Capitolizing

Capitolizing Summer. Many took positions as interns, externs and summer associates, but I decided to start my first summer in law school by taking advantage of other opportunities. Study abroad programs caught my attention during the year, and I decided to join a well established trip organized by the University of Missouri at Kansas City, a program that has been popular with Lewis & Clark students for some time. So, a day after completing my first year in law school, I packed my bags for Beijing, China, where I had the chance to learn the basics of the reconstituted legal system of the People’s Republic of China while making connections with students from the US and abroad, and still found some time for sight-seeing fun. I never made time for study abroad as an undergraduate student, and I’m very glad I decided to add this trip to my summer schedule. The program did not require any Chinese language skills, and Beijing in the post-Olympics era is more accessible than ever. We had a chance to visit the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace and many other historic sites in the Beijing area. Class time was concentrated in the mornings, leaving plenty of time for afternoon sightseeing excursions by bus and weekend adventures, made easy and quick by the subway system that covers much of the city. The cohort of Lewis and Clark students, along with Professor Kanter, had the chance to share an elegant dinner with alumni from Lewis and Clark, who have made the most of their legal training in a range of fields in China. The three week course was a great introduction to many areas of Chinese law, and a great way to cap a first year in law school. Just a week after getting back from Beijing, I made a visit to Washington D.C., where I attended the 10th annual American Constitution Society convention (hence the title of the post). This was a great chance to expand my networking reach, see the sights of D.C., and connect with like minded individuals, while providing a presence for Lewis and Clark at a high profile event. I met law students and lawyers, writers and editors, professors and judges. I even ran into a distinguished guest that remembered me from a trip to Lewis & Clark earlier in the year. A little trip to D.C. helped to put the temperate summers of Oregon in good perspective. Halfway through the summer, I still had time to take Evidence and Natural Resources back at Lewis and Clark, where I enjoyed the excellent weather in Portland. I spent a lot of time floating whitewater, biking, attending beer festivals, and picking up some credits along the way with some intensive courses. The split summer schedule was especially helpful in making it possible to combine intensive study abroad with a dose back home. Whew! I’ll fill you in on what I’ve been up to this fall in my next post…