My two week summer vacation (from school, not work) ended today. Bitterness envelops me. However, it was neat seeing all the 1L's dressed to impress in their Sunday best while everyone else slouched around in their jeans and shorts. A few 1L's stopped me for directions and advice on how to use the printer, so I guess I now look like a veteran.

A Tax Exam

This morning I had a four hour taxation exam that I did not fail. Whether or not I did well is another question. I now get to enjoy a whole three weeks of summer before the semester begins.

A-

Grades were posted for the first class of the summer session. I got an A-. I'm pleased. Quoting Junie: "I'm glad you're happy . . . with your minus."

How not to take a 4 hour law school final

How not to take a 4 hour law school final:

1. Pick up your new glasses first, making reading twenty pages of questions just a hoot

2. Use a laptop with a power port issue, leaving you three hours of juice for a four hour exam.

3. Ditch said laptop and grab bluebooks like it's 1995. Make sure your writing is illegible.

4. After the exam, email your professor about Judge Posner's recent comments, unintentionally pi*sing on said professor's idol

Sigh. It's a wonder I manage to cross the street without assistance.

I feel soon bad for you. . . not

My professor was a . . . jerk for the first hour of class. He was short tempered, dismissive, condescending, and visibly agitated . He then stopped class for a moment and apologized to us all, saying he'd had insomnia and was going on only a few hours of sleep. Assuming that "few" meant more than two, that was at least one more hour than I'd gotten. #ButThatsNoneOfMyBusiness

Memorize This

Criminal defendants have a right to testify as a result of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, the compulsory process clause of the Sixth Amendment, and the Fifth Amendment’s privilege against self-incrimination.

Spring Grades

Grades were posted for the spring semester, and one (a C+) is both a shock and the lowest grade I've earned since I suffered through a mandatory statistics class back in the '90's. I was fairly confident after the be-all-end-all final. That confidence, it seems, was misplaced.

My hip is on fire and I'm fidgeting like mad in class

A Shining Moment

I've been quiet but attentive in class all week, because a) I'm exhausted & b) conservatives learn it's best to remain mute in collegiate settings. But yesterday with 20 minutes left in class the Professor asked us to analyze a case. Everyone looked blank, and I knew he was going to spend the rest of class breaking it down bit by bit. So I raised my hand and gave my analysis, and as I did so he got visibly excited. I don't remember the *order* of the words he used in reply, but they included "Brilliant. Wonderful analysis. Very well put. Well articulated. Excellent!" He was so exuberant that the whole class erupted into laughter. Certainly a great moment in my law school career, and best of all, I usurped his class plan and he dismissed us early. #DoubleWin

Summer School

My "summer vacation" ended today as classes resumed. This is the first time I've ever repeated a professor. I like him, but his Socratic method revealed a disturbing mindset among my classmates. All but one argued strongly for ruling against a litigant based on his political beliefs, a position one guy maintained even after admitting he'd excuse those verbatim beliefs if they were espoused by a minority. Not only is that un-American and legislating from the bench, it's hypocritical and morally wrong.

My last final exam of spring is complete. Six questions, three hour time limit. I didn't fail, and that's all you'll ever get out of me. There was a moment of panic when I tried to upload the exam answers and got repeated errors. I had to walk my laptop to IT to complete the process, but it got done. Now I have two weeks of break before summer classes begin.

How I will Spend My Summer

How I will be spending my summer (or lack thereof): Overview of statutes, regulations, and cases relating to federal income taxation with particular emphasis on fundamental principles and provisions relevant to the practice of various legal specialities involving acquisitions, ownership, sales, exchanges and donative transfers of property, debtor/creditor and bankruptcy problems, divorce and civil litigation.

II just got home from the Evidence final. Three hours of tedious, exhausting questions. Don't ask how I did because it's impossible to know. Law exams are shifty. I didn't *fail*, I know that much.

I'm busy studying for my Evidence final

Mixed Signals

Hmm. I'm beginning to think the Professor didn't like my work.

The Judge (and a great quote)

This is a solid movie with Robert Downey Jr and Robert Duvall. 

 "Everyone wants Atticus Finch [as their lawyer] until there's a dead hooker in the bathtub."

The Lasso of Truth

 My Evidence Professor just brought up Wonder Woman and her Lasso of Truth. Neat fact: the creator of WW was one of the early inventors of lie detector machines. On the downside, the prof called it a Marvel comic. SMH

I find it appalling that the President will not attend Justice Scalia's funeral - and won't rule out a game of golf at the time instead. 

Anton Scalia

 RIP Supreme Court Justice Anton Scalia. A great writer and staunch defender of our Constitution, he was also a faithful Catholic and family man. His presence will leave a huge moral and intellectual void on SCOTUS.

Not My Best

An awful night at Marquette. I got caught daydreaming and flubbed one answer, then f'ed up the retaliatory follow up I should have seen coming. I looked like a gen-u-wine dummy. Plus, having earned her wrath, I imagine I'll be put on the spot by the Prof next class. #ShouldBeFun