Law Review and Moot Court

As the semester (and year) wind down, the tension mounts. Today we heard from the law review editors about how we can qualify for law review. The good news is that I do not get an automatic invitation. Those invitations are reserved for the top 15% of the class, and I am in the top 20%. While I would hope to move up some in my ranking, a 5% jump would be miraculous, to say the least. So, if I want to pursue a position on law review, I will have to apply via a “write on” campaign where all of the students are given a legal problem for briefing and a short amount of time to research and submit same. This occurs immediately after final exams, so I’ll have to postpone my “summer of vegetation” until after the paper is written. During those few weeks I will probably find myself busy with the “write on” paper...as well as transfer applications to a few other law schools. My goal is to (1) transfer to another school (a higher-ranking school); or, (2) in the alternative, make the most of my experience here. In light of both of those goals, my GPA cannot slip; and, in fact, needs to climb. (Yes, that's a prayer request; make a note of it.)

For the past month we have been researching and writing a summary judgment brief for our “client.” The brief was due about two weeks ago. Then, last week, we argued our brief before a three-judge panel in a wonderful law school rite of passage called “moot court.” On Monday we argued “on brief,” and on Wednesday we argued “off brief.” We were graded in groupings of four based on a random selection process. Those who did the best from their foursome moved on to the semi-final rounds on Friday.

I have admitted to no fewer than all of my friends and the clerk at Kroger’s that Monday was not a good day for me in moot court. I woefully underestimated the amount of preparation it would require; and, when I realized this, my alternate plan was to stick my head in the sand and pretend like it wasn’t happening. My summary of Monday's moot court experience: Ugh! However, once I cleaned up the wounds from Monday, I bounced back on Wednesday and made a stellar appearance in moot court when arguing “off brief” (i.e., the other side’s position).

I’ll spare you anymore suspense and admit that I did not advance to the semi-finals on Friday. For an overachiever like me, that was quite a hard pill to swallow (especially considering the pool of orators who did advance), but I have shouldered the blame and tried to learn from the experience. Well, yesterday we received our score sheets from the moot court rounds on Monday and Wednesday. We were scored based on the following criteria:
Ø effectiveness of opening and closing statements
Ø knowledge of the brief, the record, the authority cited, and the issues/arguments raised
Ø the substantive content of the argument, e.g., order of presentation of points, emphasis of points, and time management
Ø ability to answer questions, to think on our feet, and to resume thread of argument after interruption
Ø ability to speak without notes or w/ unobtrusive notes, use of speaking voice, poise, gestures, mannerisms, and courtroom etiquette

Each judge provided a score as well as a “ranking” for each speaker within the foursome. On Monday (the day that I “bombed”), my rankings were 1-1-4. That means that two judges ranked my argument as the #1 argument of the foursome! While, the remaining judge (who presumably was smoking crack), ranked me as #4.

During “off brief” Wednesday (before a different panel of judges), my rankings were 2-3-3. What! But, I was stellar on Wednesday! In all humility, I rocked! So, why the low rankings? Because, we not only had a different panel of judges, but we were also shuffled into a different foursome; and my foursome on Wednesday had some awesome speakers, one of whom advanced to Friday’s semi-final round.

Even though my rankings were lower on Wednesday, my “scores” were much higher. The scores from Monday were an embarrassing 56, 55.5, and 72 (of 100) (yet somehow I was 1-1-4?). On Wednesday, my scores were much better (83, 64.5, and 70) even though my rankings were lower.

The good news is that all of this means nothing when it comes to the grade for this assignment, which is yet to be posted. The rankings and scores are only used for the moot court competition.

Just thought I’d share a little “minutia” of the typical week of law school. Like I said, we are winding down. There are two more projects in the works—both due next week. Meanwhile, I’m trying to squeeze in an extra hour per day to study for finals. My steady diet now is a double shot of mocha latte for breakfast and as a midnight snack. Try to be in bed by 1:00 a.m. and up by 5:00 a.m. There’s no time to exercise or shop or wash clothes. Those few extra minutes that may materialize during the course of the day are reserved for sleep….and, today, blog therapy.

The exams are coming!

I wish I could convey how busy it has been for the past few weeks. Last week, we had a summary judgment brief due (which constitutes 25% of our final grade); it was the culmination of about four weeks' worth of work (in addition to our regular studies). This week, we had mandatory moot court competitions (in addition to our regular studies). Friday night and Saturday we had a mandatory conference to attend. Heap on top of that the massacre at Virginia Tech, a neighboring university, and the increased police presence on our campus, and it’s been for an emotionally, physically, and mentally draining week. And, just in case there are any thoughts of “catching my breath” or “taking a break,” I am reminded that exams begin in two weeks. That being said, this will probably be my last entry until exams are completed on May 18. But, if you’re reading this before May 18, please say a prayer for me. I want to make good use of my time, I do not want to be distracted or translate into "meltdown mode," I want to digest the plethora of concepts that we’ve covered in sixteen weeks, and I want to do my best on the exams. Your prayers and support are appreciated.

The Summer

Here's a quick update on my summer plans. Friends, less than a week ago I was in despair about what to do this summer. Everyday a few more classmates would come in with their "big news" about an internship or other excellent offer that they'd received, and there I sat with "no comment" when asked about my summer plans. It's April, we're six weeks away from summer internship time, and I had nothing! Well, not absolutely nothing, I still had several options that would have made for a good summer experience, but I had no nibbles on the internship applications that I had submitted.

I had responded to about 20 different offers for summer interns. Some of these were at prestigious law firms, and others were at small local firms. I applied for summer internships at various non-profits, at the White House, at the U.S. Department of Justice (in D.C., Reno, and Dallas), and at various state attorney's offices in Virginia and North Carolina. I had received a few responses; but, no offers. So, my summer plans were completely up in the air and out of my control. Now, for those of you who know me well (or even "at all"), you know that the fact that I didn't know where I would be in six short weeks was enough to drive me insane! I thought about it while studying, while sitting in class, while careening through traffic, while brushing my teeth, etc. But, rather than jump off Candler's Mountain, I surveyed my options and came up with three options that would work even if nothing else panned out.

1. I could stay in Lynchburg and volunteer at the public defender's office. This would be a new experience for me and would expose me to a lot of the local bar, the courtroom, etc.; unfortunately, it would not help pay any bills because it would truly be "volunteer."

2. I could go to NC and volunteer at my old firm. That is always an option that I enjoy because I get to work with people I know and love. I am very comfortable with the firm and the area of insurance defense. However, I just don't know if my boss would have let me "volunteer." He has always been so generous with me, I think he would have felt compelled to pay me, and I did not want to put him in that uncomfortable position. Also, I felt it was important to "build" my resume with other experiences and that it may look like I'm not willing to grow if I keep returning to my old employer at every break from school.

3. The final--and most expensive--option was to study abroad. I truly do want to study abroad, and I believe that this is the best summer to do it. I had already talked with the dean and had the paperwork ready to submit to him for approval so that I could participate in the University of Miami law school's study abroad program in the Mediterranean. Over the course of 59 days we would tour and study in three countries--Greece, Italy, and Spain. But for the cost, this was the most exciting offer. Included in the cost of $140 per day was tuition, accommodations, meals, and all travel except airfare.

The deadline for guaranteeing a seat in the Miami program was March 31, so I knew that I had to get busy on that option if it was going to happen. I came to school on April 2 with all of the paperwork necessary for the dean's approval of this study abroad program (which I would have to submit with my application). I had decided that it would be the Mediterranean for the summer, and I would just have to forget about the cost. On a whim, though, on that very morning I e-mailed a professor about whether he'd be needing a summer research assistant. For some odd reason, I hadn't even thought about this option. I knew it was a long shot (because many professors had already secured their summer help), but I didn't want to leave any stone unturned before committing to the study abroad program. Within less than a hour, he responded and said "yes," he needed a research assistant, and he wanted to talk to me. After class I met with him and he hired me on the spot! I was so thrilled, I could have hugged or kissed him! (Instead, though, we shook hands.)

This professor really likes to write law review articles and other scholarly stuff, so I will be helping him with researching and drafting those materials. I will be working 20-40 hours per week. I can work from home most of the time. I do envision myself with the laptop beside the pool, but that's probably more fantasy than reality. His only requirement for hiring me is that I commit to working for him during my 2L and 3L years so that he does not have to retrain someone every summer. Obviously, I agreed to do so. I think that this will be a great learning experience for me because this professor is a research guru, and I can learn so much from his expertise. He graduated at the top of his class from law school. He worked for an outrageous salary at a DC firm for five years doing nothing but research; then he moved to the U.S. Department of Justice where he worked for an additional 15 years. He has an impressive background, and I am looking forward to working with him and facing this new challenge.

So, my summer plans are now complete. I will not make a fortune, but I will not be strictly a volunteer; neither will I be spending a fortune on travel. I will be able to take trips home for extended weekends, and I will have an impressive 1L summer experience.

That's all the news for now...until I find something new to "obsess" over. I'm sure something will come up; I'll keep you posted.