A Succession of Ordinary Days

Quote of the Day: “A man can stand anything but a succession of ordinary days.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

It’s absolutely freezing outside today. Okay, it’s 66, but to me that’s worthless. It’s August. This is ridiculous.

I went to Power Yoga last night (there’s a few different classes - Yoga Stretch, the most basic; Hatha Yoga, which integrates meditation and relaxation in pursuit of an overall calm and well-being that I could never even hope to acquire); Yogalates, a mesh of Pilates and Yoga; run-o-the-mill Yoga; and Power Yoga, for those among us who have pushed ourselves through several weeks’ worth of classes and learned to endure shaking limbs with a forced neutral expression. I must say I’m getting better at it. I still have difficulty with the hamstring stuff (leaning forward, etc, because running keeps them tight) and anything to do with the upper shoulders.

Just in case anyone’s wondering what they’re paying for… in tax today, we’re learning about capital expenditures. Basically, when you invest money in a piece of property, and you’ve already paid tax on the money (when you acquired it as income, for instance), you don’t have to record the increased value as income when you sell it. I’m sure this is not news to anybody, but it’s new to me.

MTV music awards tonight. One of the only awards shows I’m actually interested in, because the MTV label means people’s sense of decency and propriety are temporarily inhibited and, as such, anything can happen. I like the commercials, too, with the moonman acting like a loon . At least tonight, the succession of days won’t be quite so ordinary.

Grey Sky Morning

I couldn’t believe how fabulous Gary Allan was on Saturday. Because he has that kind of whiskey-soaked voice (in the same vein, but not as extravagant as, Rod Stewart), I presumed he would be less-than-stellar live, but he didn’t miss a note all evening! He had a fantastic backdrop utilizing black light, and candles on stage to build ambiance (that was a lawsuit waiting to happen, but I digress…). I scored all the songs I wanted to hear: “Smoke Rings in the Dark,” “Her Man,” “Runaway” and “Grey Sky Morning.”

I have an interview with Reinhart this afternoon. Hopefully I won’t get laughed out. I don’t know why I’m so fripping nervous about it… I know I’m not going to get a job offer, and I’m just in it for the experience, but I still want to do well and not screw up in any colossal manner.

The girl who sits in front of me in Evidence spends the duration of the course e-mailing frantically to someone in another room. Everyone in the IM program has the ability to choose a little icon to represent them in the IM window, and she chose – get this – my beloved red monster from Looney Tunes! Thought that was cool.

Last night we had a major rainfall... to the point that the pounding actually woke me up, Then, when I walked out of the bedroom this morning, something wet fell on my head. My supposedly-fixed roof is leaking, again. This time it was only one or two drops, but come on.

Speaking of a “grey sky morning...” we’re experiencing one today. Here’s hoping for an appearance by the sun.

In the morning I always put on videos to keep me company ... unfortunately, the country music scene is getting rather pathetic. The only ones I want to see are by George Strait and LeAnn Rimes… everything else pretty much stinks. This week I’ve been watching VH1 and MTV instead of country, really for the first time in a long time. There’s some decent stuff out – the new Killers video “When You Were Young” (video stinks, song is good), Keane’s “Is It Any Wonder,” that OutKast song that has faces singing from flowers and a marching band playing from the back of a pink cadillac, Panic! at the Disco’s “But It’s Better if You Do,” Hinder’s “Lips of an Angel” (awful title, great song & video), I’m really glad Hinder came onto the scene – they’re basically Fuel revisited. Their single follows the pattern of Fuel’s “Hemorrhage” perfectly – start soft, swell into chorus, fade back to soft. The singer’s got that raspy voice and an overemoting performance style. Excellent. Hope the rest of their stuff is decent. What a horrible song title, though – they couldn’t come up with anything less corny? I hope the country scene shapes up soon.

Scouting About for Gems

Well, I survived my first Socratic examination in Tax. Of course the professor called on me the first day, and then continued the drilling today. It’s a big class, so I have the rest of the alphabet to relax – he didn’t even clear the B’s today. Phew. We’re talking about taxable income, generally... accession to wealth and elimination of liability as such, etc. He says in the syllabus that he “read[s] e-mail virtually every moment [he’s] awake,” which is absolutely fabulous. I love when professors are computer savvy!

On a slightly unrelated topic, I find it absolutely hilarious that Al Capone became perhaps the most famous denizen of Alcatraz not as a result of the myriad murders he ordered, but for tax evasion. He was finally corralled by Elliot Ness, a special agent for the IRS. Of all the things he did, taxes turned out to be his Achilles’ Heel.

I have one last beginning course today – Business Associations. The professor has the most... uhh... interesting voice I’ve ever heard emanate from a professor. She’s very young, although she claims to have children, and could probably secure a position providing sound effects for Chip and Dale in their animated cartoons. Someone in the close vicinity is wearing absolutely horrid perfume.

She used an example in class of someone running a lemonade stand which, to give you a rough idea of how my mind works, brought a flurry of memories about playing an entrepreneurial computer game as a middle-schooler. My big, clunky old Apple could barely chug fast enough to register the crass, large pixelations that passed for graphics way back in the day of PacMan and Donkey Kong. But I got to build rides and sell lemonade (with massive amounts of ice, to maximize revenue). I also loved “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” which enabled me to virtually examine crime scenes and collect clues in my quest to determine which country harbored the fugitive. That’s how I spent my idle hours when I wasn’t knee-deep in horse manure, as opposed to staring at the TV. Good times. And then there were the days I’d go to the bookstore or the library and come home toting hours’ worth of entertainment – that was really fun. I used to spend hours perusing the fiction section. There’s a fine art to finding a book to escape in – first you read the summary to make sure it sounds interesting, then read the first page to experience a snippet, and if the book passes those two filters (which the vast majority do not), then you open to a random page and read a few, to make sure the author’s writing style gels. I get excited just thinking about it – there’s nothing better than finding a good gem among all the trashy fiction that pollutes the bookstore shelves.

Anyway, I’ve said too much. I’m treading much too close to the realm wherein I will induce boredom upon any hapless passerby.

The Perils of an Italian Heritage

Today I have tax and intellectual property. The former of the two being a new course, I had to arrive ridiculously early this morning… but, I would like to announce that I am not the only psycho in the law school. When I arrived at 7:45, there was already another girl in the room. She stated that she, too, had a prime spot that she felt compelled to secure in every course – she’s in the center of the second row, and I’m on the aisle. So there! I’m not quite as pathological as hitherto presumed. We shared a rather entertaining morning, because apparently there was supposed to be a first-year Contracts class in this room, which was moved – so this continual flow of wide-eyed first-years keep walking in, setting themselves up, looking around and then flittering out with a flustered expression once we informed them of their course’s relocation.

Professor Columbo, our tax guru, walked in around 8:20 and held up his hands: “Don’t worry; I’m just looking at the room. We don’t start until 9. Don’t give me that deer in the headlights look!” I am excited to have him, and also nervous, because he was the one who ran our mock-class when Dad and I came to Open House at the law school way back when.

So, of course I was called on today. I was kind of frazzled when he nailed me, but I had prepared sufficiently, so once I got my book open I spoke coherently, and received a plethora of “absolutely’s” and “exactly’s.” Phew. Apparently the guy’s Italian, so he spent the first class running down all the last names on the class roster that included multiple vowels.

I went to Famous Footwear last night and blew my gift card to score two totally cool pairs of sneakers – silver and black Sketchers and brown and pink slip-on RocketDogs. My two favorite brands. I forgot how exciting it is to get new shoes.

I did manage to score an interview with Reinhart on August 29 at 1pm. Yay!

Day Two: Ch-ch-ch-changes...

Quote of the Day: “You don’t have to be the Dalai Lama to tell people that life’s about change.” - John Cleese

Today I have Evidence again, and then Intellectual Property.

I attended a Yogalates class last night, which is allegedly a merger of yoga and pilates (as, duh, the title might suggest). Having never practiced pilates, I cannot attest to the accuracy of this assertion – the course seemed like a slightly left-of-center form of yoga to me. Basically less stretching, a little more movement, which was nice for me because the stretching, while relaxing, is often painful in the shoulder area, because that’s where I tote all my tension.

Anyway... I noticed while reading the requirements for OCI that a lot of firms want us to have experience in moot court. That’s basically a competition in the law school where we’re divided into pairs and have to write an appellate brief and then argue in front of a trio of mock judges. The winners proceed to New York to compete in the National finals. But that’s not the point. The point is I’m volunteering to write another pain-in-the-butt brief and then go in front of another trio of judges to give an oral argument. I must be out of my mind… but boy, do I want a decent paycheck. The things you’ll do. John Cleese (of Monty Python) once said, “I’ll do anything for money.” Life lessons from Monty Python, Chapter One.

Here’s the description from the website:
Developing effective oral and written advocacy skills is critical to success in law school and beyond. The Moot Court Program offers experiential learning opportunities in which students can develop these important skills in one of six possible competitions. Students who participate in each receive instruction in both brief writing and oral advocacy, write an appellate brief, and participate in practice and final rounds of oral argument.

Intellectual Property Moot Court Competition
The IP Moot Court Competition deals with intellectual property issues such as patents and trademarks. Team members have participated in the Giles Sutherland Rich Moot Court Competition which is sponsored by the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Team members could also participate in the Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition which focuses on trademark and unfair competition issues. The top four finishers from the fall internal competition will advance to the following spring's external competition which could be either or both of the competitions listed above. There is recognition for best brief, best oralist, and best overall. No scientific background or training is required to compete in this competition.

I sure hope this change will be a positive one...

Professor Meier walked in and first thing, before saying hello or even cracking a smile, spat, “This looks like more than thirty-two people!” I guess there was supposed to be a cap on the enrollment, but the school let a lot of LLM students in (foreign exchange students). After a moment, it became clear why: she is on a two-year hiatus from her IP practice in a law firm to teach, so she has the personality of a sharpened steel rod. Ahh, well.

I am feeling rather idiotic, because I left the majority of my summer wardrobe at home… in particular, all my summer shoes. So I’m pretty much stuck wearing either red suede clogs or my worn-out blue slip-on Sketchers all week. I guess nobody really cares, right? I did discover that there’s a Famous Footwear shoe store just up the road I had hitherto remained ignorant of, I have been squirreling away a gift certificate since Christmas, and I think the time has come to utilize it – they’re having a buy one, get one half-price sale. I love shoes. Hopefully they’ll have some RocketDogs and Sketchers – that’s all it takes to make me happy.

Course One: Evidence

Okay, Professor Ross just walked in, and she’s wearing a bight magenta skirt-suit. Fantastic! And with a teal watch! My kind of person! She has chocolate-colored coif-styled hair and seems very enthusiastic, and bright in manner and attitude. Very useful first thing in the morning. And she smiles a lot… what a change from last semester.

Here's to Another Year

Quote of the Day: “I'm sick of chasing my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going, and hook up with them later.” - Mitch Hedburg

I arrived this morning for my first class at 7:50. It starts at 9. But, I got my spot! The class is Evidence, which basically covers what you can and cannot present to a jury – what types of communication is privileged (attorney-client, doctor-patient, etc) and what must be produced, etc. It looks quite boring, the only one of my classes to have that label, but it’s required for a myriad of upper-level courses, so it’s a necessary evil. And anyway, I guess it’s good to know, right?

The rest of the students started rolling in around 8:30. I recognize a bunch of people from my section last year, so I obviously made the right choice with this course.

Today’s my easy day, with only one class. It’s a long one, though. I’m going to head over to the Career Services office after this and get some job application information… ferret out some prospects, etc.

Well, here’s to another year. Hope it goes well!

OCI, Day Three: Part Two

State Farm turned out to be my best one yet. The interviewers were two remarkably friendly women who laughed readily and seemed like the kind of people you would actually want to interact with on a daily basis. I thank the Lord for this fact, because this was my longest interview – the only one that spanned 30 minutes, not 20.

- What attracted you to State Farm?
- What did you do to prepare for the interview today?
- Our agents travel 150-200 days per year. Would that be a problem for you? (My favorite TV show is Great Hotels on the Travel Channel...)
- We preen our summer associates for future permanent positions. You seem to have a lot of ties to Milwaukee. Are you willing to relocate to Illinois? (Are you kidding?!)
- Why did you decide to go to law school? (MIAD wasn't an option...)
- What is the most rewarding part of law school?
- Why did you choose U of I as opposed to the other schools you applied to?
- Were there any particular projects you worked on over the summer that were especially rewarding?
- I see you went to Marquette for undergrad? (Regretfully, yes.)
- Are there any questions about State Farm we can answer for you?
- Is there anything else you would like us to know about you?

OCI, Day Three

I purchased my books yesterday (my checkbook is still limping in agony), which officially marks the start of the school year. Just to get off on the right foot I also procured supplements and flash cards so I can begin my exam-studying-panic episode earlier in the year.

Last night I attempted to complete the first reading for Federal Income Tax and about lost an arm from the strain of toting the books from the car to a fluffy couch in my apartment complex’s gatehouse. There’s the big, imposing blue text, the even bigger and considerably more menacing book of Tax Codes (which, the text continually reminds us, changes every year, so everything we learn will be obsolete shortly) and a thick Emanuel’s Guide to Basic Federal Income Tax. I will soon add another supplement to this, I am sure, which will make studying for this course about as convenient as packing for a three-month business trip.

All the 1Ls (first years) have arrived for orientation. They either scurry about like beheaded sheep, attempting to locate their mock classes on time, or meander like unemployed sloths with their noses plastered to the campus map. Boy, do I remember that cold, unfeeling thump of dread that accompanied me everywhere. I can see it dangling in the whites of their eyes.

I e-mailed thank you notes to each of my interviewers last night. I figure if I can get my name in their consciousness one more time before they return to the recruiting committee, that can only help. Unless I spell some inane word egregiously wrong in the letter, which I am reasonably certain I did not do thanks to the miracle called “spell check.”

This afternoon I have one final interview with State Farm Auto Insurance. They’re actually located in Bloomington, IL, which is (according to the oracle called Mapquest) three and a half hours from Milwaukee. When I signed up for the interview, I entertained the delusion that it actually sat north of Chicago and hence closer to home… oh, well. I’m just in it for the experience, anyway.

Last night, I had a fantastic evening of sleep going when the most horrendous noise tore through my apartment. I dashed about with my heart drumming at a furious clip, thinking the fire alarm had gone off, before I followed the noise to the speakers of my desktop computer. This is the same one that has recently decided to start only when it feels like doing so and steadfastly refuses to access the internet. I don’t understand. The computer was not on, yet the speakers spewed the same horrid sound that microphones emit during horrible sound checks, the kind that makes your hands reflexively grip your ears in discomfort. I disconnected them from the power source and the noise did not recommence when I reconnected them, but I had difficulty falling back asleep. Too many ghost stories as a child or something – I kept imagining a lost soul trying to connect with me like Patrick Swayze in Ghost, only the spirit in my mind entertained serious homicidal tendencies. Then everything in my apartment looked foreign – had the gap in my bedroom blinds always been there, or had someone been fiddling with them in my absence? Had I really left the water on the counter? If so, why was it still perspiring, considering I had spent the last few hours asleep? Ahh, the wonders of possessing an active imagination.

On a completely unrelated note, someone needs to do away with Billy Currington. The guy is more irritating than Nicole Richie, prancing around like God’s gift to women. His songs stink and he’s not remotely attractive. Must draw the same crowd that Kenny Chesney does – one I just don’t comprehend and to which I certainly don’t belong. But the new Panic! At the Disco video is fantastic, so it’s an even trade.

My Classes:
- Business Associations (corporations, LLPs, mergers, acquisitions, etc.)
- Federal Income Tax
- Evidence (a prerequisite to many of the classes I would like to take as a third year - it covers what can and cannot be used as proof in court and settlements, what is exempt from discovery, etc.)
- Introduction to Intellectual Property (the gateway to Internet Law, Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, and all that other good stuff)

OCI, Day 2

I just had one interview today, with Katten Munich Rosenman. The door had a sign outside that read, “Please knock two minutes before your interview.” Glad that I had arrived considerably early, I flipped open my cell phone and paced in a small oval while waiting for the stubborn white numerals to reach 9:18. I knocked with all the assertion I could muster and through the glass the interviewer nodded solemly. He reminded me of Jabba the Hutt... with a less approachable demeanor.

The interview did nothing to dispel this first impression. The guy was about as engaging as a brick wall, and only once produced a half-smile.

Some Questions:
- Your grades are lower than the applicants we typically hire. What should I tell the recruiting committee if I have to go back and say, “I like this candidate, but her grades…”
- You lack the technical background our firm requires of IP associates. Are you interested in any other areas?
- What about our law firm interests you?

In other local news, this is really not important, but Bruno Kirby died! He played Billy Crystal’s best friend in When Harry Met Sally. I can’t believe it! Lukemia, of course. Further proof that cancer will provide a solution to the world's overpopulation dilemma.

Day One of OCI

Welcome to today’s episode of “I don’t know what I’m doing… don’t hate me.” It’s time for on-campus interviewing, otherwise known as the ritualistic torture of unsuspecting second-year law students!

I somehow managed to make myself presentable this morning. As I passed the mirror of my bathroom I had to look twice – it seemed like another person eyeing me critically. With considerable reluctance I dragged myself, kicking and screaming, to the law school at 9:00 for my 9:30 appointment with the heartless soul sucker – oops, I mean, mock interviewer.

I paced in the waiting room for about three years before he finally came out to retrieve me. Oh, I’m sorry – he sent his secretary out to retrieve me. Thirty minutes later, I limped out of his office about four inches shorter, ready to purchase a noose.

Some questions he asked:
- Tell me about yourself? (I paused for a moment here, trying to keep the inevitable stupid expression from my face)
- What made you want to go to law school? (“Art school wasn’t an option. Not the right answer?” …just kidding, I didn’t really say that…)
- Tell me about your extracurricular activities at U of I. (trying to stay alive?)
- Why did you decide to go to U of I?
- What made you interested in our firm? (the potential paycheck?)
- Where do you see yourself in five years? (steadily employed, God willing)
- So… your GPA is a bit lower than the candidates we typically hire. What should I tell the firm about your grades? Did you have any health problems? (where do I begin?)

He essentially stated that, with my grades, I had no chance at procuring a position through OCI. (Although he did attempt to soften the blow by commenting that I displayed no nerves, possessed stellar conversational skills – you can stop laughing, Mom – and presented myself well, with good posture and attire.) He proceeded to mention that my resume, while interesting, was not “the kind of thing law firms are used to seeing.” Guess that means I’ll be re-doing it, hmm? He offered to “take the liberty” and edit my resume for me. He claims he’ll e-mail me when it’s finished. Mmm-hmm.

With solemn limbs and a slow gait, I moped back to my car and drove over to join the firing squad for my “real” interviews. They’re held at the Digital Computer Lab, which also serves as the engineering building. It’s obvious where all the money at U of I went – this is a massive, four-story conglomerate of elegance, class and shining glass.

Luckily, I found a parking spot right in front, and jogged over to the door (although I had arrived a half hour early). As I reached for the door handle, I realized my new navy shoes were no longer strangling my toes, and glanced down to see I was still sporting my tennis shoes, into which I had changed for the drive over. After a quick change, I breezed in and asked the first person I saw for directions. The lady shrugged and pointed up, which helped immensely. Luckily, I ran into two classmates toiling in the lobby, and sat down to join the exposition of nerves and agitation. The girl also had an interview at 10:40, so after a few anxious minutes we migrated up to the third floor together. There were a lot of nervous second-years milling around, most sporting new suits and crisp white shirts, some looking less than stellar in obnoxious hot pink or tan ensembles.

At the check-in desk (manned by a particularly haggard-looking administrative lady), I received a little tag with the name of my firm (Schiff Hardin LLP) and the interviewers, along with the room number. They instructed me to stand outside the room and wait until 10:40, then knock on the door.

I parted ways with Amy and went in search of room 20. The long hallway curved into a menacing U-shape, with pristine tan carpet and a long parade of crisp wooden doors with official gold handles. Students in various states of nervousness and agitation milled about each of them, fingering their freshly-acquired lapels or drumming their fingers against pressed pants. I felt like a candidate for the firing squad, passing sympathetic faces en route to my premature and inhumane demise.

Although someone had left the door to room 20 ajar, it was vacant. I crossed my arms and attempted to look as innocuous yet confident as possible while standing stupidly in the middle of the hallway staring at a schedule posted outside the door. After about thirty seconds a friendly-looking heavy-set black woman appeared and said, “Oh, I’m sorry; you’re waiting for us!” She welcomed me inside and we engaged in idle chitchat about how grade and high schools seemed to start so much later than law school. She was friendly and engaging, and I found my nerves diminishing rapidly.

After a few minutes a tall, reedy-looking Geek Squad candidate joined us, and the afternoon went quite well…

- So, tell me about living at Baytowne. I lived there when I went to college… I still remember my apartment and building number…
Me: It’s wonderful, blah blah blah, we just got wireless internet in the gatehouse, which is fantastic…
- It sounds like you had a really varied summer working for Eagles Entertainment. (long pause, obviously for me to jump in)
Me: Yes, I am immensely grateful for the experience…
- Why did you decide to go to law school?
- What kind of law would you like to practice?
- Do you have any questions for us?

Notable comments about the firm:
- everyone is issued a BlackBerry, at the firm’s expense

Later that afternoon, I arrived about five minutes early to my McDermott & Wills inquisition. Positioning myself outside the door with a well-practiced rapt yet casual expression (I hoped), I read the bios someone had posted about the two potential interviewers. Through the door window I glimpsed a flash of blonde hair, so I expected the subject of the female bio to be my torturer. She specialized in litigation, particularly torts involving products liability (nothing that remotely interested me, but a little forged interest never hurt anybody).

Someone approached from behind me that I did not recognize to peer in the door’s window. Although he had about a decade on me, I presumed him a 2L interviewing student due to his casual demeanor. “You next?” He inquired.

“Yep, I’m next on the firing squad,” I nodded.

He made some sort of hand motion through the window and then nodded to me, “She’s motioning for me to come in. It’ll be just a minute.”

“Okay; thanks,” I smiled stupidly. He disappeared into the room, and I realized with mounting horror that the man who had just spoken to me matched the mug of the male interviewer posted on the door. I hadn’t recognized him without a tie and with substantially shorter hair.

Oops.

They sat beside each other, eyeing my resume with blank yet pleasant expressions. Each interviewer is issued a binder of resumes for each student, and then inserts their own “grading” pages, onto which they scribble indecipherably while the subjects of their narriatives attempt to focus enough to spout something approaching Shakespeare.

- Why are you interested in McDermott as opposed to all the other firms you could be interviewing with?
- What classes are you taking in the fall? Are you tailoring your selections to the IP field?
- What is the Eagles Club?
- I see you clerked for Judge Halbrooks?
- Do you know what you would like to practice?
- What kind of firm are you looking for? Small, large, corporate…
- Where would you like to practice? (they have multiple offices, and were agreeable and encouraging when I mentioned I would like to start in Chicago and transfer to Miami – apparently that happens frequently)
- Are you interested in litigation at all?
- What in your background indicates that you will succeed in the IP field?
- Obviously we have a limited amount of time in which to get to know you, but I would like to extend the opportunity for you to pose some questions to us. (Argh! I hate this question! I’m learning, people – help me along! Toss me a bone! I know you’re not going to offer me a job, anyway, so let’s get some practice going!)

Notable comments about the firm:
- very self-driven; you choose your own hours
- lots of associates start in one location and switch to another location, and the company is amenable to that

On the way out, the woman motioned toward a black bag sitting on the corner of the table. The man reached in obligingly and produced a tiny object with the firm’s name printed on the side. I leaned forward eagerly and burst out, “Oooh, is that a flash drive?” The woman interviewer smiled and said to the man, “I knew she’d like it!” (We had spent a great deal of time discussing my interest in internet technology and computer-related IP law.)

All in all, not a bad day. I’m sure they were both just humoring me with their feigned interest, but I sure appreciated not feeling like an incompetent reject from Freaks and Geeks.