One Year Down

Well, that's that, then. One week ago, I clicked "Submit" and sent my feverishly composed Criminal Law final into the ether, officially and unceremoniously ending my life as a 1L. I then proceeded directly home to drink wine and watch Mystery Science Theater with my wife, and I've sort of been slacking off ever since. It's not bad.

To quickly sum up the end of the semester: Contracts did sort of seem to come together in the end, to the point where the 75-hour take-home final actually didn't seem all that bad, despite the fact that I was sick during the whole thing (in fact, my only concern is that it was maybe a bit too easy, i.e., I totally overlooked something crucial and failed miserably; time will tell). I never did actually get the course outlined -- an omission any law student will tell you is the height of either folly or hubris -- but I had an older outline of the course, and I practically memorized the Uniform Commercial Code and the Restatement (a sort of summary of the common law rules of contracts), and like I say: I felt pretty good about things. In any case, there is nothing now to do but wait for the grade, which a former student of the professor tells me could take until some time in July.

Criminal Law was a little more stressful, but not by too much. I did get an outline done, and even made a ton of flashcards (using a nifty little web-based program at http://www.flashcardexchange.com/), and pretty much memorized the relevant parts of the Model Penal Code (of which the prof is a huge proponent). The latter in particular paid off, as the exam was almost entirely based on the MPC. As with Contracts, part of me is worried I missed major points on the exam, as one of my answers was way below the allowed word limit. Again, though, I can only wait and see.

And remember Lawyering Process? That class I barely ever mentioned and that always felt like a huge distraction from the important courses? Well, I ended up doing pretty well there. My partner and I got the top grade in the class for our final brief, and performed well in our oral argument before a (fake) panel of judges at the (real) U.S. Court of Appeals downtown. And all of this happened just before the finals period for the other two courses, which may have contributed to my general feeling of confidence going into it.

And now, summer. Traditionally, the summer after the 1L year is spent in an internship somewhere, and I did look into that possibility. Ultimately, though, I couldn't see how to make it work, as I will be in charge of two kids every day for the next three months. Coupled with the fact that I just felt what I really needed to was spend time with my family while I still can, it didn't take much more to convince me to take it a little easy. (Plus, I'm part-time, so I'll be at this for four years -- plenty of time to get a few internships and whatnot under my belt before I graduate.) So, no internship, and no summer classes. I will, however, be a research assistant, with fairly light duties, for my Crim Law professor, which should be interesting, and keep my mind somewhat engaged with law-type stuff until the fall.

Speaking of the fall, it looks like I'll be taking Property, Constitutional Law, and Criminal Procedure. I'm excited about the latter two, not so much about Property. I'm also looking into being a T.A. (at DU they're called "Student Leaders") for either Contracts or Lawyering Process, but there are hurdles to be leapt before that's really decided. And I will also, most likely, continue as a research assistant for my Crim Law professor. And, you know, be a parent and stuff. Sounds like a lot? Yes. But I'm sure I can make it work. Surely...

Meanwhile, I'm trying to be a good dad, husband, and homeowner. This involves a lot of playing, weeding, and watering the newly installed lawn. Oh, and reading. I'm reading a novel. I can't begin to tell you how warm and fuzzy that makes me feel. I don't even particularly care whether the book is good or not at this point, I just love picking it up and reading without giving a damn whether I'm retaining any of it or not. There will not be a test.

All right, well, in theory I ought to have a little more time on my hands for a few months, so I ought to be able to update this here blog a little more; on the other hand, I won't be in school, so there might not be all that much to write about. Maybe I'll try my hand at writing about legal stuff in general, if I can overcome my fear of sounding like some guy who just finished a year of law school and now thinks he has incredibly interesting things to say about the law.

Thanks for reading. I'll be in touch.

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P.S. Sorry about not wrapping up my summary of Crim Law, or even starting one for Contracts. I just never found the time and/or energy. I'll try to do better next time around.