Don’t worry, be happy.

Don’t worry, be happy. After reading the advice of my fellow law students below, I have to admit I am pretty happy with my current state of mind regarding finals. Yes, there is certainly some stress involved – but for the most part exams are already in the bag. It almost seems like a formality to show up for the tests themselves. The key to finals is being prepared. My perspective is that we have been preparing for finals since the first day of class. Going through the term with this is in mind helps to keep the fear at bay. Perhaps I will change my tune after seeing the resulting grades, but for now I am happy and satisfied with my relaxed approach to the process. My approach can be demonstrated by a quick look at my outlines. Many students seem to work hard on building extensive outlines, often stretching to 40 or more pages. While serving as the web editor for the SBA I had the pleasure of uploading dozens of these comprehensive outlines, and began to question the wisdom of using such encyclopedic references. The result is that my own outlines are simple and utilitarian. Generally 3-4 pages for each class, corresponding to the 3-4 hours that the tests will last. Is this a good strategy? I can’t actually say at this point, other than to note that it hasn’t impacted my comfort in approaching the exams, and has saved me a week of intense pain and suffering in the library. I feel rested and excited to be facing my finals, rather than tired and overwhelmed, which is a victory in and of itself. Today I take my second of four finals, and plan to spend the next two days on my snowboard before returning to the books on Sunday. It might not be the best way to tackle exam week, but it feels right to me. Stressing out has never been my style.

Keeping busy

Keeping busy It’s a little bit shocking how fast the time has flown by. Between classes, student government, networking, parties, conferences, volunteering and keeping up with friendships, there has been precious little time to stop and take stock. Now that finals are just a few short weeks away, I want to take a few moments to remember some of the details. …On the top of my list is the first annual ACLU NW Civil Liberties Conference. This event was hosted by the Lewis & Clark ACLU on the last weekend in October, and provided a great forum for visitors from Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington to meet and address some of the most pressing issues in civil liberties today. Speakers looked at the progress that has been made, and at the challenges still to be faced in Native American law, immigration law, freedom of speech and more. The conference has laid the groundwork for what should become a staple of the law school calendar at Lewis & Clark and a great example of what motivated students can accomplish in the limited free time law students enjoy.…As much fun as the conference was, there was also plenty of time for recreation. I made my first visit to Autzen stadium in Eugene and enjoyed an impressive football performance by the Ducks, found time to attend the HUMP! film festival in Portland, performed at local music venues, and resumed my favorite seasonal job at Mt. Hood. …Even with plenty of reading and studying to be done, it’s never too early to start networking. Lewis & Clark makes it pretty painless, hosting events like “Breakfast with the Judges” to help students with networking, and matching students with mentors in the school and in the legal community for support and camaraderie. The Portland legal community is uncommonly friendly and collaborative in approach; it seems like everyone in the professional community is willing and able to meet for a chat over coffee or lunch, and happy to take the time to share their experience and insight. …Beyond the school there are also ample networking opportunities, with stand-out groups like the Oregon Women Lawyers hosting speakers and events regularly, and bringing a real sense of community to the practice of law in Oregon.…Of course, one must also take some time to relax and unwind. The Student Bar Association at Lewis & Clark has been a big help for students seeking to maintain some balance in life, hosting regular social events including Bar Reviews at local establishments, an excellent Halloween party, and regular BBQ events on campus. There is nothing more relaxing than a free pint of beer before Con Law.

The Tao of “do”

The Tao of “do” As a student of philosophy, I have been exposed to an endless number of theories and systems for understanding the universe; most end up swimming in circles. However, there is a certain small green animated character whose philosophical utterances have gained increasing notice for their brevity and pithiness. Nope, not Kermit – Yoda. The simple power of a statement like “do, or do not, there is no try” can stay with you for a long time, and find endless applications. Law school seems to be a great place to put this thought into action. Trying is simply not enough here. On the other hand, there is also a certain inevitability encapsulated in this idea as well – one can only do so much, and to try to exceed the inherent limits of the human condition can lead only to frustration.This is not an idea that can be limited to the classroom. Although, like any good student, I put my classes toward the top of my priority list, there are a lot of other activities that make up the life of a law student. In my case, I have musical projects, athletic pursuits, volunteering, student government and personal relationships that all demand time and effort that must be carefully apportioned. Finding the correct balance of all these activities is likely to involve some trial and error, but the bottom line comes back to what Yoda says so succinctly. Or, in the even more concise words of a local athletics company – “just do it”. So on top of a full schedule of classes, which are mostly interesting and enjoyable, I’ve been taking time in the evenings for playing music and exercising, and have dedicated my weekends to more than simply getting ahead on the reading.The past few weekends, this has meant getting up early on Saturday to pack the car with a three person raft and associated gear, and heading for the nearby scenic rivers of Oregon with some close friends.We’ve rafted on the Willamette, the Clackamas and now have expanded our travels to include the McKenzie River as well. Spending some time in nature, absorbed in floating and paddling, has been a great escape from the otherwise never-ending reading opportunities that law school provides. Shooting down a class III rapid and flying out of the boat is thrilling and engaging in a way that more sedentary pursuits simply can’t match. It’s also one more example of how Yoda’s wisdom has practical application. When you decide to raft down a stretch of river, you can’t merely try to do it – you either do it or you don’t.This little bit of time away has left me feeling truly refreshed and ready to charge back into class materials on Sundays; I highly recommend that law students set aside one day each week for non-law pursuits when possible. This is one piece of advice I heard from many more experienced students, and so far I feel it is serving me well.

Law Snapshots

So, not only have I started my own law blog (which you are currently reading), I've also been picked up as an official blogger by the Law School. You can keep up with my school sponsored blog here: Law Snapshots: David Schor. Just one more way you can (maybe) keep up with me.

Thanks for taking the time.

Floating Forward

One of my mantras is "keep moving forward" - an admonishment to not let setbacks and obstacles forestall progress. It also happens to be pretty good advice for whitewater rafting, where a failure to "go with the flow" can have consequences to life and limb. Thankfully there is little chance of getting physically injured through failure to keep up with law school classes - but nonetheless, the mantra is apt. A failure to keep up the pace in law school can quickly lead to disaster.

It is still to early for me to hope to offer any great insights into the law school process, but I can at least see that setting a steady and deliberate pace is a key to success, and that maintaining balance in life between school and other areas is a key to maintaining sanity. So far that means rafting and biking on the weekend, occasional running during the week, and playing gigs with my band, WalkFast. Not to mention keeping up with my close personal relationships as well.

I'm also working on a theory that I can be more productive in law school by adding a few "non-class" activities to my law school agenda. One of these is serving as "Pod Representative" to the Student Bar Association of the school. This should be a great opportunity to engage in politics, legislative action and networking, while also adding another item to the law school resume. I also have taken on official duties as a blogger for the school.

Blogging about snowboarding proved to be a major help in finding work in the ski industry, and blogging about law school clearly has the potential to open up new possibilities in the realm of legal employment. Will my status as an official blogger impress potential employers? Maybe not, but it seems to me it can't hurt, and since I'm having fun doing it, there doesn't seem to be much downside.

So keep an eye out for me on the Lewis & Clark Law School snapshots blog. Just one more way I hope to keep afloat as I go with the flow at Lewis and Clark.

Getting into the swing of things

So far so good. It's been almost two full weeks now since the substantive classes started, and I still am managing to keep up with the reading and the assignments for the most part. I've managed to over-schedule myself just a little bit by getting elected as Blue Pod Representative for the Student Bar association, and joining the official blogging crew for the school, but I feel like this is all part of enriching the law school experience, which means I can rationalize the extra time spent at school on non-class activities.

The key now is finding a balance that allows me to keep up with the reading on an ongoing basis, and also allows for some social outlets, too. WalkFast has lost a member, so there is also some extra stress related to finding a drummer for the band, but that's a relatively minor concern at this point. The bigger struggle will be finding a balance between my personal need for some time alone and the need to engage fully in all the various commitments I've made.

Still, we are in the exciting part of law school, the discovery and exploration phase. I expect a lot of folks will start to get burned out and demotivated as the term goes on, but I hope to counteract this tendency by keeping myself busy and providing myself with alternative outlets. This is a very stimulating environment, intellectually and socially, so for me the key is to get engaged without getting overwhelmed. I feel like being a representative on SBA will be a good outlet, but I am even more certain that my outside interests in music and sports will be the key to maintaining my sanity.

This past weekend provided a few solid hours of homework to complete, as well as an awesome rafting trip on the lower McKenzie. I feel like I'm already working hard to maintain the balance between school and the rest of my life. Clearly law school is a time sink that can take whatever you give it. The key is to give it enough time without letting yourself be consumed. Outside interests are key, but I feel like engaging in school beyond the classroom is also a partial antidote to the problem of being overly immersed in class.

Damp Ankles

That's exactly what the first week of law school feels like. You're about to swim across a river you've never crossed before, with unknown and unpredictable currents and obstacles. Up to your ankles is about as far as you get after the first week - after all, you're just getting into the water. But the anticipation is palpable all around. Because you don't swim this one alone - a few hundred others are jumping in at the same time (along with tens of thousands across the country) and just as in any group swim, this can multiply the dangers.

Damp ankles just about sums it up.

Feeling out the first final

Today I'm taking my first "real" final exam at law school. It's really more like a practice exam than a true final, since we have less than two weeks of material under our belts, but it should be a good ice breaker for getting into the law school mindset. We're being graded on a Pass/No Pass basis, so there is basically no anxiety connected to this test other than getting the procedure down. Anonymous finals require a certain degree of processing and handling, which must be done according to strict rules and regulations to ensure no breach of confidentiality.

Unlike most final exams in law school, this one is completely closed notes and closed book, except that we have been given a list of three problems to study, one of which will be the exam question. Rather than cramming a bunch of black letter law into an outline, prep for this test will be focused on analysis and issue spotting which can be done in advance. I think it will be fun.

Reality Bites (Legal Elements)

This week in legal elements, we're doing a crash course in common law, statutes and judicial interpretation. I was all set to post about Scalia's strange dissent in Lawrence v. Texas, but I will have to post my critique at some other time.

Reality has instead intruded into my legal education in a rather unexpected way. Last night I was en route to an immediate care facility with my best friend, and on the way we had a very minor fender bender accident. We stopped to exchange information with the other driver, who apparently did not speak English. He was provided all of our vital information for insurance, license, etc - but refused to produce his license or share his own information.

Since there was little else we could do, we decided to go on our way and let the insurance company deal with the situation.

The other driver had a different idea. Rather than let us go on our way, he elected to try to physically detain us. As we tried to drive away, he grabbed the car door, and then crawled into the moving vehicle, assaulting my friend who was screaming at him to get off her while attempting to drive. He sat on her, grabbed at her keys (breaking the key to the car), and in the process threw a burning cigarette into the car, while also causing a laceration to my friend's hand. She stopped the car, but the man refused to get out of the car even then, so we were forced to call 911 for police assistance.

From our perspective, this was basically an attempt at a carjacking - but according to the responding officers, his conduct was not heinous enough to justify taking him into custody. We were told that his conduct did not rise to the level of assault - that he could be charged with "harassment", but that this would also be unlikely to stick in court.

I still feel there is a pretty sound cause of action, and that it would be in the interests of justice to pursue remedies against the other driver. Hopefully the insurance company can assist, but it certainly is a reality check that even vicious, violent and objectively heinous acts may be excused or condoned by the State simply failing to prosecute.

Even if the criminal nature of his actions can't be adjudicated, I'm hopeful that a civil remedy will present itself through the insurance process. It strikes me as wrong that someone could act so violently with no actual repercussions.

It was difficult and required a great deal of restraint on my part to refrain from harming this violent individual. I feel that I would have been well within the realm of self defense even if I had punched him out cold - but as I am trying to pursue a career in the law, I felt that it would be best to let the authorities handle the situation. Still, if faced with a similar situation in the future, I might not act with such restraint. There really is a time and place for self defense, and I may be more willing to act with force to protect myself and the safety of my friends in the future.

I'm also tempted to use this as a test case for my torts class, to see what remedies might be available. Hoping to at least salvage some educational value from the experience.

AEP week 2

The first week of the Summer Institute at L&C was mostly fun, with lots of introductions, networking, and just a little bit of reading and writing. The second week has started out a little more serious, with a visit from Prof. Steverson, who brought her Socratic skills from Harvard to our AEP classroom. I can tell that this is going to be a challenging academic experience, but it also seems like there is a great deal of potential for fun at the same time.

Last Friday Walkfast had a show at the Rock Bottom, and this was well attended by other 1L students looking to relax and build their networks. We brought together some students from the AEP with others from the 1L class, and everybody had a great time. It's been a good opportunity to practice my own networking skills, and I expect that will be true of my entire career in law school and beyond.

I didn't really appreciate or understand the value of networking very well until I came to Portland. I tended to be a loner and not very social, and only found limited opportunities to expand my circle of friends and acquaintances. Since my first fateful visit to the NWSCC, I have slowly come to realize not only the awesome power of building a social and professional network, but the great fun that comes with meeting new people.

I doubt that anyone is really "ready" for all the challenges of law school, but I do feel that the past five years have been a period of self reflection, personal growth and consciousness expanding that will provide a better foundation for success in law school, and in life. Thanks for being part of it.

AEP

Today is the second day of the Academic Enhancement Program at Lewis and Clark. This is a program designed to provide extra guidance, support and direction for incoming students as they transition into the study of law. Our first day consisted of introductions among ourselves, followed by an informal lunch with local alums, and our first homework from the law school.

This morning, we backtracked to address the issue of diversity and the nature of the challenges that we will be facing as 1L students. Have to admit, changing to part time is tempting, but I know myself too well - if I give myself too much slack, I'll be sure to find a way to hang myself.

Still, it's worthy of some thought. I'll also be pondering the possibility of overseas exchange as well, possibly to China. Anything that is interesting and differentiates me from the herd, right?

Rafting the Clackamas

Had a wonderful day rafting with my fellow Lewis & Clark students and the Blue Sky Rafting crew on the wild and scenic Clackamas river. Saw some new faces and a few familiar ones, and made some new friends. It was a hot day, which made for perfect rafting weather. Stayed in the raft through all the rapids, and enjoyed the "wheel of fortune" dunking. This has got to be the perfect distraction from what lies ahead.

PIB

This was supposed to be another networking event for the law school, but I guess I didn't get the memo. Stuck around until about 45 minutes past the appointed start of the gathering. On the plus side, I got some good blogging in before that over at Keghunter. So it was a good time for me at least. Where was everybody??

Mojito Night

This was just a fun little house party with a few of the other social misfits who have spare time for social gatherings before law school begins. Mojitos, snacks, and Indiana Jones movies. Very enjoyable.

We're going to get along fine. Just don't let me have more than 4 drinks. Thanks.

OWLS: Leg Up

Amazing turnout at this networking-focused event sponsored by the Oregon Women Lawyers, with space provided by Barran Liebman. Once the group moved to the lobby, things really got rolling, with Judge Maurer playing the extrovert and Yumi O'Neil the introvert.

Good tips on setting realistic benchmarks for meeting folks, and some basics on effective follow up. Had the good fortune to meet a few fellow Lewis and Clark 1Ls, and we put our networking skills into practice. Now to get on with the follow up. Should be fun!

Technical Issues (Silverlight Sucks)

I dropped in at the Computing Services office today to see about getting set up for school, and to ask a few of my more technical questions. It turns out that getting on the network is no problem at all, and antivirus is no issue - the problem instead has turned out to be Microsoft's proprietary technology (as usual).

In this case, the offending product is Silverlight, a web development platform that Microsoft has built on their .NET framework. The first version of this software was made available for PowerPC Mac users, and I have it installed, but it is not compatible with any of the later versions, and no newer versions have been developed for PowerPC.

So I have been looking for a work-around, but so far have not been successful. The plug-ins built for Unix installs are all x86 - so poor old PowerPC users like myself are apparently out of luck. I plan to have a nice chat with the IT folks at the school later this week about best options. It is a really silly reason to buy a new computer - but on the other hand, I will need a new machine eventually. Yet, with the PowerBook still going strong, I am in no hurry to send it into a premature retirement. I would much prefer to buy a new computer on my student discount as a 3L and get the most modern machine possible to start my working life.

But, if it means massive inconvenience to stick with the current machine, a shiny new Macbook Pro would be okay with me. Maybe I will get lucky for my birthday....?

Street Fair & Walkfast Show

Yesterday I attended my first officially sanctioned Lewis & Clark event in the form of a meet and greet at the Mississippi Ave Street Fair. About a dozen law students met at Mississippi Pizza for some face time, and then moved out onto the street for a stroll. Had a great time, saw some now familiar faces from the previous meeting we held at the Flying Pie, and met some new folks as well.

I took the opportunity to invite folks to a show with Walkfast later in the evening, and I was pleasantly surprised that about half the group made it to the Mock Crest for the show. A good time was had by all, and I am looking forward to more law school fun as the summer slides on by. Beer is on the agenda for next weekend, with rafting to follow. Should be sweet!

Another blog?

Yes. Another blog. I know I have too many already - but this one has a very specific purpose.

I want to write here about my experiences as a law student, and eventually a lawyer, partly so I can work through problems I might have along the way, and mostly so I can remember what goes into the long process of becoming a working attorney.

This is also my way of claiming the "Pioneer Law" appellation for myself.

I realize now that I should have started this blog about a year ago, when I scheduled my LSAT test date - but in all honesty there is not much to tell from the application process, aside from an admonishment to get all the materials - including and especially your recommendations - prepared far in advance. I got a decent enough score on the test, and eventually completed successful applications for the three law schools in the State of Oregon. I've decided to stay in Portland and attend Lewis & Clark.

So you get to skip all the anxiety and self-doubt of the application process with me, and jump right into the anxiety and self-doubt of the law school process itself. Score!