11/18/09 - THE MEMO IS DONE!!! I can’t believe that the semester is basically over! We have classes the rest of this week and a review day on Monday - then we’re in the home stretch! I’m actually excited that we finally get to sit down and study, analyze, and just LEARN our material instead of cramming new material in my head. 

Last weekend, I participated in a very cool event called Law Day. It was an Office of Admissions event where prospective students came for lunch, a student panel, and tours of the school. I had a table of seven prospective students that I got the opportunity to tell about REAL law school life and answer questions HONESTLY about day-to-day life as a law student (to those of you who were at my table, thank you for reading my blog!). It was nice to be able to tell people what I wish I had asked students when I had the chance.

Well, tonight I have to start finals studying preparation…yes, I do have to prepare to STUDY! I have to finish my outlines, finish my Estates and Future Interests notecards for Property, and finish editing my notes from class—BEFORE I can even really start studying! But, in the end, being able to finally put all of the little puzzle pieces together is going to be a welcome change. I’m finally going to be able to learn all of the things they have been teaching us this semester.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving and enjoy stuffing yourself!


11/11/09 - Well, the end of the semester is almost here! We have taken all four practice exams and are awaiting meetings with professors for feedback on the exams and our outlines. I have had meetings with several professors about my outlines and how they want their analytical frameworks laid out in their essay answers.

I have spent 12 – 14 hours per day at school this week. I’ve driven all three days and it has been nice to drive, but at the same time, I’m EXHAUSTED! I need some rest, but until we turn Memo 2 – Part 2 in on the 17th, I will NOT be sleeping more than about five hours per night. Some people would be able to function on that amount of sleep day after day, but not this girl!

I got called on in Contracts for the first time all year on Monday. If you have never seen the movie “The Paper Chase,” then you may not understand, but part of the Socratic method is standing when you are called on. It is supposed to make you learn to “think on your feet.” I was so proud of myself that I stood up, answered and didn’t even bat an eye! I was simply amazed that I didn’t get nervous at all!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. I’m off to finish the first rough draft of my memo before I have to edit it on Sunday, do second edits on Monday, and turn it in on Tuesday. Ugh…


11/4/09 - As the semester continues, each week seems to go by more rapidly than the last. I didn’t even realize we were halfway through this week until I woke up this morning. The stress of finals and memos is beginning to add up. Exhaustion is beginning to take its toll. I got home from school the other night and honestly wanted to study, but I just couldn’t make myself read another word in a book. What’s so wrong with that, you ask? (1) I’ve never felt this before, but when I don’t study every minute of my life now (except for the ½ day I take off on the weekends), I feel HORRIBLE and like I’m neglecting life, and (2) ITS ONLY THREE WEEKS UNTIL FINALS BEGIN!!!

Finals begin the Monday after Thanksgiving and each passing day seems to have fewer hours in it. We have had practice exams in Torts and Property thus far. This week, we have our Contracts practice exam. The professors design the practice exams to mirror what questions would look like on the actual exam. Our Contract exam (and practice exam) is multiple choice, but something makes me think that just because it is multiple choice, it isn’t going to be any less difficult than the others. Sometimes it feels like it’s more like “multiple guess.”

Well, it’s time to work on Memo 2—Part 2. I have eight cases to analyze for it and I’m ready to get going and get it finished! I need to move on to other studies. It’s also time for me to update all of my outlines and all of my notecards.

Have a WONDERFUL week and THANK YOU to those of you who have emailed me with questions (If I haven’t gotten back to you yet, I will—I promise!).


10/28/09 - READ…PRACTICE EXAM…READ…MEMO…READ…READ!

Exhaustion and burn out are beginning to set in this week, but I’m still going! One of the things I’ve learned as a 1L is that when you think you are to the point where you can’t read ONE MORE PAGE, you keep pushing and you somehow get it all done.  As long as you have one night a week to rest a bit and allow your brain to be completely numb.  I usually spend it watching “Biggest Loser” or “Criminal Minds.” But, since this weekend is Halloween, and I get to go to a party, I get to be outside of the law library! Amazing! (By the way, how awesome is my costume: I’m dressing as a poor law student (I’ll be wearing old jeans and a t-shirt with Ramen noodles in one hand and my Torts book in the other. But, I’m thinking I’ll dump out the Ramen and put masking tape around it and write “now accepting donations” on the cup.)

We had our Torts practice exam last week and this week we had our Property exam. I walked out of the Torts exam wondering what I had gotten myself into. One week later, walking out of the Property practice exam, I felt like I had done very well and am now hoping the results match how I felt!

Memo 2 Part 1 is due on Friday. After reading and analyzing eight cases to apply to the facts presented in our case at hand, I feel like I have a better idea of where I’m going with this memo.  The last memo I felt like the question could have been answered a million different ways, but this one seems to have more direction.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween! Enjoy the rest of your week!


10/21/09 - This has been an exhausting week. I can honestly say I’m ready for it to be over so I can rest. So far this semester, Property class has been very enjoyable with discussions surrounding gift law, finder’s law, and adverse possession; however, the past two weeks, we have been discussing possessory estates. It is a very large topic dealing with how possession of an estate will end, like having a Fee Simple Absolute, which means that the owner can theoretically possess it forever. I know…that example sounds simple, but it’s only one of a seemingly ENDLESS number of types of estates. If I didn’t before, I now DEFINITELY have what I like to call “brain drain” and am in need of some mind rest!

Today I attended a panel of licensed attorneys who are solo practitioners or who work in small firms. It was a wonderful lecture with three distinct takes on the issue. I really enjoyed it, but it also helped me put in perspective how much work really goes into starting your own practice and how hard it can be for the first few months (or even the entire first year or two) to keep your business and yourself afloat.

Tomorrow, I have my first practice exam. It’s a “mini” practice exam in the sense that it is only an hour long, but we at least get to see what our professors are looking for us to know and get somewhat of an idea of where we stand in our comprehension of the subject. Having only one chance to make the grade is pretty stressful. In three out of four classes, we have ONE FINAL that determines our entire grade! WOW!

I’m off to finish my outline for tomorrow. Have a wonderful week!


10/14/09 - THE FIRST MEMO IS OVER!!! Now, if only for a moment, I can breathe and relax! I wasn’t feeling well last weekend, but had to push through and do my memo…needless to say, it was honestly a struggle to get it done. I’ve never had such a sense of “HAVE to keep working and pushing” as I did for my memo. But, now that it’s done, I have a wonderful sense of accomplishment. After the memo, I had to refocus myself on my reading and studying. This week, we get to start Intentional Torts! YAY! (Assault and/or battery are intentional torts, just in case you were wondering…).

On Wednesday of this week, I attended the Student Ambassador Recruiting Committee (SARC) meeting. The role of a Student Ambassador, in my mind, is to relieve the fears and reservations of incoming first year students. Student Ambassadors also give tours of the school to potential incoming students, bring potential students to class with them, and help the incoming students during the new school year’s orientation process. I really hope I get selected!

Next week, we have our first practice exams in Torts and Contracts. I’ve decided that this weekend will be like studying for a final (or at least what I imagine it to be like!). I will be resting on Friday night, updating my outlines and note cards on Saturday, and going over and over them on Sunday. Looks like I need to do something fun on Friday to discourage myself from getting cabin fever this weekend! 
After spending a weekend alone in my “cave” (as I call my office) I’m sure I’ll have plenty to say next week!!! :)


10/7/09 - It’s legal memorandum time again! Last week was stressful with large amounts of reading, getting caught up on outlining, and making note cards. This week, with the second draft of our memo due, it’s going to be a stress level unlike anything I’ve felt since starting law school. Not only do we have to keep up with our reading for all of our classes, but we have to revise the first draft of our memos and then add two new cases to our analysis. It’s going to be a very busy weekend I’m sure! Stress is, for me at least, something that has waxed and waned throughout my seven and a half weeks of school.

The first week was an adrenaline rush and stressful, but it was a different kind of stressful. I was only worried about making sure that I wasn’t late for any classes, knowing where to sit in each one of my classes, and trying to not sound totally stupid with any answer I provided. Week two was equally nerve-racking because the sleep deprivation had set in and it was starting to be hard to get up in the mornings. Then, my anxiety level decreased until the week the first draft of our memo was due, and boy, did it come back! There was once again a lull until – BOOM! Last week was the realization that we were HALFWAY through with the semester! And now, the stress is beginning to wear on me a little because the final draft of memo one is due next Tuesday. I feel like I have so much to do and so little time! Have a great week!


10/1/09 – This week has been exactly what I thought it would be—busy. Every 1L must submit a Declaration of Intent to Study Law to the Texas State Bar by October 1st of their first semester of law school. I have been diligently working on mine for what seems to be FOREVER, but in all actuality it hasn’t been that long at all. The amount of detail required to measure your “character and fitness” to be an attorney in Texas is stunning! Not only do we describe every facet of our lives going back to age eighteen, or ten years depending on your age, but we also have to get fingerprinted! Honestly! So, finishing up my Declaration has taken up the majority of my week (and the past weekend).

We got our first draft of our legal memorandum back this week as well. I’m pretty sure that we ALL have quite a bit of work to do to learn to think and write like attorneys! Mine looked like the grading pencil had met its match, but all in all I got really good feedback and comments. My favorite comment was “good start!” I hope I get “great finish!” at the end.

Well, we are now halfway through our first semester, and I must say that there is a little more stress about that than I expected. When you realize that your ENTIRE course grade depends on ONE exam, the thought becomes a little more stressful each time you think about it. But, our professors have been gracious enough to give us practice problems and even practice exams on our course websites, which I’m sure all of the 1Ls appreciate!

I’m off to do my reading for Torts and Contracts. Have a great week.

9/23/09 - Week six is done! What’s truly amazing about this is that next Friday I will be HALFWAY through my first semester as a law student! Looks like I’m in it for the long haul. This week has been relatively “de-stressed.” In two of our classes, we needed to slow down and take two class meetings to cover major topics. It was pretty refreshing for a change. The reading has been light and the briefs have been few. But, I suspect that next week will DEFINITELY be at the opposite end of the spectrum. I’m sure that next week, you’ll be reading about how overloaded the week has been with reading because we’re playing catch-up in our classes.

For Legal Writing this week, we have three chapters in our Interactive Citation Workbook (ICW) due. For each case that you read, there will be a citation to two different sources, and these exercises teach us not only how to cite them correctly, but when different citation formats are appropriate. I’m really glad we’re doing this now so that when it comes time to do major research, the research will be a little less time consuming. With each chapter the citations take less time because you begin to see the citation patterns and begin to learn the abbreviations for the different words contained in the citation. You’d never guess how many words are abbreviated! I was blown away by the long list!

It’s time for me to do some Contracts briefs, ICW exercises, and Civil Procedure reading. It’s time to get serious about outlining. According to the 2Ls and the 3Ls, outlining will be your saving grace come time for finals!


9/16/09 – What a week this has been!  The beginning was stressful, especially with all of the rain we’ve had and its effect on the train service, but things are beginning to calm down. Thank goodness!  This week, the first part of our Interoffice Legal Memorandum was due.  The idea is that a senior attorney in your firm has met with a client and has pulled some previous cases for you to use in determining whether “our client” has met the requirements for the suit they want to pursue.  We actually had to think like LAWYERS!  Being our first attempt at thinking like lawyers, I’m sure our papers will be bloodied up with red pen!  It was a difficult assignment because it made us THINK, but it was very interesting and was a glimpse into our future.  It was our professors’ way of showing us what our lives would consist of (research…research…and more research) in the future as practicing attorneys.

In our other classes this week, we’ve been talking about adverse possession in Property, offers and outward expressions of intent in Contracts, and our duty of care to individuals on our property in Torts.  Civil Procedure has taken a new twist this week: Personal Jurisdiction.  We’ve finished Subject Matter Jurisdiction, and are moving into learning about the court’s jurisdiction over peoples’ personal rights (rather than over property, etc.).  It is a big mind-shift, but I think it’s going to be very interesting.  Well, this weekend I’m going to get some needed rest! Finally, I get to sleep in on a Saturday! YEA!

Y’all have a wonderful week!


9/9/09 – In my LARW class we started discussion of how to write a legal memo for our future firms and received our first memo assignment. In Federal Civil Procedure this week we finished up our discussion of Removal under Subject Matter Jurisdiction. Property was all about “finder’s keepers” through our discussion of lost and mislaid property.

Torts class was very fast-paced and involved this week. We’re discussing “Enforcement of a Statute” in civil cases as well as “Res Ipsa Loquitur.” In 3 ½ weeks, we’ve already briefed a total of thirty, yes, thirty cases in Torts alone! But, there is an upside to briefing so many cases: it is getting MUCH easier to do each one. In Contracts, we’ve been discussing the difference between a gift and a contract, and how those are related to each other when promises are made, but aren’t kept.

Last week, I forgot to mention the first Innocence Project meeting of the year. If you don’t know what this is, you need to learn! It is a completely student-run organization that assists the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office with possible DNA and Non-DNA exoneration cases. If you would like to know more about it, you can visit the website by clicking here: The Wesleyan Innocence Project. On Wednesday of last week, the Innocence Project held an exoneree luncheon where we got to hear an individual that our classmates helped! It was simply amazing to hear his story.

Hope you all had a WONDERFUL Labor Day! Enjoy the rest of your week!


9/2/09 – Well, I can’t believe it, but week 2 of law school is over!!! After posting my blog last week, I realized that I hadn’t told you anything about myself other than I have a REALLY long commute. I’m 26 and I live in Richardson, TX. I have two dogs, Bleu and Lola, and five hamsters. I played varsity women’s golf at Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport, Louisiana and received my B.A. in 2006. I attended the University of Texas at Dallas and received my Master of Public Affairs with a Graduate Certificate in Local Government Management in 2008. Now, I’m here and hope to be a source of insight for you!

This week has been exhausting, but it was definitely a little more “settled” than last week. I am now in week two of the daily commute and am beginning to feel some of the effects. I’m tired, but am pushing through and still getting a large amount of study time in each day. On Tuesdays, I have a 1L supplemental program we attend called Academic Support.  Your group is assigned a Teaching Assistant (TA), and they work with you regularly one hour per week, and are available to you in additional office hours. 

This week in Academic Support we discussed our particular learning styles. I am called “multimodal,” with an R/K focus, meaning I learn most effectively through reading and kinesthetic (need for motion) habits. For instance, if I want to satisfy my kinesthetic need, we can read while on the treadmill or while walking around the neighborhood. Another way that I can keep myself focused on my reading (with the help of the learning style quiz) is by bouncing my leg while reading.  It may seem odd, but it actually works!

I hope you all have a great long weekend! If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me at the email address listed above! Talk to you again next week!

8/26/09 – This has been one of the most amazing, stressful, exciting, and sleep-deprived weeks I could have imagined. It has been a huge influx of information and I’ve had very little time to process it all; BUT, like I said before, it has been amazing. I am a first year student, a.k.a. 1L, and have finally made it to law school!  :)

The first and longest part of my daily routine is my two hour EACH WAY commute. Now, you may think that such a long commute would just be unimaginable, but not only is it manageable, it’s doable, and I do it every day. This has been the largest adjustment to my normal way of life. I’ve been a student before, but I have never been a long-distance commuter at the same time!

I’m quite sure that a total of four hours a day commuting doesn’t sound like a bowl of cherries, but I’m able to take the DFW Metroplex transit system trains. If I had to compare the daily journey with something, it would be a two hour flight with a connection in the middle. I leave my first train station (for the North-South portion of the journey) at 6:55 A.M., and then change to the East-West portion of my jaunt about 7:30 A.M. I finally conclude at the station in Fort Worth with a short walk to the campus. Not only do I not have to worry about DFW traffic, but I also get a guaranteed two hours of study time that I wouldn’t get if I were driving.

I’m lucky in the fact that my classes don’t begin until 10:30 AM four days a week and 10:00 AM on the other day. My classes are the same as all of the other Full Time Day program 1Ls: Property, Contracts, Civil Procedure, Torts, and Legal Analysis, Research & Writing (LARW). I have enjoyed learning through the Socratic Method, so far. It helps you know whether you are on the same page with the others in your class about particular concepts or issues, and it gives you clues as to what you need to work on to learn to “think like a lawyer.” Another thing about this week I have really enjoyed was finding my “group.” Only a week in and it’s already like a small family! The 1st year courses are the same for everyone, and you have 8 out of 10 classes per week with the same group of people. When it comes time to form study groups, it makes it easier to get to know people when you are around them at least 80% of your week.

Have a nice week! I’m off to catch my train…