You will be missed.

While the rest of you enjoy your new year celebrations, please keep in mind those that have given everything that matters so that we can enjoy our new year.

Damien was a friend that I met through other friends in the fraternity my freshman year. I would describe him as a truly genuine guy who made sure everyone around him was ok. Damien was the guy that cheered you up no matter how foul a mood you were in. He was a husband to a wonderful woman named Kayla.

Last night Damien was killed in Iraq.

Right now there are too many conflicting emotions to write coherently. May Damien rest in peace. You will be missed.

Get a Life

I was reading a fellow legal blog and it donned on me how often people comment just to say that the content of the blog was worthless. Of course the commenters remained anonymous. Some commenters even went as far as to say that sites such as these should even be on the net. Are these people for real? Do they think that we are just sitting here trying to think of words to write so that a completely anonymous stranger will write a couple words of two saying how much our blog means to them? Get real.

The numerous legal blogs that ive read have contributed quite significantly in my law school experience so far. They shape my attitude and even give real life advice on how to deal with law school dilemmas. Legal blogs are so inclusive in the guidance they provide, im satisfied that if we combined all the legal blogs into one mega-database of information, it could successfully raise a newborn child alone. You dont believe me? Here's a list of things that blogs have taught me in the first term of law school:
1) How to apply a firm wedgie to that annoying gunner in the front row of class.
2) Which sets of flashcards to buy that you never opened but still feel justified that you bought them.
3) How to live solely off of nachos, caffeine, and spamwiches for the entire week before finals.
4) When purchasing your final exams in advance, never pick it up in person or your teacher, i mean anonymous test seller, might recognize you.
5) Ashlee Simpson is not a robot sent back into time to break up nick and jess, but more likely a robot sent back into time to make sure all the eligible batchelors in this country wish they were deaf.
6) Telling people "Im a lawyer" is the single greatest pickup line, and is most effective when wearing an initialed sweater vest.
7) How to spend 10 weeks outlining a class, only to find that an upperclassmen has an even better one that makes all the hours you spent on the other one useless. When you upperclassmen say its the process of outlining that makes you learn the material, this is the equivalent of running your nails on the chalkboard.
8) When someone says they are hot, 18 and single on the internet it really means large, hairy and old. From what i hear....
9) The OC really isnt real, but I still dont believe it.

Beaver Believer

For the 2nd time in the last 5 years, my Beavers played Notre Dame in a bowl game. Each year the damn leprechaun wanders onto the field prancing around looking for his lucky charms, only to be sent away by another Beaver spanking. This year was no different. My Beavs had a great throwing game, making for a memorable sendoff of graduating senior quarterback Derek Anderson. Coupled with the occasional threat by Running Back Dwight Wright, the fighting irish didnt stand a chance. In fact the only thing favorably memorable on Notre Dame's side was the hot readhead reporter that kept interviewing Notre Dame people throughout the game. She neglected to interview any Beaver coaches, fans, etc the entire game. Thats ok. We werent really listening to what you were saying anyway.

As vacation winds down it is time to focus. I have 3 of my 5 assignments done for the first week of school. I have an extra class this term, but I know how to study effeciently now. I am looking forward to checking grades, although the anticipation is killing me.

Hope everyone has a safe new year.

Herbie Goes Bananas

You all might hate me for saying this but im bored. Ive spent way too much time at my damn laptop and cant find anything better to do. I did a little homework, but I feel a little too guilty doing anymore. Plus, my attention span is ridiculous. I ate breakfast while reading a magazine, while watching the OC that my mom taped for me, all while she was talking to me.

I've been working out daily, slowly getting back my prelaw abs and biceps. Whats more impressive is that I have barely drank any caffeine this whole vacation.

I watched Mulholland Drive yesterday. A very strange, yet amusing movie.

Also watched swingers. Vegas baby. Miss those Socal days when a vegas trip was four hours away.

Flashback

Remember that first day of law school? That nervousness in the pit of your stomach, the feeling that has been absent in your life since the first day of highschool. Looking all around paranoid that everyone is smarter, better looking, and more successful. Envious that maybe their mullet might scream Nascar louder than yours. Your first few hours in class you found a deep respect for someone who answered a question brilliantly, only to learn later in the term that they are a f'ing moron and you would love to see them drop their laptop.

That first case you briefed looked the the entire restatement of contracts, but no one, not even your mother could have told you that it had too much information in it. I put mine up on the fridge for all the cockroaches in my apartment to see. Hell, even the crackhead that lives in the dumpster behind the apartment said my briefs were good; He used them to roll a joint.

But here we are. I thought i knew everything before school started. Now, after one term under my belt, I definitely know everything. Just two years ago I was sitting with my frat bro's pondering the theme of the next party (what you non greeks call a meat market). My point is this, choosing whether to have guests wear saran wrap or togas is hard when you have no clue where life will be taking you in a few short months. Knowing that life was going to twist us all in different directions, made each and every keg stand that more precious.

Its really kind of sitcomish how things turned out. Me, i chose law school. One friend chose Jr. Investment Banking, another marketing. A real close frat friend of mine now sings opera at at top rated music school in the country. Get us all in the same room and you would never tell that we have ambitions for success. After all look at Britney. She found success and she cant shake the trailer park.

Anyway, to make a long story even longer, im noticing law school changing my peers and I. Its nice to have good friends and memories to look back on, even if most of them involve extreme amounts of alcohol, and the distinct odor of vomity mouthed sorority girls. Hope all my friends are enjoying the holidays, and to my readers, thanks for the support.

To my law school buds: Here's to another successful term and a long cold winter, only comforted by the fact that we still have two more years of this crap and we aint getting any younger.

Betty Ford meets Betty Crocker

You should be proud. Its day #4 that I have kicked the sweet nectar known as caffeine. At least until finals next term. You didnt think i could actually walk away from the juice for good?

Being home is great. Instead of hearing my mom's long, drawn out stories about her daily escapades over the phone, I get all of that in person (you try acting interested for 2 hours about a grocery shopping story). Her wonderful cooking though makes up for all of that, and after all, i hear she went through a little trouble while in labor with me, so the least I can do is listen.

Civ Pro prof assigned us a 300 page novel about a coal mining accident that we have to read before the first day of class. It isnt bad so far, but didnt make for good reading on the plane. Parts of the book explaining about twisted bodies covered in coal dust being pulled out of the flood werent the best thoughts to have running in my head as we encountered turbulence at 37,00 feet.

Went to starbucks last night with my Jr. Investment banker friend. We talked about life, the good ol' fraternity days, and finalized our plans to take over the world. Yep, we are gonna take over the world, so any of you planning on doing that can just give up now. And as future rulers of the world here are a list of things that will change:

1) Jessica and Nick must divorce at once. Nick will be sent to the south pole, his 98 degrees melting the polar caps, causing global warming, thus pissing off the hippie neighbor that used to live next to my fraternity.

b) I will be allowed to bring a super soaker to class to douse annoying gunners and their laptops when they say stupid stuff in class. My junior investment banker friend will accompany me with 5 vats of evian water to refill the supersoaker because we all know that there are numerous gunners in our class. Why evian you ask? Because Catherine Zeta can, and so can I.

4) There will be no class on Thursdays so that everyone may watch the greatest show ever; The OC. Happy Christmakuh everyone.

5) Guns N Roses will be forced into coming out of retirement. Axl Rose will apologize to Slash, Duffy, Izzy and Matt. He will also have to apologize to us for that last attempt at a comeback.

6) All the individual study rooms at the law library will be dedicated solely to Billy Madison style reviewing.

7) All of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure will be transcribed from the text to the stomachs of ample bodied cheerleaders, bringing irony to the term coined in Turow's 1L, "learning to love the law".

8) And finally, to that annoying girl who walked in late everyday but did so only because you are hot and could get away with it, a seat next to me.

Because you never get a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression.

Xzibit never showed up to pimp my blog, so it looks like i need to learn how to do that on my own. Apparently it is easier to become an oil boy for the Hawaiian Tropic Bikini Tour than it is to figure out these blog templates. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I just want to make it sparkle a little. You know, so when you see it, your like, "Hi. Whats your name?".


Yes, i am bored. I know you can tell.

Letting go

Im having a harder time letting go that i though i would. i keep thinking that i should be in the library reading or something. This town is dead and my flight doesnt leave till 5pm tomorrow. Its snowing buckets here making me miss home even more.

Watched White Chicks and Scary movie 3 tonight. Good for a few laughs. The comforts of home are only a few hours away. Looks for some good blogging material in the next week. I plan to unwind completely. Approximately 1 hour party for every 10 hours that I studied this term. By my calculations that will give me exactly 5 hours to sober up before my first class next term.

Sayonara first term

Its done, and i really cant believe how melodramatic it feels. Where's my damn button to wear that says im not a first termer. Wheres my cake with hot 2ls jumping out. This town is dead. Honestly thought finals were going to be a little more intense, but maybe ive actually learned to deal with stress better than most.

Now off to my doggie and fam and some real home cooked food. As chick hearn used to say. The door's shut, the lights are out, the eggs are cold, the butter's hard, and the jello is jiggling. Im out. See you all in vacation-land.

Cant breathe

It seems to me that studying the night before the final is like those cups of water they give you when you are running a 5k. The water is a nice gesture, and probably would be helpful if you werent running. Instead you choke and aspirate most of it, wishing that you hadnt drank that water in the first place.

Im sitting here cramming the damn MPC into my head. This test will be my hardest because I am very disinterested in crim law. Very ironic considering 4 months ago i started law school wanting to be a prosecutor. I suppose everyone is entitled to change their mind. Im even banking on that with that hot 2L sitting nearby.

3 down, 1 more

Torts is famous on this campus for kicking people's asses. All the 1ls thought it was going to be easier than Scott Peterson in his first jail shower. All i can say is that most people had their asses handed to them. That test was hard. I will be happy with a B.

Only thing left is crim. One last evening of studying, then im off to the place where the beer flows like wine.

Blog Candy

I feel bad. I showed a friend of mine the Hot Librarian's blog. He's wasting away time, laughing his should be studying for torts ass off. So depending on how you look at it, i could be helping my grade out. If i could just stop bidding on Richard Simmon's Dvds on ebay.

Blog du jour. MMM, I'll have that.

Its funny how finals have changed our class. Many are distraught and convinced that they need to pack up and move home while others are more confident than ever. There are bets on grades from some very overzealous students who really have no way to know how they do. Me, im humble. While i feel confident that i did ok, there is no way to know for sure. That is the nature of the multiple choice tests. You think you know the answer but you could be selecting the red herring. Speaking of red herrings, i would really like to know where that originated from. Why is it red? Why not green? And why a herring? An anchovie would be more obvious.

I was studying at the coffee shop for a little earlier today and i couldnt help but overhear an annoying girl, well she looked more like a wildebeest, talking about how bad life as a law student is. She claims to have a fiance that works at a firm in NY making 150k straight out of law school. He had a 2.3 gpa. Right. And scott peterson's innocent. I can see the firm that hired him now. "Lets hire dumbass because his demonstrated capabilities shown in law school make him worth of a job here, and a salary 10k above the minimum average entry level salary". Hertz said it best...

Whichever way grades turn out I will be happy knowing that i put my best effort forth. And by best effort i mean worked my tail off. Vacation will be nice, at least until i start next term's assignments, and by looking at what we have to read by then, i should be starting those assignments no later than 56 minutes after my last final.

2 down, 2 to go

Just got done with contracts. Another easy essay, which makes me mad because then the multiple choice determine the test. I think i hit every issue but the multiple choice were hard.

Im keeping track of post mortems. That is law dork jargon for talking about the exam after you are done taking it. Yesterday was 6 people in the first 15 minutes after the test. Today its only been 4 people so far.

Torts is tomorrow and i am looking forward to it. Prof torts hates reading so we have 50 multiple choice questions and 3 essays. The kicker on the essays is that our answers have to be 5 sentences at most. Hopefully this is where my writing skill will help.

Vacation is almost here and i cant wait to go visit my friends, family, and my dog. My first term of law school is almost over. Its been a hell of a trip. Too bad i cant write about it all. You would salivate.

1 down, 3 to go

Property is spanked. It felt good to get that one out of the way. I felt good about it, but i was kinda hoping for a harder essay question because that is where i was going to differentiate myself. Prof Property is known for hard essays. This time the m/c were the hard ones. 30 m/c, and an essay in 165 minutes. Its hard to believe that my first law school final is done. Time to focus on Contracts now.

It really is hard to study after taking an intense 3 hour exam. Its a good thing the cheerleader is in the library.

SHH. Just Go.

i promised myself that i wasnt going to study to much today. My first law school final exam is tomorrow. Im ready. Hell, ive studied more this term than in my entire undergraduate career (explains why im at a T4). Im motivated though. Trying so hard not to be one of the many running around here with little confidence in their abilities. People beat themselves before they even see the test. I know my stuff. I feel good about it. I suppose that it is impossible to feel like you have done everything you could have done. I did that. And i still feel like i could have done more. Either way, i put in my blood, sweat, and tears. Good luck to all my classmates and thanks for the support from my friends, readers, and family. Im a lucky guy to have you all. Wish me luck.

Jerry, Jerry, Jerry

(what is going on in my head)

Who is she (Torts book pointing to Property book in my hand)?
That? Oh thats nothing (I gently put Property book down)
Hola, bitchola (Property book in Yenifer Lopez voice to Torts)?
Shutup Culo! (Torts to Property)

Then they fought. It was a hell of a slapfight. Hair flew, curious nerdy gunners came by hoping a body part would fly out. I snuck out during the fight and moved tables.

As i sit down, Ms. Contracts approaches.
Mind if i sit with you, she says?
I guess i have room for one more in my life. Besides, crim is outta town for another few days on a girls trip.

My precious

Good morning babe (To my torts book).
No reply.
I missed you last night (lie)
No reply.
I promise your the only one.
(Evil stare)
I think i have been caught. She has to take me back before next friday.

The wall

Ive hit the wall. Almost fell asleep talking to a friend on the phone. No use studying anymore tonight. Im going to get some shut eye so I can get the library when it opens tomorrow morning. I was productive this week. Next week will really be the test of that, but I feel good. Good luck to all law students all over, I know this week and next are exams. Except for you Yalers. Damn you for your no grades crap. Whats next, no bar exam?

Pimp my blog

XZibit is coming over later to pimp my blog. What should I pimp it out with? How bout the usual? A fishtank, a stereo, leather seats, and some spinning rims. Yah, that would make it the coolest blog ever.

The crack rock

I didnt really want to get up this early. Most of my friends will tell you that i was delerious last night when i called. But im here. There is something about the library, almost pavlovian, that makes me feel normal while i am sitting here.

Im not sure that I am in full control of my mind. My thoughts are scattered. I only need to put in a few (12) hours today which im sad to say is less than I have been putting in all week.

In more exciting news, i heard 6 gunshots last night while starting to fall asleep. My first thought was to ignore it and fall asleep, but then my lawyerly instinct kicked in. I scrambled all over my apartment and looked for my business cards, but to no avail. Another missed opportunity.

Time to bury my face, one way or another, in property. Need that gold star on my fridge. Thank you to my friends and family for all the support.

Im dedicating this award to my Jr. Investment Banker friend, who decided to stop towing the anchor and get a job with JT Marlin.

Gotta run. My dealer is here.

Is a negligence Tattoo overkill?

So my buddy S and i were in the stairwell. I asked him to go upstairs (the computer lab) to do it (type an attack outline) . He said that we should go do it because if we did it at our table, it would make a commotion (by us talking aloud), when a fellow student walked by and overheard what she thought was a solicitation for some action.

Sometimes the best jokes arent even told at all.

Who's wazzoo, and where is all that money?

I hate to bring up money during a study crisis, but i just found a firm back home that pays 1.4k a week for their 1L summer associates. That is crazy money for that city. im not that shallow, but damn, i could buy a nice suit, and some morals with that kind of money. now, if only i had the answers to my finals. there has to be someone to bribe around here.

99 degrees

Had a lovely dream that Jessica Simpson and I were married, only she wasnt the same intellectual that we all love her for, she was a lawyer. She whispered sweet terms of art in my ears. I on the other hand was a complete Mimbo. For you non seinfelders, that is a male bimbo. We were studying all curled up on the couch, when I was woken up by my annoying, piece of crap alarm at 6am. I just needed 10 more minutes and im sure Jessica would have answered my fee tail question.

Is this thing on?

What did the crackhead say to the speed addict?

"Have you seen my Torts book?"

Shark bait

Im trying to be Zen. Its not working so well. Im not sleeping enough and this caffeine isnt helping my nervousness. Im lucky to have good friends here that are there for me. Four days till the big dance begins. I will be ready. Right now I am not. I feel crazy and these words probably dont convince you otherwise. Ace ventura might have kissed a man, but there's no way that pressure is worse than this.

Be afraid. Very Afraid.

Found this on Red and Blue. That pretty much sums everything up.

You're right to be scared.
Grades count. Big-time. Every first-year professor will tell you they don't matter. Just by being admitted here, you've won the game.
Bullshit. No one believes that. If grades didn't matter, why bother grading us? If grades don't matter, why do firms, judges, and future in-laws ask to see your law scshool transcript? Because grade count. Big time.If you'd gotten into Yale, then you would have won the game. They don't have grades. They don't need grades. Everyone already knows how smart they are. You got rejected from Yale. For us, the game continues. You need good grades. And I'm not gonna lie to you, I don't think you can pull it off. I don't think you have what it takes. Did you join a study group the first week in September? Did you brief every case, including the squibs? Did you start outlining by mid-term? Have you taken every available prior exam, including the unpublished ones? Did you go to office hours? Did you write out the answer to every example and/or explanation in Glannon?
Open-computer, open-book, open-notes? Don't mean jack shit. You've got three hours to answer three issue-spotters with between 8 and 12 issues per question. You've got three hours to write between 15 and 20 pages. You have no time to look back at your notes. Everyting must be memorized. Case-names. Dates. Venues. Dissenting judges. Procedural postures. And Jesus if you don't know the FRCP downfuckingcold by now, you can call back those 200 mail-merged resumes you just sent out and start applying directly to taxidermy school.
You don't belong here. Your classmates are all smarter than you. And better looking, too. I've seen you. You're fugly, and you'll probably never be loved.
There's only one hope. You've got to put your game face on. Show me your war cry. Make it happen. Always Be Closing. And don't leave home without your A Game. Grades count. Big time. And anyone who tells you diferently is trying to get an edge on you.

Its about that time kids

Yes my friends, it t'is that time of the year. Retails stores are filled with idiots rushing to buy that last minute gift. People in the gym are rushing to lose that last pre-holiday pound. Me and my fellow compadres are rushing to learn that last bit-o-info before monday's finals. Its the proverbial checkered flag for you Nascar fans; the End of the Road for you Boyz II Men fans; the "i got some ice cream" time if you are an Eddy Murphy fan. So here we go. Fasten your seatbelts and hang on to your mullets. In your best Dick Vitale voice, lets all say "Its finals time Babeeee"

26 and counting

It isnt my first choice to study on my birthday, but its not an uncommon occurence. I've had finals for the last 6 years of my life on my birthday. At least in undergrad I didnt have to study for them. Today, however, I am in the library. All my friends are here too, so it is like a birthday party, but with no people singing to me. And im not wearing a silly hat. There could be worse things in life, and it made me realize how thankful I am to be in law school.

If David Hasselhoff was president...

Do you ever wonder why O only conveys to A for life? I suspect that he is sleeping with B and that is why B always gets Fee Simple Absolute. If I were A, I would be pissed.

In other news, people are flocking the the ABA review sessions like they are the best thing since sliced bread. That cant be possible. Why? Because the best thing since sliced bread is the AMP energy drink. Guess who had one today?

Sharks with frickin laser beams attached to their heads

I cant tell you how much i wish i would have invented the question mark. So instead at being at the library this lovely 27 degree morning, i could be at my crib, counting sheep. i think the caffeine is wreaking havoc on my sleep. i stayed up last night until 2, dead tired but unable to sleep. Torts is much different in the morning. Im not as sympathetic for the victims at this hour. I suppose i will lay off the caffeine today.Yah right. Saving the detox for winter break. This blogging thing is getting addictive.

Caffeine rage

After dinner i guzzled 20 oz of black coffee. Got the old ticker up to 120 bpm, perfect for studying. Until a dipshit, who we will call "dipshit" for our purposes decided he would have a full volume conversation with his table mates 3 tables away. Not the smartest thing to do with a room of overworked, uptight law students. He continued to talk as he walked past me and i said, "you could try whispering dipshit". Apparently he had an even shorter fuse than me. He then swung his fists at me. I yelled, "battery, assault, apprehension of contact" in an effort for the steriod enhanced androgenous mustached librarian to notice the melee and save me.

Ok that part was a lie. Dipshit got mad and told me that i was in fact disrespectful. So i dropped my torts book on his toe. And by toe I mean his head. And by head, i mean that i reiterated to him that i though he was a dipshit and that he needed to learn how to whisper. That went on until another law student who we will call "girl that loves to yap" decided to tell us that we were both being disrespectful. The hypocrisy dripped off of her every word. So much for the altruism of my acts. She certainly didnt care. And bye the way "girl that yaps", good issue spotting. Way to point out that i was being disrespectful. Do you also tell your mother that she is looks old?

More to come. This dipshit and i are in the library alot. Maybe he will apologize tomorrow. Maybe i drink too much coffee...

Im not gonna do what you all think im gonna do... and freak out!

The burner is on and its hot. Very hot. I promised myself i wouldnt freak out, but one crappy meeting with my crim law prof and im worried. I dont know the stuff as well as I want. Not even close. It was embarrasing having him grade my practice exam. But i am not one for self pity. A wise ex girlfriend once told me that the longer i feel sorry for myself, the longer people were going to walk over me. My 20 minutes of crying about it are over. Time to focus and as my buddies from texas say, "Git 'er done". But first, time to punish the ab machine at the gym.

Contract Killer

It snowed another 5 inches last night. A perfect white coating to this town. Makes my occasional glance out the cell, er, i mean window, that much better. Sitting down for some contracts today. The class is my hardest. The material is so dry. Our Prof is nationally respected and he has a way to make the most complex issues sound easy. Sound is one thing but applying it is another. Its like telling someone how to make creme brulee. Not the easiest thing im guessing.

Back to the books for me. Where is my friendly caffeine dealer?