Daily Grind

Sol Blatt, Jr. Library - Charleston School of Law
aka: Lawbrary

Despite all the socializing I do, I am actually in law school.  I just work hard and play hard.  After being in the library all day, you can't blame me for wanting a drink or two.  I usually blog from the library {as I am right now}.  It is my little break for the day.

With exams coming up, I wanted to give y'all a pick into my daily life as a law student.  I am currently taking Criminal Procedure {Crim Pro}, Business Associations {BA}, Constitutional Law {Con Law}, Higher Education Law, and Partnership Tax.  First three classes will be the only classes I will actually be sitting for an exam.  High Ed is a paper class and Tax is a take home exam that is due April 1st.  BA is dreadful!  I don't think I have a taken a class that I disliked as much as BA.  I enjoy the rest of my classes and those exams won't be that bad.  Preparing for exams is comparable to a month and half long marathon.  The hours spent in the library are countless outlining and doing CALI lessons.  Outlining is basically a process of taking all the notes from the semester and putting them into a five-ten page outline. CALI lessons are online tutorials. 

From August to May, I will have read almost all 1,574 pages of this book...

As far as my paper goes, I am writing it on Title IX.  My first draft is due April 1st, as well.  I have not written one word.  Might want to get started on that.

When writing a legal paper, brief, or memo, special citations and grammar punctuation have to be used.  Citations must comply with the Bluebook and grammar follows the Texas Manual Style.  Editing citations is commonly referred to as Bluebooking and regular editing is TMSing. 

The people at Columbia, Harvard, Penn, and Yale put out this gem to torture the rest of us law students.

Most of day is spent reading case law and researching for either my paper or my professor who I work for as a research assistant.  It is easy for me to have 50+ pages to read a day.  Each case I read for class has to be "briefed" or condensed into manageable form so when called on in class I have somewhat of an answer to give.  My case brief usually are outlined like this...

Facts: what happened that lead to suit or criminal trial

Case Holding: what the court really said

Decision: all the other stuff that makes the holding make sense

Sometimes I "book brief" which means I just write notes in the margin of my book.  This is when I am really lazy or just don't have the time for details.

There are two different legal research sites...Lexis and Westlaw.

LexisNexis

Westlaw

The only upside to doing research is reward points.  The more research you do the more points you get.  What do these points get you?  Oh you know...anything from an iTunes gift card to an iPad to a Kate Spade purse to a new blender.  I am currently working on my Westlaw points to get a Wii Fit.  Only have like 3,000 more points to go!

We have our own language and speak in legalese when you get more than two of together.  We have our own jokes that the rest of society probably would not think is funny.  We hate gunners...those people who come up with ridiculous hypotheticals and want to comment on everything the professor says.

I would not pick anywhere else to go to school.  I have not doubted my decision to come to Charleston, once.  The academic environment here is unlike any other law school.  The faculty and administration have a complete open door policy.  A few of our professor and deans will hang out with us outside of class {see here}.  They take time out of their days just to see how you are doing and they truly care about us.  The students foster a true sense of community and kindest towards one another.  For most this should be commonplace, but believe me, you don't get that at every law school.  And, who would not want to live in Charleston for three years.

When I get discouraged or frustrated with school, I think to myself it could be a lot worse.  I am so happy that I am where I am and grateful for it everyday.

I want to leave you with this unique spin on a popular song and a taste of law school from a different perspective...

Soulfully,

Ashton