Fall 2009? Law School Admission 101

Ok, it's practically August. Many of you are just getting underway preparing for the October 2008 LSAT. Some of you will start prep courses this week.

What else should you be thinking about right now?

1. Getting LORs (Letters of Rec) underway. Who will write them? What should they emphasize about you? Ask these people and give them deadlines 4-6 weeks out. Make sure to see lsdas.org for the cover form and be sure to sign the waiver. Here's more about law school letters of recommendation.

2. Your resume. What can you do to round out your experiences? Lacking work experience? Community Service? Time to get on it. Never do anything as resume filler, but if you have time to dedicate to something you've always wanted to explore, there's no time like the present. However, being a file clerk or runner at a law firm isn't the way to go... what a boring way to spend your summer, and what would this LOR say about you? "He was always on time and wore a tie." Not worth it. Better to do something that shows your true interests and passions. Here are more law school resume tips.

3. Really prepare for the LSAT. Please. Retaking in December should be a last resort; give it 100% this time around. Here's more about LSAT prep options. Here are more reasons not to "just wing it" on the October LSAT.

That's all for this Friday night. I'm happy to entertain suggestions for blog topics - so leave comments. Have a great weekend.

Tuesday's Legal Resource: Hein Online

Hein Online is one of the most popular databases available to members of the South Texas College of Law and visitors to the Fred Parks Library. This is most likely due to the variety of resources it offers in PDF.

Hein Online is well known for it’s law journal library which houses most American law reviews and many international law journals. One of the benefits to using Hein Online versus other resources such as Westlaw and Lexis is that whereas other databases provide limited coverage going back only twenty or thirty years, Hein provides full text access to most of its law reviews dating back to the very first volume, which occasionally dates back to the 18th century. One important fact to keep in mind is that most of the journal listings in Hein will not include the most recent year of publication.

Members of the South Texas College of Law community can access Hein from any computer going through the Stanley portal. They can find it in the Library tab in the Library Databases channel. There is also a link on the library homepage in the Databases list. However, this link will only provide access on computers located in the Fred Parks Law Library.

Other materials available in Hein Online are:

The Code of Federal Regulations (1938-1984)
English Reports, Full Reprint (1220-1865)
European Center for Minority Issues
Federal Register Library (Complete Through May 2007)
Foreign & International Law Resources Database
Legal Classics
Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (Editions 1-8)
Philip C. Jessup Library
Session Laws (State, Federal, Austrailia, and Canada)
Treaties and Agreements Library
U.S. Attorney General Opinions
U.S. Congressional Documents
U.S. Federal Legislative History Library
U.S. Presidential Library
U.S. Statutes at Large (1789-2005)
U.S. Supreme Court Library (Complete Coverage for Opinions)
World Trials

Additional Insights About Law School Rankings

The U.S. News Law School Rankings are Over-Emphasized

I love the idea of the U.S. News law school Rankings going to a "Top 10", 1st Tier, 2nd Tier, Regional Schools listing (as suggested by articles and comments here) because I hate to see law school applicants choose #21 over #24 simply because that's how the schools are ranked in a particular year. What this really shows is that law schools are really offering essentially the same education within a certain ranking range and that prospective law students are not necessarily looking at factors like location, who hires recent grads, where they hope to practice, etc...

"So Ann, tell us how you Really Feel about the Rankings..."

This is getting a little bit off the subject of rankings, but it does tie in with the over-reliance on law school rankings. You'd be surprised how many people decide where to attend law school without actually visiting the campuses they are considering - as though meeting people who run the school and attend the school (and seeing the facilities where they'll be spending 60 hours a week) were completely unrelated to performance in law school and networking in the job market....

For more about my observations relating to the usefulness (or lack of usefulness) of the U.S. News Rankings, see my previous post, "What do the Law School Rankings Really Mean?"

Law School Expert Wants Your Ideas for Future Topics

I am happily accepting suggestions for future blog topics. So feel free to use the comments section to provide ideas.

Please keep in mind that the blog format does not lend itself well to giving individualized advice (for example, your chances at a particular law school given your LSAT/GPA, etc.) For advice related to your specific situation, please consider contacting me through my law school admission consulting website, LawSchoolExpert

New Weekly Legal Information Resources

Starting this week, the Fred Parks Law Library will begin offering links and information on legal resources available through the library.

Each Tuesday you will learn about a particular legal resource available through the Fred Parks Law Library. These resources will include information on databases, print materials, and other sources that law students and legal researchers may find valuable.

So be sure to check in every Tuesday to learn more!

Library Hours in August

Please Note:

The Fred Parks Law Library will be closed on the following dates in August. Normal Hours will resume in September:

Saturday & Sunday August 2 & 3
Saturday & Sunday August 9 & 10
Sunday August 31

Fun with Vanity Plates

Everyone knows that "vanity plate people" are a special breed of idiot. It takes an almost unfathomably inflated sense of self-importance for someone to actually put a message about himself on his license plate.

The good thing is that a vanity plate also serves as an instant warning that the person behind the wheel has the driving skills of an autistic blindfolded lemur, due largely to the fact that they feel the road is their own personal space and you are merely an unwanted guest there.

Driving down the highway the other day, however, I saw one that really twisted my brain. At first glance I thought perhaps it belonged to a female porn star, or maybe just a slut, or perhaps someone who just enjoyed being kind to others. As I drove by, however, I saw that it was a frail Indian kid leaning back in full douche regalia--sunglasses, spiked hair that could pop a volleyball, unbuttoned dress shirt (w/ standard gold chain), and of course, cellphone glued to his face.

I promise you I'm not kidding, this is precisely what it said:


Now admittedly, I don't speak Hindi--it's entirely possible that this means "Rich Playa Man" or something equally awesome in Bangalore.

Unfortunately for the cool customer showing off this plate, on the streets of America it means you are proudly announcing your desire (or ability) to diddle on the skin flute of every other male driver on the road.

Choosing an LSAT Prep Course

There are basically 3 options for LSAT preparation:
1. Self-study;
2. A formal in-class prep course; and
3. Private tutoring.

(Please take note: failing to prepare and taking the LSAT cold are NOT options. See my guest blog post on this topic at integrated learning).

#1 - Self Study
Independent study for the LSAT works best for people who generally perform well on standardized tests - those near-perfect SAT scores tend to predict near-perfect LSAT scores. The best materials are using actual LSAT tests, and although I'm not an LSAT tutor I always recommend reviewing the answers to the questions you get right in addition to those you got wrong. (Often right answers as accidental....)

Also, preparing for the LSAT requires 2-3 months of consistent study. When you're consistently hitting within a range of 5-7 points on timed practice exams, then you're probably ready to take the exam and hit the score that is the correct measure of your aptitude. Remember - setting a goal score NEVER works; it only sets you up for disappointment.

#2 - Formal Prep Course
A formal in-class prep-course offers materials and benefit of discipline - someone gives you a study guide and a calendar and takes you through things step by step. Mostly, this makes you sit in a chair and think about the LSAT over a good 8-10 week period. You know all the big-gun companies: Testmasters, BluePrint, Powerscore, Kaplan, Princeton Review, yadda yadda yadda. I haven't participated in any of these, but the concept is the same. Pick one with a schedule that works for you, where the people seem customer service oriented, and go for it.

#3 - Private Tutoring
If your schedule prohibits the prep course, and/or you know you learn best with individualized tutoring and attention, then all the big companies offer this option, of course. There are a few other options also - Integrated Learning, and Test Prep NY are two that I'm familiar with.

Remember, if something smells fishy about an LSAT prep company, it probably is. See this post about Questionable LSAT Vendors.

I hope this helps!

Obviously this is just a big misunderstanding.

Batman actor Christian Bale arrested over assault allegation

This is clearly a lie.

Batman star Christian Bale was to be questioned by police over allegations he assaulted his mother and sister the night before the European premiere of his film, "The Dark Knight," British media reported Tuesday.

His mother and sister reportedly complained that the 34-year-old actor assaulted them at a west London hotel on Sunday.

Britain's Press Association said they made the allegation at a police station in south England on Monday and that the allegation was passed on to Scotland Yard in London. It said questioning was expected Tuesday.

When asked Tuesday about the news reports, Scotland Yard said it was investigating an allegation referred to it by another police force but refused to say whether the incident involved Bale.

The Sun newspaper said police did not question Bale on Monday because they did not want to interfere with the premiere.

Bale's U.S.-based representatives did not immediately return messages seeking comment. Phone calls to Bale's London representative were not unanswered. [were not "unanswered?]

Law School Letters of Recommendation

I tell my clients that the first thing they should be thinking about right now is letters of recommendation. It takes time to consider the right person, ask them, supply them with the appropriate information and materials, and then you have to wait until that (very busy) person gets around to writing your law school LOR, and then you have to wait even longer for LSDAS to process it.

So, in the spirit of helping with this process, here are 3 of my previous posts that will help you through choosing someone to write your letter of recommendation:
1. A common problem for non-traditional law school applicants is finding the right person to write a letter of rec when you've been out of school for more than a few years and you also don't want your current boss to know you're thinking about leaving for law school. Here's a post with LOR tips for non-traditional law school applicants.
2. A lot of undergrads (especially those at large public universities) really don't have close relationships with their professors. Here's some advice about what to do when you get a lukewarm reception from a professor whom you've asked to write you an LOR.
3. This week alone I've had 3 clients tell me they were considering asking family friends to write LORs. I don't care if the person is your dad's best friend and the mayor, or if the person was a dean at a nearby college, the answer remains the same. It's just not what law schools are looking for in evaluating your potential as a law student and a lawyer. Here is a post about the Family Friend Letter of Rec.

I hope this is helpful. Have a fantastic weekend!

"It's Friday [the 13th], I'm in Love"

I recently saw the Cure. They were sensational of course, but cripes--Robert Smith is not aging well. In fact, he bore a frightening likeness to someone you may recognize:

9th Circuit Rules for Student in Strip-Search for Ibuprofen and Finds No Immunity for School Officials

Redding v. Safford Unified School District #1 [9th Circuit Court of Appeals, 7/11/08]
From the majority opinion in this 6-5 decision:
“On the basis of an uncorroborated tip from the culpable eighth grader, public middle school officials searched futilely for prescription-strength ibuprofen by strip-searching thirteen year-old honor student Savana Redding. We conclude that the school officials violated Savana’s Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. The strip search of Savana was neither “justified at its inception,” nor, as a grossly intrusive search of a middle school girl to locate pills with the potency of two over-the-counter Advil capsules, “reasonably related in scope to the circumstances” giving rise to its initiation. Because these constitutional principles were clearly established at the time that middle school officials directed and conducted the search, the school official in charge is not entitled to qualified immunity from suit for the unconstitutional strip search of Savana.”

Read the full decision.
Read the account in “The Recorder” [7/14/08].
See what those at another education law blog are saying.

From the dissent on the liability issue by Judges Gould and Silverman: “[A]lthough I think our ruling should be crystal clear that schools may not subject a student to a strip search under circumstances as presented here, and although the general principles in TLO and other cases are well established, I can understand how school officials, even though they made an erroneous decision, should have some insulation from liability before our declaration of how these principles applied to this case. The fact that the district court and a majority of a prior panel of our court thought, and some dissenting judges on this panel continue to think, the scope of the search reasonable to me says something about a lack of clarity in our law.”

From the LENGTHY dissent of Judges Hawkins, Kozinski, and Bea: “[The majority fails to] acknowledge the unique considerations present in the public school setting, including the need for informal and flexible disciplinary measures, and the considerable risk presented by drugs. The Opinion also yields two rules that sweep too broadly: (1) that an uncorroborated tip from a student facing punishment is insufficient to justify the search at issue; and (2) that the search was per se unreasonable because officials were only seeking prescription-strength ibuprofen….While “unblinking deference,” is certainly not called for, we should recognize that our normal, healthy skepticism of government authority must be reconciled with the realities of the school environment….School officials in this circuit are now on notice that it is unconstitutional to require a thirteen-year-old female honor student to remove her outer garments and shake her bra and underwear, partially exposing her breasts and pelvic area, in front of two female administrators in a private room when the object sought is prescription strength ibuprofen and the only direct evidence against her is the uncorroborated tip of a culpable classmate, and the girl searched has no disciplinary history but has been suspected of consuming and serving alcohol. This precise holding is the only thing officials can rely on.”

Questions I have:
1. What are school officials—who operate daily in “the realities of the school environment”—to take from this 6-5 decision? Especially since they would not have qualified immunity when such issues are apparently determined to be “clearly established.”
2. The second (and lengthy) dissent all but pleads for the U.S. Supreme Court to rework the liability analysis when they revisit (and possibly overturn?) Saucier v. Katz next term. How will that affect the daily workings of school administrators in difficult situations such as this?

"New Vision for Schools Proposes Broad Role"

Randi Weingarten, the incoming president of the American Federation of Teachers, says she wants to replace President Bush’s focus on standardized testing with a vision of public schools as community centers that help poor students succeed by offering not only solid classroom lessons but also medical and other services.

This indeed, as the article title in the Times says, is a "broad vision." The concern here is that we are expecting too much from a system that has a much narrower paradigm. It again raises the issue (raised below) of accountability: who would be responsible for the decisions that stray from the mere educational to the medical and beyond? Would a centralized model (as seems to be happening in Los Angeles) or a de-centralized model (where local school boards would be "in charge") be appropriate?

Law Schools with January Start Dates

Some of my clients have been asking me about their options if they want to start law school in January 2009 instead of Fall 2009. I found this list on the internet and while I can't guarantee its accuracy, it provides a good starting point for research.

Algebra and Rigor in the Curriculum

I couldn’t wait a week to post on the fascinating debate around math curriculum in California. Currently, state-wide at least (see how one small community is fighting the math fight), the forces have coalesced around mandating 8th grade Algebra. And, as Dan Walters points out in today’s Bee, “Algebra row symbolizes wider issue,” issues such as “Who is in charge of educating the kids?” and, then, “How should we run public education?” are the real questions that lurk behind the Algebra question. (See what the public is blogging in the LA Times' "Homeroom" blog.)

In attempting to answer the first question, he interestingly did not mention the parents. (This mistake is pointed out by the many commentators to his article on the Bee website.) I think it is just an oversight by Mr. Walters, although he just might be taking sides, obliquely, in the home-school debate currently in the courts.

As to the question of “curriculum” rigor—and its joined-at-the-hip partner, “instruction”—which are often confused for one another in the public debate, the issue is interestingly being played out today in the Algebra debate with articles from Sacramento and San Diego, and then juxtapose these discussions with the mindset of the Orange County folks who are angry about the Advanced Placement results being impacted by cheating.

As you consider all of this, be sure and listen to a “Perspective” from KQED-FM (7/10/08) on a tough (and often-faced) choice confronted by a Washington High (S.F.) English teacher. All of this gives the reader interested in some of the issues faced by those on the front line of the "rigor" debate in California.

All in all it makes for a fine way to ease the way into a summer weekend. Enjoy!

UC Irvine Law Announces Founding Faculty

For my So-Cal applicants, here is exciting news about the promising start for UC Irvine's law school. They will be accepting applications this fall.

Welcome to California School Law blog of Rich Kitchens

July has brought some interesting ed law issues into the headlines again. For example, how a school board is supposed (or not supposed) to operate was implicated in Stockton, some school districts (such as Cupertino’s) are keeping an eye on enrollment,

At least we are not as bad as the evolution debate in Louisiana…or are we? There are severe cash problems in San Diego, school reform pits states against national governments, even in tiny Lagunitas, and the ever-present school discipline issues abound—in the New York as well as in Fresno. Free speech issues are different in California, say, than in Oregon, and bad teachers may be tough to fire anywhere. Then there is the home-schooling issue.

The point is that while many issues involving school law—particularly public school law—are unique to California, some issues cross state lines quite easily. We hope to get discussion going on any subject of interest involving public policy and education in California. Jump aboard and let us know what you are thinking. I will post every week and we hope to hear from you!

Easily the Best Summer Associate Perk I've Heard Yet

Holy shite. As if it weren't enough that these fucks get paid $3k/wk even though they haven't even graduated yet, now there's this.

Yes, I'm jealous. Fucking bastards.

Religion and the Law: The Establishment Clause and New Religious Movements

The genesis of this exhibition was an unsolicited gift from Bridge publishers, a publishing company owned and operated by the Church of Scientology, who sent libraries around the country two complete sets of the scientology books written by L. Ron Hubbard. (These books do not fit in with our acquisitions policy and thus will not be added to the library collection.) About two weeks later, news outlets began reporting on the raid of a Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saint’s (FLDS) compound called Yearning for Zion in El Dorado, Texas, by Child Protective Services. Lawyers from around Texas including some from STCL went to San Angelo to represent the children removed from the compound. These two unrelated events got me thinking about what Sociologists call New Religious Movements (NRMs) and the law. Examples of NRMs include Scientology, New Age religions such as Wicca, the Unification Church, Jehovah Witnesses, Krishna Consciousness, and extreme elements of Christian fundamentalist and Pentecostal movements (Dawson 1998, p. 580). Many NRMs are recognized religions in the United States; however there are some that are deemed cults or are splinter groups of other recognized religions. There are several areas of law in which you may encounter NRMs: as defense attorneys, prosecutors, civil rights and family practice attorneys, and even in tax law. In Cantwell v. Connecticut (310 U.S. 296), the Supreme Court stated that the Free Exercise Clause “embraces two concepts – the freedom to believe and the freedom to act. The first is absolute, but in the nature of things, the second cannot be.” (Gedicks 2005 p. 1187) The role of lawyers and the courts therefore, is not to determine if the belief is valid, but if how those beliefs are practiced is lawful. Put very simply you can believe anything you want, you just can’t do anything you want. This exhibit showcases works in the Fred Parks Law Library’s collection that discuss religious freedom and the law as well as some historical material and cases from the Special Collections holdings. It also contains loaned materials.
This exhibition is not exhaustive nor does it contain any material relating to mainstream religion (i.e. Christianity, Judaism and Islam). Please direct all questions regarding this exhibit to the Special Collections Librarian, Heather Kushnerick, at hkushnerick@stcl.edu.



Dawson, Lorne L. “The Cultural Significance of New Religious movements and Globalization: A Theoretical Prolegomenon.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 37(4) (1998): 580-595.

Gedicks, Frederick Mark “The Permissible Scope of Legal Limitation on the Freedom of Religion or Belief in the United States.” Emory International Law Review 19 (2005): 1187-1275.

I Have an LSAT Score; Now What?

Here is a link to a post from last year about what to do once getting your June LSAT score. And here is a previous post that may help you decide whether to retake the LSAT or just go ahead and apply early in the rolling admissions process with your current score.

If you're keeping your score, then it's time to talk about selecting schools. Here are some posts that may be useful to you in starting this process:

1. How much of a role should a law school's ranking play in your decision to apply there? See this post about the emphasis on rankings.

2. How many law schools to apply to? See this post for a good rule of thumb on selecting schools.

The adventure begins!

In honor of gay pride week: A Case Study in Gender Ambiguity

Man or woman? Methinks I spy the beginnings of a soul patch, but there's no way this is a dude. Then again, it couldn't be a girl. I'm truly at a loss.

Moron of the Week: Classic eBay Degenerate

You know the grown man who rides your ass when you're going 12 mph over, and then you see him in the rearview mirror flailing his arms, pounding the steering wheel, and screaming? Well I just had a fun exchange with him on eBay. Here's the actual copy of the emails--I shit you not, I did nothing to provoke this maniac--with a few of my own bracketed comments added in.

Enjoy!

--

Hello, I'll meet you and give you $120 cash for the tickets. Let me know if you can't get rid of them. Thanks!

-

NOT INTERESTED IN MEETING YOU OR ANYONE ELSE. WE DON'T DO OFF-EBAY DEALS, AND WE DON'T ASK FOR BEST OFFERS. APPARENTLY YOU'RE A HALF.COM OR CRAIGSLIST CUSTOMER WITH LITTLE OR NO RESPECT FOR EBAY RULES--NOT TO MENTION, YOUR OFFER OF LESS THAN HALF OF ASKING PRICE, AND NOT EVEN FACE IS A RIDICULOUS JOKE! WE'VE FORWARDED YOUR EMAIL TO EBAY TRUST AND SAFETY DEPARTMENT IN HOPES OF YOU LEARNING A LITTLE OF HOW THE FAR LESS ARROGANT LIVE **[where did "arrogant" even come from??]. YOU'RE IN IT FOR YOU, SO DON'T LIE ABOUT HELPING ANYONE OUT OF THEIR TICKETS [I didn't], YOU SURELY COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT ANYONE ELSE BUT YOURSELF. THE PRICE IS THE SAME FOR EVERYONE, AND IF WE CHOOSE TO GIVE THEM AWAY, IT WILL BE TO CHARITY LIKE WE ALWAYS DO----HEARD OF THAT? (OF COURSE NOT!) QUIT WASTING MY TIME!

-

Wow... Overreact much? Take a breath and grow up. An ethics lesson from a ticket scalper--now I've seen it all! I would suggest some serious psychological counseling.

Don't bother responding, I didn't read the first blabbering novel you sent. Also, your caps button seems to be stuck--but it sure makes you seem tough and scary. I'd wager dollars to doughnuts that you have a "W--still the president" sticker right above the vanity plate on your '94 Camaro.

Good luck selling your tickets for twice face value... The show isn't even sold out.

--

I USE ALL CAPS BECAUSE I'M LEGALLY BLIND [oh, please] AND I CAN ALMOST READ IT---NOW IS THERE SOME REASON WHY EVERYTHING IN YOUR WORLD IS ALL ABOUT YOU? [where does he get this stuff?] WHAT A SELF-DELUDED ARROGANT FUCK YOU ARE! $280 ISN'T WORTH THE BOTHER, AND BOTTOMLINE, IT TRULY WAS MORE THAN YOU COULD AFFORD ANYWAY [wait--which one of us is arrogant again?], AND I ENJOY GIVING TO THE POOR. I DIDN'T OVERREACT [really?], I ONLY RESPONDED TO SOME BEGGING ASS BITCH WITH A TRAILER TRASH OFFER. IT'S THE SHIT LIKE YOU THAT MAKES EBAY A PAIN IN THE ASS FOR THE REST OF US, AND I'LL RESPOND ALL THE FUCK I WANT, GOT ME BITCH? [Complete psychological breakdown in 3... 2... 1...] THE LAST THING IN LIFE YOU WILL EVER BE IS MY SUPERIOR, UNLESS OF COURSE IT'S ANY MORE OF YOUR PSYCHOBABBLE! WHO THE FUCK DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU ARE? IF I NEED ANY MORE OF YOUR OPINIONS, I'LL WIPE THEM OUT OF THE CRACK OF MY ASS! WHAT A FUCKING JOKE YOU ARE!...........AND BY THE WAY, IT WAS CONDESCENDING BASTARDS LIKE YOU WHO VOTED W IN TWICE TO BEGIN WITH! NOW IT'S MY TURN TO DISMISS YOU, I'LL BE DELETING WHATEVER SHIT YOU SEND FROM NOW ON, AND ALL YOU EBAY CRAP HAS BEEN BLOCKED AND BARRED FROM THIS AFTERNOON [really?...]. JUST PISS OFF AND GO AWAY!

--

This is fantastic! Keep it up, my entire office is in hysterics reading these forwards.

And speaking of forwarding emails, I think I'll let eBay have a gander at this one. Ticket scalping AND junior high-level profane insults? Saying you aren't too bright would be the understatement of the century.

You are a very sad little man and thinking about your life makes me depressed. Unfortunately for our relationship, I have a real job so I'm through responding. I do however encourage you to keep it up on your end as you check every thirty seconds to see if some fool is dumb enough to pay double face value for a show that isn't even sold out.

PS. I found a pair of tickets two rows behind yours for $30 each. Have a nice life!

--

JUST DON'T GET THE LEVEL OF ARROGANCE YOU PROJECT TO OTHERS, DO YOU? BUT I BET ALL THE LAUGHING OFFICE PEERS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT AN ASS YOU ARE! YOU FEEL YOU ARE THE EXCEPTION TO EVERYTHING, YET YOU ARE THE EXCEPTION TO NOTHING ! CONFUSED, CONDESCENDING, ARROGANT, PROBABLY LEXUS DRIVING SELF-CENTERED BASTARD---I REALLY DO FEEL SORRY FOR A SPECK OF A MAN LIKE YOU...PATHETIC REALLY THAT YOU EVEN THINK I'D GIVE A DAMN ABOUT ANYTHING YOUR BEGGING ASS HAS TO SAY--I DON'T, YET IT IS YOU WHO BEGS STRANGERS TO PAY FOR YOUR GOOD TIMES--I'M SURE YOUR FAMILY'S PROUD, BUT YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND SEE SOMETHING ELSE, SAD REALLY! AND BY THE WAY, YOUR ASSUMPTIONS ARE IRONICALLY ENTERTAINING, I RETIRED 8 yEARS AGO AND I CAN EASILY BUY AND SELL YOUR ARROGANT ASS LIKE THE POCKET CHANGE YOU ARE-THE MOST COMICAL PART OF THIS WHOLE EXCHANGE----NOW YOU REALLY DO NEED TO PISS OFF AND GO AWAY, YOU HAVE CEASED BEING LOW-BROW ENTERTAINMENT LITTLE BITCH!

[Apparently I hadn't actually ceased being low-brow entertainment for him, because I stopped responding, but he kept it up anyway]:

AND ONE LAST THING, I'M LEAVING FOR A 10AM TEE-TIME AT [local golf course--I can only imagine the meltdowns this guy must have out there], SO I WON'T BE ABLE TO CLICK EVERY 30 SECONDS TODAY AS YOU SO FALSELY ASSUME, SO GET BACK TO WORK AND SAVE THE DIATRIBE. WE'LL BE LEAVING TOMORROW MORNING FOR WIMBELDON WEEK, SO YOU'LL HAVE TO BANTER ABOUT WITH MY GRANDSON [Sweet Moses, a grandson???] IN MY ABSENCE WHILE YOU'RE STILL AT WORK. YOU SEE, THIS IS JUST A HOBBY [yeah, I hear ticket scalping is really catching on with the retired crowd these days], AND TWICE FACE IS CALLED KEYSTONE IN A RETAIL OPERATION AND IS USUALLY THE DESIRED MARKUP TO ACHIEVE [and with event tickets, it's called "illegal"], AND I AM JUST SO SURE THAT YOUR PLACE OF BUSINESS OPERATES AS A NON-PROFIT ENTITY [what does this even mean?]! AGAIN, WHAT A SCHMUCK YOU ARE! TORREY PINES 2 WEEKS AGO, WIMBELDON THIS WEEK, THE BRITISH OPEN MID JULY, NEED I GO ON, OR DO YOU NEED TO GET BACK TO WORK [the only good point made in four emails]? IF I'M NOT PLAYING GOLF, I'M AT THE BOAT ON THE LAKE OR THE ONE IN KEY WEST [what is this, a Puff Daddy song?], SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO PISS OFF LIKE YOU WERE TOLD NOW [I actually stopped writing after your last email, genius]? AND PLEASE, LET EVERYONE AT THE OFFICE READ THIS, THEY'RE LAUGHING AT YOU, DUMBASS, NOT WITH YOU [I'd hazard a guess that this is not correct]!!!

--

A question for everyone here

If you end up (or endED) up receiving and accepting an offer at the end of your second summer, how will / did it affect you 3L life? My schedule next semester is already fantastic (all req blocks out of the way; no class on Fridays), and my class ranking is more or less set in a good place. If I have a job lined up I can't imagine I'll be working very hard.

Thoughts?

A 2-year JD at a Top Law School

One of my readers asked me about my assessment of Northwestern's new 2-year JD program. Here is a great article about it by Brian Leiter.