Guess What I Know - A Law School Primer

Since at least sometime in our third year of law school, my friend B. and I have been discussing writing a book that would shed some light on what seems to be the impentrible world of law school. As survivors, we're qualified to share our experiences, good and bad, funny and sad. (That wasn't meant to rhyme, sorry.)

Now that I'm done with the bar and I've got my own time again(!), I figure I should keep myself busy. Plus, if we don't get started soon, we'll forget everything we learned, and we'll get too good at whitewashing the memories.

Plus, we've had some tentitive comments for guest writers. This could be fun! And even after listening to bar examinees tell me, "I don't care what happens to the kids behind us," I find that I do. I really had such a miserable first year that if I can save anyone the badness, I will absolutely do it.

So while I'm at work, and not working, I'm going to try a rough outline of topics. Any suggestions? Tales you want to tell? Questions you have? I'm open.

The Bar, Day Three

And thank goodness, the final day!! Here's how it went:

Today was MBE day. The MBE is an evil exam, designed to make you second-guess yourself on every answer. Most the of the questions are written with 4 possible answers, with 2 Yes, because... and 2 No, because...

It's just terrible. The answers don't seem to fit into what I knew the law to be. It's like the writers picked the most obscure angle of any question and then made me delve into the question 3 or 4 times to try to figure out what they were looking for. The topics are given on the NCBE website, but the content of the questions are so obscure. I don't know how I did. I felt OK after the morning session, but the afternoon was brutal.

Did I mention that you get an average of 1.6 minutes per question? And some of the prompts are 1 1/2 columns. It takes every bit of concentration that you have to answer them.

I can't talk a whole lot about the topics, and I can't even mention the questions, because you swear to barely discuss this test when you open your test booklet. So, I'm not trying to be vague, I just don't want to get hauled in front of the Character and Fitness board.

Suffice to say, everyone who walked out after this test looked like the walking wounded.

So now it's done, and I wait until September 26 to find out if I passed. If I did, the swearing in is on Momma's birthday. I really hope I passed.

The Bar, Day Two

Today was the MEE and the MPT. The morning held in store for me 6 essays. 30 minutes each. This is not easy to do when you can't seem to remember anything. So here's what I did: I read each question and prompt. Then I re-read them and jotted down a couple notes for the questions for which I had the vaguest clue. I was expected some evidence or criminal or pure property questions. None of those. So next I got up, went to the ladies' for a good think, then I got to work. It was down to the wire. When the Bar Guard called 10 minutes, I was in the middle of my last question. At least I finished, but not with enough time to check my work. I hope what I wrote made sense (oh, and was right).

Here's the topics:

Debtor/Creditor - should have gone to that class more often, and while there, should've paid some attention.
1st Amendment - crap! Why couldn't it have been equal protection or due process? I rock at those. But at least I saw that the 1st Amendment doesn't have a whole lot to say about privacy rights.
Civil Procedure - again?!? I just did a whole day of civ pro! MORE subject matter jurisdiction? Are these people sadists?
Property - but only in the sense that it was landlord/tenant. Again, thank you Core, for making me write about that topic. And good on me for even caring about it when I took property! The only reason I cared was because I was a tenant, but still...
Two, count 'em, 2 Business Association: one was about partnership, and I wished it were about agency. Oh, wait! The second question was on agency.

Then came lunch, where I hung out outside and eavesdropped as people disected the questions. I loved the confirmation that I got some of the questions right.

Onward...the MPT. I'd never taken that one before, but I figured it would be my favorite. (I know, a bar favorite? I am sick.) It wasn't too, too bad. I just didn't have enough time. One was about child custody and the other was about fraud arising from a shady car repair place. Overall, not too bad. I wish my vocabulary for words like "statement" were better, but I muddled through.

Tomorrow is the beast, the MBE. It counts for 50% of my grade. So please, please pull for me! I really never want to do this again.

I'm not sure if I'll get to update you tomorrow, because right after I'm done, I'm headed home and I probably won't get there until 8:30 or 9, after which time I will be drinking copiously and talking to the boy. It's been a long few days without him - almost a week! I'm sure there's much to say.

But I will catch you up on the final day. And since I made phone plans, chances are they'll fall through, and I'll write again anyway.

Thanks for all your support, everyone!

The Bar, Day One

Today was the first day of the test. It was a half day that covered Alabama Civil Litigation. Unfortunately, I didn't spend as much time studying this as I thought I had, as evidenced from my reaction when I read the first question. I believe I actually said out loud (albeit quietly) "Son of a bitch!" Seemed appropriate at the time.

We had 3 hours to cover 6 questions. This means that you write like crazy and your formatting is not as good as you'd hope. At least, that's what it means to me. I read the questions about 3 times, thinking that there was no hope and I might as well go home. I then took a quick break, gave myself a pep talk, and realized that I actually might know this stuff. So I got down to it.

I wrote scintillating essays on subject matter jurisdiction, personal jurisdiction, and venue. I wrote about the Rule 12(b) rules. I could remember all but number 7. I guess I have to credit case; in Core, we had to write 12(b)(6) motions to dismiss for failure to state grounds under which relief can be made. Luckily, I think that was one of the answers to the essay I wrote. And if I'm wrong, hopefully I laid out my argument well enough that I'll get credit anyway.

Tomorrow is the Multistate Essay Exam and the Multistate Performance Test. A full day of writing! I guess today was the breaking in of my hands. I wasn't as sore as I thought I would be, but I'm chalking that up to intense stress and the ability to block pain receptors.

Two more days, and I'll be done, and I can have beer again! I miss you, beer.

Welcome To Montgomery!

So, we made it. I've been showing Momma my Facebook and Myspace pages, and this little blog. The hotel is rather sketchy (read: the deadbolt doesn't work) but since we're on the back inside of the building, we hopefully won't get stabbed.

Thanks for all the well wishes the past few days! And keep thinking them until Wednesday at 4. Then, you are free. And once I get back, ramped up on Red Bull and adrenaline, we'll catch up and I can be funny again.

Hooray!

One Old Problem Solved, And One New One

Last night I awoke in a panic. It occurred to me that I don't know what to do with my cat on day 3 of the exam. We have to check out of the hotel by 11. Momma's friend is taking her to "an old lady tea house" which is cool; they'll have fun. But what will happen to Biggs? He can't hang out in a car all afternoon, and I can't have him with me. Can you imagine what the Ethics Committee would say if I should up to the MBE with my cat? Unless Momma's friend is willing to take him to her house for the afternoon, I am completely screwed. I don't know why this didn't occur to me until last night.

I really, really don't want to leave Biggs with my dad. Sure, he adores Biggs, but he also has a very short temper and a tendency to yell at, or hit, cats. It took me years to train fear out of my Biggs, and I know all my hard work can be ruined in 3 days. Still, what's my other option? Lay out an unbelieveable amount of food and pray he'll be OK in the apartment alone? I wish there were someone nearby who could come check on him. But none of my friends live close enough, and the one that days is extremely allergic to cats.

So, I'm planning to leave in 3 hours, and I have to sort this out.

For the problem solved, remember when I was talking about the perfume I want? It also occurred to me last night that I have a $75 gift card to Nordstrom, so I'll only have to cover the additional $15 plus shipping charges. Hooray! I will get myself a "ding, dong, the bar's over" present after all!

Wish me copious amounts of luck. I'm really nervous. But I'm trying to fake calm. After all, it is just a test. Right?

I Think, Redux

Yeah, I know that eventually you'll get tired of my reduxes, but since it's so close to the bar, you'll tolerate me. This is a redux of this post.

I think...

That I might actually pass this time.

That my desire to be a lawyer is stronger, although my fear of it has increased.

That I can be a narcissist.

That I love knowing a little about what's going on in my friends' lives. Not necessarily my close friends, but people who I considered friends along the way. (And in English, that means that I'm enjoying getting to re-know some folks.)

That occasionally asking for what you want might actually get you what you want.

That some random farewells are for the best. (I mean, there need not be a big, flowery scene.)

That this little relationship I've been having serves only to restore my self-esteem, and isn't an answer.

That I still need to work on believing in myself.

That I'm still glad that I have some anonymity, even as I work harder for more reclaim.

That what I said above I will contradict for possibly ever until...