Bar Exam Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday is the bar exam.

It's nearly 9:00 p.m. Monday night and I've finally stopped cramming. If I don't know a subject or rule by now, I'm not gonna. I've just got to trust that the amount that I do know is sufficient and not worry about the things I don't know. (At least, unless and until someone proves that worrying spontaneously converts to unlearned knowledge).

Cross your fingers for me.

It is a profession, people!

It is a profession, people!

The legal profession consists of some of the best and brightest men and women of our society. Each year, approximately 90,000 people nationwide apply to law school. About 45,000 of those applicants enter law school.[1] Even fewer graduate and pass the bar examination. There is no doubt that attorneys belong to an elite group of individuals. However, there is a requirement for being a lawyer that is not evaluated on the LSAT, not taught in law school, and not tested on the bar exam. Despite their obvious intelligence, many lawyers fail because they lack the ethical and moral compass, and the sense of honor and self-discipline, required by someone engaged in the practice of law. Members of the public used to view attorneys with honor. Now, through some lawyers’ own conduct, some vulgar advertising, as well as portrayals of attorneys in popular culture, a significant portion of the public holds attorneys in contempt.

I have been putting a lot of thought into the type of attorney that I want to be. By this, I do not mean the area of law that I am going to practice (i.e., family law attorney, personal injury attorney, real estate attorney, etc.). I mean actually how I intend to operate with my peers, judges, clients, and my staff. Unfortunately, attorneys go to school for three years, primarily learning how to argue different sides of every issue. Law school frames almost everything in the context of creating a winning or losing argument. This ability does not necessarily translate into the ability to have compassion for differing points of view and people.

It is a fine line, balancing the need for zealous advocacy with the need to operate with integrity, the need to be firm without being hard-nosed and inflexible, the need to be professional with the need to be friendly and accessible. I have been fortunate enough to meet many attorneys whose behavior I can model. Unfortunately, these attorneys are not the newsmakers who will influence public opinion about the legal profession. The real newsmakers appear to be the members of the bar who diminish its valor.

Recently, there were two articles in particular which caught my eye. First, the ABA Journal posted an article about a child molester who wants to be re-admitted to the practice of law. In the process of his renewal plea, he admitted to more victims. He pleads, "I wish to return to the only profession I have known, I ask you to conclude I am fit to do so." I ask, since when is a criminal fit to be a member of a profession that depends on integrity, honesty and the rule of law?

The second article involved Drew Peterson’s attorney. A radio station ditched a proposed, “Win a Date with Drew” contest. Incredibly, the lawyer was angry over its cancellation. Now, I am not a criminal law attorney, nor will I ever be a criminal law attorney, so I cannot speak from experience. However, it seems to me that if my client is a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, the last thing I would want him out doing is dating other women, especially so publicly. In this case, though, the issue that bothers me the most is this attorney’s lack of professional demeanor. Why would he even consider commenting publicly on the issue? Is this attorney now his client’s matchmaker?

I know that attorneys may have infamous clients. However, when an attorney is infamous for something other than his excellent lawyering skills and integrity, he should either reform or re-think his choice of profession.

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[1] Law School Admission Counsel, retrieved February 20, 2008 from: http://www.lsac.org/Applying/LSAC-volume-summary.asp.

Rome Results

Grades for the Rome Program were finally posted. I received:

4.0 in Italian
3.8 in Comparative Legal Culture
3.8 in European Law and Society: The rights of the individual.

I'm glad I did so well.

On the one hand, it is really good that these grades will show up on my transcript. On the other, it is bad because, like my Amsterdam results, these grades do not factor into my overall law school GPA as they were undergraduate level classes. (Credits count towards my degree, but the grades do not factor into my GPA).

I'm happy, but there is a slight "bummer" factor here.

I finally get quoted in the paper and I sound stupid.

The PI updated their story on the threat at the law school (See "As if we aren't under enough pressure..."). They quoted me by name in it. I wish I could go back and correct my grammar after the fact. :)

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/338148_uwthreat06.html

As if we aren't under enough pressure...

The law school went into lockdown last Thursday. You've got to have an ID card to access the building, the elevators, the library, etc. There is a cop posted at the front doors.

I didn't post about this earlier because the law school was being tight-lipped and I didn't know if there was an official and legitimate reason for their secrecy. Given that I'm in law, but not law enforcement, I was going to wait until after a town-hall style meeting this afternoon. But, as the Seattle PI just broke the story, I can now share the news. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/338148_uwthreat06.html

Anyway, apparently the law school has been the receipient of "threats to our security," as Dean Hicks calls them. The part I find frustrating is that the law school, by being secretive, has made it impossible for we students, who are all adults (at least chronologically), to make our own decision whether or not we want to put ourselves in the situation of going to class and potentially in harm's way.

Also, most of us are already under a lot of pressure with exams coming up in about four weeks. What's the negative version of the phrase, "This is just the icing on the cake."

Amsterdam Results are In!

This afternoon, I got the results from my Amsterdam program. To put the grades in context, I have included a cut-and-paste of Tulane Law School's grading policy. If one of you understands this, particularly the paragraph below with the percentages, please post a comment to enlighten us all. (Clearly, I am in my math-induced deer-in-the-headlights state.)

The normal grading scale and quality point system is as follows:

A......4.00
A-.....3.67
B+....3.33
B......3.00
C+....2.33
C......2.00
D......1.00
F.......0.00

In any course with 21 or more J.D. students (from any school), the professor shall award no less than 60%, and not more than 65% grades of B and above, and no more than 75% grades of B- and above to those J.D. students. This distribution applies even if all or part of the grade is determined by a method other than examination. In any course with fewer than 21 J.D. students, the professor shall abide by the spirit of this rule.**

Here are my results:

Grade Report for ROXANNE XXXXXX
2007 Summer

Title Credit Hours Official Grade

INT'L. HUMAN RIGHTS 1.00 A-

INT'L WOMEN'S RIGHTS 1.00 B+

INT'L LAW & DEATH PEN 1.00 B+

TERRORISM & INT'L LAW 1.00 B+

INTRO TO INT'L CRIM 1.00 A

TERM GPA 3.532

If I am reading it right, it appears that Tulane forces that 25% of the grades be C or below. UWLS doesn't force any grades below a B. The discrepancy in grading policies are due to the law school rankings. UW is ranked around 27 while Tulane ranks 47. Therefore, Tulane's grading policy is more stringent so that employers can distinguish top-notch students.

**If you think this is complicated, you should look at UW's law school curve at http://www.law.washington.edu/Students/Academics/Grading.aspx. It is even more confusing.

Rounding the 4th corner into the home stretch.

It's Tuesday night about 10:00 p.m. Rome time. I'm going to bed soon as last night the neighbors across the street gave a dinner party on their balcony and were talking loud and laughing until about 1:00 a.m. My Italian professor told me how to yell, "Shut up for the love of God!" (phonetically, "Zitzi! per l'amore di dio!") but that seems more appropriate for drunk partying Italians rather than a dinner party.

Tomorrow, we get a special tour of the court of Cassazione where we will observe a proceeding with an English speaking prosecutor. This prosecutor has prosecuted some of the most (recent) famous criminal cases in Italy. He is also the former president of the European Lawyers Association in Italy. The public is normally not allowed into the courthouse unless they are parties to a proceeding (i.e. the courts are not open and you cannot just walk in) so this is very special. After the court tour, my group is finalizing our immigration presentation, which is scheduled for Wednesday evening.

On Thursday, we have the final day of classes, a farewell lunch, then final packing, cleaning of the apartment, turning in keys, etc. After that, I'm off to the Hilton near the airport. My flight leaves at 6:15 a.m. Rome time and I was too distrustful of Italian inefficiency to be certain that I could get a cab to the airport at 3:30 a.m. in order to arrive by 4:15 a.m. I checked online and the hotel rooms were nearly $300. I thought a long time weighing my options: Spend $300 or sleep in the airport. Spend $300 or sleep in the airport. Spend $300 or sleep in the airport. Finally, I called my sister Jamie and asked if she had enough Hilton Honors points to get me a room for the night (she gets lots through her job). It cost her something like 30,000 points, but she booked me a room. Thank god.

I'll be on the 6:15 a.m. flight from Rome to Amsterdam, then I have a short layover and leave Amsterdam at 1:05 p.m. I arrive in Seattle at 2:20 p.m. My girlfriend Melanie is picking me up from the airport and, oddly enough, we are going to head up to the U-district to pick up our books for school. I have the freedom to do this because Marlo is cheering at a football game and won't be calling me until about 9:00 for a ride home.

Anyway, I come bearing little gifts for my girlfriends and my sisters, which I'll get to you all as soon as I can.

Anjali asked how school was going...

I am posting all thoughts related to International Human Rights and/or the law on my Global Justice Group blog.

Therefore, please see http://globaljusticegroup.blogspot.com/ for the latest (and currently - only) entry, titled, "Does half the population of the United States have to die before we get it?"

You don't have to worry about watching both blogs as I will give you a heads up and a link here that will direct you over there when I post something.

Thanks for the question Anjali!

Background

I created this blog so that my friends and family can be updated as I spend the summer in Europe studying, and finish up my remaining two years of law school.

For those who don't know me well, I begin with some background information about what has gotten me to this point in my life. I'll try to be fairly brief and skip all useless childhood information about how I was tormented and permanently scarred by being the youngest of four sisters.

I am a 38-year-old law student at the University of Washington. I had been a paralegal for over a decade when, in 2003, I decided to go get my own law degree. I had wanted to be an attorney since I was seven years old, but, for various reasons I might go into later, never made that happen when I was younger (I guess it is mostly because I had no idea how to prepare for SATs, pick a college, pay for school once Dad's savings ran out, etc.). After getting pregnant at the ripe old age of 21 with my daughter, Marlo, I became a paralegal instead in order to get working and provide for her. I worked hard and rose up in the field. By 2003, there wasn't many more rungs to climb and my head was bashing against a glass ceiling, both financially and intellectually. Top of my field, still struggling to make a decent living as a single parent, and bored out of my mind.

I'd love to say that my passion and drive for the law is what finally pushed me towards law school, but it wasn't. Frankly, it was my cat dying. Princess Kitty, adopted the Christmas just after Marlo turned five years old, died because I couldn't afford to take her to the vet at $500 a pop, when the vet couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. Finally, she died of liver disease. That same day, my boss (don't take this one wrong - he's a fantastic man and attorney) needed me to give him cash from his account to go buy a new pair of Vuarnet sunglasses at Costco. My cat dying and my boss buying his fancy sunglasses was the last straw. I got off my duff, did a little research, came in and told him that I was going to get my own law degree.

So, in 2003, I began the trek to get my own law degree. I only had about a year's worth of college credits that would apply towards a Bachelor's Degree from my paralegal studies, so all in all, it was going to take me six years to get my law degree. I returned to school full time, while still working part-time for my boss. He was fantastic and allowed me to work around my school schedule. I returned to Highline Community College to finish my Associate of Arts.

Highline Community College is this dumpy 1960/1970's based cement pebble architecture school in Des Moines. All but one of my professors were fantastic, committed and knowledgeable. Many of the older, returning students were likewise very committed and intelligent. The young, running-start, baggy-pants, loud and obnoxious teenagers made it the longest year and a quarter of my life. For example, in the cafeteria, they would eat and then leave their trash on the tables. Where were their parents growing up? If I ever find out Marlo acts like that outside my view, I'm shipping her to some horrible boot-camp for wayward teens.

Anyway, I finished my AA in December 2004 and began work on my Bachelor of Arts at the University of Washington, Tacoma. BEST SCHOOL I HAVE EVER BEEN TO. Simply fantastic. My major was "Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences" with a concentration in "Politics and Values" (which is a cross between Political Science and Social Justice), with a minor degree in International Human Rights. As my major states, it takes an interdisciplinary approach (psychology, sociology, political science, historical, etc.) towards each subject. Like at Highline, all of my professors, except one, were fantastic, committed and knowledgable. My favorite professors/classes were Rachel May (International Human Rights), Robert Crawford (Post-911 Cultural Studies; and Nazism and the Holocoust); Chris Demaske (Communication History and Communication Law); Peter Bacho (Minorities and the Law; and Environmental Law); and Turan Kayaoglu (Contemporary Geopolotics and International Interactions). A special shout-out to Katie Baird who actually had me understand some economics, which is no small feat (Economics as a Way of Thinking). Fantastic professors all.

So, while finishing up my Bachelor's degree, I take an LSAT prep course through Kaplan and take the LSAT in December 2005. I score a 163, which on that test cycle was in the 89.6th percentile. So, I'm thinking that is pretty good and, coupled with the sob story of how I got off welfare as a single mother, I should be able to apply and get into some really good schools. NOT. I'll tell you, there is nothing like law school admissions (except the first year of law school itself) to make you wonder how you managed to navigate your life sucessfully thus far. On the one hand, I applied to and was accepted into the UW School of Law (#27 in the US News & World Report rankings) in - get this - SIX DAYS. I was thinking that was a really good sign until I received one rejection after another from Harvard, Yale, Columbia, New York University, Georgetown, Cornell, and Duke. I was waitlisted at Notre Dame. I felt really crummy about myself until my good friend Karol, who has so many degrees the UW finally forced her to graduate, and scored something like 173 or 174 on her LSAT (99th percentile) told me that she was declined at Stanford, waitlisted at Harvard, but was offered deferred enrollment at Yale. So, she finished up a masters in public policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard before heading off to Yale to get her law degree - all with a five year old in tow. I figure if she got declined from ANYWHERE, then it really wasn't that bad that I got declined.

All in all, only getting into the UW was a blessing in disguise because my law degree would have ended up costing me $40,000-70,000 more. I was a finalist for the first William H. Gates Public Service Law scholarship, but didn't get it. So, with Marlo heading off to college the year I graduate from law school, makes me pretty happy that I got into such a good, yet cheap, school.

I'm not going to write very much about my first year of law school right now. It's still too raw. Continuing the pattern set in my undergraduate degree, I had fantastic professors - all except one. Unfortunately, this one was in the position to completely ruin the law school experience for me and all the other people in my section. He was approached by students, the deans, the Student Bar Association and other faculty, but persisted in assigning work disproportionate to the number of credits of his class. All of the members of my section are fantastic, intelligent and motivated people so we just kept plowing in the hours it took to do his work, at the expense of our health, families, and other classes. In all fairness, however, I'll concede that this professor probably seemed that much worse to us because we hit the jackpot and got WONDERFUL professors for the rest of our classes. He really suffered by comparison.

The good news is that I survived my first year of law school. They say that it is downhill from here. Typically 1L students work their first summer of law school, practically for free, to get legal experience. Well, with nearly 15 years of experience, I wasn't about to work free for anyone (OK, I'll have to next summer to get internship credits). So, I figured out a way to study abroad this summer. It has many pluses. I'll earn 18-20 credits. I'll be in Europe. Marlo will be with her Aunt Kelly. Oh, and did I mention, I'll be in Europe. :)

So, that's where the background ends and this blog begins. Leaving July 4, 2007, I'll arrive in Amsterdam on July 5, 2007. I'll be there until August 5, 2007, studying International Human Rights through the Tulane Law School. After that, I'll spend two weeks in France with Jacqueline & Pierre Bureau, the family that I lived with for a year when I was 16 years old. Then, on August 21, 2007, I go to Rome to study Comparative European Law, Politics and Society through the UW School of Law and Law, Societies & Justice department. I'll be back in Seattle on September 22, 2007, a few days before my 2L school year begins.