Grab bag: A few parting thoughts on law jobs, graduation, alcohol trouble, and sweet victory

I've got multiple ideas competing in my head for a blog post today, but instead of picking one I'm going to write about all of them.


1. Finality: in less than a month, I'll be picking up my J.D. as I walk across a stage in a gown and cap that cost me $90 to rent. For one day. Not too happy about the rental, but attending law school at the University of Louisville is still hands down the best career decision I've ever made. As I check off my final obligations in the coming weeks -- one exam, a few more classes, a couple of papers -- feel free to email me at acdavi07@louisville.edu if you are applying to law school and want candid advice about where to go and how to get there. Later this summer, I'll be writing about the bar exam, and then life as a first-year associate at this law firm.


2. Disappointment: this week I filled out the NALP survey for graduating law students, which provides salary information and employment statistics to aspiring law students, some of whom have turned around and sued their former law schools. The survey was a disappointment, partly because I found out it doesn't collect compensation details beyond base salary. That makes for a vastly incomplete picture, especially for those of us (outside traditional BigLaw) who are relying on more complex pay structures that take into account contingent fees, profit sharing and other types of bonuses. At the same time, I'm happy to be able to report having a job at all. Many, many, many students in my graduating class are still searching for an offer. My sources tell me all but a handful of last year's U of L grads found jobs within nine months. Here's hoping that's true for the Class of 2012 as well.


3. Scandal: spreading gossip is not one of my goals for this blog, but I feel obligated to mention the second U of L law grad in recent months who has made headlines in the legal world. In a bad way. Both students allegedly did dumb things in public involving alcohol, which you can read about here. I'm sharing the information not because I am in a position to judge others, but because it's a good reminder of the perils that lawyers (and law students) face when it comes to substance abuse.

Brandeisliga 2012

4. Victory: congratulations to the law school's soccer team, Brandeisliga, which won the university's intramural futbol championship earlier this week. I'm still a bit sore from playing three games in as many days, but it was a great experience. Soccer bonus: 50 greatest goals of all time via YouTube.

Welcome to 2012: Resolutions of an almost-finished law student at the University of Louisville

The law school is dead quiet today, and I'm getting tons of work done. Here are a few snippets, resolutions, and random thoughts to start off the new year.

1. Since I now have a job lined up as a lawyer after graduation, I solemnly swear that I will not join the class-action mess involving more than a dozen law schools that allegedly fudge their employment statistics. I'm also grateful that Louisville is not a defendant, and hope it stays that way.

My bar exam application (just kidding)

2. Almost finished with my 25-page Kentucky bar exam application. Got my traffic history, my criminal record, my five character references, and even figured out the day I was married. Most intriguing question on the application so far: "have you ever been known by another name other than a nickname?

3. Really looking forward to my last semester of law school. Part of this is because, well, it's the last one, but it's also shaping up to be filled with great hands-on experiences. I'm working 12 hours a week at the Louisville Public Defender's office, taking a seminar on Obamacare, and doing my second trial practice class - where you practice mock cases and present opening and closing arguments, etc. I'm also looking forward to Negotiation, which will hopefully improve my skill at sending the kids to bed on time, and Criminal Law - Judicial Procedure, which I will hopefully never need for myself.

4. Entering law students at U of L are now looking at a schedule with fewer classroom commitments in their first semester under a new plan approved by the school. Looks like they're ditching Property for the fall, and starting Civ Pro a bit later. Details:

Fall Semester:

Basic Legal Skills

Legal Research

Torts I

Contracts I

Criminal Law

Civil Procedure (starting approximately September 24th)

Spring Semester:

Basic Legal Skills

Torts II

Contracts II

Property

Civil Procedure II

5. Getting back to resolutions, I am going to start 2012 with a cheesy pledge to be a nicer guy (Alex, you catch more flies with honey, an associate at work recently told me), to help someone else at least once a day, to not dwell on past mistakes (including that wretched Negotiable Instruments exam), and to stop eating four times as much food as I should at every meal. Good luck to everyone this semester. If you are applying to U of L Law this year and have questions or concerns about anything, email me at acdavi07@louisville.edu and you'll allow me to knock out one of my daily resolutions!

Portrait of a Law School Schedule

Earlier this week I wrote about the best and worst classes of law school. This morning, I registered for what will be my last semester before graduation in May 2012. What does a class schedule look like? In this case, I'll be spending 32 hours a week working at various law offices (an externship with the Louisville public defender's office and my regular law clerk job doing mass tort work), in addition to four traditional classes. The "special topic" course at the bottom is a seminar on Obama's healthcare plan. It's going to be a hectic spring to the finish, but on the bright side I'll only have two final exams. Got a scheduling tip, or a question? Put it in the comments field at the end of this post, or email me at acdavi07@louisville.edu.

Alexander Davis Spring 2012 > Law > University of Louisville LAW 822 - CRIM PROC: JUDICIAL PROC Status Units Grading Grade Enrolled 3.00 Graded Class Nbr Section Component Days & Times Room Instructor Start/End Date 5958 05 Lecture TuTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM Law School 275 Leslie Abramson 01/04/2012 - 05/05/2012 LAW 826 - DOMESTIC RELATIONS Status Units Grading Grade Enrolled 3.00 Graded Class Nbr Section Component Days & Times Room Instructor Start/End Date 6899 03 Lecture ThFr 10:25AM - 11:40AM LAW SCHOOL 75 Barbara Lewis 01/04/2012 - 05/05/2012 LAW 893 - NEGOTIATIONS Status Units Grading Grade Enrolled 3.00 Graded Class Nbr Section Component Days & Times Room Instructor Start/End Date 8191 12 Lecture Th 4:45PM - 7:15PM Law School 171 Mary Gleason 01/04/2012 - 05/04/2012 LAW 937 - JOURNAL EDITORIAL Status Units Grading Grade Enrolled 1.00 Pass/Fail Class Nbr Section Component Days & Times Room Instructor Start/End Date 5919 08 Lecture TBA Luke Milligan 01/04/2012 - 05/05/2012 LAW 952 - CRIM JUS EXTERNSHIP II Status Units Grading Grade Enrolled 3.00 Pass/Fail Class Nbr Section Component Days & Times Room Instructor Start/End Date 5947 09 Lecture OFF CAMPUS Karen Jordan 01/04/2012 - 05/05/2012 LAW 997 - SPECIAL TOPIC Status Units Grading Grade Enrolled 2.00 Graded Class Nbr Section Component Days & Times Room Instructor Start/End Date 8269 10 Lecture Tu 10:25AM - 12:05PM Law School 171 Staff 01/04/2012 - 05/04/2012 Return to My Class Schedule