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Law Students

Shelley’s Case

Purely personal blog written by a certain rambunctious law student attending an unnamed law school at an undisclosed location.
By Anonymous

Post Frequency: 1.3/day

Last Entry: July 18, 2010 at 03:06:48

In Case You were Wondering

Posted on July 18, 2010
I have been quite busy this month with work (in the office and on the road). Usually I am not a fan of traveling, but every once in a while I do welcome the change. The part I am not looking forward to is returning all the messages and catching up with work...

Issue Spotting in Real Cases

Posted on July 15, 2010
Many of the clients come in with one problem but really have multiple legal issues. As an attorney, I should be able to issue spot and alert the client of any potentially adverse outcomes. Unfortunately, I can issue spot only problems I know to be legal issues...

In Between Full and Empty

Posted on July 06, 2010
I anxiously checked my mailbox for yet another layoff notice. To my relief I did not find one. Then again, such notice may be given on any day of the month, so it is probably too early for me to let my guard down. Keeping my fingers crossed and hope to stay for at least

Frenzy Happy

Posted on July 01, 2010
I am swamped but feeling great! Although I had to turn away several potential clients, it gave me time to work on cases in which I could make a difference. Lately I have been getting a lot of cases involving a similar set of facts and rules. I am beginning to feel more comfortable in

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No Means No

Posted on June 30, 2010
I put my foot down. Thrice. The first time I said I cannot take the case. The second time I repeated what I said the first time, but more firmly. The third time I staunchly repeated what I had said twice before, only slower. I am still getting calls from this person...

What You Should Know About Billable Hours

Posted on May 24, 2010
If you are thinking about working in a law firm after graduation, you should read this article titled “The Truth About Billable Hours“, written by Yale Law School Career Development Office. If you want to plug in your work hours to see if you can meet your future employer’s billable hour requirement, visit Envoyglobal...

Deep End of the Pool

Posted on May 19, 2010
I am working in a different program. Fortunately, I was able to get a hold of a few gurus who are willing to provide technical assistance. It is one of those “sink or swim” moments. I am hoping to stay afloat

Bite My Tongue

Posted on May 12, 2010
What would you do in a situation where a client tells you s/he has decided to engage in activities that will render useless all the advocacy efforts you have done on his/her behalf for the past several months? Do you: Tell your client that you would advise against his/her decision, but ultimately the client makes

Delay of the Inevitable?

Posted on May 06, 2010
Lay off is temporary postponed. The bright side: I have a job for the rest of the month. The downside: Will I still have a job next month

Exit Strategy

Posted on April 27, 2010
A client notified me today that my efforts have paid off. One issue down, two more to go. I have not figured out a way to break the news to this client that another attorney will probably be taking over the case if the remaining issues are not resolved before I leave...

Feeling Like a Lame Duck

Posted on April 21, 2010
The layoff does not take effect immediately. Until the last day of work, I cannot take on new assignments. My current cases are stalled. Aside from administrative recordkeeping and winding down, there is not much for me to do

Uncertain Future

Posted on April 19, 2010
If I have been neglecting this blawg, I apologize. On top of work-related travels, I have been dealing with other issues. Next month I will be out of a job unless some kind of miracle happens. Several of my colleagues will be joining me. Layoffs are not fun

Resume Updates for Young Lawyers

Posted on April 08, 2010
I am writing in response to Amie’s post seeking advice on resume language for attorneys. Generally, develop a resume that responds to the type of job you are applying. Is it transactional or litigation? Is it matrimonial law or bankruptcy? The buzzwords vary from one area of law to another...

Shopping Around

Posted on March 30, 2010
In this jurisdiction, an attorney is not supposed to make an affirmative statement to a potential client that s/he has a lousy case or s/he is guaranteed to lose. Instead, an attorney is supposed to say something to the effect of that the set of facts presents a weak claim, but another attorney may have

Finding My Groove

Posted on March 24, 2010
I am always up front with my clients. If I did not know the answer, I would tell him or her that I need to do some research. Honesty is something I value, and I am uncomfortable exuding experience in areas which I have none. It came as a surprise when I received feedback that

Humor Me. Really.

Posted on March 08, 2010
I admit – my sense of humor has always been a little quirky. In an office setting, my humor-o-meter is completely off. When everyone one else is laughing, I have absolutely no idea why. What I found to be funny turned out to be a serious matter...

Define Zealous, Please

Posted on March 07, 2010
A prospective client recently called with a set of facts I find to be very interesting. However, I was pressed for time and could not obtain additional information. I did promise to make a follow-up call within the next two days. Two days later, I left a message...

Month Like Days

Posted on March 01, 2010
I blinked and February flew by. The to-do list for March is growing notwithstanding the fact that it is only the first day of the month. During the past month I worked on a variety of projects, one of which included mediation. Funny that when I took the training course, I never thought it would come [...

Politicians: They Walk Among Us

Posted on February 05, 2010
It is notoriously difficult to schedule an one-on-one meeting with a state politician. Well, at least in this state. Instead of talking to the politician himself/herself, you would have to talk to his/her team of legislative assistants. Depending on which committee the politician belongs to, there is even a support group comprised of knowledgeable analysts who [...

Career Numbness

Posted on January 20, 2010
Amie wrote an interesting article about feeling stalled (career). I am not sure what to say to someone in the same situation, especially after reading Associate Girl’s article, “Bitter Cold (Or, The Importance of Covered Parking)“. In Associate Girl’s own words: You see, I didn?t go to law school for the office with a view, the [...

Count on Me

Posted on January 20, 2010
My big assignment for the week is counting numbers. Lots and lots of numbers. Not that the assignment is important – because it is. But we all know I went to law school to avoid crunching numbers, right? Anyway, I am almost done with the assignment — but it is annoying to spend that much time [...

Fistful of Dollars

Posted on January 20, 2010
I have been waiting patiently for my turn to send piles and piles of money to a particular state bar. More than a month later, I finally called to ask about the mailing status of the fee statement. I was told that no fee statements have been mailed because the governor has not yet made up [...

Politicking

Posted on January 14, 2010
Switching gears again. From next few weeks, our focus is policy driven, and we will be working alongside other state advocates. If only I could figure out the words for a concise yet powerful political message.

2009 at a Glance

Posted on December 24, 2009
I will be on vacation for the next few weeks – so consider this to be the last post for the year. This has been an exciting year. I earned yet another advanced degree and have been admitted to practice in two states and a federal court. Prior to graduation, I worked in a boutique law firm [...

Fighting with Ink and Paper

Posted on December 17, 2009
This week I was wrapped up in litigation. After the complaint was filed, the judge heard the ex parte motion. After scoring a semi-victory on behalf of our client, the opposing counsel has resorted to burying us with paperwork. Somewhere out there, a forest was wiped out...

Affidavit 101

Posted on December 10, 2009
I was assigned the task of preparing a witness affidavit. I know an affidavit is a statement of facts to which the named witness can attest. The problem is that up until this point, the only affidavits I have ever drafted are bar prep doodles exercises...

Living for a Moment Like This

Posted on December 09, 2009
I have been incredibly busy with intakes and outreach for the past two weeks. The most pressing task is preparing for an upcoming hearing. I spent most of the time paring down relevant facts and researching citations. At the peak of this exciting period, I have been sworn into another jurisdiction...

Heart of Stone

Posted on December 07, 2009
At times I wonder if it takes an attorney with a stone heart to help a client. The worst part about doing an intake is having to dig up every single tragic details just to figure out whether you can help the person. The tissue box is half empty.

The Extremes

Posted on December 02, 2009
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. You start out with a seemingly perfect set of facts. By the time you realize that you are on the losing side, you still have to zealously advocate on behalf of your client. On the opposite extreme, you start out with a mess of facts and your clients are of no [...

Thanksgiving Gobbling

Posted on November 27, 2009
It is hard to remember how Thanksgiving is like prior to law school. For most law students, Thanksgiving is a time to catch up and time for outlining. Try not to overwork this weekend. Make time for your family, get plenty of sleep, and remember to eat some of the delicious food...

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