All of DC is Still the 'Hood

Minority = Diversity

selaw — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 06:44:18 +0000

Today, at around 6:00pm, I learned how not to play the game of getting an offer from a BigLaw firm. I had a long day because I was working on multiple assignments and having lunch and coffee, you know the normal workday as a summer associate. Then around 6:00pm one of the junior associates (probably the fifth associate that day) stopped by my office and asked me why I hadn’t left yet. Although I was doing work to try to get a better handle on the projects that I had been assigned, I simply told junior that I was finishing up my time entry before I left. Junior then told me that he had the same issue when he was a summer, at which point he started having flashbacks of his time as a summer. Then has junior started talking about the big differences between his class my class. At that point, I decided to tell junior that I was glad that I was a minority. Of course that comment made no sense and was out-of-place for junior. But I think he wasn’t too offended by it. I was trying tot say that I was glad that so many BigLaws were embracing diversity as a priority in the practice of law.

Oh well, maybe next time.

First Day at the Firm

selaw — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:24:51 +0000

So today was my first day at the BigLaw firm, and like all other summers starting today, I now have a huge headache. My headache probably started around 2:3opm, which was right around the time that we took our first break from our 3-hour computer training session. I’m not sure why employers feel the need to have mandatory computer training for new hires, especially when those new hires are a part of generation X (or whatever they call us nowadays). Almost everyone I know has some working knowledge of how to use a computer and all of the accompanying software. And if we don’t know how to use something, we are smart enough to go to the HELP menu or Google the answer that we’re looking for. And even for those who don’t know how to use computers, offering one day (all day) training class will usually not help, especially if the computer is not an Apple

It Has Begun

selaw — Wed, 19 May 2010 20:31:54 +0000

Today, after spending way too much time writing a one paragraph letter, I mailed off a few letters to a few state court judges. In those letters, I simply asked if they would be hiring law clerks for the 2010-2011 cycle.

Now that those are done, I have about 10 more to send. I hope their hiring process has not started yet because I really want to clerk for one of these judges. Either way, I hope to apply to Maryland, Virginia, and DC courts (all local) by the time the summer is over.

Flying In & Out in a Day

selaw — Wed, 12 May 2010 17:47:02 +0000

Today, I am looking for a place to stay while I am working at my BigLaw firm. This is the second time that I have been here and it is dreary outside, but I am sure sunny days are just around the corner.

So far, the city isn’t bad but the minority population is quite small, especially when you compare it to DC. In fact, in comparison to DC, the minority population here is non-existent.

Anyway, I am here at Starbucks waiting for the next bus to come and take me to my next apartment. After that, I may try to explore the city a bit and then head back to the airport.

I Cannot Entertain You, But Maybe the Corner Girls Can

selaw — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 02:25:12 +0000

OK, now that I have calmed down significantly from my tirade this morning, I can write a little note. But first let me talk about my tirade.

Howard Law has been in Exam mode since Monday and I had my first exam on Thursday. But even after taking that exam, Corporations – which I was super worried about – I am still going crazy because I have 3 more exams to take (Remedies, Evidence, and Conflict of Laws). Now it would make sense that since I am studying, which is not unusual, everyone around me would make sure to stay away. Apparently not, because my parents are in town for the weekend. And of course I could not tell them not to come, but I did tell them that I would not be able to entertain them because I was studying.

And in looking for a corner store, my dad took a walk down the street close to the corner boys (and apparently gals) in my neighborhood. Now if it is 75 degrees outside and you are wearing a full snow suit, then you have something to hide. Of course it was drugs, at least that’s what my dad thought as the girl selling the drugs asked him very nicely “How are you doing?” Now you may think that she was selling “it,” but because she was fully clothed, she could only be offering the other thing.

Anyway, back to studying!

Clerkships

selaw — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 03:36:00 +0000

The buzz around school, particularly for 2Ls, has been about “clerkships.” And like many other processes at the HUSL, the clerkship process is proving to be illusory. There have been a few meetings hosted by a special faculty clerkship committee and information has gone out to students, but to date I have no idea how the clerkship process works.

The one thing that I do know, however, is that every year Howard has had a fairly substantial number of students that get clerkships for after graduation. Hopefully, if I can figure out this process, I will be one of these students.

By the way, I wonder if I can ask previous employers to write letters of recommendation or do I have to seek letters from professors? This is another illusory part of the clerkship process at Howard Law.

Studying at Georgetown Law Today

selaw — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 18:27:50 +0000

Today, it’s about 76 degrees here in DC and since Georgetown Law has study spaces outside, that’s where I am today.

I am working on Corporations Law, which for some reason got away from me this semester. Exams are in about 3 weeks and I have not read as much about Corporations as I should have, but I will have read by exam time.

Still Working Hard

selaw — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:28:25 +0000

This week is Spring Break here at Howard Law and guess what I’m doing? Studying of course! I hope you didn’t guess wrong.

As usual, I spending my precious days in some dungeon trying to catch up or get ahead for my classes.

In other news, more gunshots last night (around 3am) and of course I was so scared that I got up and starting studying again.

You’ve Got to Be Kidding Me

selaw — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:51:24 +0000

So apparently I am not the idiot that my final grades make me out to be. The reason…final grades (at least at Howard) are never final. I just learned that my C grade is actually a high B grade. Now of course I am grateful for the bump up the grade ladder, but come on. This is at least the third time since I started at HUSL that my grades have been changed because of grader error. This time the error was significant, but actually, the error is always significant.

Tip of the day: ALWAYS go back and check your grades with your professors for no other reason that you want to make sure that they calculated your grade correctly or graded all of your bluebooks.

I am still waiting to review grades with other professors, so maybe more grade updates are coming!

Evidence! & Oh No, More Grades

selaw — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:52:20 +0000

What the heck is a “character evidence?”

This was one of the many questions that I had for my professor this week. His answer to my question, like many of his other answers to my questions, confused me even more than I already was.

More Grades!

Today, my last grade was posted and it was for stupid Con Law. Yes, I am calling Con Law stupid because I got a C in the class. Last year, when I had to take Con Law I, I got the same grade. This is just not fair. I work really hard during the semester and I don’t understand why my grades are not higher than they are right now. And no I don’t think its me. I know myself and I trust that I am telling myself the truth, so I know that I am working hard. My professors on the other hand are idiots. They’re idiots because they don’t know what they want until they see it and thus I can’t figure out what I need to give them on my exam.

Argggggghhhhh, this is so frustrating!