Today is my first “two casebook” class day. That means I have to bring with me, to each of my two classes (Contracts and Civil Procedure), the appropriate enormous and heavy casebook. Plus computer, notebooks, lunch, pens, etc., and the bookbag now weighs more than god. Could be worse–I have a friend who has three classes on Mondays…ouch! I have two each day, luckily, and when one of those is Legal Skills, the book(s) aren’t nearly as huge. 

Anyway, I misread the calendar on the iPhone this morning and so thought I had class at 9-something. I came early to find parking. Turns out my first class isn’t until 10:50 and the only spot I could find is the farthest away of any day I’ve driven. My car is practically in Hillcrest, on Juniper just off 2nd. The map to the left shows the route and the distance (at the bottom).

I must have ticked off some deity because I had to carry that massively hefty bag almost 6/10 of a mile to get to class, and going back is all uphill. Seriously uphill. Not quite San Francisco uphill, but close. Ugh. The last few steps to the third floor lounge area in the main classroom building here at CWSL were killer and I’m not in terrible shape (like some students).

Well, this is the last day I should have to deal with the parking and long walk, except for rare exceptions. Starting Tuesday, I’m taking the bus. It drops me off at Front and C Street (look under the San Diego on the map) and picks me up even closer, at Ash and 1st. Uphill a bit to school, and downhill back (flat from home to the stop). Ah.

But I still need a rolling bag, and a big one at that. I left my paperback Black’s Law Dictionary at home, just to avoid the extra (small) weight! I think I’ll use some of my extra time this morning to see if Amazon has any (I have a gift certificate to use there).  I don’t want to screw up all the good the acupuncture has done by over-stressing the muscles in my hips and lower back.

As for class, yesterday was Legal Skills and Property. The LS prof is a woman I spoke to at the picnic. She probably scared the hell out of some of the more “relaxed” students because she has very specific rules she expects us to follow (like no hats, no gum, no lateness, etc.). None of the rules was onerous, but many of the students were complaining. 

My Property prof is a man I spoke to at a breakfast social event during the scholarship schmoozing weekend. We had a pleasant conversation then and I rather like how he runs his class–no powerpoint, lots of questions, geeky sense of humor. I do want to take him to a tailor and stylist, though. He’s not much older than I but his belt is already riding way too high–in that George McFly kind of way. He could use lessons in dressing from Professor Barton.  

I’m nervous about Contracts today because my prof wrote the book. That will either make the class great or terrible. CivPro I’m also a bit wary about because we had an assignment that I’m none to confident about. We had to write an outline about how we would help a client who had been in an accident. As our reading only covered a tiny smidge about jurisdiction and the roles of client and counsel, I didn’t feel like I had much to offer. I don’t like starting off on a bad foot, so I’m uncomfortable. We’ll see…

Today was my last day of Intro to Legal Studies. We had to write a brief “essay” (much like an exam answer) in the legal writing class, and we had a one essay question “exam” (on adverse possession, which, for you non-legal folk, has nothing to do with head spinning and pea soup) in the legal analysis part. I’m confident I did well enough on both of them, but I actually felt better on the exam than the other. Go fig.

Now the real, substantive courses begin. Tomorrow I have Legal Skills 1 and Property 1. I’ve done my reading for both, and briefed the John Marshall-written Johnson v M’Intosh (yes, M’, not Mc). I even did some online research to make sure I understood that case (it’s from 1823 so the language is particularly obscure in places). I have my notebooks, folders, pens and highlighters, but still my old iBook (just killing me to wait to get a new one) and my old backpack (I need to get a rolling one–these books are HUGE). So, I’m ready… enough. 

Prepping for this moment, even with all the practice I had in the Summer Enrichment class and the Intro to Legal Studies, brought a new set of feelings. First, I have to say that it feels like a crime to write in the casebooks. They cost $140+ each, and the first time I laid highlighter to the page, I felt terrible. I’m sure I’ll get past it, but it bugs me. 

On a bigger level, taking the plastic wrap off the Property casebook (the first unwrapped) brought home the fact that I’m accepting the commitment to this. By slicing into that plastic, I was taking the final step of leaving the life I’ve known, and immersing myself into this new world. 

It’s a different world. It’s got new rules and customs, new geography and, clearly, a different language. It’s terrifying and exhilarating and I’m sure it will be thoroughly confusing at times.

I so hope I’m up to the task of learning its ways.

I mentioned before about the great bus pass deal. Unfortunately, the pass isn’t good until September so I have a week of trying alternatives. It’s $5 round-trip by bus without the pass so that would be almost half the cost of a pass in one week’s riding. Today I decided to drive. I had to get to campus very early to find street parking, and it’s still a bit of a walk. Not too far, but it will be uphill this afternoon in the heat. Ick. I even brought my computer with me, to get a feel for the heft of hauling it with me, and to do some work during my break between classes–that means carrying it as well, uphill.

I may have to get a bag with wheels, I think. I’m not even carrying any of the heavy books and my bag is full and weighs a big plenty. While the walk from the bus isn’t far, it will be much easier with a wheeled bag. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen one I like aesthetically and when I do (if I do), I bet it’ll be more expensive than the cheesy Staples ones.

More money to spend. Eeek.

Anyway, so here sit in The Castetter Courtyard (named for a former dean of the school–his plaque includes the somewhat curious in this context quote “Every day is a good day, but some days are better than others”), not studying, which is what I should be doing, I’m sure. I’m prepared for today and have done a bit of reading ahead already. I’d like to get more out of the way, though. I figure the more I can get done in advance, the better, since I know I’ll hit a wall sooner or later. This way I’ll have a bit more time flexibility over the trimester. Or at least that’s my theory. 

I guess that means I’d better get to reading.

My afternoon session is taught by Professor Barton. He was the professor I saw “in action” during my Trustees’ Scholar visit, teaching Civil Procedure and talking about issue preclusion. I liked him then, and I still do.

He’s an interesting figure. He looks nothing like his picture on the school’s website, but there he has a beard (none now) and is wearing a dark suit. I’ve seen him several times on campus and I’ve never seen him in a dark suit. Yesterday, he was wearing a fabulously natty green seersucker, for example, that he had clearly had tailored as it fit his small frame exactly as it should. So many attorneys are rather poor dressers but he seems to be an exception. 

As I mentioned, he is a physically small man–a bit shorter than I–fine-boned and slim. But using the word “dainty” would be entirely inappropriate as he’s not effeminate at all. In demeanor, he reminds me pleasantly of a very intellectual Mr. Rogers–kind, helpful, and wicked smart. There is something almost “southern gentleman” about him (maybe from his Tulane days?), but without the subtle sexism that usually comes with that attitude. He’s gentle, but determined–he clearly wants us to do well, doesn’t want to make things harder than they have to be, but at the same time obviously expects us to work hard and won’t be a pushover. 

I share all of this because I want you to have a clear image of the sort of compassionate-yet-frank man I think he is. That way you will understand the following story all the better.

At the start of his class yesterday, we all had to introduce ourselves. We were to say our names, where and what we had previously studied, and where we were from, and we were given the option to share one of our first trimester goals with the others students (writing the goals had been an assignment). After each person spoke, Prof. Barton usually said “Thank you” and occasionally made a comment. For example, after I spoke he said “I’d welcome you in French, but I don’t speak the language…it’s something like ben-venu?”

You get the picture.

When he got to the back of the room, a young lady introduced herself and offered to share one of her goals. With nervous laughter she said “I want to make two As in my first trimester.” Professor Barton responded, “Interesting and admirable goal… statistically improbable, though.” He went on to say that it wasn’t anything against her–it was just that the chances for any student to get more than one A in her/his first trimester was statistically unlikely. 

Coming from him, that depressed the hell out of me.

Today was my first day of law school…officially…sort of. From today through next Wednesday I have Intro to Legal Skills from 9-11 and 1-3 each day. 

I decided to try the bus, which is my intended mode of transportation to campus. It worked very well. It takes about 900 steps to get to the stop from here (yes, I counted) and the bus stops downtown about the same distance from school (uphill, though, when arriving). The total time on the bus was 20 minutes headed to school and about 25 returning (more stops). Yes, one bus, luckily. And there is one that heads for home 11 minutes after class lets out, so I don’t have to wait around for it.

I can read on the bus, but I wonder how anyone larger than I am fits in the seats! I can just get my legs in, pressed up against the seat in front of mine. Still, it’s cost effective. I bought a student monthly pass for September for $51.20 (too late to get an August pass). As it costs about $45 to fill my tank these days, plus the hassle of finding parking and/or paying to park, that’s a deal. 

The class itself (it’s one class but split in two sessions) is, so far, pretty redundant from the Summer Enrichment class I took. I take that as a good thing, though–I’m better prepared than those students who didn’t take the summer class. I already know how to brief and what the tests will be like. I also already have a basic understanding of defamation and some other issues like the death penalty and birth-related issues (abortion rights, etc.). 

In the afternoon part of the class, we’re going to be discussing adverse possession. By focusing on that one topic, we students will get to understand how a class works, why we read the cases as we do, what the discussion is like, how to brief and outline, and what an exam is like–all things I’ve already done. In the morning part, we’re going to write and critique each other’s writing. I had to take a grammar diagnostic test (online) and today we produced writing samples for the teacher to evaluate. Unfortunately, because she went over in her lecture, we had about half the time we should have had to write the sample. 

I think the writing part will be rather boring for me, but I’m glad they are doing it anyway. I’ve already read some classmates’ emails and there are often significant grammar and spelling faults. I think that most students don’t get much grammar in school anymore, so this brief workshop-like class will help. 

So, it’s Friday and I’m looking forward to the weekend. Tomorrow there is a Welcome New Students picnic thrown by the school (free food!) at Mission Bay, then Christopher and I are going to go to San Diego Bay and look at the tall ships in port for a weekend festival. Sunday I will be doing my homework and trying to prep for the week ahead. 

I’ve already done part of my reading, though…on the bus.

Today I went through orientation at school. I was concerned it would be more touring of buildings and the like, but in fact it was a day spent in the oddly ornate

Moot Court Room at CWSL (click for larger version)

Moot Court Room of the main classroom building, listening to various speakers talk about what to expect as 1Ls and how studying at CWSL is different than many law schools. I think the fact they started off by handing us spiffy CWSL book bags with a planner and pen inside was a nice touch, and there were breakfast yummies to get the blood sugar up before the events began.

We heard from the Dean, the Asst. Dean of Admissions, and then my favorite professor (at least personally, as I’ve not had class with him yet) William Lynch, who is just a couple of years younger than Dad, I think, and a Southie from Boston. He told us stories about his law school experience at Boston College Law in 1953, and how miserable it was (he got called on the first day and when he mentioned the professor who did this, he paused and added “May he rot in hell”–good for a big laugh from us students). He then let us know that while the Socratic method is used at CWSL, it is done so with kindness and “love”–that is, that students will not be humiliated à la Paper Chase. We’re expected to do the work, of course, and always be prepared to respond in class, but the attitude at CWSL is very different from other schools. 

We then heard from the Student Bar Association president and another professor who spoke about the Creative Problem Solving sub-specialty offered, then the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs who explained the curve system (ick) an how it is interpreted at CWSL and how they handled students in academic difficulty (lots of extra help first, eventual dismissal).

The Assistant Dean of Student and Diversity Services spoke briefly, followed by the Assistant Dean of Career Services (he was hilarious) who emphasized that they will be working one-on-one with each student starting after November 1st. Making sure we each find our own niche in the law is very important to them, he emphasized.

Finally, we heard a keynote lecture from the Honorable Judith Haller, CA Court of Appeals Justice and alumna of the class of 1975. She gave a lovely talk about ethics and civility in the law and then she administered our Student Oath, which also emphasized similar points (“I pledge to maintain high ethical standards of conduct and to promote the values of tolerance, respect and civility…”).

Then they fed us lunch and we played Human Bingo to get to know our section-mates and also got the chance to ask some 3Ls for the inside scoop. 

A packed 5 hours of orienting. 

Tomorrow I have my first day of Intro to Legal Studies. My homework is done. I guess I’m as ready as I’ll get.

Monday evening I had my first final exam even in law school. Even though this course wasn’t part of the “substantive” curriculum, the materials covered were (mostly) cases we will be discussing in later classes, so this wasn’t some fluff class. In fact, one of the guest lecturers mentioned how she didn’t even understand parts of what we were studying and how other cases were ones she taught in second or third year courses. 

The exam itself consisted of 9 multiple choice questions (short essays to read for each) and then two differently weighted essays. Because I have but a lowly pre-Intel iBook, I could not take the exams on the laptop (software is Windows only). I’ve been trying to wait it out for the new MacBooks to hit the stores (rumor has that in late september but I’m not sure I can wait that long), so I was forced to write the test by hand…all three hours of it. I ran out of ink in not one, but two pens, even, and my hand looked like a claw when I was done. When was the last time you wrote for hours, by hand? I bet it’s been a while. It was literally painful and not just for the older folks–the girl next to me was maybe 22 and she was just as sore by the end of the test.

I have no idea how I did. I’m confident I got 7 of the 9 MC questions right and I think I got the last two as well, but I’m not as sure. The essays, well, I used up almost all the time (I finished with 3-4 minutes to spare) so I wrote as much as I could, and there was very little fluff in what I wrote–I’m sure I didn’t fail, but how well I did I have no idea. Let’s say I’m hopeful I learned the lessons of the midterm, but not confident. 

Tuesday morning I had my second visit with an acupuncturist. I figured it would be better to get pins in me after the test, rather than before. My first appointment had been the previous Friday and was quite interesting, but I figured the second visit would tell the tale more clearly.

In the first appointment, Eric and I talked for quite some time after he reviewed my history. He asked loads of questions that seemed occasionally disconnected from my concerns (and oddly fixated on my menses, I thought), which were mostly about the whole butt issue and the general left sided tightness and pain I get. As I have been saying for over a year, it just makes sense to me that there is some sort of physical cycle going on here: get exercise, get tightness, get butt problems, stop exercising, pain goes away…but I do not want to stop exercising! Anyway, so he asked a billion questions, then took me into the exam/treatment room and looked at my tongue for a while, then felt my pulse on both wrists, but for far longer than the regular docs ever do. He pronounced my qi thoroughly a mess (spleen qi vacuity with some other issues) and said he’d have some dietary info later. After that he poked me in the buttcheek a bit (with his hand) and got to work. Needles were stuck in my butt, lower back, back of my left thigh, in both calves, and one in the top of my head (to draw the qi up, in case you were wondering). Electricity was run into some on the butt/leg, which made my foot jump involuntarily (very odd!) at first. A heatlamp was positioned on the needles in the small of my back, and I was left to “cook” in a darkened room with soothing music for a while. 

During the “cooking” time, I could feel odd sensations. There was definitely something going on, but what, I wasn’t too sure about. I felt almost discomfort in some places, and then release, and then…well…just different. Eric came back in, unpinned me, stuck his elbow in that butt muscle (piriformis–and he is also a licensed masseur) which hurt like hell, but in a good way, and then I got up and we had another chat. He “prescribed” a Chinese herbal remedy, changes to my diet (temporary–while we get the qi back in good working order), suggested some additional stretches to do (and some to avoid that I had been doing) and off I went.

The next day I was sore. I did a bunch of research online, though, and could find no negatives to taking the herbs. I also found descriptions of what “spleen qi vacuity” is and its symptomology, and damn it described me (including lots of stuff we didn’t even talk about!). So, I have slowly been adding the herbal remedy to my routine, since I am generally squirrel-y about taking anything. And, no coffee for days now, not even decaf, but lots of black and green tea. No salads–all veggies should be lightly cooked. No cold anything, actually, including water (room temp). And I ate a little beef (I’m supposed to eat a little animal protein at every meal and beef was recommended) in my stirfry last night, for the first time in forever (expensive, organic beef). Over the weekend, things got less sore, and by the time of my exam, sitting in those lecture hall chairs wasn’t painful (it usually was). My guts have been happier too. 

Yesterday I went in again. This time we took just a minute to review how I had been doing, then got right into the needles. I mentioned how I was surprised that he put them where the pain/discomfort was. We have this popular culture image of acupuncture working more like “my butt hurts” and the needles then being stuck in your hand or ears or something. He laughed, said both happen and, in fact, stuck one in my hand just to prove it (point for sciatic pain). Same deal as before with electricity (no foot jumping this time but a feeling of someone tapping me on the butt) and heat and “cooking” and afterwards he put his elbow in my buttcheek again. This time I could feel a couple of releases and knew it wasn’t as tight as it has been. I went home. During the drive, by left buttcheek started to hurt. It kept it up on and off all evening. I knew that could happen, though, and didn’t worry about it.

Then this morning I got up and did my stretches. For the first time in I can’t tell you how long, my right side was tighter than my left. That is, whatever has been going on felt gone. It’s a friggin’ miracle! There is just the slightest discomfort in one tiny spot on the left side, and only when I sit for a long time. Holy crap! This stuff might actually work! I can tell you I downed my herbal capsules with pleasure this morning and my tea tastes just dandy. I might even make it through the long wait to get my exam grade.