Top 10 things to do on spring break if you're a (current or future) Louisville law student

The vagaries of my final semester in law school, and my part-time job as a law clerk, have forced me to be MIA from the blog recently. To make up for the absence, I offer you a list of things to do over spring break if you are a law student (or an applicant) at the Brandeis School of Law.

1. Start spring break early at tonight's Med Mal mixer, a joint event for students of U of L's law, dental, and medical schools. You'll get a chance to meet the people you will be suing (or defending) in a few years. There's free food and drink specials. The fun starts at 7:30 and runs until 11 p.m. at Howl at the Moon, at Fourth Street Live!

St. Patrick's Day parade in the Highlands

2. Attend the annual St. Patrick's Day parade in the Highlands neighborhood on Saturday. The parade takes place in the heart of the area's Irish bar district.

3. Hoist a pint at one of the same Irish bars the following weekend, when another series of St. Patrick's events unfolds in the same area. Not to lose out on a chance to earn some green, some of these bars at holding events all week long. My favorite: O'Shea's on Baxter Avenue.

4. Indulge in Kentucky's hoops obsession by catching a few basketball games. Louisville is the nation's hottest television market for college basketball. Louisville plays tonight, and Kentucky plays Friday. March Madness follows for both teams.

5. Volunteer! The deadline for graduating law students to complete their 30-hour public service requirement is March 26. It's a great way to help people, meet people, and learn a little law.

6. Pay off the balance on your Barbri account by March 15 and take a spin on the company's new AMP bar prep software, which apparently leads to higher scores on simulated MBE tests.

7. Take another look at my list of the Top 10 Things to do on Winter Break in Louisville, including museums, bourbon distilleries and more.

8. Take a lawyer out to lunch. If you are still looking for a summer job, or even if you already have one, it's hard to underestimate the importance of making connections with members of the local bar. I try to have lunch with an attorney at least once a week.

9. Apply for a job. Lately, it seems like the clouds are parting a bit when it comes to local law firms looking for associates. The latest edition of Bar Briefs has a few options, and there have been announcements about personal injury and other law firms looking for new hires. Joining groups such as the Louisville Bar Association or the KJA also can be useful.

10. Stretch your legs. Studying law all day can wreak havoc on your fitness. Sign up for one of the races in this spring's Triple Crown of Running, or take a spin through Cherokee Park. I'm setting my signs a bit higher for the last spring break as a law student: spring skiing in Bozeman, Montana. Got a spring break idea of your own? Post it in the comments field below.

New student group for aspiring trial lawyers will host free lunch and magazine giveaway on Monday

Here at U of L Law, we have student groups with all kinds of themes. We have organizations for health law, sports law, international law, and the environment. All of which is great. It is puzzling, however,  that there is no group that seeks to educate students about what it's like to be a trial lawyer, or to represent plaintiffs in the courtroom. This is especially puzzling, at least to me, in light of the huge number of Louisville law students who go on to practice in the areas of personal injury, criminal defense, family law, medical malpractice, etc. Well, puzzle no more. As of Monday, the law school has a new student chapter of the American Association for Justice. I joined the group last fall, and now consider it to be just as indispensable as my student LBA card. I highly encourage everyone to attend Monday's meeting at noon (full disclosure: I'm hugely biased as I am organizing the meeting). Here are the details:

FREE LUNCH in #175

Noon, Monday, Feb. 13

Inaugural meeting: the law school’s new student chapter of the American Association for Justice, a national organization for trial lawyers and plaintiffs’ rights.

Hans Poppe

Q and A: trial lawyer Hans G. Poppe of Louisville

Benefits: learn about the membership benefits of both AAJ and the Kentucky Justice Association

Free copy of Trial magazine: to first 25 students

T-Shirts: free AAJ shirt for anyone who joins today.

Learn: what it takes to practice law in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death and more.  

Blog bonanza arrives at U of L Law

When I started this blog a little more than two years ago at the request of the school's Office of Admissions, there wasn't too much company. In fact, there was no company. That's no longer the case. Sharon Wright, also a former journalist and now a 2L at Louisville Law, writes this terrific (and often very funny) blog about law school. More recently, a bunch of our new 1Ls have launched their own blogs with varying themes. I may be missing a few, but here are the ones I've tripped across recently.

• Tim Chartrand, Eating My Way Through Law School
• Morgan Brooke Hancock, Think Like a Lawyer
• Megan Resch, Confessions of a 1L at UofL
• Cassiopia Restrepo, Coffee and Casebooks
• Colten Biro, Life & Law... & Surviving?

Be sure to check out these blogs if you're thinking about applying to U of L Law. They'll give you a good look at a slice of life here from differing perspectives -- funny, poignant, frustrating, even hungry! If I've left someone out in the above list, please share additional links in the comments field below. Happy blogging... 

Hidden Attic at U of L Law Revealed

A view of the law school library's mysterious attic

As I plow through my third year of law school here at U of L, there are plenty of days when I just want to be finished. Today is not one of them. I had two very good classes today, in which I learned some pretty useful things from excellent professors. For example, I've always thought that it is best to sign one's complete name in legible cursive on the back of checks. Not true. You can use a stamp, a squiggly mark, a circle, even a smiley face as long as that is your customary method of signing. You can even have someone else sign for you (agency law). I also recently learned that I enjoy no Fourth Amendment protections if a police officer comes to my house dressed as a gas meter reader and convinces me to allow him inside. These are good things to know.
But nothing can top the visit I made this afternoon to the law library's dusty attic. I knew we had a basement, and even a sub-basement, in our library. But if you ask the reference librarian at the front desk to see the attic, she'll gladly wave you in to a separate little elevator behind the desk, which will take you to a tiled-floor room filled with thousands of books that look older than dirt. Some of them even are older than dirt. In the attic, you can peruse thick tomes about aviation law from the 1960s, or Supreme Court decisions from World War I. You can even find cracked and faded compendiums of Kentucky statutes from the 1860s and earlier (intent of the drafters, anyone?).  I realize that things of this nature may not be interesting to everyone. But if you agree with me that hidden attics are great and mysterious places, good for you. I also understand Professor Metzmeier has recently written a column about the same attic in the LBA's Bar Briefs publication. Check it out.

Quiz: how to face "free pizza season" in law school

Let me guess: the admissions office didn't tell you about Free Pizza Season when you applied to law school. No, it was not wedged in next to median LSAT scores and judicial externships on that glossy brochure. Nonetheless, Free Pizza Season (FPS) has officially arrived at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. FPS is the time of year when student groups and various commercial ventures attempt to capitalize on your three-year vow of poverty in order to capture a slice of your precious time. It's the law school equivalent of the free-vacation-in-Florida-to-sell-you-a-condo-time-share. This week alone, for example, there are three days in a row of lunch meetings sponsored by student groups. For the uninitiated, I offer the following true/false quiz on FPS.

1. I should go to as many FPS events as possible because I'm broke and free pizza sounds great.
Answer: FALSE. It's a good idea to become familiar with a few of the student organizations at the law school that cater to your own personal interests, but you'll be blowing valuable study time if you go to all of them.

2. I should at least go to all of the FPS events that offer something better than pizza, such as catered box lunches or Qdoba.
Answer: TRUE. Notwithstanding the above, you should always get free Qdoba and box lunches. They just don't come around very often. Furthermore, FPS typically winds down by early October.

3. I need to join a student organization if I eat their free pizza.
Answer: FALSE, although you can "join" most student groups at U of L Law by simply putting your email address on a list. And you won't be invited to do much of anything until your 2L year.

4.  It will help my resume if I join a few student groups.
Answer: FALSE. OK, maybe that's a bit harsh. But in most cases, employers will not look closely at membership in student organizations. They already know your resume is thin. They usually care about three things: grades, grades, and grades. However, joining one or (at most) two student groups is a nice way to meet other people, lay the foundation for joining a study group, or maybe do some volunteering in the community.

5. I thought this quiz was about pizza. It seems like we're getting off topic.
Answer: TRUE.

6. FPS events sponsored by groups such as Westlaw, Lexis, Barbri, and Kaplan are not as valuable, even though they typically have better free stuff.
Answer: TRUE. At least in my opinion, you should choose wisely when it comes to burning an hour of your time with one of these groups. I'm not saying that the intriguing info session on how to search state statutes using truncators isn't worthwhile. Just be careful with your time.

7. I can take the free pizza, stay for five minutes, and then go study somewhere else.
Answer: TRUE. You could, but it's tacky. Don't do it.

8. I should also be careful about the FPS events hosted by the law school to discuss job interviews, professionalism, studying abroad and other stuff.
Answer: FALSE. At least in my opinion, the events hosted by the school itself, especially those focused on OCI and job interviews, are worth attending.

9. Student groups that host an FPS event with no pizza are definite skippers.
Answer: FALSE. Some of the best student organizations at U of L Law do not offer free food because they are small, have meager budgets, or simply choose not to spend money on free food. In many cases, it will be easier to get involved with these groups because there are fewer students in their membership, and they need volunteers.

10. FPS is a good representation of how Louisville does pizza.
Answer: absolutely, positively FALSE. Most student groups, at least the ones I'm familiar with, buy the cheapest pizza for FPS events. That means Domino's, Papa John's (actually a local company), Pizza Hut and the like. If you want to try "real" local pizza in Louisville, check out Wick's, Spinelli's, Papalinos, or one of the other shops that appear on this list.

Photo of the Week: first day of law school at U of L

Some of my fellow 3Ls are posting comments on Facebook about today being their last first day of school ever. That's hard to believe, but I'll take it. A year ago, I published a photo of myself wearing a new pair of shoes, along with a post about the mixed feelings I had about the start of the 2L year. There are no mixed emotions this time around. My mantra heading into 3L: get 'er done. But not everyone is in the same boat. To the new 1Ls, I offer you a hearty welcome to U of L Law, personified by the "welcome" sign drawn in chalk in the above photo. To the 2Ls, I offer a reminder that things could be worse, i.e. you could be pushing a broom on a construction site. Actually, for all I know, this guy is probably happier than 90 percent of law students. Either way, keep working, you'll get there.

Photo of the Week: Unicorn sighted at U of L Law

The harpy's as real as you are, and just as immortal. 

After days and days and days of rain, which have caused widespread flooding throughout Louisville, a fantastic rainbow arched over the city yesterday around dinner time. Most law students were studying, so they didn't catch this even rarer sight: a live unicorn prancing majestically across the lawn in front of the law school's main entrance. That's right, you heard it here: a live unicorn, created by the fine folks in our IT department. The parts about the rainbow and the flooding are true, however. Either way, as I barrel toward my last final exam next week, I can't think of a more deserving image to be this blog's Photo of the Week. Have a great weekend.

Basic Income Tax v. Dreadlock Rastas

Here's proof that Basic Income Tax and reggae music can co-exist peacefully in the same world. Who said that the accelerated cost recovery system for depreciation of intangible property wasn't a good source of rhythm?

Five ways to slice the price of your law school books

The spring semester is still two days away, and yet I am holed up in the law review office, pounding away at the 200-plus footnotes that must accompany a mandatory 25-page writing assignment. More on that later. For now, check out my Top Five Ways to Slice the Price of Your Law School Books. See everyone on Wednesday.

5. Rent 'Em if You Got 'Em. This is a relatively new concept at local bookstores, but it takes about 50 percent off the cover price of a new book. Just make sure you return the text at the end of the semester.

Uncle wants to buy your books

4. Buy Used. This seems like an obvious choice, but you need to arrive early to catch the used copies. Usually saves around 30 percent off the cover price. Alternatively, if you have your act together, you can buy used law school books on Amazon, eBay, etc.

3. Borrow. This is my method of choice for the spring. So far, I am borrowing a tax book from a friend who took the course in the fall, a Con Law book from a guy who decided not to take the second half of the course this spring, and (hopefully) a wills and estates textbook from a friend who graduated last year. Savings so far: about $280. PS -- I still have my Evidence book from last semester if anyone wants to use it free of charge. PPS -- I don't know about other law schools, but the willingness to share books among students is a nice reflection of the friendly and generous atmosphere at Louisville Law. You might think that students in a competitive environment would not be open to trading books crammed with personal notes and so forth. Not true here.

2. Share. It's like kindergarten all over again! I recommend this strategy only for supplements and rulebooks that you don't need every day, but that still cost in the neighborhood of $40-$60 each. Also works for hornbooks and flash cards.

1. Go to war. Seriously. Join the military and you can get the government to pay for all your books and tuition. OK, maybe not the most practical solution, but I'm running out of steam. At least make sure that you keep your receipts so you can deduct the cost of your books as educational expenses on your income taxes.

Start of 2L year brings mixed emotions, new shoes

Today is the first day of the school year for upper-division law students. As I scurried around organizing my office and books last night, I realized that the mix of excitement and hope that I felt at this time a year ago was, well, a bit faded. I am sure that other 2Ls and 3Ls feel the same way. Back to the stress, back to the crushing work load, back to not earning a paycheck, etc, etc. At the same time, it could be a lot worse. This morning, as I cruised through the Highlands and Old Louisville on my motor scooter, my attitude perked up. The sky was a crisp blue, the temperature was something less than 140 degrees, and it truly felt like the first day of school. There are certainly drawbacks about being in law school (see above sentence about crushing work load), but in general I am still very happy to be here. My knowledge of the law after one full year of school is embarrassingly small, and I look forward to adding new layers of legal armor to my resume. Here is my schedule (with last name of instructor):

• Constitutional Law (Trucios-Haynes)
  
• Evidence (Powell)
  
• Professional Responsibility (Ewald)
  
• Business Organizations (Blackburn)

This is going to sound corny, but I look forward to engaging with each of these professors in the months to come, both inside and outside the classroom. Each of my professors has impressive credentials, which you can read about by clicking here. And while the reading assignments can be unrelenting, life could be far worse without the case study method. Each legal rule is embedded in the narrative of a lawsuit, complete with characters, plot, and moral. Sure, we have to read about 115 pages of them each day,  but as an English major I am grateful for a little story time. Finally, my wife bought me new shoes (see photo, above right) last week, completely unsolicited, and it's hard to have a rough first day of school with new shoes, no matter what happens. 

Law school offers bounty of free food, trinkets

The spectre of final exams is starting to consume my life, but there's one thing I don't have to worry about: lunch. At least once a week there is a free pizza lunch for students as an enticement to attend a meeting for a student organization, or a symposium on a specialized area of the law. And there are some weeks when my brown bag lunch from home sits in the refrigerator at school for two or three days in a row before I get a chance to eat it.

Just this week, for example, I noshed on a free lunch provided for an event about transgender identity and the law. Before that, there was free pizza for events hosted by the Federalist Society, the corporate law student group, and a symposium on professionalism. I'm hoping that the flow of free food doesn't slow down after the first semester, but even if it does there are many other sources of free stuff that a poor law student would be loath to overlook.Lexis and Westlaw pepper us with free pens, flash drives and water bottles, and the University of Louisville conducts prize drawings for students who turn in course evaluations and such. There also are a bunch of cool events hosted by the school and by student groups, such as this week's Lawlapalooza, a battle of the bands for musician law students and attorneys at Phoenix Hill Tavern. Law school does have its price, both in terms of tuition and the demands on my home and family life. But it's good to know that, at least in some cases, there is a free lunch.