Well, since it's my last semester, I went easy on substantive classes. I just had a writing seminar, a drafting class, and remedies - a course on the different remedies that a plaintiff can get in a lawsuit.
Therefore, I only have one exam to outline for, and only one set of quotes. However, they are a good set, as you will see. Prof. Ottley always makes us laugh, that's for sure:
"How much money would you get if I beat you over the head with your remedis book for five minutes? I'd enjoy doing that, but I'm sure you want some compensation for it."
"The son sued his father for making him an adulterin' bastard."
"Look, they're expensive little things, but they'll grow on you."
"Our church has got cracks in its foundation! A lot of churches do, that's not the point."
"Even one gigabyte is more than I'll ever think."
"That's what I said, homie!" - Tracey
"...What?" - Ottley
"These theaters were sort of seedy. If they weren't showing porn films, they were showing kung fu movies."
"The old adage of common law was, if you run over someone, back up."
"Now, why is an orgy worth $40 million and a couple of prayers worth a couple hundred dollars?"
"I don't think that anyone discovered any moving eyeballs in this case."
"Does this kid have any damages? He's probably high as a kite at home watching Oprah!"
"Having been on this law school's admissions council for twenty years, I can tell you that if we excluded people with convictions for possession of marijuana, we'd have nobody."
"He got three meals a day, it wasn't hard labor; combine that with hating your wife and jail is a pretty good deal."
"The word must have gotten out to all the animals, and I'm sure they must have cell phones."
"That's an opening big enough to drive a truck full of carrots through."
"If you get rid of Borders and Victoria's Secret, what's left?"
"You can't get blood out of an indigent...I mean money. You can still get blood."
"She wasn't just unhinged, she was off the door."
On white supremacist rallies: "Go get your robes washed: same time, same place tomorrow night!"
On white supremacist groups: "I'm sure they're not listed in the phone book."
"You guys are quieter than an automobile showroom."
"The jury heard that R. Kelly was in the house."
"You don't get thirteen years for stealing $2.4 million! Think about that...'
"Good luck on the exam. For those of you who are graduating, even gooder luck."
Today was my last day at Peck Bloom - the part-time law clerk job I have held since January 2008.
I was pretty sad, because I've done some really fun work and met some awesome people. I even almost got a tear in my eye when one attorney told me to have fun this summer because it will be my "last good summer ever." Hah!
However, it was a beautiful day, and it is hard to be depressed when it is 80 degrees and sunny. It is also hard to be depressed when everyone wishes you well and says such nice things to you!
On my last day, I said goodbye to everyone and took some pictures. I thought maybe people would want to see that famous view I've been talking about...
Oh, no, sorry, not that view. I meant the one of the Sears Tower.
I spent many hours in front of this computer doing research, drafting pleadings, and writing appeal briefs. While I was at this computer, I helped win a motion for summary judgment and two appeals to the Illinois Appellate Court. Hours upon hours spent here, 31 stories up, gazing out at the skyscrapers.
There is really nothing more peaceful than watching a thick snowfall from this height. This is true even if you are frantically drafting written discovery!
The job took me outside the office, too. I went on assignment to the Markham court house, a West Side mental hospital, and even a Sox game. (OK, the Sox game was not for work.)
I will miss the people, I will miss the work, and I will miss Peck Bloom in general. I hope I enjoy my next job as much as I've enjoyed this one.
Today was my last law school class ever. I will have a review session, and I will have bar classes this summer, but my last substantive law school class ended this morning at 10:15 a.m.
It was fitting that I ended my law school career with remedies, a class taught by Professor Ottley, when I began my law school career with civil procedure, which is also taught by Professor Ottley. A few of us that really enjoyed his class in our first year are in the class, and it will be our last final in law school.
It was weird to walk out of the class and know that I had, apparently, learned all that you "need" to learn to become a lawyer.
Today was also my last trip to the Daley Center on behalf of Peck Bloom. Tomorrow I'm finishing my last day, which should pretty much involve cleaning up my desk and tying up loose ends. Then it's just writing my senior seminar paper and studying for remedies.
Then studying for the bar.
It seems so long ago that I began. Oh, how the innocent do fall.
It's all wrapping up. My last class - ever - is Thursday morning, and my last law review meeting is Thursday evening. My last day at my firm is Friday.
Then all I have to do is turn in my final papers in two classes and take one more in-class final. It's fitting that my last class and final are with Professor Ottley, who was one of my favorite professors first year. His was my first-ever law school final in December 2006, and his will be my last in May 2009.
I probably don't have to say this, but it all feels very rushed and more than a little anticlimactic. All the stress of law school and the impending bar has actually led up to a relatively relaxed few weeks for me. I guess it's probably the eye of the hurricane.
At times I feel totally unprepared to be an attorney. I feel terrified that I will screw up someone's case and get disbarred within a few months of graduation. I am terrified of ending up in a job and lifestyle I will hate.
At other times, I can really feel the weight and experience of the last few years weighing on me, and I feel like after this, I can handle anything. I know that law school has made me a sharper person, while I also know that it has made me somewhat callous. I guess all that might have happened over time anyway, but law school accelerated it.
I'm not afraid of the bar. I know that I will study hard this summer, and that I will somehow enjoy doing practice multiple choice problems in Millennium Park in beautiful June weather. I will pass, and I will become an official, licensed attorney in November.
I'm much more worried about finding a job. It has been a deep disappointment not to have one lined up at graduation, but I'm sure eventually I will find one of those, too.
Looking through the posts of this blog, I'm so glad I've written it these last three years. I've recorded feelings of wonderment and frustration; of joy and despair. I don't know if I would have remembered it all without these notes.
At this point in my life, I probably view my law school experience as a mistake. I've met some wonderful people, but it has been years of unbelievable stress and, without a job to pay loans and make up for some of the heartbreak, it's hard to view this experience as worthwhile. Maybe I'll feel differently in a year or ten, but I truly wish I could go back in time and have a heart-to-heart talk with myself.
I went into law school without really knowing anything about it; I just felt like there was no other way to get better jobs and better money without going back to school. I didn't know about the mechanics of law school, and I certainly didn't realize that many lawyers lead really miserable lives.
But I am beginning to realize that I don't have to lead a miserable life, and as I think about that, I do regret law school less. As Dave and I both work jobs and stop going to school, we will be able to do all the things we've put off for the last three years: spend more time together, go on vacations, get a dog, and finally buy a home that's big enough for two people.
So as I end this week, I'm thinking about the life I will begin to lead after July 29. I hope for a life with a moderate amount of income, personal free time on weeknights and weekends, and learning how to relax again.
Last night was time for the annual celebration that is Mike's birthday. I got to give my prom date some sage advice, which he gave me on my birthday only weeks ago: "27 - only 13 years until you're 40!"
We came down to Lincoln Park and ate at Wilde Restaurant & Bar, which has a lot of Irish pub food. I got a rather strange pulled pork sandwich, which had shaved lunch meat, cole slaw, and frizzled onions. Dave got a burger, which he liked.
Some of Mike's friends brought a really awesome chocolate cake from the Swiss Bakery, and as you can see, it was very beautiful.
After eating at the bar, we dislodged the car from its parking spot (which was hard earned by Dave) and drove over to Mike's house for some food and booze.
Things were all right for a while - my cookies were a hit! - but predictably Mike started getting a little bit belligerent and organized a group photo that turned out pretty fun:
As you can see, quite a few people came out to celebrate Mike's birthday!
I got to see some people I haven't seen for a while, especially some high school and college folks. We had seen Mike last month when he did our taxes in exchange for Indian food, but it is always nice to see him again.
With me holding a bottle of sparkling wine, this picture makes it look like I was big-time drinking. In truth, the swig of this sparkling wine was the only drink I had all night. I am getting over the flu, so I opted not to get toasted.
It was also fun to talk to people about our planned trip this fall, which I don't think I've mentioned on this blog yet. Dave and I are returning to Europe this fall for a two-week trip to London and Paris! And better yet, we're bringing Rob and Diane with us!
Diane just bought our plane tickets yesterday, and we're going to book the Chunnel train tickets and hotels this week. I really want to get the plans wrapped up before I graduate, because I don't want to worry about anything this summer besides passing the bar.
Cheers to Mike, and cheers to our fall trip! And cheers to my impending graduation!
First, I ran into two evil groups of people on the midday local train this morning: teabaggers and Cubs fans.
I should have known better. Not only was there a Cubs game this afternoon, but the "tea party" protest occurred downtown at the federal complex. Yech. Who knew there was a group out there that are even more annoying than Cubs fans.
Then, this evening, I took advantage of a tax day savings break: McDonald's was giving away two Big Macs for the price of one (and one penny). I had to fight for it, but I was armed with my RedEye (and argumentative legal skills) and they gave me my free Big Mac.
Believe it or not, it was my first Big Mac ever. EVER. And it was delicious. DELICIOUS!! I don't eat much McDonald's, or fast food in general, but whenever I go to McDonald's, I always get the McNuggets. Now I have another meal in my repertoire.
As usual, we went down to my parents' house for Easter, and as usual, we ate a lot of food. This year's menu included ham, party potatoes, green bean casserole, veggies, taco dip, guacamole, deviled eggs, carrot cake, jello, and triple berry pie!
I decided to color Easter eggs this year. It's been a while, and I always love doing it. I used one of my mom's Paas kits:
I had a great time coloring them while we watched "The Ten Commandments." Dave had never seen it, so I told him it was mandatory. He liked it, but it was five hours of Biblical Charleton Heston drama. It is what it is.
I like to color some eggs normal, of course, but my favorite is to do half and half. Of course, this can be disastrous if you drop it in the thing, but usually it turns out just fine.
I left the eggs in the vinegar solution for an extra long time, so I think they turned out really awesome.
Seriously, have you ever seen such a perfect batch of Easter eggs?
And Grandma brought over some awesome bunny cakes, which Michelle and I shared. How funny are these things?
So it was a good Easter with good old fashioned fun. Jesus, eggs, and bunnies. What more could you want?
