Special Ed Law School....?

My 8-year-old son just asked me how many Special-Ed students are in my law school. I told him none. He asked, "Why not?" I said, "Because no one who is Special-Ed could ever get into law school." He looked shocked and said, "Well, that's just not fair. What if they want to be lawyers?" I said back to him, "Well, they just couldn't be a lawyer. It wouldn't be an option for them." He looked disappointed and just shrugged "Oh, ok." I didn't feel right telling him this. I felt like it went against every thing I've taught him about beating the odds and becoming whatever you want to be. How should I have responded? I didn't know what else to tell him.

Law IS a Risky Career

It is pretty scary when your own Dean is telling you that Law School probably isn't worth the trouble. Eeks. 


Dean Jim Chen writes, "You've graduated from law school. You've landed a job as an attorney. Now you want to buy a house and cement your status in the professional class. 

But can you afford it? Probably not — unless you can count on earning three times your annual tuition, assuming you're borrowing the money..."

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Recognize Your Blesssings

Have you ever noticed that, often times, the things we spend the most time complaining about are the very things we asked (sometimes begged) God for? This reality hit me hard today. As you know, today was the last day of my first semester of law school, and as you are probably also aware of, I spent most of the last four months complaining about hard it was to go to law school with all these kids, and how busy I was, and how I might quit, etc., etc., etc.. But God confronted me today. He said, “Morgan, remember this past summer? Remember your prayers back then? You would pray things like, ‘Oh Lord, please help me pass this LSAT, Oh Lord, please let me get an acceptance letter in the mail.’ Well, I did those things, you got what you wanted, and then you complained.” OUCH, right?  Then I started looking at other things in my life and recognized this pattern: God will answer my prayer, I will receive what I asked for, and then I will gripe about it. For example, my kids, my car, my husband, Law School.  Satan is tricky, and I let him rob a lot of my joy the past four months when I should have been praising the Lord for an answered prayer. Satan, I am on to you, and don’t plan on letting you do this to me again! 

FINISHED!!!!!

I didn't cross the finish line tonight, but rather, I just collapsed over the finish line. My first semester of law school is...COMPLETE!!!!!!!!!!! Praise the Lord!

3 down, 1 to go.

Just stepped out of my Property exam. Feeling pretty good about it. So far, Contracts takes the cake for the hardest final exam! Now time to get started on this Civil Procedure take home exam. 3 more days until FREEEDDDOOOMMM! (Not counting the community service I have to do over Christmas break). 

1 Down, 3 to Go!

Just finished my 1st Final Exam!!!!! What a relief. It wasn't near as bad as people made it out to be!!


Now time to empty my mind of this:





And fill my mind with this: 





Contracts is next on my hit list!

Last Day of Class!

Last Day of Class TODAY!!! Finals start Monday! I'm ready! Let's do this!

Barbie Fetish, Maybe?

Does anyone else find the first paragraph of this court opinion a little creepy? Like, maybe this judge thinks a little too highly of Barbie....? 

Story of My Life

Baby Lawyer

Proud to see that my 18-month-old son is already "Thinking Like a Lawyer"! Check out his shirt! 

Shock: Obama decides liberty is worth defending

Hmmm, trying to form my thoughts on this. What do you guys think?

You are Where You Live

Last night, during the "Boehl Lecture in Land Use" we learned about an innovative, interesting, and slightly disturbing new marketing system that defines every neighborhood in the U.S. in terms of distinct lifestyle types using ground-breaking segmentation techniques. 


People living in the same neighborhoods tend to have similar lifestyles, proving the old adage that "birds of a feather flock together" still holds true. To a large extent, you are where you live! Claritas is a marketing system that helps businesses decide what geographic regions to target. You may think you are choosing where you shop, but in reality, it is being chosen for you. 



I'm proud (or should I be embarrassed?) to admit that I live in a "Shotguns and Pickup" zip-code. 


To see what category your neighborhood falls into check out Claritas Prizm Marketing System. I think you find it very interesting!   CLICK HERE!

Happy Halloween!

 Did you know that the ashes of Louis D. Brandeis (and his wife) are buried underneath the law school portico at The Louis D. Brandeis School of Law? It's true!

PERSPECTIVE

Family Scholar House

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the Family Scholar House Annual Luncheon where Lucille O'Neal, Shaq O'Neal's mother, spoke about her story  of triumph over the challenges of life as a single-mother through faith, hard work, perseverance and humor. I could relate to everything she said and was very inspired!


I wish I would have known of Family Scholar House when I was a teenage mother! 


Family Scholar House is a fantastic organization that is dedicated to helping people who are honestly willing to work hard to change their lives. I appreciate this. 


For any students looking for a place to do their public service, check out this organization! 

Law School Rocks! I Just Won an Ipod!

This came in my Law School Email today! Can someone say AWESOME!! Yay for me! 

Congratulations to Morgan Hancock and Tommy Clines!  They were entered into a raffle for buying their Decedents' Ball tickets last week and their names were drawn.  Each of them will receive an iPod curtesy of Barbri. 

 

I CAN DO THIS!!!

No More Procrastinating!

Believe it or not, for this brief moment in time, I actually feel on top of things. Amazing what happens when you stop procrastinating. I'm going to cherish this rare feeling. :-)

30 Days Left

30 days left until finals! If you are looking for me, I will have my nose in a book! Don't expect much blogging from me for the next 4 weeks! Wish me luck. See you on the other side. :-)

Owsley Brown

The Louis D. Brandeis School of Law community like so many others, expresses our gratitude for Owsley Brown’s interest in Justice Brandeis, and we share our sadness that Owsley Brown is no longer with us.

Recovering College Republican

“Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day,” “Affirmative Action Bake Sale,” “Fun-with-Guns Day.” These are only three examples of the many controversial events I hosted during my years as a College Republican. At the time, I was proud of these events. Looking back, however, I realize they were merely embarrassments, inching me closer to rock bottom and my current journey as a Recovering College Republican. ♥ ♥ ♥ Please click the link below to read the rest of the story. This was a hard piece to write but I believe it offers a good lesson for all of us, whatever our political beliefs. ♥ ♥ ♥ Leave comments! :-) Thank you!
FOR FULL STORY HERE, CLICK HERE!

Congressman John Yarmuth Visits

Congressman John Yarmuth came to campus this evening and talked to a small group of law students about everything from health care to the postal service.  (Thanks to American Constitutional Society for hosting this event!)

One of the most interesting things he discussed was the problem with media today. He said that when he was young, the average time for a sound-bite was roughly 46 seconds, today it is only 9 seconds.

What can really be expressed in 9 seconds?! How can someone explain a solution to something as complex as health care, the economy, or the war in Afganistan in only 9 seconds?! I don't know the answer, and neither did he, but there must be one. 

Let's put our heads together. Any suggestions? 

All-Nighters

Today has been the longest day ever, and it isn't over -- far from it. As I type this post I am ingesting my second energy shot of the day and gearing up for a dreaded all-nighter.

Not to whine, or brag, or whatever you want to call it, but I started off this morning with THREE parent teacher conferences, followed by property, followed by contracts, followed by a Q&A with Congressman John Yarmuth, followed the whole "tell-me-about-your-day" thing with the kiddos -- which all brings me to now....time to work on a Memo.

As I was driving home I was trying to think of ways I could sleep and push some work off until tomorrow, but then I stopped myself. I remembered that the kind of life/career I desire is going to require little sleep and I might as well get used to it now. So, I watched this inspirational video and threw back a 5-hour-energy.

Either I'll end up finding myself in an asylum someday, or finding fame and fortune. I am not sure which, I just know it wont be anywhere in the middle! :-)

Thanks to Cassie Restrepo for this awesome video!!

Appearance Matters

This morning, I was at the Starbucks at on 3rd street doing some work on my lap top when I needed to go the bathroom. I really didn’t want to leave my laptop out in the open, but I really didn’t want to take it into the bathroom with me either. So, I stood up, looked around the room, trying to determine who looked the most trustworthy. There were three other people in the room: 1.) A young guy, roughly 25, with a flat hat, baggy pants, and some Air Jordans. 2.) An older, probably 50ish, man who looked like he hadn’t showered in a month and his hair was starting to form dreads. 3.) A middle aged man in a suit and Blackberry in hand. I thought, "Bingo! #3 is my guy!" Problem is, the man in the suit is sitting awkwardly far away from me. When I walked over to his table and asked him to watch my laptop, it was pretty obvious to the others that I purposely didn’t ask them. They looked a little offended. I just smiled at them. Sorry fellas, but if you dress like a thug or a bum, I will treat you like a thug or a bum. Moral of the Story: Appearance Matters!

Brilliant Guide to Campaign Donations

After the emergence of Super PACs that followed recent court cases, political donors are nearly free to give as they choose, with their decisions guided mainly by how they want to direct their money. 


CLICK HERE for a sample of donation goals and the options for achieving them.

A "C" Never Looked So Good

We were given back our first graded assignment this morning. It was a Memorandum about Workers' Compensation.

Before handing them back to us, the professor went on and on about everything wrong with them. Even informing some of us that we need to go back to the undergraduate writing center and get some help! She then informed us that there were only a few A's and even they weren't that great. Maybe it wasn't intentional, but she had most of us gearing up for a big fat "F."

So, when the moment finally came, and I flipped to the last page of my Memo to find a big fat "C" instead, it was a relief.

All in all, I'm happy with this "C," but determined to do better next Memo!

Lesson Learned

Some advice: If you have a Law School Blog, it is NOT a good idea to call out your professor by name, and encourage him to "Bring it" next class, because he will take you up on it, and you will look like a total idiot, for the second time...

(Seriously?! What was I thinking with this one? Click here) 

Sorry, But You Wouldn't Understand.

It's that time of year when the family starts calling and arranging holiday schedules. Coordinating a holiday schedule is hard enough on a traditional family, but throw a handful of divorces in there and you will start to consider hiring an Events Coordinator. :-)

This year, Thanksgiving falls only days before our 1st final exam!! I've already placed my family on alert that I can not host Thanksgiving at my home this year. As much as I would love to, I'll have far too much studying to do.

As the semester progresses, our work load is increasing, and my unanswered text messages and emails are building up. I want to say sorry to my friends and family who may feel like I am ignoring them, I'm not doing it becuase I don't care.

For those who have never been to Law School, you can't understand. You may have been able to study for an exam in a week or two when you went to college, but Law School exams don't work that way. We spend the entire semester preparing for ONE exam.

So, once again, sorry to all my Friends and Family who may feel neglected by me right now. Thanksgiving may not be great, but I promise you'll have my undivided attention come Christmas!!!

GRRRR!!!!

Last Friday I spent 3 hours working on an assignment that ended up miraculously disappearing from my PC. I bitterly re-did the assignment yesterday. I just showed up at school 10 minutes ago, went to pull out my lap-top in order to print off the assignment that is due in 90 minutes and...no lap top. I left it at home. Grrr! So, yup, I am doing this assignment for the 3rd time. I guess the good news is I will be very, very familiar with the material. (Ok, that doesn't help, but I'm just trying to see the silver lining.) 

Beware the Acorns

Warning: These acorns falling outside the law school are dangerous. One literally just tried to take my life! :-)

Law Students Occupying Wall Street

It’s a joke for  law students to be a part of these protests, because if Goldman Sachs brought them on as an in-house counsel, they’d take the job today. You show me a 99 Percenter, and I’ll show you a kid who would do public relations for  Halliburton faster than you can say “the  name is KBR.” 

Thanks, Elie Mystal

I Miss my Pre-Law School Life

What an amazing, long weekend! I took the entire weekend off from studying. (Well, except for that final exam on Saturday, of course.)

This was the best weekend I’ve had in 9 weeks and I’m very sad that it’s over.  Really sad, actually. A lot more sad than I expected to be.

I’ve been living such a rat race ever since law school started that I hadn’t even noticed how many things I miss from my pre-law school life.

I miss cooking. I miss trying new recipes, the house always smelling so cozy, and watching my family enjoy whatever new thing I just made.

I miss decorating. I don’t have a single fall-themed decoration in the house. This time last year the house would have been decked out in pumpkins and scarecrows and hay bales and always smelling like some type of spice!

I miss working out. Pre-law school I worked out every day. How many times have I worked out since school started? Zero.

I miss my family. Yeah.... I really, really, really miss my family. Oh, and by the way, my oldest kids won their football championship this Saturday and my youngest finally started saying “Mommy” the right way!

I’ll be fine by Tuesday. I’ll be back in the rat-race with no time for these thoughts, but today it is Monday, and I’m sad. 

Legal Research Final

This exam was harder than I expected, but I think I did OK and I'm happy it is over! I know, not like me to write so little, but I'm exhausted! 

Congrats to all my classmates! We made it through the first exam! Have a relaxing and celebratory weekend!

Morning of 1st Final!

‎6:00AM, the morning of my 1st final! Feeling totally prepared! Travis' card didn't hurt things either! :-)

Playin' Hookie in Order to Study....??!

I'm not really sure if I should say this on my Law School Blog but, I'm playing hookie right now! 


I had a tough decision to make.


A.) Skip class and spend the day home alone and kid-free until 5:00PM cramming for my Legal Research Final Exam which is tomorrow morning. 
B.) Go to school and then study tonight, with 4 little munchkins running around. 


I chose "A."


After all, part of the purpose of law school is to teach us how to prioritize our time. Once we are lawyers, the demand for our time will always be higher than the supply. We will always have to analyze and decide what is most important and what goes higher on the priority list. 


Out of my juggling act of class, kids, and study-time, I had to prioritize. And today, study-time won!

Over here, guys! I think I see one!

Alright.


I'm about to get real nerdy on y'all. Legal Research, to me, is like a big, fun, complicated Easter egg hunt! 


Woo hoo! Fun times on a Thursday afternoon~!

Cordas v Peerless Transportation Co.

If I ever write an opinion, I hope it has this much flair. There for a second I forgot I was reading a casebook! 


Here is an excerpt from Justice Carlin's opinion in Cordas v. Peerless Trans. Co.

Returning to our chauffeur. If the philosophic Horatio and the martial companions of his watch were ‘distilled almost to jelly with the act of fear’ when they beheld ‘in the dead vast and middle of the night’ the disembodied spirit of Hamlet’s father stalk majestically by ‘with a countenance more in sorrow than in anger’ was not the chauffeur, though unacquainted with the example of these eminent men-at-arms, more amply justified in his fearsome reactions when he was more palpably confronted by a thing of flesh and blood bearing in its hand an engine of destruction which depended for its lethal purpose upon the quiver of a hair?

In other words, if those guys were scared of a ghost, how much more scared would you be of a guy holding you at gun point!? 

Goodbye, Steve Jobs

“I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.” - Steve Jobs

I Know The Feeling

Attn: October 2011 LSAT Takers

Over the weekend, thousands of law school hopefuls took the LSAT. I remember this time last year, showing up at the testing center with my plastic baggy full of "authorized items" and a stomach full of butterflies. 


As stressful as I thought that Saturday morning to be, it was cupcakes and unicorns compared to the war-zone I'm in now. 


I'm not saying this to scare you October LSAT takers, I'm telling you as a segue into this piece of advice: enjoy the remaining ten months of your life. 


Cherish them. Savor them. Seize them. Because this time next year, you will be yearning for thier return. 


That being said, congrats to everyone who took the exam and feels good about it. Everyone else, there’s always December!


PS: If you're looking for a good school. I know of one! Hint Hint. (Click here) 

Short-Term Marriage Contracts

I can't believe I'm saying this, but, I honestly think this is a great idea.

Legally speaking, I have no qualms with these "Short-Term Marriage Contracts." They're smart, efficient, and commonsensical. 

Your thoughts?

Click here for more info.

'Bout Time Someone Said It!

“Attacking me is not going to convince me that I should take a bigger hit because I happen to be wealthy. … I’ve tried poor and I’ve tried rich and I like rich better, doesn’t mean I’m a bad guy. … I didn’t go into business to create a public policy success for either party, Republican or Democrat. I went into business to create jobs, to create opportunity, to create value for myself and my investors.” -BET Founder, Robert Johnson

Andy Rooney

As aspiring lawyers, we all appreciate attention to detail. But what I appreciate most about this video (click here) is not Andy's attention to the fine print, but rather the fact that all Andy had to do was pick up a newspaper to come up with a pretty good essay. 


I envy writers like Andy: concise, clever, commonsensical. 


Last night, as Andy closed out his final appearance on 60 minutes, he said this about the end: "Writers don't retire, and I'll always be a writer."  Amen to that. :-)

First Memorandum is FINISHED!

Just turned in my first assignment that is for an actual grade! (Dun, Dun, Dun, Duhhhhhhh!)

It was scary, it was daunting, but it's over -- and 1,000 bricks just fell off my shoulders.

Brief victory dance will now ensue: YAY!!! PARTY!! WHOOO HOOO! DANCE!! YEE HAW!!

Ok. That's enough. Legal Research Final Exam is this Saturday.

Crap, the bricks just came back...

It's a Game

I genuinely enjoy law school. It's fun. I spend my days laughing, smiling, and joking.

Yet, I've noticed that not all of classmates share this same enthusiasm, buoyancy, or amusement concerning their legal education. And, admittedly, their seriousness has sometimes caused me to ask myself, "Am I not taking this whole law school thing serious enough?" 

The answer is, "No." 

It's not that I don't take law school seriously, but rather it's that I recognize legal education for what it is: a game. 

Law school is a game. Lawyering is a game. And if you have the right skills and know the rules, games are fun! 

So, relax, get the skills, learn the rules, and just play the dog-gone game! :-) 

Have You Looked Through His Briefs?

Confession: I can be a little immature.

Sometimes, when I'm sitting in class, I just can't help but giggle! I've only been in law school 8 weeks, but I've already got a list of legal words that, without fail, send my mind straight to the gutter!

Here are a few:

1. Chattel (Particularly anything thing that involves trespassing someone's chattel.)
2. Contractual relations
3. Dictum
4. Goods
5.  Tort (Oh, no, wait, that one just makes me hungry)

Can You See the Difference??

I'm honestly not trying to start a fight, I'm tired of fighting. I'm not simply hoping to get people riled up. I genuinely want to know your answer. Can you see the difference between these two photos? As a mother of four, I can't see any difference. Help me understand.

People Learn While They Sleep

Great idea. You guys all make sure you get a full 8 hours of sleep. I'll stay up and study all night. Let's see who ranks higher! :-)

Click here for Study that Suggest you "Learn While You Sleep." 

Sports and Entertainment Law Society

I like Sports. I like Entertainment. I like Laws. And I like Society. So, yeah, I threw my hat in the ring. I'm in the running to be your 1L Representative of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society. Vote for me!

Bach for the Brain

In an attempt to drown out all the TALKERS in the library, I am going to replace the sound of their voices with a little Bach for the Brain. This may be revolutionary, guys. Wow, I'm feeling smarter already...! :-)

LOLZ!

Why Should You Hire Me?

Reason Number #274: If there is ever a situation in which I will need to comprehend and apply very complex Federal Rules of Civil Procedure with a 3-foot-tall creature climbing in and out of my lap, trying to feed me gummy bears, and attempting to push its finger through the lens of my glasses, I will be very, very prepared. :-) 

THE CREATURE

 

Love and Marriage (and Torts)

My husband and I have over an hour long drive into Louisville every morning now that the 64-Bridge is closed. Since I have major anxiety when it comes to wasting time, I've started forcing Travis to listen to law lectures with me during the drive in. Today, we got to the Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress lecture in Torts. After the lecture, Travis said, "Wow, I just realized that this entire relationship you've been committing one big tort, IIED!" My response: "And I'm about to commit another, Battery." :-)

A Girl's Gotta Do What a Girl's Gotta Do!

You can imagine the looks I received while using my webcam to apply my make up in the Law Library. Hey, no reason a lady shouldn't strive for brains and beauty, right?! :-)

Law School Celebrates Repeal of DADT

While they're at it, will they also celebrate the thousands of sexual harassment cases that are sure to follow?

Click here for Event Details

The Undergraduate Library

I accidentally left my laptop at home today and was thus forced into the undergraduate library to use their computer lab. Eeks! I felt like I crossed over into another cosmos. The people there are so much more diverse. They laugh - a lot. They talk about things like sports, T.V., and music. And some of the books they were carrying around appeared to be less than 300 pages long...and were paperback! Talk about weird!


Ekstrom Library at University of Louisville (AKA the Undergrad Library)



My Favorite Quotes

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it. - Unknown 

Family is not who you are born with or into, but those that you choose to love and who choose to love you back. - Unknown

The Nation that makes a great distinction between scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools.
-Thucydides

It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.--Adam Smith 

Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.- Pope John Paul II 

The more a man knows, the more he forgives--Confucius

God will look to every soul like its first love because He is its first love. --CS Lewis

Life, Liberty, and Property do not exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men to make laws in the first place.-- Frederick Bastiat

Suum Cuique (To each his own.) --Cicero

They constantly try to escape 
From the darkness outside and within 
By dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good. --TS Eliot

Thus, and not otherwise, the world was made. Either something or nothing must depend on individual choices.--Perelandra

I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen. --Martin Luther 

Any country that accepts abortion is the poorest of the poor - Mother Teresa

There is not a truth existing which I fear or would wish unknown to whole whole world --Thomas Jefferson

The moment good taste knows itself, some of its goodness is lost.--CS Lewis

An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.-
G. K. Chesterton

Always be as wise as a snake and as harmless as a dove. Matthew 10:16

All government has a governing will, and without a will that commands, there is no government.--Orestes Brownson

It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required. -Sir Winston Churchill

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom. 
--2 Corinthians 3:17

The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance.--CS Lewis

There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle. 
--Tocqueville

I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end. --Margaret Thatcher

Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere. --G. K. Chesterton

Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. -Unknown 

It is human nature to hate the man whom you have hurt.--Tacitus 

How can we live in harmony? First we need to know we are all madly in love with the same God. --Thomas Aquinas