Who Has Seen "The Paper Chase"?

I am watching it for the millionth time right now. If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest watching it before you go to law school :) It should scare the heck out of you. If you still want to go to law school after watching it, it is a good sign that you are ready to face your fears of the dreaded Socratic Method....
Ah, the Socratic Method.... picture your first day of college.... you know that your professor is going to give a lecture about what is going to happen during the semester... you don't even really have to attend that class... it is basically a free day.... right?
Now picture this... first day of law school... you've tried your best to read your assignments for the first day of class... you really have no idea how to read a case correctly, let alone know what a professor would want you to say about it.... you walk into class and try to figure the best place to sit... the front row definitely gets you noticed, right? You don't want to be noticed on the first day, right? So the front row is no good.... the back row makes you look like you don't want to be noticed, which is not good, either... The middle probably gives you the greatest odds of being called on so that's no good either, right? But you have to sit somewhere.... So you find a seat and pray. (I spent a lot of time my first semester praying not to be called on.) And inevitably... it happens... "Ms. So and So... tell us the facts of Some Guy v. Some Other Guy"... and with your heart in your throat you stumble through your first experience with the Socratic Method... no matter what you say with a lot of your professors, they will never tell you if you're right... they just ask you questions until you have no clue anymore if you're even talking about the case you read.... It is a lot of fun... really....
But you know what? It doesn't kill you. There are times where a professor can really embarrass you, but that typically only happens if you're not prepared for class. When I would get scared about being called on in class, my father (who is an attorney) would tell me, "What's the worst that can happen? They can't kill you, they're not allowed to hit you, and they probably don't want to eat you...." lol I still think about that when I get nervous about something.
The Socratic Method is a rite of passage... you will never be as nervous as you are the first time you are called upon to brief a case. Just remember that everyone else is as nervous as you are! If you want to chat about your fears about the darn method Socrates created, give me a holler :)

Cheers.
Dara

Law School Fears

I recently sat on a student panel for students interested in attending law school here at St. Thomas, and was asked if I had been nervous about embarking on my law school adventure. The answer is a resounding yes! I am sure that many of you out there in blogging land feel some sort of anxiety about law school... where you are going to go, who you are going to meet, your professors, studying..... I want to assure you that this is a completely normal way to feel. My Mom still laughs about the fact that I sat at my kitchen table crying before my first day of class (I'm a theatre chick, remember, I tend to be a little overdramatic). It didn't end there, though. My entire first semester I was convinced that everyone here was smarter than me, that they all knew what was going on, and because it would take me three hours to read one case, I was convinced that I was going to fail.
Fast forward to the present.... I didn't fail. I'm not the only person here who didn't understand things.... and my nerves pushed me to study harder and excel. I'm of the notion that if you really care about doing something well, you will be nervous about doing it. The people who don't care are the ones whose nerves never bother them. Making the decision to go to law school is a difficult one for some people. For some it is the natural progression of things, their life's calling... but for others, like me, who started out on a different path, deciding to go to law school is a complete upheaval of our lives. For all of us, it is the start of something new, which is scary for anyone. Change is scary.
Do I still get nervous? Sure... I freak out during finals... worry about finding a job... I have too much to do and not enough time to do it in... I spend many a sleepless night worrying about what I need to get done....but I'm a law student, and that is just the job description. I signed up for this, and quite frankly, as masochistic as it may sound, I love it. I hope you love it, too! If you have any questions, just let me know!
Catch you next time!
Cheers,
Dara

random thoughts about law school

Jesmany spoke about how to balance work, studying and Law school...I agree with his take on at as i took a similar path. [i will tell you about my views on balancing school, work and extracurricular activities at a later date] I don’t recommend that any full time law student consider working during their first semester. Your average day will consist of arriving at school around 8 or 9a.m., going to classes until around 4 or so, maybe hitting the gym, and studying for the duration of the night....this you will do for the entire first semester! For those that enjoy thanksgiving and would love to spend it with family---you may find yourself at the dinner table with your iPod- listening to Contracts---that was what happened to me at least. Don’t be discouraged though--while the first semester is described as the worst--if you put the time and effort in you will see the fruits of your efforts. For me it was a true battle...for one..I could not get out of my bed in the mornings--unfortunately for me I LOVE to sleep in---so to deal with that, I stayed up late at nights studying. You will figure out what works for you-while many of my friends arrived at school at 7:30 a.m. and were asleep by 11, my days were much different....i got to school right before classes at about 8:45 BUT stayed at school until 12 when the library closed...getting to bed around 1. As I said though..Don’t be disheartened- you will figure out what works for you as you go along. Let me talk about the library---on the one hand, you may find that you get most work done at school in the library or at home or at the park or at another schools library---don’t get your feathers ruffled by what works for your friends and classmates always do what works for you. One thing you may hear from STU students is to not get lost in the BREEZEWAY--i have mixed feelings where that’s concerned--some of the best students at STU studied day in day out in the breezeway---some students did not make it back after the first semester because they were in the breezeway day in day out...again do what works best for you! If you’re a social butterfly like myself socialize in the breezeway after you are comfortable and on top of your work. there are some perks about the dreaded breezeway though, such as being able to interact with your professors, Dean's and Judges in a very informal manner..Just don’t get stuck there! Until next time...shoot me any questions or leave any comments i will respond ASAP..

Student Life, Work Life, and Good Grades

A question was posed in a prior post regarding my thoughts on how to balance school and work and still achieve good grades. This is a tough one. I am inclined to say that it can’t be done. That law school is way too far-reaching and all-encompassing to have any time to do anything else but study as much as you can and worry about not studying enough. However, I can’t say that because I did it. I worked the 20 permitted hours during my first year. And my first semester of my second year was satiated with work and extra-curricular activities. So where’s the balance? I will focus first on your first year because that’s where you are headed. I worked, but it was a big mistake. If it wasn’t because I had about 10 reading days before the final exams I would have been singing a totally different tune (probably not writing in this blog about what to do in law school . . . lol). I recommend no work at least your first semester. I understand everyone has different needs, but if you are shooting for the top of the class, if you work, you are also shooting yourself in the foot. I did it and I can’t tell you how. I have always done better when I have a lot on my plate. Now, one thing I never swayed from--any work I did take I made sure that it was law-related. Everything you do should be helping you toward your ultimate goal of becoming a successful lawyer one day. Some tips on what I did to handle everything include: (1) write everything down on a calendar and check that calendar often; (2) don’t procrastinate and make sure to work on all your legal writing projects early because they will surely mess up your entire schedule if you don’t; and (3) outline your classes early (I’ll tell you more about outlining on another post). In regard to the first semester of second year . . . wow! That semester will need its own post titled “10 Easy Ways To Drive Yourself Crazy for an Entire Semester” . . . lol. Until then good luck! And I welcome any other questions you may have.

Law School’s Tough, but It’s Worth It!!!

I’m a 23 year old Miami local. I graduated from FIU with a major in Finance. I decided to attend law school because I wanted something more challenging, and sometimes you get what you ask for. Law school has definitely been the most challenging experience of my life. Other law students told me how difficult it could be at times, but you cannot really understand what they mean until you experience it for yourself. My best advice for you now is to not get discouraged by the horror stories you will probably hear in this blog . . . at the end it will be worth it. My decision to go to law school has been one the best decisions I have ever made. The fact that law school can be so difficult makes the feeling you get when you finish a semester, an exam, a legal writing memorandum, etc., that much greater. It is an incredible feeling for me to be able to look back and tell you these stories. Law school has given me the opportunity to accomplish sometimes insurmountable goals in an amazingly short period of time. At this point in my law school career, as a second year law student, in has not been that bad anymore. You figure out how this stuff works, so your second and third years tend to be more bearable. However, I always have to go and get involved in other extracurricular activities (like this blog) to make sure I’m still going nuts. I don't know why I do it, it just sort of happens . . . lol. I look forward to sharing many law school stories with you in the near future, so until then, good luck and ask me any questions you want.

Jesmany

Miles to go before I sleep...

Ah, trying to balance real life with law school; the seemingly endless battle between what I need to get done, what I would like to do, and what my life outside of law school requires. Since my first day of law school I have held firm in my belief that once we start school, the universe should construct a bubble around us capable of protecting us from the "real" world. Your first semester of school makes you feel as if nothing other than reading for class and studying for exams exists in the world... and then, inevitably, it happens... whatever "it" may be. Trust me when I tell you, something will happen during your first semester, a fight with your boyfriend/girlfriend, drama with your parents, some sort of sadness derived from the "real" world that you have somewhat removed yourself from in order to focus on school.... something... and it sucks... and you have to deal with it.
I wish I could tell you it gets easier after first year. That is what they say, right? First year they scare you to death, second year they work you to death, and third year they bore you to death... In my opinion, it only gets more difficult as you continue on in school. Sure, by second year you know more of what to expect, how to study more effectively, you're not quite as horrified at the idea of being called on in class.... but I, like many of my friends, have taken on so much more responsibility this year, between Mock Trial and Law Review and still taking required classes... oy.... I basically live at school... just set me up a cot in the breezeway and I would be all set.
So back to the initial point of this blog...Today is Valentine's Day. Big deal, right? Stupid holiday anyway. But here's the problem.... I have a Mock Trial Competition in less than a month, a 30 page paper to write, reading to catch up on for class, I just got elected to a new executive board position on the Law Review (I'll write more about that some other time)... my parents are going out of town so I have to dog sit, and darn it, I WANT TO CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY! I want to have dinner with my guy and not feel guilty about it. Is that so wrong? Of course, no one makes me feel bad about taking time off except for me... which is just one of the many crazy parts about law school that you all have to look forward to :)
So as I sit here at school today, the battle between work and play rages on.... wish me luck with my Valentine's Day plans! Either way, I have miles to go before I sleep....
Catch you guys next time!

Cheers,
Dara

A long day at law school

As i come to the close of a long day at school, i will post my first blog and tell you a little about myself. I am 23 and a second year law student at St. Thomas Univeristy [STU] in Miami, Florida. I was born and raised in Jamaica. . .and completed my Bachelor's Degree at the Univeristy of the West Indies. I am one of those that has done the "school thing" without working or taking a break for anything. So... i came to the US just for law school- what a shock that was for me! While it was somewhat challenging to adjust to law school and the way of life of law students i did it and im still alive and kicking. Fortunately for me coming to STU has served me well. That of course required efforts on my part....being a Jamaican i have a little 'hustle' in me- one thing i've learnt is that you soemtimes have to work the system in order to achieve goals. That remains true in the legal community/profession. STU has an environment which allows you to grow and achieve your goals and i have been doing just that. Let me be blunt...the first semester of law school was one of the most difficult times in my life BUT it gets much better...i promise. Being in my second semester of my second year i am extremely involved in the law school community and the legal community as a whole. I am currently on the Moot Court and Mock trial teams at my school...bascially these are honor societies which allow you to show your 'skills' [or the skills you think you have] as an advocate. I am also on one of the Law Review of my school as well as other activities. I try to be invovled...it helps me keep my sanity and balance. some people take a different path...not doing much besides reading those heavy law school books....for me i need a break every now and then.
...and of course there is work...so thats school, extracurriculars and work...how does it all get done? I havent exaclty figured that out yet. Despite this it all gets done someway-somehow. At the end of the day though...after drinking the 4th or 5th cup of coffee ,i think "its not that bad after all" ...what do you think?
............catch you next time!

How Far I've Come....

Seeing as this is my first official blog, I suppose I should tell you all a little about myself. As you may have already guessed, my name is Dara, and I am in the second semester of my second year at St. Thomas University School of Law. I graduated from the University of South Florida in 2002, moved to New York City to do the starving actress thing, and then moved back home with my parents after deciding that taking my LSAT and going to law school seemed like the lesser of two evils…
Now that the formalities are dispensed with, I can get down to the nitty gritty, the truth about my life, or lack thereof, as a law student… Have you ever had a day where you had nothing to do, and you just stayed in bed all day watching television and reading magazines? Sigh… I remember those days. Those pre law school days. See, I never thought I would end up here. My original plan was miles away from St. Thomas, and from law school in general. I started out as an actress. An honest to goodness, theatre majoring, NYC auditioning, working in retail to pay the bills, actress… It never ceases to amaze me how things turn out. If you would have told me four years ago that I would be sitting in the breezeway at St. Thomas, writing this blog so I didn’t have to read my monster Con Law assignment for tommorrow… I would have called you crazy. But here I am, and my NYC days seem to get further away with every word I type. Don’t think for one minute, though, that I regret my decision to go to law school, because that is definitely not the case. I have channeled my love of theatre into a newfound love of litigation and am completely smitten with the courtroom. Not that it has always been an easy transition. True confession time… I was fortunate enough to land an interview with one of the bigger firms in South Florida. I was so excited… I had my new suit… my resume all prepared… all my perfect answers carefully held on reserve until just the right moment presented itself to impress them with my brilliance… the first attorney I met with was the hiring partner. THE HIRING PARTNER! I was ready. I was so going to land this job. He shook my hand and hit me with the line I will never forget, “So… you were a theatre major? Really? That’s a real major? They really let you major in theatre?” Long story short, he wasn’t kidding… he thought I was a moron without ever hearing one of my brilliant answers. I didn’t get that job.
But its not all sadness and worry here in the land of the reformed actress. I impressed the heck out of another firm who only does litigation (litigators get the whole theatre thing), and I will be working there as a summer associate beginning in May. This “stupid” actress has also been elected the President of Mock Trial, been selected as a member of Law Review, and is going to be published in an upcoming issue of said Law Review. So take that, Mr. You Were An Actress So You Obviously Have No Brain.
I will end with a little unsolicited advice. Don’t let anyone dictate what you can do with your life. You know who you are, and what you are capable of. People will always try to tell you that you can’t. Don’t listen. I never really knew how much I was capable of until I turned my world upside down and came to law school. There are days where I sit back for the few seconds I have to myself and allow myself to think about how far I’ve come…. and I am proud. Live your life in a way that makes you proud! Catch you next time
Cheers,
Dara

Hello World

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