All I have is the phrase "I have a foolproof plan". Beyond that, I'm wide open.

Well school has begun again. Bleh. My classes are really hard, so hopefully I'll be up to the challenge. I feel like the professors expect more of us this semester, which makes sense I guess. Still, I spend most of class hoping they don't call on me. So far so good, but it's only Tuesday....

Today I had three classes, so I just took all my books with me to campus. The idea was to study in between classes. Do you have any idea how much four law textbooks weigh? I don't either, but it's a lot. I was waiting for the light to change so I could cross the street, and I thought for sure my backpack was going to rip through my shoulder and split my body in two. I feel like I should never do that again. Tomorrow I also have three classes, so I'll have to think up a different way to study without causing my shoulders to implode on the rest of my body. Seriously, I had to lean forward to prevent myself from falling over. Yikes.

Anyway, my Constitutional Law class is pretty interesting. My teacher is totally crazy, but I think he'll be fun. He seems pretty chill. It's a hard class though. I keep hoping it'll get easier.... I have that class every day but Friday, so I've been doing a lot of reading in that book. We've been talking about judicial review and we're supposed to start discussing standing (whether you have a valid reason to be in court) tomorrow. I did do my reading, briefed my cases and everything, but I think I will still hope he doesn't call on me tomorrow.

My property class is... good? I should probably not be so candid on my blog. The cases we've been reading so far are all from the 17 and 1800's. They're kind of interesting, although some of them I don't really get. Why would you sue someone over a fox? Granted, it's obnoxious for someone to kill a fox you've been chasing all day, but sue them? Some people's kids. Anyway, that class is going to be very hard. I really hope he doesn't call on me, or if he ever does, he just asks me for a definition. I'm pretty handy with a dictionary.

Intro to Lawyering this semester is going to be crazy. We have to write a fact analysis, a persuasive memo, an appellate brief, and then do an oral argument in front of judges (real judges, which just makes it more terrifying). We even get to do a mock negotiation session. That will be kind of fun. It's going to be a lot of work though, for sure. We have more freedom this semester to do our own research instead of using the cases Professor Queenan gave us. That means we get to make our own arguments. Hopefully I don't turn out to be dumb. That will be really embarrassing.

I've only gone to my criminal law class once so far. Mostly we talked about legal and sociological theories of punishment. We read this awful case where these guys kill the cabin boy and eat him to survive (they're shipwrecked and out of food). I realized I am a retributivist because I thought they should go to jail even though it was unlikely to serve as any kind of deterrence, or reform, or anything like that. Then I felt bad because if you're going to spend all that money and time to punish someone, it should probably serve a purpose for the punishee and society. Still, they ate the cabin boy! I suppose that's the classic societal-internal struggle regarding punishment. We're supposed to continue our discussion next class. Should be interesting.

Anyway, my classes are hard, but I think I'm going to enjoy them. This semester's going to be pretty crazy. I have one more class than I did last semester, and the teachers all expect us to know what we're doing now.... Anyway, I plan to spend a large majority of my time this semester in the library. I also plan to start outlining much earlier then, you know, the week before finals. So hopefully all that extra studying will help my brain to keep up with my professors brains. Here's hoping!

After you get where you're going, take off your shoes and your socks then walk around on the rug bare foot and make fists with your toes

Finals. Are. Over. Good thing to! I wasn't sure if I was going to make it. It was touch and go there for a while. The tests were brutal, but they are over. I'm so happy! And tired. I'm really tired.

Finals, as everything, came with their scandals and gossip. On Friday, after my federal civil procedure final, we got an email from the Dean of Academic Affairs (who also happened to be my civ pro teacher. Anyway). Apparently some people had been caught cheating. You could literally feel the anger coming out of that email. Dean Mayer ended the email by saying that anyone who had cheated should voluntarily withdraw because they do not meet the minimum qualifications to work in this profession. Which is true. If you have "I cheated" on your transcript, the possibility that you will pass the bar are slim to none. Despite what people think about lawyers, we actually do have an ethics code. The bar consists of the actual exam and an ethics exam. You also have to pass an apparently very vigorous ethics shakedown, like a background check but much more personal. At any rate, being a cheater doesn't bode well for passing a very vigorous ethics shakedown. And, though I try to remember mercy and forgiveness and all that, I have to say I think they deserve what they get. Not only did the majority of us work our asses off for these exams, but after the cheaters were caught none of us could go to the bathroom during the exam. They're four hours long!! Oh sigh. I'm so glad they're over. 1 semester down, 5 to go...

Anyway, I'm currently sitting in the Albany airport. Yeah!! It's snowing, so I'm hoping that my flight won't get delayed. It looks like everything is still on schedule, so here's hoping! I can't wait to be home. I'm so excited to see everyone. All my friends were talking about how excited they were to finish finals and go get wasted with their friends back home. I'm sure they thought I was a little dorky when I said I was excited to finish finals and go home and dance around the Christmas tree with the fam. I don't care. There's plenty of time to go party with friends, but I only get to see the fam for three weeks, so we're gonna party Brinkerhoff style! And I'm so excited! I expect much laughing, dancing, playing games, and - of course - dancing. Probably throw some singing in there too. I can't wait to see my sisters and my bro, the kiddies, even the dogs! And of course, my Mom! SG here I come! I hope you're ready; NY has made me a little crazy...

We think of the greatest stuff down here, but then I can never remember any of it later.

Finals week is upon us!! Not really. It actually starts next week, but it feels like it is upon us. My last class is tomorrow, but I imagine it's going to be pretty low key. Most of us have already checked out of the class-mode in favor of the study-my-brains-out mode. I've been waking up early to get a bit of extra study time in, but this morning I woke up a little earlier than I intended. I, and the rest of the neighborhood, were treated to the dulcet tones of two very angry people. Who knew someone could muster enough energy to be that bloody angry at 5:30 in the damn morning. I mean, honestly. I would have almost been impressed except they weren't even clever. So I was just annoyed. Ah well, I got even more time to study than I originally intended (b/c I couldn't fall back asleep) so I guess it's not a total loss.

Law school exams are definitely more intense than any other test I have ever taken in my entire life. The stress level on campus is.... up. On the advice of my mentor, I have stayed away from the library (that's where all the crazies are). It's probably a good thing too. I've had to woosah myself a few times. Yesterday, I even had to take a break from studying negligence and clean my bathroom b/c I was on the verge of freaking out. But my bathroom is nice and clean though, so you know, that's good.

I'm always amazed at the ability humans have to gossip. It's absolutely incredible how quickly information spreads. The latest information spreading about the school, besides who did well on their exams last year and why they did well, is who has dropped out. I knew there were people in my class who were having a second go at law school. Apparently one of those people has dropped out. Right before finals. And apparently she wasn't doing very well, so everyone is upset that she left b/c she would have helped the curve. You see what law school does to people? Plus, I'm not sure how everyone knows how she did on the research exam. If I did that bad, I wouldn't tell a damn soul. Who knows, it's probably all distorted, but she has been mysteriously absent since Thanksgiving. I hope she didn't get sick on bad turkey! If she did, she has an entire torts class to choose from to represent her. Assuming we all pass.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This week I got to fly down to Kentucky and spend some time with my Dad. It was wonderful! It was so good to see him! He did have to work, but we still got to spend a couple of hours together each day. And it was ok; while he worked I studied. I seriously underestimated how long it would take me to do these outlines....

Anyway, Thanksgiving with my Dad was so good. We ate our Thanksgiving feast at the Ponderosa. I had a strawberry Pepsi to drink. They didn't have cherry flavoring, but they did have strawberry. When the waitress read the order, she said "what?" and looked at me like I was crazy, but it was pretty good. So if you ever want to order a cherry coke/pepsi and they don't have cherry flavoring, ask them if they have strawberry flavoring (like for the lemonade). It'll be an adventure for your taste buds!

I'm getting really excited for Christmas. I decorated my house.... I don't have very many decorations to begin with, and apparently I didn't bring them all. So I have like four decorations up, but it's a tiny splash of Christmas, and that's enough. I'm still hoping for a Christmas miracle this year, that Dad will be able to come home, and we can all be together. I should have set up a skype account for him while I was there, so we could skype on Christmas Day (just in case my miracle doesn't come through.) Maybe I'll send him instructions....

Well at any rate, it was really good to see Dad for Thanksgiving. I needed a bit of a break from Albany, and what better place to steal away to then wherever family is? It was a really great Thanksgiving! I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving as well!

Some guy in a wolf costume with a light saber just said hi to you.

I can't decide if time is going too slow or too fast. Hm. I can't believe finals is only three weeks away, but it still feels like ages until I get to come home. I think time is going slowly when I think about home and much too quickly when I think about school. Father Time, I shake my fist in your general direction!

I've been working on my Objective Memo for my lawyering class. Bleh. That's due on Tuesday, and then (hopefully) I'll get to zip down to Kentucky and see my Dad for a bit. That would be wonderful! Then, one more week of classes until the dreaded finals week arrives!! I'm freaking out a little about that, but only a little.

Anyway, I have my schedule for next semester! Assuming I don't fail everything this semester, I will be taking: criminal law, constitutional law, property, and then I continue with contracts and intro to lawyering. I'm excited for criminal law and constitutional law! I think those will be fun courses. I'm less excited for property law, but who knows? Maybe it'll turn out to be my favorite subject. Unlikely.

I haven't had many adventures of late. I have been holed up in my apartment since last Friday. Seriously. I go to class, and then I come home and sit on my futon and study. It's so depressing. My living room is a disaster: textbooks, notes, supplemental materials strewn all over the place. I wonder if this is what a mad lawyer's office would look like? You know, like a mad scientist has a lab with chemicals perched precariously in every inch of the room. I wonder if a mad lawyer's office would be like this, legal texts, memos, and case briefs strewn higgledy-piggledy throughout the office. Well, if that's true, I may emerge from law school a totally crazy super genius with glasses and a tweed coat. Totally crazy? check. Super genius?... Well, I've got 2.5 more years for that. Glasses and a tweed coat?... oh what the hell. Why not?

I'm sorry Professor; I must not tell lies.

It's snowing!! My first snowstorm in Albany. :) I remember in Logan, it would snow like once in November, melt, and then not snow again until late December. I wonder what it will be like here. There is quite a bit of snow out there currently. It's a little ridiculous. I left my house for school this morning thinking it wasn't a big deal. By the time I actually got to school (it takes me like seven minutes to walk to school), it was snowing pretty damn hard. Big fluffy flakes. Bollocks. It's a good thing I always carry my umbrella with me! Anyway, here are some pictures of the winter wonderland in progress.

Sorry they aren't very good pictures, and I obviously have no idea how to organize them on my blog, but still it's snow! I'm actually not that excited about it. It's cold and wet. And I have to walk to school every day. My search for winter boots has moved to the top of my priority list... right after homework, my article, and grocery shopping. Hey, I gotta eat.

Anyway, in other news I chopped off my hair. It was more adventure than I originally bargained for, but it turned out ok I think, so all is well. It's always kind of fun to try a new hairstyle. We'll see how long it takes before I stop doing it.... It looked cute today, at least.

My first final is in less than a month!! I'm kind of excited, mostly because it means it's almost time for me to come home and see everyone! I'm also starting to get a little nervous. Even the professors are starting to address finals more often. It used to be that, generally, the professors wouldn't talk about the finals unless we asked. Now, they bring it up of their own accord. Suspicious.. At any rate, we all have a bit of time left to study our little hearts out. Perhaps that's what I should go do now. Bugger.

Remember, Remember, the 5th of November

I can't believe it's already November! Less than two months til I get to come home. Hurray! I can't wait to see everyone!!

Anyway, in school news, I did ok on my exam. Not as well as I had hoped, but still a decent score. Just means I need to study harder for my next exams. Anyway, I'm writing another article for The Issue, this time about the Arizona Immigration Law. There were a bunch of clubs that co-sponsored a symposium on the issue. That was last night, and it was interesting. I have so much research and information though, I don't know how I'm going to weed through it all. Hopefully I'll end up with a coherent, informative article!!

I signed up to be part of the pro bono project next semester. I was able to be placed in my first choice (International Human Rights), so I'm really excited about that. I have no idea what exactly I'll be doing, but I know I'll be working with a group called Freedom Now in DC that works to free political prisoners, and that it will be freaking awesome, and fun, and I'll hopefully be useful to society. :D Anyway, I'm going to be very busy next semester, but I'm excited!