Today I learned that "realization" is not "recognition," at which point, I lost my last grasp on understanding what is "taxable event." Nothing makes sense in federal income tax. The words in my casebook can be a random assortment of "recognizable" words that form meaning I cannot "realize." I am seriously scared. I don't think this tax stuff will come together...
In other news, "reverter" is not a "possibility of reversion." Ah, law school.
22 February 2015
17 February 2015
No one reads this anyway. So tell my shame here...
... it's official: I've lost my copy of the federal rules of civil procedure. Aside from the fact that I need it super soon for Professor Redish's class, this is really shameful. How can a law student now know where her FRCP is?? Also, I am sad that the copy I learned all the rules from last semester is forever gone... can't even recall where I last saw my lovely book... oh wait. I think I totally know where it is... ah silly me!
... it's official: I've lost my copy of the federal rules of civil procedure. Aside from the fact that I need it super soon for Professor Redish's class, this is really shameful. How can a law student now know where her FRCP is?? Also, I am sad that the copy I learned all the rules from last semester is forever gone... can't even recall where I last saw my lovely book... oh wait. I think I totally know where it is... ah silly me!
25 October 2014
Autumn in Chicago
I finally got a membership to the Art Institute:
This new home away from home. Seeing paintings and an old friend made things better.
Although Judge Cardozo is a good storyteller, I got a little sick of reading his prose. Good thing the law library stocks periodicals and comfy chairs so I read a creativity article in one of the summer The Atlantic magazines. Reading Andreason's article brought me back to the 10th grade when I read her Brave New Brain book and aspired to be a neuroscientist. Always astonished at how my life had turned out. Anyway, she was trying to figure out the characteristics of creativity by studying creative people such as writers and scientists. I was glad to see she deems scientists creative, but I was irked when she compared such creative people with non-creative types--such as lawyers. Well, to be fair, she did say we generally perceive, as a society, that lawyers are not creative, which is different from, I suppose, saying that lawyers are not creative. Still, I am finding that what making all this bearable is that I get a glimpse of creativity in law and look forward to a life of creativity. I guess we don't think of lawyers as creative people but we also don't like to think of lawyers as creative because we like the illusion of the law being, well, certain as opposed to, creative, which sounds a little sketchy or unethical. But outside of the lovely bluebook, there are no answers... this 1L is beginning to see. This is scary but not at all surprising. There are many stories and I am glad the law allows for all and leaves room for interpretation.
Autumn and its colors. Beautiful but sad.
Although Judge Cardozo is a good storyteller, I got a little sick of reading his prose. Good thing the law library stocks periodicals and comfy chairs so I read a creativity article in one of the summer The Atlantic magazines. Reading Andreason's article brought me back to the 10th grade when I read her Brave New Brain book and aspired to be a neuroscientist. Always astonished at how my life had turned out. Anyway, she was trying to figure out the characteristics of creativity by studying creative people such as writers and scientists. I was glad to see she deems scientists creative, but I was irked when she compared such creative people with non-creative types--such as lawyers. Well, to be fair, she did say we generally perceive, as a society, that lawyers are not creative, which is different from, I suppose, saying that lawyers are not creative. Still, I am finding that what making all this bearable is that I get a glimpse of creativity in law and look forward to a life of creativity. I guess we don't think of lawyers as creative people but we also don't like to think of lawyers as creative because we like the illusion of the law being, well, certain as opposed to, creative, which sounds a little sketchy or unethical. But outside of the lovely bluebook, there are no answers... this 1L is beginning to see. This is scary but not at all surprising. There are many stories and I am glad the law allows for all and leaves room for interpretation.
Autumn and its colors. Beautiful but sad.
27 September 2014
Law school.
Law school is a blast but I am entitled to whine...
"ugh. Why is this dissent longer than the majority opinion??" This demonstrates a micro-form of the need to let go of certain expectations in law school. Just as I thought I almost got through this last case for Monday's class reading, you hit a wall of freaking dissent nobody cares about but you still have to read on the off chance that you get cold called (1/60) and that the professor will ask you about the dissent (1/10) = 1/600. No wonder lawyers have a reputation for being bad at math and ridiculously risk averse. Anyway, in law school, hope & complacency lead to misery. You think you'll finish the reading super fast because it's only a few pages, and couple hours later, you are not drawing and you are not done. You think this case will be easy to read and it's excruciating. You think you'll finish your memo quickly and get caught up on studying and the memo takes the whole weekend. When I decided, "umm.. yea. there's no way I am going to be caught up on everything," I felt soo much better and started to enjoy law school like A LOT. Because other than reality not matching my totally unfounded expectations, the classes are really interesting, and there are some great people here to nerd with.
Law school = a lesson in engaging rather than controlling and umm... drawing anyway. by choice. when there's NO TIME (AHHHH). And it means more.
"ugh. Why is this dissent longer than the majority opinion??" This demonstrates a micro-form of the need to let go of certain expectations in law school. Just as I thought I almost got through this last case for Monday's class reading, you hit a wall of freaking dissent nobody cares about but you still have to read on the off chance that you get cold called (1/60) and that the professor will ask you about the dissent (1/10) = 1/600. No wonder lawyers have a reputation for being bad at math and ridiculously risk averse. Anyway, in law school, hope & complacency lead to misery. You think you'll finish the reading super fast because it's only a few pages, and couple hours later, you are not drawing and you are not done. You think this case will be easy to read and it's excruciating. You think you'll finish your memo quickly and get caught up on studying and the memo takes the whole weekend. When I decided, "umm.. yea. there's no way I am going to be caught up on everything," I felt soo much better and started to enjoy law school like A LOT. Because other than reality not matching my totally unfounded expectations, the classes are really interesting, and there are some great people here to nerd with.
Law school = a lesson in engaging rather than controlling and umm... drawing anyway. by choice. when there's NO TIME (AHHHH). And it means more.
22 September 2014
response to stress...
... of which there are many, I have chosen to just not worry.
For example, it has dawned on me, I will never actually not be behind in my work as a 1L... so umm... why worry?
This seems logical to me yet it has not occurred to me before and it will be the first time I am trying the whole "why worry" strategy.
And of course now I am worried about the effectiveness of the "why worry" strategy.
Oh a bundle of neuroses I will always be.
For example, it has dawned on me, I will never actually not be behind in my work as a 1L... so umm... why worry?
This seems logical to me yet it has not occurred to me before and it will be the first time I am trying the whole "why worry" strategy.
And of course now I am worried about the effectiveness of the "why worry" strategy.
Oh a bundle of neuroses I will always be.
21 September 2014
Did I actually...
... procrastinate from writing my memo by studying Rule 12(g) and 12(h) of the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure? Even though I still have no idea what's going on, all signs indicate I am steeped in 1L festivities. What is confounding all this is that procrastinating on a paper really brings me back to college. Every time I write a paper, I procrastinate like a champ. Somehow, magically, maybe by a paper writing fairy, it gets done. And always, ALWAYS, I am elated and vow to never EVER procrastinate again.
Yet, I do, always, find writing a paper both excruciating and exhilarating.
And yes, I am now procrastinating on finishing my memo by writing on my blog, another writing activity I have been procrastinating on for years. I also have a slight fever and drank way too much coffee so all this is probably incoherent.
Law school is as it should be: there is so much work that I can't stop and think. Because if I were to o that, I would think a lot about how little I have drawn in the past month, and how rusty I have gotten and unsure my marks are when I do get to draw. It's not all bad though. I find that the limited time makes me draw differently.
My Contracts professor wrote "MoMA" on the board and asked the class what it meant. My lovely classmate said "Museum of Modern Art" and it both made my dad and made me sad. The "correct" answer is "manifestation of mutual assent," and honestly, that's cool too. I like Contracts a lot and thinking about the dance of law and integrity. I like being a little confused and reveling at the ambiguity. I wish I can just think about the law and chew on it without the looming cold call or the elusive exam that everyone assures me will definitely happen. But if I did this for "fun" too, then I really would be the ultimate dilettante. Oh and what a bliss that would be!
Yet, I do, always, find writing a paper both excruciating and exhilarating.
And yes, I am now procrastinating on finishing my memo by writing on my blog, another writing activity I have been procrastinating on for years. I also have a slight fever and drank way too much coffee so all this is probably incoherent.
Law school is as it should be: there is so much work that I can't stop and think. Because if I were to o that, I would think a lot about how little I have drawn in the past month, and how rusty I have gotten and unsure my marks are when I do get to draw. It's not all bad though. I find that the limited time makes me draw differently.
My Contracts professor wrote "MoMA" on the board and asked the class what it meant. My lovely classmate said "Museum of Modern Art" and it both made my dad and made me sad. The "correct" answer is "manifestation of mutual assent," and honestly, that's cool too. I like Contracts a lot and thinking about the dance of law and integrity. I like being a little confused and reveling at the ambiguity. I wish I can just think about the law and chew on it without the looming cold call or the elusive exam that everyone assures me will definitely happen. But if I did this for "fun" too, then I really would be the ultimate dilettante. Oh and what a bliss that would be!
03 July 2014
A collage.
Here is a collage of sentences I like from the June 22, 2014 The New York Times Magazine:
"... clowns are often feared and hated... (Fooling Around by Hope Reeves)" "... they all retained the basic nipple-and-shield configuration... (who made that? (Pacifier) by Dashka Slater)" ""Time is actually the lead character in the film," Lacklater says (12 years a boy by Matt Lankes)." "Too young to understand the pitfalls of adulthood, I could only sense them (Sea Changes by Stan Parish)."
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