Help wanted: dealing with the 2L funk

Suck it up?

I am officially stuck in a law school rut. Been there for about two weeks now, and I'm still trying to figure out the reason. There are plenty of theories. It could be the six straight rejections that I received after my On Campus Interviews earlier this month, including one that arrived almost before I mailed my thank-you letter. Or it could be the fact that this is the year we are "worked to death," which comes after the "scare-you-to-death" year and before the "bore-you-to-death" year of law school. 
We are not close enough to the finish line to celebrate, but we are far enough down the path that the shine is wearing off. I don't think I am alone in my despair. There's a lot of grumbling about the grind. So what is the solution to the 2L funk? I'm not exactly sure. Spending more time with the family, and not being so obsessive about law school, seems to help. Cold PBR also has proven useful. In general, however, I think the best antidote is to simply suck it up (perhaps with the fantastic vacuum pictured at right). As law students at U of L, we're a privileged lot. Sure, we work hard, and there is no guarantee of success. But our outlook is pretty bright, at least according to some of the school's freshly minted marketing materials for the Class of 2009. A sample: 

• Students with jobs 9 months after graduation: 96.8%
  
  
  
  
• Students with job offers before graduation: 68%
  
  
  
  
• Average private sector starting salary: $80,000.

I am reminded of a quote that I tripped across the other day in a book called Contemplative Prayer, by Thomas Merton, one of my favorite Kentuckians. 

"It is sometimes necessary to practice a laborious, arid and unconsoling form of prayer; at others one may receive grace and light almost without effort, provided that he is sufficiently well disposed." 

My translation: Sometimes life is tough sledding. Keep going. It will get better.

Photo of the Week: Amazing Architecture

The Ouerbacker Mansion at 17th and W. Jefferson; photo by author, 2009

The latest photo of the week has little to do with law school, although it does hint at one of the best fringe benefits of living in Louisville -- incredible architecture at very affordable prices. The stately Ouerbacker Mansion, above, is a gross exaggeration of the principle. It's one of the finest examples in the region of Richardsonian Romanesque design, but the place is in total decay (although a massive restoration is creeping along slowly).
More to the point, law students at U of L can live in fantastic apartments in neighborhoods such as Old Louisville, which is said to boast the nation's largest extant collection of Victorian homes. Rent is reasonable, with a typical one bedroom going for around $400 to $500 a month.
Other popular neighborhoods for students include The Highlands, and parts of the city's revitalized downtown. To check out a random collection of historic images of Old Louisville, click here.

Top 10 signs you may be a non-traditional law student at the University of Louisville

One of the nice things about a small law school is that you get to know all of the other students. And one of the nice things about Louisville, at least in my opinion, is that people of all backgrounds and ages are treated equally. As a 34-year-old college student, I appreciate this on a daily basis. So, without further ado, here is the latest Top Ten List: Signs you may be a non-traditional law student. Special thanks to Liam Felsen, Nancy Vinsel, Hollyn Richardson, and others who contributed ideas.

10. When at the Rock Band competition at Orientation, you ask if there is an acoustic guitar. 


9. You are the only person at Chuck E. Cheese who is reading the Federal Rules of Evidence. 

8. Your kids are sitting outside class in the hallway playing on your iPhone because you couldn't find a babysitter.

7. When you go to the SAC to play pickup basketball, you consider it a victory when you are picked last, score no points, but don't sprain your ankle.

6. Other people say that your decision to attend law school is an "inspiration" to them.

5. You remember when Jerry Abramson was not the mayor of Louisville. 

4. Your law school friends are younger than your son's MBA friends

3. You show up for Orientation and another fellow student remarks that "you must be so proud of your son today."

2. You are invited to go to the Granville on Thursday night, and you can't because your back hurts.

1. You are, literally, the one person NOT on Facebook during class.

Legos teach the law of evidence

We're learning about exceptions to the "hearsay" rule in our Evidence class this week. As further proof that some law students have way too much time on their hands, check out this YouTube video in which Lego figures describe Federal Rule of Evidence 803.

Photo of the Week: Ice Cream study break

The law school hosted an ice cream study break yesterday in Cox Lounge, one of the few areas of the building where I still feel a little uncertain. It's technically a faculty lounge, but it connects two main hallways in the building and serves as a really handy cut-through on the second floor.

So, outside of ice cream study breaks, is it kosher for students to traipse through the faculty lounge? If you want to weigh in on this important topic, participate in our handy reader poll at right.

Packing schedule not a problem at U of L Law

As if our courses weren't enough to keep us busy, there are a gazillion things going on at the law school this fall, from softball teams to bake sales to moot court competitions. This is sort of the blessing and the curse of law school here at Louisville: outside student groups and activities are a welcome relief from the drudgery of reading and taking notes, but if you engage in too many of them you become more stressed out by, well, not having time to read and take notes. At any rate, there are a bunch of great opportunities in the coming weeks, many of which are profiled in the Daily Docket, the online calendar that we receive via email. A sampling:

Law School Softball Team Opens Tournament with Two Big Wins

The law school softball team - the Bottom 90% - posted two impressive wins this week, each by a score of 15-0. Phil Lawson pitched two complete games, the second a no-hitter. Slugger Chris Ballantine crushed an inside-the-park grand slam. Team captain Gulam Zade stated that this team is poised for a big run in the tournament, and could win it all. You can catch future Bottom 90% games at the Byrne Street field.

Intrastate Mock Trial Team Try-outs

The Kentucky Intrastate Mock Trial Competition is an annual event between Chase Law School, UK College of Law, and Brandeis School of Law. Each school hosts the competition every third year, and this year it's our turn. With winning comes bragging rights for the next year, but participation provides so much more. Mock Trial involves preparing openings, closings, directs, crosses - in other words, it's an actual trial (not like the 1L oral arguments). This is one of the few opportunities you will have as a student to really practice and integrate the skills necessary to conduct a trial. Not only will your participation in this competition give you an edge over your competition in today's competitive job market, you will receive academic credit AND you will learn the Rules of Evidence backwards and forwards.

Thursday! Thursday! Thursday!

Lawlapalooza 2010 t-shirts and tickets will be on sale in the Mosaic Lobby ...

• Thursday, September 16 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm,
• Tuesday, September 21 from 5:15 to 7:15 pm, and
• Wednesday, September 22 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.

T-shirts are $10. Student tickets are $5, and general admission tickets are $20.
Bonus: Every student who wears his/her Lawlapalaooza 2010 t-shirt to the show, Thursday, September 30 at the Phoenix Hill Tavern, gets his/her first drink FREE, compliments of Westlaw.

20 Minutes with Tracey Roberts

Tracey Roberts, assistant professor at the Brandeis School of Law, is new to Louisville and to the University of Louisville.
She's started a group called Louisville Faculty and Friends to help newcomers connect with other people in the community. UofL Today recently asked her about the group and herself.
Roberts: Everyone should feel free to join our Louisville Faculty & Friends Google group.
Full Story: "20 Minutes with Tracey Roberts on faculty newcomer group" (UofL Today, September 14, 2010)

Upcoming Events

September

Faculty Presentation - Tobias Keeber

September 15, 2010, 12:00pm – 1:00pm

Government Honors & Internship Handbook Session

September 15, 2010, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

Career Development Session

September 15, 2010, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

Lawlapalooza Tickets & T-shirts On Sale

September 16, 2010, 11:30am – 1:30pm

The Brandeis "Brief"

September 16, 2010, 3:30pm – 4:00pm

3rd Structured Study Group Session

September 17, 2010, 11:30am – 12:30pm

LexisNexis Training

September 17, 2010, 1:00pm – 3:00pm

Harlan Scholars: KAPLAN LSAT Preview & Practice Exam

September 18, 2010, 9:00am – 5:00pm

LSAT Prep Event

September 18, 2010, 9:00am – 4:00pm

Alternatives to OCI - The KBA

September 21, 2010, 12:00pm – 1:00pm

Faculty Meeting

September 21, 2010, 12:00pm – 2:00pm

Lawlapalooza Tickets & T-shirts On Sale

September 21, 2010, 5:15pm – 7:15pm

Lawlapalooza Tickets & T-shirts On Sale

September 22, 2010, 11:30am – 1:30pm

Career Development Session - Tandy Patrick Guest Speaker

September 22, 2010, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

Academic Success Workshop - Catching Your Breath (Stress Resilience)

September 23, 2010, 1:00pm – 2:00pm

4th Structured Study Group Session

September 24, 2010, 11:30am – 12:30pm

Freedom Sings

September 24, 2010, 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Diversity Forum Series

September 28, 2010, 12:00pm – 2:00pm

Career Development Session - Ky. Justice Association - Plaintiff Practice

September 29, 2010, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

Faculty Workshop - Chris Slobogin

September 30, 2010, 12:00pm

Lawlapalooza Tour 2010

September 30, 2010, 6:00pm – 11:00pm

Photo of the Week: On-Campus Interview schedule

Today's photo of the week may be visually boring, but this interview sheet is a conspicuous reminder of the competitive, and often nerve-wracking, nature of law school. These sheets are posted on various doors throughout the first floor of the school on days when employers visit campus to interview students. The process is sort of like speed dating. Typically, about a dozen students engage in separate, rapid-fire 20-minute interviews with one or two lawyers from the firm. Perhaps two or three of those students are selected for "callback" interviews, from which usually one person is offered a plum summer job. The number of employers participating in the so-called OCI process (On-Campus Interviews) for 2Ls increased significantly this year compared to our 1L year. I'm told that upper-level students generally have a better chance of landing a job through OCI. It's also nice to know that most decisions (at least at the larger firms) for the following summer will be made in the next few weeks. If I'm not able to score a job through OCI, that will give me plenty of time to network with smaller firms and solo lawyers. Got an OCI story of your own, or a question about the interview process? Share it in the comment field below.

Ignore study tips at your peril

Another Labor Day weekend has come and gone.  According to the law school's Academic Success Program, I broke every rule in the book for studying on a three-day weekend. Here's what the program  says about long weekends and holidays:

"Tackle your most onerous study task as early as possible this weekend.  That way, it won't hang over you during the long weekend and add to your stress.  Also consider tackling your hardest study tasks when you are most alert.  Your brain will absorb material more easily for greater understanding and retention.  Consequently, you will feel better about your study session and lower your stress."

Although I failed to follow this good advice (we went on a camping trip that started Friday, so I couldn't really study until Sunday and Monday), I generally pay close attention to the tips coming out of the ASP office and its director, a veteran attorney who did very well in law school. Here's another sample of advice that the program offers about taking effective notes in law school.

Key to law school success: taking a break

A funny thing happened to me during my second semester in law school: I stopped studying as much, and my grades improved dramatically. That's actually a bit misleading. I still studied quite a bit, but I stopped obsessing about every assignment for every class. More importantly, I spent more time with my family and friends, and I didn't worry about exams as much. I'm trying to take the same approach with my second year of law school, balancing work and play. It's not an easy thing when you have massive reading assignments almost every night, on top of summer job interviews, law review assignments, and obligations with various student organizations. Still, I feel like I've done a pretty good job of blowing off steam lately. And especially this time of year, there are tons of cool things to do in the Louisville area and beyond. For example, last week I took my kids to the Falls of the Ohio, where we splashed around in the river and scrambled on the rocks (see super amateur cell phone video, above right).

This past weekend, my wife and I took the kids to Kings Island, an amusement park just outside Cincinnati. We're planning a trip to Holiday World, an amusement park in Indiana, later this month. And for Labor Day, we're joining a bunch of other families on a camping trip to the Red River Gorge, a mecca for rock climbers and other outdoor enthusiasts (that's me at the Red in 2003, at left, with my oldest son, who is now eight).

Anyway, the idea here is that success in law school means taking a break every once in a while. By the end of September, I will have taken enough breaks to last the entire school year, but for now I'm still on top of my classes and I feel much less stressed out than I did at this time a year ago. Got a de-stressing activity of your own? Post it in the comments field below.

Photo of the Week: Prof. Abramsom

Today's photo of the week is a vintage portrait of Leslie W. Abramson, Frost Brown Todd professor of law at U of L, much-loved master of civil procedure and other topics, and all-around fantastic teacher. Photo is from fellow student Vince Kline. Pop quiz: without tracking down the photo itself (it hangs somewhere in the law school), what year was this image taken?

Etiquette 101 for upper-level summer OCI

In the strange world of summer law jobs, 2Ls such as myself are now in the thick of the hunt for associate positions that will begin in May 2011. The selection process is based, not on our second-year performance, but on grades from the 1L year that we wrapped up four months ago. The first wave of interviews begins next week with what is called OCI, or On-Campus Interviews. Students submit "bids" for 20-minute interviews with employers, who then select a dozen or so students based on resumes, grades, writing samples, grades, personal references, grades, grades, and grades. You get the picture. 

If you're lucky enough to get past the first interview, the second round usually takes place a few weeks later. This "callback" interview can last several hours, and is much more demanding. I had one last year that included one-on-one meetings with five different associates and partners, back to back, at the firm's downtown Louisville offices.  Plenty of students don't even bother with OCI. The process can be stressful, and the odds of success can be fairly low compared to the required investment in time and research. I didn't land an OCI job last year, but I still had an incredible summer experience with a solo practitioner who hired me based on a recommendation from a close friend. Still, I plan to take a second bite out of the OCI apple starting next week. To prepare, I listened yesterday to a 90-minute presentation on etiquette that was hosted by the law school's fantastic Career Services Department. The presenter, Terri Thompson of Etiquette in Action (photo, above right) agreed to let me share a few of her tips: 

• In a sit-down interview with an employer, always remain standing until you are offered a seat.
  
  
• Always thank the interviewer twice: once after the face-to-face meeting, and a second time in writing with a thank-you card.
  
  
• Speaking of thank-yous: use blank cards, colored white or cream, in a plain envelope. Apparently, they shouldn't even have the words Thank You printed on the front. Email is an appropriate way to supplement written cards in some circumstances, but you should still send the card itself.
  
  
• At an interview meal, place your napkin on the left side of your plate if you must leave the table.
  
  
• Attire for law students should be extremely conservative. For guys, shirts with either traditional cuffs or French cuffs with links are OK. For women, long hair should be pulled back at the nape of the neck unless you can sit through the entire interview without repetitively "tucking" your locks behind your ears.
  
  
• Men no longer need to wait for a female interviewer to offer a handshake first. Although there was some disagreement about this during yesterday's panel, Thompson says social etiquette for handshakes is now completely gender neutral.
  
  
  

Law School Photo of the Week

Here's a new blog feature: photo of the week, taken somewhere inside the law school. For our inaugural image, taken with my cell phone, we have a portrait of the faculty (and students) of the Class of 1895, which hangs on a second floor wall just outside the Law Review offices. U of L is one of the oldest law schools in the nation in continuous operation. Today's classes are a bit larger, with around 135 students.
Got a photo of your own to submit? Send it to me at acdavi07@louisville.edu.

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. 

Top 10 Things I Did at My Summer Law Job

It's easy to forget, in the midst of law school exams, briefing cases, and talking to professors, that the reason most of us are here is to eventually find a job. This summer, I spent twelve weeks working as a full-time law clerk for a divorce lawyer in downtown Louisville. So what does a law clerk do? At larger firms, clerks often are consumed with massive research projects, such as the dreaded 50-state survey. At smaller firms, clerks play more of a jack-of-all-trades role. My experience was closer to the latter situation. My Top 10 list: 

10. Clock and Drop: this is the legal slang for filing papers with the court. You grab a stack of documents, walk a few blocks to the courthouse, insert the cover page into the time stamp machine, i.e. the "clock" and then place, i.e. "drop," the entire mess of paperwork in a file drawer for the appropriate court. 

9. Billable Hours: as my boss told me early in the summer, you have to put gas in the car if you want to drive. The car is the law firm, of course, and the gas is the billable hour. Over the course of three months, I learned to translate every phone call, email message, and clock and drop into billable hours. 

8. Drafting: at least once I day, I cranked out a motion, a subpoena, an affidavit or some other legal document. Computer software makes the routine documents amazingly easy to create. Punch a few buttons, enter a case number, and, voila, it's ready to print. In more complicated situations, it might take a couple of days. 

7. Killing trees: this is also called document management. Almost everything gets copied three or four times, scanned, and entered into a file, either electronic or hard copy. In my family law, we do this for hundreds of documents for each client, including tax returns, retirement accounts, letters, mortgages, and pay stubs. Copies are filed in court, provided to opposing counsel, etc. Bottom line: we chew up a lot of paper. 

6. Diet Coke or Lemonade: I am 34 years old, the owner of a real estate company, the father of two children, and in many other respects not a fresh-faced teenager or twenty-something. However, as a lawyer, I'm as green as it gets. So when the boss asks for a soft drink, this law clerk heads for the fridge. On the double. Yes sir. 

5. Runner: this is a variation on #6. I delivered packages to other attorneys, picked up boxes of documents, even drove the boss to depositions and trials in his car so he could work on the way. On the double. Yes sir. 

4. Meet and greet: I met dozens of other lawyers this summer, in what was possibly the best three months of networking in my life. My contacts file is four times as large as it was in April, and I got a terrific chance to watch some of the finest lawyers in Louisville in action. 

3. Watch and learn: most clerks spend a lot of time sitting in conference rooms watching the real lawyers practice. I mostly took notes, wrote summaries, and kept my mouth shut. However, I feel fortunate that my boss allowed me to speak up at times, to ask questions, to offer comments and opinions. 


2. Negotiation: this may have been the most rewarding aspect of my summer clerkship. I had a lot of interaction with clients, and even played a leading role in settling a handful of cases concerning child custody, parental visitation, child support, and alimony. About 85 percent of all family law cases are settled in mediation or some other stage short of trial. Knowing the law is only one small piece of the puzzle. 


1. Stress and Fun: there were times this summer when I felt like the entire world was going to swallow me up. The pace of work in a small practice is frenetic, and can change ten times in the course of an hour. I started the summer knowing almost nothing, and I ended the summer not knowing a whole lot more. Along the way, there were hundreds of tiny skills to master, from copying documents to navigating the firm's servers to learning all of the software programs that we used to handle our cases. I must have asked the paralegals a millions questions. They were so patient. And with thousands of dollars on the line each day, the stress was sometimes overwhelming. Yet at the same time, we had a ton of fun. The same kind of dry humor that filled my journalism years was a mainstay at the firm all summer. Twelve weeks of stress, perhaps, but also twelve weeks of fun. 

New year of law school, new blog focus

With my second year of law school just a few short days away, I am gearing up to resume regular posts on this blog.  For the next year, I will be writing about careers, job interviews, the transition from 1L to 2L, and other random snippets of life at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. I highly encourage folks to check out the school's new 1L blogger, Sharon Wright, at www.1llouisvillelaw.blogspot.com. 

In the weeks to come, I will be writing about my summer clerkship with Louisville's finest divorce lawyer (in case you're reading, Mr. Hoge), and about the on-campus interview process for upper-level law students this fall. I also will be touching on the experience of being a member of the school's law review, which, so far, has been just like a free trip to Disney World. Well, OK, that's not true at all. But it has been rewarding. More on that later.