Closing In...

Turned in the final memo today.  It amazes me that I could spend so much time on the thing and still come down to the wire on it.  I was making corrections up until the minute it was due.

I don't feel that good about it.  If I got a C on it, I wouldn't be surprised.  It's done now, though, so no need to obsess.

What makes this paper different is that it needs to be structured with all the arguments, according to IREAC, which is a version of IRAC.  (Issue, Rule, Application and Conclusion.  IREAC adds "explanation".)

That seems straightforward, but it gets tough when the issue doesn't break down neatly.  I also had trouble stuffing cases into my issues.  It's all done now, but it was harder than I thought.  Sort of kicking myself, but what can be done?

Also, the other factor is that the paper is competitively graded.  So, it's not enough to do well.  To get a good grade, you have to do well relative to the rest of the class.  There will be enough people with good papers to fill out the top of the curve.  Right now, I'd be happy as a clam if I could swing a B in the class.  I guess we'll just wait and see.  Worst-case, I just need a grade higher than C-, or else I'd have to repeat the class, and I honestly would probably just drop out of law school before I'd repeat any classes.

Now's the big crunch for finals, which are three weeks away.  I'm going through LEEWS again and starting to work whole-hog on my outlines.  Gonna start hitting the crunchtime books and do at least a few example problems every day. 

When you're young, the semesters never really seem to end.  Seems like when you're old, time always passes faster than you'd like though, and that's true for me this semester.  I feel like 3 weeks isn't enough time.

I'm still basically relaxed, though.  Unlike most of my classmates, I don't need this in order to earn a living.  Don't get me wrong.  I really want a law degree.  I really want to be an attorney.  However, if it didn't happen, I'd be fine.  I'd find a way to get by.

I do love being a student, though.  Like most experiences of youth (for instance, love), being a student is wasted on the young.  I really enjoy being around all the twentysomethings.  They don't seem to mind an old guy in their midst too much. 

I did get a little discouraged with my property mid-term, and I'm afraid I got even more discouraged when I turned in my final memo.  However, I am trying to remind myself that I can still get As in 4 of my classes, even if my memo stank.  I know what I need to do.  It's just a question of finding enough time to do it.

This semester is going to be over before you know it.  My goals are getting a bit more realistic as far as what I want to do with my law degree.  In fact, they're going all the way back to what I had intended originally.  I want to have a small practice where I handle PI, and maybe Labor and/or Family Law.  Maybe bankruptcies in this economy.

We'll just have to see how this goes.  I waited so long to go to Law School, it's hard to believe that in about a month, I'll have my first semester grades.  Fortunately for me, although I'm an obsessively introspective person in many regards, when it comes to chosing a goal and pursuing it, I really don't have many moments of doubt about whether I want to continue.  (Of course, my first C- may change that.)

Every once in a while, though, I sit back and think how cool it is that I'm actually in law school.  Lawyers get a bad rap and law school doesn't get the respect it deserves.  (I can say this as a former dispenser of this disrespect.)  However, being an attorney is still a big fat deal and graduating from law school is not something that just anybody can do. 

It'll be a heck of a thing when I graduate.  I'll be the first attorney in my family.  (Including extended family.  Far as I know there aren't any other Strebler attorneys in the US.)