"I Won't Change By The Glamorous."

I had planned a post about the girl who sits behind me in class, but that is kinda hard to write while she is sitting behind me and I was super busy today. I handed in my final project and gave a presentation for one of my classes-which now I am done with. One down, four to go...Sigh.

Then I planned to write it after I got home, but the LCD Screen on Lorenzo the Laptop shafted (which is another reason I didn't post since it hurt my eyes to look at the screen which had turned all pink, it's not as appeasing to the eyes as one might think) and I spent F-O-R-E-V-E-R on the phone with Dell (random sidenote: Dell no longer sends their tech support over to random Indians-dots not feathers-and big surprise, they were actually helpful). So I reseated the LCD cable on my laptop after prying open the case and removing the keyboard (don't act like you're not impressed) and I'm just now getting to actually sit down after getting 3 hours of sleep, leaving the house at 7 am, 2 hours of driving, 10 hours of school, giving a presentation, and I have yet to eat anything really today besides coffee (yes that counts as eating), but since I'm so dedicated to my beloved readers I wanted to leave this awesome post chock full of run on sentences, for which I am undoubtedly sure you will thank me later.

Karl Rove Raps.

Seriously. You can't make this shit up.

[Link with Video].

Activism...or as I Call it, the Most Pointless Hunger Strike in the History of the World.

I'm so glad someone from my generation¹ has decided to take a tough stance on an important political issue and went on a hunger strike. I have never and will never understand the cult following of American Idol. I find it rather scary that more people vote for the next American Idol than for President.

I hesitate to link to the actual MySpace page here, but I will for "journalistic integrity."

¹Yup, she's the same age as I am.

My PMBR books were shipped today.

The finality of that really scares me. Not to mention the fact that I'm going to have to look at them for nearly 2 months before class even starts is kinda twisted.

The Sad Realizations of Most Law Students

Given the reasons stated by most for attending law school it comes as no surprise that many of these 20-somethings come to law school with the wide-eyed ambition that they will change the world or make a difference. These types generally fall into 2 categories; those who think they'll end up working for the ACLU defending Constitutional Rights and those who think they'll end up being public defenders and will change the negative views on the justice system that so many (repeat) offenders have.

Within a few months in law school you start to realize how hard jobs defending Constitutional liberties are to come by, and that you'd like to own a home one day so unless you get your "Mrs. Degree" during law school a job as a public defender just isn't practical.

Soon you realize you'll most likely end up taking just about any job you can get and thinking to yourself "personal injury wouldn't be that bad, would it?" Not long after that you're realizing that not only will you take just about any job offered for a given pay rate. Eventually that figure falls to a level slightly higher than a public defender. It's at this point which point you realize not only are you willing to be a "whore" but you're willing to do so for about $45,000 a year, $180 a day, or $18 an hour; plus benefits.

Spring Break and I'm Working on Accounting.

Day by day I'm looking less likely to ever work in the legal profession. I have gotten 2 call backs, and I have an interview next week.

It sounds messed up but it's kinda difficult to give it all up. I still plan to take the bar. When asked by the person I was speaking to about future employment today why I wanted to I really couldn't give any answer outside of "it would break my mom's heart if I didn't." Great answer.

3.15.07 Clarification: While re-reading this post it comes off negatively. I'm actually really excited about this possible job (the 2 call backs and interview are all for it).

Yet Another Reason I'm Not Catholic

[Link].

Golf/Lawyer Joke Forwarded to Me By My Dad...

Four lawyers in a law firm lived and died for their Saturday morning round of golf. It was their favorite moment of the week. Then one of the lawyers was transferred to an office in another city. It wasn't quite the same without him.

A new woman lawyer joined their law firm. One day she overheard the remaining three talking about their golf round at the coffee table. Curious, she spoke up, "You know, I used to play on my golf team in college and I was pretty good. Would you mind if I joined you next week?" The three lawyers looked at each other. They were hesitant.

Not one of them wanted to say 'yes', but she had them on the spot. Finally one man said it would be okay, but they would be starting pretty early at 6:30am. He figured the early Tee-Time would discourage her immediately.

The woman said this might be a problem and asked if she could possibly be up to 10 minutes late. They rolled their eyes but said this would be okay. She smiled and said, "Good, then I'll be there either at 6:30 or 6:40."

She showed up right at 6:30 and wound up beating all three of them with an eye-opening 2-under par round. She was a fun and pleasant person the entire round. The guys were impressed! Back in the clubhouse they congratulated her and happily invited her back the next week.

She smiled and said, "Sure, I'll be here at 6:30 or 6:40." The next week she again showed up at 6:30 Saturday morning. Only this time, she played left-handed. The three lawyers were incredulous as she still managed to beat them with an even par round despite playing with her off-hand.

By now the guys were totally amazed, but wondered if she was just trying to make them look bad by beating them left-handed. They couldn't figure her out. She was again very pleasant and didn't seem to be showing them up, but each man began to harbor a burning desire to beat her!

In the third week they all had their game faces on. But this week she was 10 minutes late! This had the guys irritable because each was determined to play the best round of golf of his life to beat her. As they waited for her, they figured her late arrival was some petty gamesmanship on her part. Finally she showed up.

This week the lady lawyer played right-handed which was a good thing since she narrowly beat all three of them. However, she was so gracious and so complimentary of their strong play, it was hard to keep a grudge against her. This woman was a riddle no one could figure out!

Back in the clubhouse she had all three guys shaking their heads at her ability. They had a couple beers after their round which helped the conversation loosen up. Finally one of the men could contain his curiosity no longer. He asked her point blank, "How do you decide if you're going to golf right-handed or left-handed?"

The lady blushed and grinned. She said, "That's easy. When my dad taught me to play golf, I learned I was ambidextrous. I have always had fun switching back and forth. Then when I met my husband in college and got married, I discovered he always sleeps in the nude. From then on I developed a silly habit. Right before I left in the morning for golf practice, I would pull the covers off him. If his 'you-know-what' was pointing to the right, I golfed right-handed; if it was pointed to the left, I golfed left-handed.

All the girls on the team thought this was hysterical." Astonished at this bizarre information, one of the guys shot back, "But what if it's pointed straight up in the air?" She said, "Then I'm ten minutes late."

I Wish I Had Soap Net.

The Career Services Counselor I met with the other day e-mailed me to let me know I had a really good resume which was well put together, so that is semi promising. She must not have pulled my transcript. I wonder if she'd think the same thing if I hadn't sent it to her as a PDF and she could tell I used a template? She did suggest I basically take all my activities off since they all seemed a bit "too liberal" and I might be judged based on them.

Trusts and Estates might be the death of me. I cannot seem to make myself pay attention. Let's hope my boyfriend Emanuel knows his stuff. The worst part is by this point of the day I'm exhausted the internets and I basically just sit and talk on AIM as the professor drones on like the teacher from Charlie Brown. I'm also supposed to be taking notes for someone, I'm officially a bad person.

I didn't realize until after I got to school today that it was the last day of class before spring break. Which is kinda weird since I'm going out of town.

"No wonder you're upset. She's lovely. And a darling figure... supple, pouting breasts... firm thighs. It's a shame you two don't get along."

Alternate Title: "Surely you can't be serious"..."I am serious, and don't call me Shirley."

EWWW.

He touched her, which she described as spooning, lifted her shirt and then got up and left. Court documents said she felt a warm fluid on her back, clothes and seat after he walked away. She told the officers he had ejaculated on her.

------------------------------------------------------
"You ever been in a cockpit before?"
"No sir, I've never been up in a plane before."
"You ever seen a grown man naked?"

"I'd Teach a Course, On How I Got to be a Star Crossed Pimp."

In other job unemployment related news: Today I met with the Career Services Counselor from my law school. I feel kinda better and kinda worse. Basically her message was:

1. You probably won't get a job until you have passed the bar.
2. Most 3Ls graduate without jobs.
3. Of the graduates from last year who are "employed" a lot of them are working as law clerks.
4. I am not the only one who wants to fly into a blind rage when people are optimistic.
5. Since I live at home I should "volunteer"-this assumes that I don't have other bills.
6. I can do "anything" with my law degree-but she was no better at giving me any more specifics than my mom is.
7. Watching daytime television gets depressing after a period of time.

A lot what was discussed plays into other posts I have planned such as "The Saddest Day of My Life", "The Second Saddest Day of My Life" and "Phrases That Make Me Want to Throw Things"; but I'll get into all that and so much more at a later date.

So Far Today:

I've forgotten:

1. My Glasses
2. My Cell Phone
3. My Coffee

It's going to be a superb day.

A Skunk Sprayed My Room. Again.

The response to my posts about the "job search" (read: my future homelessness and car repossession) has been resounding (and scary). If you have anything you'd like to share (anonymously or not) feel free to email it to me. I plan to get more stuff up later this week.

I did get a call back from a recruiter today, for a non-legal job which would require me to not take the bar (and lose all the money I have invested thus far in the bar application, barbri¹, and PMBR). It's just a leap I'm not sure I'm ready to take.

In terms of housekeeping, commenting has been opened up since people have been emailing saying they'd been having problems. Apparently it was set to blogger users only, who knows who is responsible for that.

¹Actually this one might be refundable.

I Should Have Listened to My College Guidance Counselor.

When I told my Guidance Counselor I was considering Law School she gave me a sheet which listed reasons not to go to law school, like:

1. I'm a liberal arts major, and I don't know what else to do with my degree.
2. My parents want me to go.
3. I like to argue/debate.
4. I want to change the world.
   
5. I did well on the LSAT, so why not?
6. I want to make a lot of money.
   

At the time every reason on that list was one of the reasons I gave for going to law school. And I knew it. But I told myself the same thing all stubborn college students tell themselves, "What does my guidance counselor know? If they could have gotten a real job they wouldn't be working as a guidance counselor." Plus I figured #6 would make up for it.

The sick thing is a part of me knew back then it was a mistake. But I didn't know what else to do, and my parents seemed so proud I wanted to go. I thought I would grow into law school like a pair of shoes your mom got you when you were 6 that was 1/2 a size too big.

Now I realize I don't really like to debate that much, and law really has nothing to do with debate; very few people actually change the world; and I'm probably not going to make a lot of money. I did do very well on my LSAT, a pointless test that has nothing to do with success in law school or life, I suppose I have that going for me.

New Format

I'm thinking of changing things around here to focus more on my search for employment. Do not worry, I still plan on commenting on Britney and Anna Nicole if the mood suits me.

Basically, I think I would really be doing my readers who are considering law school a disservice if I didn't make an attempt to portray what it's really like for those of us not in the top 15% of the class to get a job, particularly in a depressed economy.

Looking for work has managed to take over my life and overshadows my attitudes about everything, particularly towards those I interact with at the law school. There are literally moments when I feel I could fly into a blind rage at any second if one more person tells me how happy they are their firm paid for BarBri, PMBR, the Bar Application, their bar exam hotel or any other little detail which I am left struggling to figure out how to afford myself. I am growing tired of feeling like a second class citizen in a school I pay just as much to attend. And the reality is, when you do speak to the "chosen few" about the reality of your job situation is puts them into shock, since it seems like a dirty secret that everyone is too ashamed to talk about.

So I'm going to try to put my situation out there. While I do still work for the same firm, when I finally stood up for myself and the abuse I was taking I walked away from near certain semi-lucrative employment. I know this was a decision I made, and as such the situation I am in currently is the result of that choice, but to some extent that makes it more difficult for me to accept. I don't think one should be faced with choosing 2 more years of verbal and emotional abuse or employment, call my crazy.

When I started law school I knew jobs paying 120K were hard to come by, and I knew that wasn't what I wanted to do. I seemed to have this deluded idea that the minimum I'd be making would be 60K no matter what I did, and for the cut in pay I'd be able to enjoy my work. The harsh reality is I have extremely intelligent friends being offered jobs for 35K with no benefits, and a Career Services Office telling them to take any offer given to them since they are lucky to get anything in this market. Of roughtly 200 graduates last year from my law school, 35 who passed the bar are still unemployed. Employers are not shy about the fact that they used to pay more but they know people have to take jobs for 35K, so that is what they offer now.

Basically, this promises to be a memoriam of my slow descent into insanity as Exams, Graduation, PMBR, BarBri and the Bar come and go, while I am left considering why I spent the kind of money I did to take a test I could very well fail, when a definite career (or a job of any kind) is now where in sight.