Back to School

The first couple of weeks have gone from having nothing to do to having too much to do. Orientation was a blast. I find it entertaining watching the incoming class adjusting to life as a law student. It is exciting and nerve racking all at the same time wondering whether you will make it, but almost everyone passes so no worries. That being said, I recently told someone that I almost wish I was a 1L again, but then I realized what I meant. Being a 3L is not unlike the other 2 years: school is a job. The exception is of course that many 3Ls actually have real jobs. It is an intensive lesson in time management skills. As a 1L, you have complete focus on four core classes and legal writing, excluding obligations outside of school. As a 3L, class focus comes at the end of the day after all of your other obligations are fulfilled or perhaps before class like I am doing now....

First week as a 3L - Check!

Life as a 3L has began. As I walked down the breezeway Monday morning, I felt really excited! A new year means new books, new professors, new school supplies, and sometimes, even new clothes! It also means that I get to see all my old friends and get to look forward to meeting new ones. My schedule is pretty good and I don't have any really early morning classes. That is great because it gives me an opportunity to go to the gym and work out before I get to school (a great stress relief for the intense workload law school is all about). On Wednesday night I had Judge Levy for Criminal Procedure II and he said something that really touched me. "St. Thomas students are different!" At first, we all laughed. He explained the reason he drives 250 miles from Orlando every week to teach class here in St. Thomas is because of how well we all get along and help each other. That's when I got it. He is absolutely right, and that is one of the things I love the most about St. Thomas. I feel like we are always helping each other. I always have friends around me who I know will be my friends far beyond the three years it takes to graduate. There isn't a time when I have asked someone for help that they haven't come to my rescue; Whether it was with answers, outlines, supplements, or even to just listen to me complain about just how hard Civil Procedure or any other course I was having trouble with (that week!) was. Judge Levy told us law students in other schools hate each other and even hide hornbooks and supplements from each other during finals in the library. I don't know what I would have done if I was with people like that. All those nights when I couldn't figure out the elements of a particular tort, contract issue, or some obscure property principle and I ran around asking my fellow students for help. Even those in my section were always more than willing to help me. Even now, when I post on facebook that I think a certain class is hard I have friends who send me messages asking for my e-mail to send me an outline. If that is what it means to be different, than I honestly couldn't be more thankful for the opportunity I was given to attend this school and my good instincts in choosing St. Thomas over any other school. Here's to being different!

Till next time,
Aimee S.

Summer in Spain

This was one of the most amazing summers of my life. I went on the study abroad program for our school, "Summer in Spain." This was one of the most enriching experiences I will probably encounter as a law student. I got to learn about the laws of another country, which surprisingly made me value the laws of this country more. I also made lifelong friends and got to learn so much about the culture and traditions of Spain. The program was only a month long, but it will always remain in my heart as one of the most memorable things I did while in law school. Monsignor Anderson, the professor for our Comparative Law class, walked in the first day and said "the law is simple." I think we all laughed. After having all "survived" our first year of law school, there was nothing we could come up with at the time that was "simple." Having given this a lot more thought, however, I have come to realize that he may be right. I think the foundation of law as a whole is simple, but as lawyers, it is our job to take that knowledge and create something bigger. No client is going to walk in and tell us "Hello, my name is Joe and I have a tort." We need to be able to hear someone's story and in our heads say, that problem seems to be some sort of tort. As long as we have the foundation of the knowledge we have gained while in school, whether its from professors, case law, decisions that simply dumbfounded us, or even things our fellow colleagues have said, we will be able to come up with solutions to the problems presented to us. I honestly recommend everyone who has an opportunity to attend this program, to do so. I made lifelong friends, got good grades, learned more than I could imagine both in the classroom and outside, and had a great time!

Until next time,
Aimee S.

Reflection

In my internship this summer, I had the opportunity to work alongside 1Ls, 2Ls, and 3Ls from law schools in the South Florida area and with students from other states as well. Two aspects of St. Thomas' unique 1L program bore through to the forefront of my mind. Our year long 1L courses and our Research & Writing program.

In terms of the former, the majority of law schools seem to have only a couple courses that span the entire first year. At St. Thomas, all 5 first year classes (Contracts, Civil Procedure, Torts, Property, and Research & Writing) are two full semesters. My internship was in the area of criminal law, and I thought to myself, "oh no, no Crim. Law classes, can I handle this?" What I soon found out was the year long classes provided me with such a foundational base that I was able to see strings and concepts extending from each of these classes into the area of criminal law. I also realized that my legal 'magnifying glass' allowed me to see a little deeper and looker a farther and clearer at the issues present in the cases I was assigned. As Professor Ronner told us, "in law school you take Property Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, etc. But in the end, you might find out there is not such a great divide between them." The year long classes also afforded me the opportunity to get to know my colleagues. I have made a couple really good friends at St. Thomas, who I know I can count on should I ever need anything. Friendship is a gift in and of itself.

In conjunction, St. Thomas' Research & Writing program provided me with a huge box of tools when I was dealing with cases during my internship. My professor, Anna Chan held us to the standard of a 'professional attorney.' In class we had drafted Memorandum, wrote a Motion for Summary Judgement, Interoffice Memos, Closed Memo, Open Memo, and more Plaintiff's and Defendant's documents. Although I had never written a 'Criminal Law' Motion or Memorandum, I had everything I needed to be able to do so.

I still have a great deal to learn, but I am confident that I am on my way with STU.

Welcome Class of 2012!

St. Thomas Students with

Professor Ruffin

Barristers Ball, 2009

            This year, I had the privilege of participating in Orientation from the other side of the table. As a 2L, I volunteered to be a mentor for the incoming 1Ls, and to help out with orientation. At 9am Wednesday morning, the first new students began to arrive. I could immediately sympathize with their looks of apprehension, mixed with excitement. Beginning law school is a terrifying experience, but I was extremely proud of the fantastic job the St. Thomas community did to make the new 1Ls feel as comfortable as possible.

            Professor Sullivan organized a group of about 40 upper-level students to serve as mentors for the incoming 1Ls, and I truly feel the mentors represented what I love best about St. Thomas. We are a welcoming, helpful, caring community of students, faculty, and staff. It was a pleasure to greet the new students with such a fantastic support system. Although beginning law school is intimidating, it is much less so when you are surrounded with so many friendly faces, who are all more than willing to help.

            I am proud to be a student at St. Thomas, and to have the opportunity to represent St. Thomas as a mentor. There are so many vehicles that the new 1Ls have at their disposal to help ease the tension of first year. I urge all current students to take advantage of the student mentors, the professor’s open-door policies, the academic support department, the active learning instructors, and the myriad of other opportunities St. Thomas provides to students. It is clear that everyone at the school wants their students to excel, and I appreciate the overwhelming support and caring that is outpoured daily. The 2009-2010 academic year begins Monday, and I am confident that it will be a great one!

Coping

The heavy work load, constant reading, researching, studying, grade reports (good and not so good), final exams, and stress of law school can be very overwhelming. But, what really gets my blood boiling is injustice. Injustice based upon socioeconomic status is especially appalling. Rather than rant, I will relay some coping techniques myself and other students utilize in an effort to deal.

1. Exercise. Many go to gyms to hit the weights, take some classes, or use a machine. I prefer a more direct approach. Hitting something is always helpful! Not a human of course. Martial arts training has always been something I keep in my back pocket to keep me sane. I also enjoy finding a park that is secluded from the "machinery" of the world and jog or walk to reset myself.

2. Pets. A recent Forbes publication (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7065794/ns/health-forbescom/) boasts that pets increase longevity. My first pet was a stray cat I adopted when I was up North doing a semester of Grad work. I now share my apartment with the sweetest little dog in the world. It is nice to know she will be there with tail-a-waggin' when I get home. She is a great companion on my journeys to the parks as well.

3. Spirituality. When the woes of this world get you down, prayer, meditation, or what have you is a way to realize that most things really are not worth getting too worked up over.

4. Friendship. I am not talking about partying the night away at a noisy club (although some might find this helps). I am talking about spending quality time with individuals you know, trust, and can confide in. For me, it helps reassess the fact that the world is not as messed up as I tend to lead myself to believe.

5. Optimism. A wise Doctor once gave me a good prescription for staying positive (not prozac). He said, "at the end of everyday, write down three good things that have happened that day." "That way, all day, you will be searching and looking for good things to write down." A little self-fulfilling perhaps, but it works for me.

6. Know Thyself. Professor Ronner preaches this one. For me it means being able to look myself in the mirror when I get home, and say I did the best I could and I did not sacrifice my beliefs.

You tend to hear a lot about how people cope when you are in law school. A couple of ALI's (or active learning instructors) suggest a good round of video games in the evening.

All in all, I try to think of life as an ocean. Some days there are huge powerful waves that come crashing down, which seem to halt any attempt to make head way. All one can do those days is keep his head above water. Other days there are hurricanes, where complete reassessment is necessary. But, some days the water is smooth and calm, and we seem to float along so peacefully and effortlessly. There is an ebb and flow to the cycles of this world that everyone must accept.

One Year Down...

            Unlike many, my ultimate goal has not always been to go to law school. I know that some have dreamt of becoming a lawyer for as long as they can remember. Not me. When I was young, I wanted to be a chef. I dreamed of wearing a starched white coat, and a tall hat (and… a hairnet), however that dream was quickly put to rest when I realized that the cooking gene definitely does not run in my family- I literally cannot even scramble eggs. It’s pathetic. So, I decided it was time to move on to another passion… but it certainly was not easy for me to decide what that passion was. Other than my failed culinary ambitions, I never had a definite idea of exactly what I was meant to do. So, like many others, I went through four years of undergrad and, having graduated with a degree I didn’t know what to do with, I decided to try my hand at law school.  It can’t be that hard… right? Wrong!

Law school is most certainly not the piece of cake I had expected. I knew it would be “hard,” but I was an A student all my life, so I was sure that I would just sail through like I always had. Well, guess what? Everyone in law school had been an A student all their lives. For the first time, I wasn’t the “smartest kid in the class.” My peers and I were neck-and-neck, all striving to prove something to each other, and to ourselves. And suddenly it became very clear to me that the drive and push that I was experiencing, forcing me to learn, to thrive, to succeed—that was the passion I had been looking for all along.

I’m not sure if anyone can truly appreciate this until you’ve experienced it first-hand, but law school changes you. And, despite the grueling hours of reading, the endless cases, and even the paralyzing anxiety of the Socratic method, I can honestly say that it has changed me for the better. I am a completely different person that I was 9 months ago- I am disciplined, thoughtful, thought provoking, and most importantly, proud. It amazes me to think of the amount of work I put in this past year, and the amazing rewards of having learned so much. I view everything- everything- from the eyes of a law student! I can look out my window right now and spot 15 potential torts; I absolutely refuse to sign anything without first reading every single word and making sure there isn’t a hidden unconscionable clause; and I pay particular attention to zoning regulations, with every intention of waging my own war against an unreasonable decree that I happen across.

In any event, law school changes the way you view the world, and the way you view yourself.  And so, here I am! One year down, two to go…  Bring it on, law school! I’m ready!