break conversation. Overall, I actually enjoyed this one...

Four more days

Posted on May 13, 2008
Reading other people’s blogs makes me realize what a poor mindset I am in. I’m sorry if all of you are getting negative vibes from my posts, but I will admit that I am feeling stressed right now about the Bar and then some. A good friend of mine had a baby last night...

What to say?

Posted on May 11, 2008
A friend of mine, M, had to take the Bar a second time in a different state. When we both didn’t pass our exams, it was nice to have someone else to talk to who could understand the ego-crushing effects and could commiserate over having to go through it one more time...

Soundbites

Posted on May 09, 2008
“I’m sure you’re going to pass. I mean, most people pass don’t they? The only people who don’t pass are those that have some sort of a ‘block’ or something…” - My boss “You get your results soon, right? I don’t understand why people get all worked up over an exam...

May

Posted on May 01, 2008
How long, now, have we waited for this one time, those three letters - M.A.Y. For months, *this* month has been lingering out there in the future, hanging over us, holding our future in in the minutes of it’s sixteenth day. When I wrote it out for the first time yesterday, I couldn’t believe that we [...

A quick note about studying with flashcards

Posted on April 27, 2008
When I was in college and law school, I never understood studying with flashcards. It didn’t seem to work for me. Apparently, it was because I was entirely too UNcreative and only thought they could be used in one way. It wasn’t until B offered me *her* flashcards (which, at the outset I said, “Oh, [...

The Temple of Doom

Posted on April 23, 2008
On most days, I hate my job. Wait - let me rephrase - on most days, I hate where I work. There are some people who can make the day and the environment pleasant enough, but a small group of catty women can ruin everything for me in a heartbeat. And I hate that...

When I knew MicroMash really sucked

Posted on April 21, 2008
Finally I feel like writing something about my bar preparation and reflecting on that again… When I first started looking into bar prep programs, I was convinced that MicroMash would be the best way for me to go. It was a self-study program, you could set your own pace, you could do MBE’s online, supposedly it [...

Still another month to go

Posted on April 15, 2008
Hi. Wow. Wordpress has really updated and changed their site in the few weeks that I’ve been off the site… I hope everyone is still hanging in there. Another month. It feels like an eternity - our lives hanging in the balance. I cannot stop thinking about May 16 even though it is not necessarily in [...

Resurfacing

Posted on March 27, 2008
I’ve talked to several Feb takers who all share the same sense of reluctantly re-entering life. While studying for the Bar, it is so easy to become completely absorbed in yourself and your studies and you have a perfectly valid excuse for ignoring the rest of the world...

Ok. So life isn?t ALL that bad?

Posted on March 21, 2008
After my last post, I cried - a lot. And then, somehow, felt better. I don’t think it’s that I’m bi-polar, it’s just that I hate this waiting and questioning and doubting. I can’t help it, but, it just comes in waves. There’s a reason why times like these are known as “emotional rollercoasters...

Taking its Toll?

Posted on March 18, 2008
I can’t believe that the Grand Poohbah not only posted his thoughts/analysis on the Bar and freaked all of us out, but now he has gone and posted the link to the Exam questions! But, even without reading his blog, I would still be freaking out...

The Blogging lull indicates new life :)

Posted on March 11, 2008
I have to admit that I;m thrilled that so many of the bar blogs I’ve followed for the last year have been pretty quiet this past week. I like to think that it means we are all slowly emerging from the cocoon that was our little studying world, and are now once again embracing the [...

Wishin? and hopin? and dreamin?

Posted on March 05, 2008
It’s funny how so many people *including me* pretend that the first thing they want to do after they finish the Bar is party. Honestly, all I wanted to do was come home, cry, take a shower, and go to bed. I managed to make it through half a bottle of champagne, a fun conversation [...

How do you spell relief???

Posted on February 28, 2008
I spell it C-H-A-M-P-A-G-N-E. It goes quite well with L-I-F-E. And I’ve had neither of those things in quite a few months. And, now, oh sweet relief, the Bar is over. This is my second and *perhaps* final time taking the CA Bar. If I’m still around here in three years or 5, and I don’t [...

To all the Feb Bar-takers out there

Posted on February 25, 2008
and especially those of us in for another round, may the force be with you. “What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within us out into the world - miracles happen...

It?s a little late in the game, but?

Posted on February 24, 2008
Here is a website I came across that posts the CA distinctions for Civ Pro & Evidence as noted by Adachi. Also lists the essay predictions from Barbri & Barpassers… For last minute bar freak-out, take a look Scroll down a bit for the essay predictions & distinctions.

For future CA Bar takers?

Posted on February 23, 2008
While trying to get more last-minute clarification on a rule, I stumbled across this website where people can post various documents. It seems like almost all the Barbri outlines are posted here. So, if you want the Barbri info, but don’t want to have to pay the price, it might be worth checking out...

Black Letter Poetry - State?s Ability to Tax

Posted on February 21, 2008
Ok, so this one is kind of lame and the rhymes are a stretch (!) but it helped me to see the rules in a more general, non-outline format. State’s Ability to Tax Interstate Commerce A State can have the power to tax commerce interstate but the tax will be invalid if it discriminates...

More Black Letter Poetry?

Posted on February 20, 2008
At your request, I’ve posted three more poems (the 3 posts below this one) relating to JOINDER, DORMANT COMMERCE CLAUSE, and CHARACTER EVIDENCE. Hopefully my bar-taking friends will find them entertaining and useful

Black Letter Poetry - Joinder

Posted on February 20, 2008
Joinder It?s proper to join a party if the T & O?s the same And if there?s a common question that the parties all embrace. A party?s considered necessary if without him there?s no award, Or if his interests could be harmed or will expose the defendant more...

Black Letter Poetry - Character Evidence

Posted on February 20, 2008
Character Evidence When character?s at issue in a civil case, You can use any method to put defendant in his place. If the civil case involves a sexual assault Or child molestation, specific acts can show D?s fault. If D is in a criminal case, D must open the door Before the Prosecution can ever say a word? About Defendant?s character and [...

Black Letter Poetry - Dormant Commerce Clause

Posted on February 20, 2008
Dormant Commerce Clause States can regulate commerce when the burden?s not undue, If the law is necessary and non-discriminatory, too. If Congress gives approval, or the govt participates, Or if the law is non-economic and can?t help but discriminate? Then the state can have its law and regulate thereby, But don?t forget to analyze 4th Amendment P&I! [...

P.S. to the black letter poetry fans?

Posted on February 18, 2008
To those of you who asked for more black letter poetry, I have tried emailing it to several of you, but my emails have bounced back……. please email me at gushteru28@gmail.com if still interested. Sorry for the delay!!!

What I have learned about studying for the Bar this time

Posted on February 18, 2008
1. Micromash materials suck. *please ignore all previous posts re the greatness of MM. 2. Flashcards can be invaluable if you know how to do/use them correctly. *will say more on this later!! 3. Don’t stop to think about how much you know or don’t know - just keep studying...

Snowed In

Posted on February 12, 2008
I know everyone in SF will think I am crazy for wanting to skip out on these delightful, unexpected, warm, summer in the city days, but I am not ready to give up winter yet and - honestly - this weather does not particularly motivate me to study. So, since my boss has generously given me [...

Raise your hand if you?re tired? (or if you want more black letter poetry)

Posted on February 11, 2008
I am exhausted. Physically, mentally, emotionally. I am giving myself breaks and suffering through, but I cannot WAIT for Feb. 29. I think the biggest thing is that I’m really tired of having no life - Of having the bar dictate everything I do and don’t do...

Another one for all the Property lovers out there?

Posted on February 09, 2008
Because I was having a hard time keeping all the land interests straight…… A covenant is a promise enforceable at law to do or not do something - like feed your neighbor’s dog. To make the burden run, though, you need to be WITHVN (1) but notice isn’t necessary for the benefited land...

Ode to Art. 1 Section 8

Posted on February 08, 2008
When it comes to money matters, Congress is the king - Coin it, tax it, spend it - on general welfaring. Congress can regulate interstate commerce with a substantial economic effect, it can regulate the mailman and all the property the government gets...

Boy, I?m glad I voted.

Posted on February 06, 2008
And some people wonder why there is such a disenchantment with our voting process…. The media sure makes it seem like my vote doesn’t count. Granted, I am not a political guru, but shouldn’t you wait until ALL the votes are in, or at least a MAJORITY, or perhaps MOST of them, or more than [...

Why I will NEVER buy anything at Sears.

Posted on February 04, 2008
Recently, I read a blurb about how Sears was struggling to keep up with the department store market these days. There was a tinge of sadness in me as there always is when I hear about a store that was once a giant in my little world, and is now having a hard making it...

Slow and Steady Finishes the Race

Posted on February 03, 2008
Less than a month ago, the farthest I had ever run was about 4.5 miles, and I didn’t even *run* that entire distance. Today, I ran 13.1 miles. The SF 1/2 marathon to raise money and awareness for Pancreatic Research was a success by all counts...

A Poem - Hearsay for the Declarant

Posted on January 29, 2008
WOW. Thank you to everyone who responded to my last post. I have definitely gone through some major “trauma” and stressful events in the last 5 yrs and am sure it is linked to my poor brain functioning in some regard. Thank you, though, for all your ideas and comments and support - as usual [...

My Brain is Broken**

Posted on January 26, 2008
For the last couple of years (well, at least 4), I have lamented my bad memory. And it’s not “oh, haha, I can’t remember where I put my keys!” kind of situation, its ” you’re my best friend of 13yrs and I’ve spent the last ten minutes trying to remember your name...

Stuck in the Middle

Posted on January 23, 2008
I’ve been at my job for a couple of weeks and I’m beginning to enjoy it in some respects. I’m an “acting” office administrator right now, not temporary anymore but not yet permanent - it’s complicated. Good news is that I’m making money and I’m getting some management experience...

The Game

Posted on January 20, 2008
Anyone who dares to say that the Bar Exam is not a game only has to look as far as a couple of MBE questions. I have never hated a multiple choice test so much in my life. For some reason, I really really really suck at the MBE’s. When I know the law, I [...

oh google?.

Posted on January 18, 2008
Wordpress lets you see what terms people have googled/searched for to find you (intentionally or no). My blog often shows up in some strange searches. One of the ones that makes me feel the worst is that someone googled, “I give up on life” which is possibly a very serious issue, and my blog is [...

Looking into my Crystal Ball?..

Posted on January 18, 2008
Just for fun - I predict that there will be a Civ Pro essay question, perhaps with a PR cross-over? or a bus assoc cross-over?? Although, would the Bar do that to us by incorporating two new subjects into one essay q? I’ve heard that Feb takers always get a wills question (which isn’t really true [...

Question re: Copying the Passers

Posted on January 14, 2008
I spent a few hours yesterday reading some of the Model bar exam essays off of the CA State Bar site. I have to admit that some I read were really good. And that leads to my question: In some of the essays, I really liked the way the person listed the various rules they [...

SF makes me mad

Posted on January 11, 2008
I am not a city girl. I have never claimed to be one and I will never become one. I thought, once, that I could be a city girl when I moved to San Francisco. The city seemed so full of life and endless opportunity and possibility. There was always SO [...

Scrub envy

Posted on January 11, 2008
My plan to go to the library each night to study, instead of studying in bed and taking frequent breaks to chat with the roommates, has been in place now for two nights. I consider this successful. Small victories. Since UCSF is so close to my house, I walk up the hill to its [...

Seriously - now I?ve gone off the deep end?

Posted on January 07, 2008
Ok. So, as if it wasn’t enough that I’ve been feeling depressed and unmotivated and just started a new f/t job and am trying to get in gear studying for the bar, I saw a posting on Craigslist that I just couldn’t pass up. On Feb. 3, 2008 (yes, about a month from now), PanCAN is [...

Rock Bottom.

Posted on January 05, 2008
I’m not going to pretend. I am depressed. I know I said I would try to remain positive in my posts, and I know that failing the bar is NOT the end of the world and I am still a valuable human being, and who wants to read musings about a life that is really [...

Office Space

Posted on January 03, 2008
Although I failed the bar, I somehow managed to finagle my way into an office with a window. My little space (all mine, i think!) sits next to the corner office (my boss) on the 8th floor of a decent-sized building in downtown SF, just a few short blocks from the Ferry Building...

Happy 2008!

Posted on January 02, 2008
I spent the New Year sick. Unfortunately, not drunk-sick from celebration, but the other kind of sick. I’m feeling much better now, and at least being physically ill prevented me from being too emotionally miserable as I thought about how I’ll only be seeing my sexy man for 8hrs this entire month and I’ll be [...

The Reason

Posted on December 21, 2007
Whatever your belief, your plight, your despair - there is SOME reason to celebrate this week. Hold onto that hope, that moment - whatever it is - take a deep breath, and enjoy the gifts you’ve been given. *Merry * Merry * Christmas friends!!

Be careful what you wish for

Posted on December 20, 2007
Despite my “um’s” and “ya know’s” and the yawning of my interviewer, the tuesday job interview must have gone better than I’d thought. This morning, I spoke with Potential Employer #1 about working as a F/T temporary employee for a little while to see if I would be a good fit for the company...

Oh, what a weekend away can do!

Posted on December 18, 2007
After a GLORIOUS three days in a rustic, snowed-in cabin near Tahoe, I am pleased to report that I am no longer sick *yay!* (thanks to all for their good thoughts!) and I feel refreshed and have a new attitude about this whole study-for-the-bar thing...