Now, For Something NOT Law Related

I know that this is a blog all about my law school journey. And I normally wouldn't just post anything up here. But I have to say it...

How beautiful was Kate Middleton's Dress at the Royal Wedding today?

I'm not one of those people with Royal Wedding mania, I swear. I didn't stay up to watch it, and I don't have "William & Kate" tchotchkes on backorder from all of the different vendors selling t-shirts, mugs, coins, or even refrigerators.

But I am a girl, and most girls dream of marrying a prince someday. And even if they just dream about marrying an average Joe, they most certainly have visions about what dress they're going to do it in. I think that her dress was gorgeous...I've always been a fan of the v-neck lace overlay gowns (seriously, ask anyone who's ever watched "Say Yes to the Dress" with me).

Anyway, I'll be going about my day today without staying glued to the near-constant media coverage of the event, but I did just want to share how pretty I thought the dress was. Picking Sara Burton (from Alexander McQueen, I called it!) was a good choice.

But What I Really Wanted to Be....

Yes, I'm going to law school. But what I really wanted to be was:

A prima ballerina!

Unfortunately (or fortunately, really), falling flat on my face -- not once, but twice! -- during my recital in fifth grade helped to change my mind.

My Final LSP Accuracy

Well, the cycle is over. I've put in my deposit(s) at SMU, and withdrawn every where else. Now it's time to evaluate that handy little tool, Law School Predictor (LSP). A lot of you may remember that I seriously advocated to use of this website to determine where you should target your applications. Here we'll find out how accurate it actually is!

In any given cycle there can be a number of game changers, and no cycle can be predicted with 100% accuracy EVER. I got a few surprises during my cycle (dinged at Samford, whaaaat?), but for the most part everything went pretty smoothly.

So, here we go. In this following list, the outcomes that surprised me are bolded. Please note: not every school is represented on LSP.

               Iowa:   Deny (8%) → (withdrew)
               Wake Forest:   Deny (7%) → Waitlisted

               Southern Methodist:   Consider (25%) → In 

               Case Western Reserve:   Consider (31%) → Dinged

               Loyola Marymount:   Consider (27%) → (withdrew)

               San Diego:   Consider (17%) → (withdrew)

               Baylor:   Consider (24%) → In

               Kentucky:   Consider (16%) → Dinged

               Penn State:   Consider (31%) → (withdrew)

               Arkansas - Fayetteville:   Strong Consider (37%) → In 

               Santa Clara:   Consider (30%) → In 

               DePaul:   Admit (49%) → In 

               Pacific:   Admit (57%) → In 

               San Francisco:   Strong Consider (44%) → Waitlisted 

               Akron:   Admit (81%) → In

               Arkansas - Little Rock:   Admit (>95%) → In 

               Memphis:   Strong Consider (67%) → (withdrew)

               Ole Miss:   Strong Consider (70%) → Dinged

               Pacific*:   Admit (90%) → In 

               Samford:   Admit (87%) → Dinged

               Southwestern:   Admit (>95%) → Waitlisted

               Texas Tech:   Consider (55%) → Dinged

               California Western:   Admit (>95%) → In

               Campbell:   Admit (78%) → Waitlisted, then Dinged

               Dayton:   Admit (>95%) → In 

               Texas Wesleyan:   Admit (89%) → (withdrew)

               Thomas Jefferson:   Admit (>95%) → In 

               Whittier:   Admit (>95%) → In 

               UC Irvine:   (no predicition) → Dinged

               Phoenix:   Admit (>95%) → In

               Western State:   Strong Consider (>95%) → In

* = Pacific is listed twice, once on the Top 100 list, and once on the Unranked list. Each time it had different data listed, so I just put it down both times.

These results show what happens when I click the URM box. Some schools looked at me as a URM, and some didn't...it depends on if they looked at me as "Hispanic" or "Central American." Mexicans and Puerto Ricans are the two latino ethnic groups that get the URM boost a majority of the time; other latino groups (like Guatemalan) are not considered URM, and thusly are SOL. If I had entered my data without checking the URM box, a lot of the considers became "weak consider" or "deny" choices, instead, and some of my admits turned into "considers."

Overall, I'd say that my cycle went well, with a couple of good surprises, and a couple of not-so-good surprises. I think that LSP was a fairly accurate tool, and it definitely helped me focus on where I could/should apply. I'd recommend that any law student take a look at the LSP results for their data before sending out their application.

If you want to get a more thorough picture of all of the schools I applied to, when my applications went out, and how much money I got at each school, you can check out my LSN profile.

Growly Notes for Macs

I know, I know, it's kind of not cool anymore to love your Mac...it's conformist and lame. But I can't help it! I love my Mac! I love the simplicity, the software, the way that macs work with other macs, the way that you can actually learn about your mac because of the intuitive interfaces, the fact that they have a great lifespan, and (most importantly) the fact that they very rarely, if ever, get viruses.

I have helped my sisters through enough malware and viruses on their PCs to know that Macs are the way to go if this is something you're worried about.

The one thing I don't love about it, though? No OneNote! I get so jealous every time I see my sister (a Twenty-Something Intern) using that fabulous program. And every law student that I've talked to has raved -- absolutely RAVED -- about the ease of using OneNote to help build your notes and outlines for classes during 1L. And so, even though I love my Mac, I honestly considered switching to a PC for law school just so I could run OneNote (and have more tech help on campus, and run ExamSoft, etc.)

I checked out a couple of substitutes, and considered running OneNote through Parallels, but none of them just seemed that attractive. Parallels seriously slows down your computer, and the other programs I tried were all missing...something.

LUCKILY, I stumbled upon this WONDERFUL substitute. It's easy to use, almost just as user-friendly and easy-to-manipulate as OneNote, and best of all, completely free! Mac users rejoice, I give you: Growly Notes!

You can add text, data, pictures, movies, sound clips, links, calendar entries, and a million other things to your notes in Growly Notes! It's easy to organize your notebooks and outlines exactly how you want them, you can use the click-and-drag method to do just about anything within the program. And it's so pretty!!

If this colorful view isn't your cup of tea, you can always change it to "serious" mode, which is a little less fun -- all business in serious mode! But either way, it gets the job done. You can add as many sections or pages as you want to each different book, and the pages can look however you want, you can choose for a multitude of templates.

So far I've been really pleased with Growly Notes. I'm able to compile all of my different lists and thoughts into one organized place, which helps clarify my thought process in the end. I like that you can add any pictures or PDFs to any page wherever makes the most sense to you and layer images and text beautifully and seamlessly. I don't like that it's difficult to share notebooks with someone who doesn't have a Mac and Growly Notes.

I think that this program will come SUPER in handy for classes. And if it doesn't, well, at least I didn't waste the $65 that Circus Ponies would have cost me.

Networking Suggestions: Joining Your Local Bar

And by "Bar" I don't mean the place you go to knock back a few pints (duhhhhh).

(A small disclaimer: I work at a local Bar Association. But that doesn't mean that the following advice isn't great advice.) 

Local Bar Associations are AMAZING networking opportunities for law students (or soon-to-be law students). There are events every month for local attorneys and judges to attend, and if you're there too you'll be meeting the people who (someday soon) could be giving you a job -- or at least an interview. While meeting them in a social setting like this doesn't guarantee you a job, it does give you a leg up on the competition...unless you make a drunken fool of yourself at a Bar event.

So don't do that (you would be surprised at how regularly this actually happens).

A lot of local Bar Associations even waive their membership fees for current law students, but even if you have to pay a fee to join, I would argue that it's well worth it. At these social events, whether they're dinners, luncheons, meetings or cocktail hours, you're getting invaluable face-time with major players in the local legal field.

In my experience, a majority of the lawyers and judges who come to local bar events are ECSTATIC when they come across someone considering going to law school. They give great advice, and often make suggestions as to where you might find work after 1L. I, personally, have been guaranteed three 1L SA interviews in my hometown, should I choose to return during the summer. All before having set foot in a classroom. How many people can say that?

Aside from the networking events for the general membership, each Bar Association has "sections" devoted to specific practice areas. It would behoove any person considering law school, or in law school, to attend the section meetings that interest them. Often times food is provided, and you get to hear amazing speakers in areas of interest to you specifically. Most Bar Associations have a Young Lawyers Section, as well, which gives you the opportunity to chat with people who were recently in your shoes, and get some great tips and tricks from them.

Lastly, a TON of Bar Associations offer scholarships and stipends to law students that have ties to the local area. You don't have to be a member to apply for any of them, of course, but it couldn't hurt, and oftentimes helps! If you're a member of your local Bar then you'll be getting emails/newsletters about the different opportunities, which will make your search for the money that much easier. And may I say, my firsthand experience shows that most of the scholarships offered by the local Bar Association have very few applicants...you've got a good chance of winning it just by applying. Honest.

All in all, I can't say enough about the wonderful opportunities that working for (and being a member of) a local Bar Association has afforded me. I'm more aware of the opportunities that exist for local scholarships and writing competitions, and I'm much more savvy (and comfortable!) in my interactions with attorneys on both a social and professional level now. I'll definitely be joining the Dallas Bar Association the minute I get to Texas, and would encourage people considering law school to do the same in their respective cities/counties.

Another One Bites The Dust

...another item off of my checklist, that is!

I have a beautiful, very well organized planner. It' s pretty, pink (Lilly Pulitzer), and the perfect size...not too small, but not so big that it doesn't fit easily in whatever purse I happen to be carrying that day (although please note: I tend to carry large purses). I got in the habit of carrying a fairly detailed planner in college, and while I have significantly less to do during this "off" period in my life, I just couldn't quite manage to break the habit.

So, I've kept it up. And I think that will definitely be helpful for 1L.

But, I digress. Late last week I caught myself updating my planner for the next month, and penning in to the last week of May, "Pay 2nd Seat Deposit at SMU." SMU's second seat deposit is due by June 1, for those who are unaware, so I calendared it a week out to make sure that I had plenty of time to get it done.

And then I thought to myself, "Doesn't my crazy Guatemalan mother always say, 'Never put off till tomorrow what you could do today,' like, every day? Clearly, I should follow this advice." I never aspired to be Scarlett O'Hara. I have no problem doing something today rather than next month. There was no reason for me to wait until June to pay my deposit. I'm committed 100% to SMU.

And so I paid my second deposit online. And crossed one more thing out of my planner (and off of my to-do list).

I love getting things accomplished.

But What I Really Wanted to be...

Yes, I'm going to law school. But what I really wanted to be was...

The next celebrity chef! How fun would it be to just putz around your (gorgeous, gourmet, and completely network-paid-for) kitchen all day long, just whipping up the most amazing things, and having a full hair, makeup, and lighting crew there for you while you do it?

Have a good weekend, folks!

Mother, May I?

So, I was looking through the TLS threads (again) and I noticed that on the Ding Bar thread (referenced in my last post) someone posted the following:

Dear University of Houston,

Thank you for your ding. Now I can return that Kevlar jacket and helmet.

Houston Area Homicide Map Jan 2010 - Dec 2010
http://img706.imageshack.us/f/houstona.jpg/

I was admittedly intrigued, so I clicked the link. Wow. There are a LOT of murders in Houston. I don't live in Pleasantville, USA or anything, but GEEZ!

So then I got really curious. I mean, I watch that show The First 48 all of the time. On each show they profile 2 murders in two different cities. I feel like at least once in every four episodes or so one of the murders has happened in Dallas (the overwhelming majority take place in Miami). And since I'm moving to Dallas in the next few months...well, you get the idea.

I'm going to say this right off the bat: I am a huge scaredy-cat. My mom raised me thinking that literally every man on the street was a rapist or sick-o just waiting to steal a cute little girl for nefarious reasons. Every dark window had a crazy guy outside waiting for you to turn off the lights so he could break in. And if you pumped the gas of a car before starting it you WOULD blow up.

(That third thing really doesn't have anything to do with violent crime, but you can see the extremes she took.)

And yes, my mom grew up in Guatemala, where you do have to be, at least marginally, more cautious than here. But when you get down to it, she's just a crazy, paranoid woman. Unfortunately, that paranoia has started to manifest in me to the teeniest, tiniest degree. And so I google searched the term "Dallas homicide map" with a certain sense of impending doom.

Say whaaaaaaaaat? That map is all blue!!!!!! Thankfully, when I zoomed in I noticed it really wasn't all that bad...there seems to be a very clear "buffer zone" around the campus, at least.

Well, anyway, needless to say I will NOT be showing this particular map to my mother ever. Never ever. Because then she would a) not let me go, and b) lock me up in my room so that no crazy people from Dallas hitchhike the 1200 miles to my hometown and try to "cut" me.

0L Preparation: Browsing TLS Threads

One thing that I think has been incredibly helpful to me in the past, and will continue to be incredibly helpful to me over the next several months, is looking at the advice and opinions given by TLSers who are currently in law school. They're living the life I'm going to be living in 6 months, and they're willing to pass on their knowledge to lowly 0ls like me!

Life is too short to make all of the mistakes yourself, so you should learn from the mistakes of others. (Or, conversely, you should copy the successes of others in order to be successful yourself.)

Now, a lot of different TLS users have waxed poetic about their own path through 1L, and a lot of times it's interesting, but not very helpful or applicable. But that's not always the case, and when you find those threads that are just AWESOME, you need to bookmark them, print them, or tag them so that you can go back time after time and reap the benefits of what they have sowed.

If you don't want to spend the time searching through years of links and comments (although I would recommend it!), I'll give you a few a whole bunch of my favorite threads here. These are the different threads that I think will be incredibly useful to 0Ls and 1Ls, and I'm sure I'll be referencing them time and again starting in August.

Let's try to put them in some kind of order, shall we? Starting out, here's a list of links helpful for people who are considering applying to law school, or have yet to get in/go anywhere.

• First off, we have bk187's Compendium of 0L Follies. I actually tend to think that bk187 is pretty extremist, and disagree with several of his posts on TLS, but I think that this is important to read if you're considering law school. The world is not as black and white as bk187 makes it seem, but you should definitely know that what he says is a serious possibility.

• Next, Knock's Useful Links Thread. This is a list of helpful links for people considering applying to/attending law school. Everything from LSAT information to Employment stats can be found in a link on this list. Well done, Knock (and others).

• Then we have lishi's links for 0Ls, which has a GREAT list of E&Es and Hornbooks, as well as links to a ton of 0L prep questions and suggestions. I'm a fan.

• Lastly, an interesting list of books to read before 1L (if you're so inclined) can be found in the discussion answering chicagored's question in this thread.

Okay, so say your cycle didn't go so well (or even if it did and you're just crushed by that one dream school's rejection)? Reading through The Ding Bar thread will definitely make you feel better. Feel free to post something scathing about that awful school that dinged you, biting wit is the name of the game on this thread.

Now, once you get into law school, you're kind of on your own. I mean, there's not some book out there that's called "A Guide Just for Twenty-Something Law Student About How to Do the Best and Get the Most Out of Her Law School Experience," is there? No. But you can get some pretty good advice on TLS. Just make sure that you're taking advice from the right kind of poster.

• First in this category, we have Talon's guide to success in your first year. Talon was top of the class at a T10, and this guide is incredibly thorough and well-written. In it, Talon specifically discusses 0L prep (a tiny bit), learning the law, the law school exams, first year classes, and a bunch of other stuff.

• I think Arrow's Advice for Doing Well in Law School (at a T2) was the post that a bunch of these other advice posts are based off of. Arrow was top of his class at a lower ranked school, but then transferred to a T10 school (if you're interested, he went from Loyola LA to Berkeley). His post is really thoughtfully laid out, and covers everything from deciding where to go through how to get through finals (there's more info about 1L than 0L, so that's why I stuck it here). This is a MUST READ. It's been edited 106 times over the years to include some seriously amazing links and file shares, so take some time to look it over.

• Another great resource is MegaTTTron's Advice for Doing Well at a T1 (although I'm sure it applies to non-T1 students, too, don't worry). I found his advice on class prep and outlining particularly helpful. MegaTTTron transferred from a T1 to a top 6 school.

• Wahoo1L's Law School Advice (T10) is also really helpful. It's similar to MegaTTTron's advice, with a little bit of a different take. I think it's important to read everything, even if it's similar to other advice you've gotten already, because it makes you realize how important that piece of information actually is. Wahoo1L was top 3% at his T10 school.

• A fabulous post, xeoh85's Advice for Doing Well in Law School is solid. Xeoh85 was top of his class at UCLA. I *think* xeoh85 then transferred to Stanford (but I might be wrong). Since xeoh85's posts were spread throughout the thread, and the thread was then locked, Protolaw thankfully compiled all of the advice into one (longer) post. But you should still read it.

• SLS2012 (obviously a Stanford Student) wrote Another Advice Thread for 0L, which is very much like those before it. There's really not much else to say. Just read it.

• MTU is in the 10% at Cornell (say hi to the NardDog for me, MTU!) and has laid out a shorter post giving us his (or her) Two Cents About Law School Success.

• Here's another Arrow post...answering someone's question about E&Es and Hornbooks. Definitely worth a read if you're confused a little bit about what, exactly, those things are.

• Instead of a single thread, JayCutler'sCombover's Complete 0L Guide to 1L is a blog, so you should read from the bottom up. It goes over everything from the typical 0L prep suggestions through class prep, exams, random 1L advice, and even transferring (he was accepted as a transfer to Columbia, no idea if he went or not).

• Lastly, the official TLS article, Success in Law School -- A Unique Perspective. It's good.

Up next: the few threads that are about random/specific topics that didn't fit in either of the two categories above but are still important.

• You can't go to law school without paying for it, and unless you happen to have $200k laying around, you're going to have to take out loans. (If you do happen to have $200k around, let's be friends. I make yummy cupcakes.) Rman1201's Law School Loan Financial Calculator is super helpful. It's not his fault that those numbers are so high, so don't blame the calculator when you go into sticker shock and need a paper bag to breathe into.

• I personally use a Mac, but I'm considering switching to a PC (oh, the horror!) just so I can use OneNote during law school. It's the best outlining software out there, and everyone I know swears by it. If you are lucky enough to have a PC but aren't yet familiar with OneNote, you probably should get familiar with it quickly. Inchoate_con's OneNote & Law School: Beginner's Guide is AMAZING. So well organized. So thorough. So helpful! READ IT RIGHT NOW.

• Obviously, the end-all be-all of law school grades is the exam. And this exam isn't like any exam you've ever taken before (or so I hear). Scribe has put together a great guide on How To Learn How To Do Well on a Law School Exam, so before you get to the exam portion of your first semester as a 1L, you should probably take a look at it. In fact, you should probably peruse the thread before you get to school, just so you can know what to be on the look out for.

WHEW! That's a lot of linkage, right there! I hope you enjoy taking the next six weeks to read through all of those! Hahaha. But really, you would be well-served to at least glance at all of these threads.

How cool would it be if TLS printed these all out and published them as one advice book? I'd be the first one in line to buy it, I swear. Anyway, good luck and godspeed!

Do I Need a Change of Address Form?

Well, I guess if it wasn't official before it is now!

As of late last week I have a new email address! my @smu.edu email has been activated, and I even got it set up on my iPhone in anticipation of the big move!

SMU uses an Outlook based email system, and I'm not the hugest Outlook fan, so that's kind of "meh" at the moment. PLUS you apparently can't change your display name, so I'm stuck with people getting my emails seeing, "Last, First M." under my name rather than the more traditional "First M. Last."

To be honest, this kind of bugs me for some really ridiculous reason. I know it's super dumb and inconsequential, but it just doesn't look very pretty. Oh, well. Maybe I'll be able to figure it out at some point in the future.

Or maybe I'll just get over it.

For right now, I'm just glad to be one step closer to an SMU 1L!

Another Brilliant TLSer

Okay, so remember how a few weeks ago I discussed the greatness that is the Law School Status Checker that the genius known as shatra designed? Well, another genius TLSer strikes again. Seriously, some of these people should reevaluate their law school ambitions and maybe look into computer programming.

This time it's aliarrow who is making your life as a law school applicant a little easier, although later in the application process.

A lot of people have a much more difficult time than I did picking which law school to attend...and mine was no cake walk! Sometimes you really can't decide between two great options, or are considering so many schools or factors that you just confuse yourself even more. That's where aliarrow's genius comes in.

Aliarrow has combine a bunch of different factors -- cost, location, prestige, ranking, job placement, etc. -- into a great website called Law School Picker that will help make your law school choice for you, taking into account the value you place on each individual factor. Basically, this website takes all of the TLS advice you can get on the different schools you're considering and condenses it into a decision generator!

First you tell the website which regions you desire to practice in, and rate each desired location. Then you tell the website which sector you wish to be employed in (biglaw, govt, etc.) and rate each of those desired sectors. Next you rate the importance of different factors to you: geographic placement, employment, cost, and prestige. Last, you tell the website which schools you are considering, and how much scholarship money you got at each institution (note: don't put a comma in the number! it messes it up).

Then you click "Submit" and VOILA! A detailed analysis of where you should attend and why pops up on the next page. It breaks down all of the categories you said were important to you and generates a raw score for each school, graded on the same scale, so you can see how they stack up mathematically.

Law School Picker is brilliant, whether you're seriously having a difficult time making a decision, or if you're just looking for some validation that you picked the right school for you. It gives you the index scores of all of the schools you're considering, and how they rank on the different factors that you've indicated are important to you.

It told me that I made the right choice in choosing SMU. :)

So check it out, and then log onto TLS and leave aliarrow some love on the TLS thread about the website.

Anyone get some interesting (good or otherwise) results from the site? Leave me a comment to let me know what you think!

FAFSA - Complete!

If there's one thing I know about myself, it's that I am the QUEEN of procrastination. I know that this doesn't necessarily bode well for my law school career. It's something I've been working on, especially since leaving undergrad, and hopefully I'm getting a (better) handle on it.

Luckily, I work well under pressure (as opposed to some people I know, a friend who shall remain nameless, who when the pressure mounts tends to just break down crying hysterically. Not my style.).

One thing I get a lot of flak from my friends for is preparing and filing my taxes -- namely, I don't prepare my own taxes. I know, it's easy, right? I'm not married, don't have kids, don't own property, don't have ridiculous investments or write-offs...my tax preparation should be a cinch, and something I should easily be able to handle online or with Turbotax or something, right?

Wrong. Well, maybe not wrong, but definitely not correct for ME. One year I did prepare my own taxes, if only because my dad said I should really take a stab at it. Then I took them to my dad's CPA, and asked him to look them over when he was doing my family's taxes. He "found" me an extra $1576. Since then, daddy's CPA is my go-to tax guy. I trust him, he doesn't take forever, and I used to date the receptionist's son, so I can get a meeting even at the last minute.

Speaking of the last minute, I *finally* got my taxes e-filed TODAY, the day before "tax day." Talk about under the wire! And with my taxes all prepared and e-filed, I was *finally* able to fill out and file the FAFSA with SMU.

For future FAFSA filers: even if you're independent (for tax purposes), or over the age of 24, some schools still require your parents' tax information on your FAFSA. Make sure you check with each individual school you'll be sending the FAFSA to for their requirements. SMU didn't (thankfully -- one less thing for me to worry about).

It feels so good to check one more thing off of my "To Do Before August" list!

But What I Really Wanted to be...

Yes, I'm going to law school. But what I really wanted to be was...

A contestant on The Amazing Race! Seriously. My friend and I even applied once...we were devastated not to make the cut! I think I would be so good at that game.

0L Preparation: Increasing Your Typing Speed

So, you're planning on going to law school? Well, then, Mavis Beacon should be your homegirl. (Yes, that Mavis Beacon, from 5th grade computer classes -- ah, the good old days of Oregon Trail).

I know, I know, this sounds completely ridiculous. Who cares, right? Trust me, you will. Now if you're typing at a decent speed, and you don't need to focus on the keyboard to be able to type a sentence, then you're probably fine -- no need to become Sally Speed Typer. But if you're employing the "two finger" method (or worse, the "one thumb" method that my uncle tends to use), then you should probably look at brushing up your typing skillz over the 0L prep period.

Having been in a typing-heavy, high-pressure, fast-paced environment for the last year, I don't think that this is something that I personally am going to need or do over the summer, but for those 0Ls who haven't been in that same position increasing your typing speed and accuracy is important. It will make you more productive as a student, you'll be able to take more comprehensive notes, and you'll be able to focus on what the professor is actually saying (rather than which key is where).

There's no need to spend money on a fancy computer program, or take typing classes geared towards octogenarian ex-stenographers, either. You can get really basic, helpful tutorials for free online. Just google "typing lesson" or "typing speed" to get a glimpse of some of the different options available.

Truthfully, most of the people in my age bracket (26 and younger, in general) are probably pretty okay typers. We grew up in the era of AIM and chat rooms, so we can probs type pretty speedily. Whether or not you think you need help, you can run a fun little typing speed diagnostic. My favorite is this one. Even if you don't need typing tutorials, try doing the online test (it refreshes to a new literary passage every time you start the clock again) once or twice a week, just to make you aware of how fast you type, and how accurately you type.

I swear, it's helpful (and fun for the slightly OCD, competitive 0Ls out there).

Gentlemen (and ladies), flex your fingers!

So, how fast do you all type?

LORs - Asking for them, and then following up

All right, LORs. I know this goes a little ways back in the admission process, but worrying about them doesn't (or shouldn't) stop once you have your ambitious little paws on them.

I'm lucky in that I went to a small, private, liberal arts university, where the student to faculty ratio was low and the interaction with faculty was high. I was able to cultivate personal relationships with my professors and advisors easily throughout my time at Denison, and even though I'm terrible about keeping in touch via email, etc., I've stayed in contact with the important people at least peripherally.

However, there tends to be a high rate of faculty turnover at Denison, so I went through three advisors in four years in my major. When I was gathering my LORs, I knew it was going to be hard to get letters from people with consistent contact with me. And since I had graduated a few years earlier (well, one year before I began asking, but I took a semester off my senior year), I thought it might be difficult for people to remember how I was in the classroom.

A word to the wise: even if you're planning on taking a year or more off, start getting a list of professors that you'd like to get LORs from NOW. Unless you've been out of undergrad for a significant period of time (I'm talking 6+ years), you're going to need at LEAST one faculty recommendation. Make a target list of profs that you've had classes with more than once, your faculty advisor(s) in your major(s), and your research advisor, if applicable. Approach them in the spring of your junior year if you'll be applying to go to law school directly after graduation, or the fall/early spring of your senior year if you're going to take some time off.

If you've taken some time off, as I did, it is appropriate to have one (possibly two) recommendations from employers, depending on the field that you're working in. If you're selling khaki's at GAP, no ad comm is going to care what your front end manager thinks of you -- they're not necessarily being wowed by your analytical skillz when you're folding those cute boyfriend cardis. However, if you're working in a corporate or legal setting, I would recommend asking your supervisor (or former supervisor) for a LOR.

I collected more LORs than necessary, so I could tailor/mix-n-match the LORs to the school I was applying to. My recommenders included:

• My very groovy communications advisor, Dr. Erika Pryor (check out her website here!). Not only was she my advisor for the longest period of time (2 years), but I took a class or two with her AND we wrote up a research proposal together.
• An English prof (not my major or minor) that I loved, loved, LOVED at school. I loved her so much that I took three or four classes in her dept. just so I could learn from her.
• The Associate Dean of Students. I worked in his office for three years.
• The Director of the non-profit where I worked for 9 months.
• One of the attorneys in the practice group that I supported at the firm I worked in for over a year.
• My uncle's attorney, the owner/managing partner of the other big firm (mid-law) here in my hometown. He's an alumnus of Santa Clara, so that letter was really only for that school.

Sometimes, you just need to email them once and within a week or so you have a letter waiting for you. That's nice. But it rarely happens.

A lot of times you have to send your recommenders one or two gentle reminders, and then they'll get you a letter. But sometimes you have to seriously stalk your profs/bosses to get that LOR. It's not because they don't want to write you one, don't worry. But people who work are busy, and people who work in these fields are ESPECIALLY busy. They have a million balls up in the air, so you need to make sure that your ball doesn't get dropped.

What worked for me (in more than one instance) was sending my recommenders and introductory email telling them the basic guidelines of the letter (about a page or two in length, mentioning my classroom/analytical skills, etc.) as well as the deadline that I needed it by. I always set this deadline at least two weeks earlier than I actually planned on getting my applications out by. Then I calendared follow-ups for myself for every two weeks, and then the month of my "deadline" every week. So I would be typing along and I'd get a little pop up reminder and shoot off the email. Very effective.

Yes, sometimes it can feel like nagging to you, since odds are you're stressing out about it. But really, more than likely they've forgotten, so it won't seem as naggy.

Once you've collected your LORs from your reccomenders, the fun doesn't end there.

Call me old-fashioned, but I believe it's just plain rude to ask someone for a favor and not adequately thank them for taking the time and putting forth the effort to help you out. I'm a firm believer in the "thank you card" at the minimum (I don't think people send "thank you" cards nearly as often as they should). For taking the time to draft a thoughtful and interesting LOR, though, I personally sent my recommenders more than a card...I sent them a box of Dewar's Chews, the sweet delight that my hometown is famous for. It was the least I could do...a good LOR can be the difference between an admit and a ding, if you're on the line!

So then you go on your merry way, right? Nope! At least, not in my book. Look, you obviously have a pretty good personal relationship with the people that you're asking to write you a glowing recommendation letter. They obviously care enough and are interested enough to write a thoughtful and concise letter. You should be gracious enough to send them an update about your cycle once you've made a decision!

So take the time to write a quick handwritten note to your recommenders (on nice stationery, please!). Just let them know that their letter really helped in your cycle, and that you ultimately ended up deciding to go to XYZ school, for XYZ reason. Show them that you're excited for this new chapter in your life, and then give them your email address so that they can keep in touch with you! It will really make all the difference -- it shows that you're a conscientious, gracious person, and will bring a sense of closure to the process.

Oh, is that what I had said?

So remember when I said that what I really wanted to be was a cupcake baker?

Well, when I get stressed, which I feel like will be happening a lot during my 1L, I have a few routines that I like to follow to de-stress. I crochet something, I'll take a run, I'll watch a period piece film, or I'll bake.

Baking is my favorite option. And the favored option of the people I work with/am friends with.

So, last night I wasn't particularly stressed, but I did just feel like chilling out a little. So I made a new type of cupcake -- a Coca-Cola cupcake with a chocolate coke frosting.

So for Mustangs -- or future Mustangs! -- that are wondering how they'll know who I am once we get on campus in August, here's a hint...I'll be toting this sweet cupcake carrier! And I'm open to take requests for new recipes!

Worth the Money? - 1L Prep Classes

There are a few prep classes out there that are worth the money. Bar prep for sure. LSAT prep? Possibly.

I didn't take one, so I wouldn't know, but I had a few friends that scored pretty low on their first go around, had the $1200 lying around, and decided to take the class -- their scores went up on their retakes and they were happy. As such, I'd probably say that sure, LSAT classes are worth the money (if you have it and the time).

But one sort of prep class that I'm really not sure about would be the 1L prep classes. Law School Preview, LSE, and a host of other companies host 1 week law school "boot camps," if you will, that mimic a week in the life of a 1L student. You study a majority of the courses that you will be taking as a 1L to try to familiarize yourself with the concepts, theories, and methods inside of the classroom. Several of the sites "guarantee" higher grades (although how you can guarantee higher grades when you don't have any grades at all to compare them against baffles me) and a lot put out testimonials from people who are in the top 10% of their class at XYZ law school, swearing up and down that it was the preview week that really helped them get there.

And all for the bargain price of $2k (plus travel, lodging, food, etc.).

I have talked to very few people in real life who have gone to prep classes like this, and the anecdotal evidence I have been given is that these prep classes are NOT worth the expense and time. I would, from my own research, tend to agree.

The thing is, I can't imagine that you would be able to do all that much substantive learning in this format. And the little substantive learning you would do probably could have been done at home with a book or commercial outline (although I wouldn't recommend this -- like I said, trying to prep for 1L with actual substantive material is like trying to fly a plane after only reading the manual). You really wouldn't come out (knowledge-wise) any further ahead after your one week of prep classes than you would after reading a book at home by yourself.

Now, as far as tips and tricks go -- you know, outlining, briefing, writing, exam-taking, etc. -- these things might be important to at least come into contact with before you get thrown into the fire in your first week of class. But is a prep class the best way to come into contact with them?

I mean, sure, a prep class will teach you THEIR version of note taking, brief writing, outlining, etc., but you'll have to play around with it a little to find a method that works best for you. You could probably get just as much information about this sort of stuff from books like LSC or the forums on TLS as you would from a prep class, and at a MUCH lower cost.

I just don't see a scenario (outside of a pure panic meltdown) in which 1L prep classes would be worth the time or money. I don't think that they'd particularly be helpful or give you that much of a competitive edge over your classmates. The edge they might give you is an increased familiarity with the format of a class, but isn't that part of the learning curve with law school? And at some point everyone is going to be at your level -- probably within two weeks of the first class!

I talked about this with a local judge at the recent Atticus Finch Award Dinner here in Bakersfield. This judge said to me, "Do you want to be a lawyer after law school? Only the people that are super concerned with being #1 or #2 in their class go to those things, and those people don't want to be lawyers. They probably can't be lawyers. They'd never relate to a jury or a client. Those people tend to be anti-social freaks."

(I swear, that's word for word what she said. I love this particular judge. She's freaking hysterical.)

Even though I'm sure that one or two programs are being offered in Dallas, and several are available online, I will NOT be paying for a 1L prep class. I'll do a little light reading, but that's probably it. Just reminding myself not to panic and taking an extra yoga class now and again will probably do just as much, if not more, for me than an actual prep class would.

Does anyone have any experience with these prep classes? Do you think I'm wrong, or do you all get the same sense about them that I do...not worth it?

0L Preparation: Law School Confidential

Lest I get the reputation of "gunner," I just want to clarify that I have been preparing in a slow, meandering sort of way, and I DO in fact plan to take a majority of the summer off to go shopping, go to the beach, go to Cabo, drink, read trashy romance novels, watch bad reality tv, work on my tan, and play in a semi-professional sloshball league (yes, sloshball is srs bizniz.)

However, I do think that to be forewarned is to be forearmed, and while I might not spend my summer reading casebooks that I won't remember, I will continue trying to get a grasp on a few of the more fluid and technical aspects of law school, rather than the black letter law itself.

One book that I've been reading for a while is the highly-recommended book Law School Confidential by Robert Miller. Written "by students, for students" this book gives a blow-by-blow account of the entire law school process, from making the decision to be a lawyer through all three years of law school. It includes LSAT study tricks, law school exam techniques, and interview tips for OCI.

To be quite honest, I kind of skipped over the entire section on the LSAT and prep, because it didn't really apply to me. So if you want to know about that section you should probably just pick up the book. It's widely available at Barnes and Noble and Borders (although the Borders in my hometown is shutting down -- I like B&N better, anyway).

My overall opinion of this book is that it probably takes an honest, if somewhat overdramatic look, at the law school experience. I imagine that the tips and tricks in this book are probably things that I (and my fellow 0Ls) would pick up during the first semester of law school without a "how to" guide, and that, while informative, this book was not necessarily substantive.

For gunners, this would be bad. For me, this is good. At this point, I think that the way that LSC presents information of the format of an exam, what an outline can/should look like, and where you should be in your work at a give point during the semester is what will probably serve me well, without getting me too panicked or confused.

The most relevant things that I saw (and remember, relevance is in the eye of the beholder, and this beholder has zero experience at an actual law school, so take it with a grain of salt) were the descriptions on briefing/highlighting, the description of a (super gunnerish) study schedule for the weeks leading up to finals, and the list of commercial outlines Miller recommends. To synthesize:

Highlighting/Briefing:

• Buy five different colored highlighters: yellow, green, pink, blue, and orange (but I hate orange highlighters, so I'm going to go with purple).
• Each of the colors should correspond to a different section of the case: GREEN - facts, YELLOW - critical legal reasoning, PINK - holding/court/judge/procedural posture, BLUE - important precedents cited and their holdings, and ORANGE(PURPLE) - important dissenting remarks.
• After skimming the case through once, go back through and highlight in the color-code listed above, but do so sparingly. That way if you're called on in class to discuss a case, your eye immediately knows where to go on the page.
• Miller also suggests drawing a small figure at the top of your case to remind you what the case was about, but I really don't think that this is necessarily a tip that I will use.

Commercial Outlines:

• Civ Pro: Glannon, Emanuel
• Torts: Gilbert, Glannon
• Property: Gilbert
• Contracts: Emanuel
• Constitutional Law: Emanuel
• Criminal: Gilbert's

While the section on preparing for law school and the section about the first semester of the 1L year were probably the most valuable to me, I went ahead and read through the rest of the book, just to familiarize myself with the concepts and etiquette -- this way when I go back to re-read the different sections as they actually become relevant to me, I'll already have the groundwork done. I just think that the more I read about the abstract "law school experience" the less likely I'll be to panic at the starter's pistol, you know?

I've just ordered a copy of Getting to Maybe (which is, apparently, all about the exam process), so it should be here soon-ish. Plus one of the profs at SMU put together a "Suggested Reading" list that I'll probably take a crack at...at least the ones that look easy.

Anyone out there have any good suggestions for other 0L prep (besides the beach/sloshball) that they found useful?

But What I Really Wanted to be...

Yes, I'm going to law school (officially, now!). But what I really wanted to be was...

FRENCH! I wanted to just go and live in Paris and do nothing but learn the language, visit museums, eat crepes, and sit at sidewalk cafes and drink wine.

A few pictures from my trip to Paris last summer. Paris, je t'aime!

Visiting the Village -- An Apartment Complex Review

Well, like I said in my earlier posts, I decided to take a little extra time in Dallas to check out a few of the living options near campus. One complex (well, series of complexes, really) that I chose to check out was the Village.

The Village is a community of apartments complexes pretty darn close to SMU's campus (two freeway exits, I think) that share a park, "country club" and other recreational facilities. The whole community has a 2.5 mile jogging trail and two lakes. Pretty. I think that there are 14 different complexes that are within the purview of "the Village" and I looked at 4 or 5 of them while I was there.

Some of the buildings are newer than others, and some have different amenities, so there can be quite a swing in rent from one complex to the next. I think the lowest priced 1/1 I saw/heard of in the Village was about $600/month, and the highest that I saw was around $1000. For 2/2 I saw some that started right around $850, and went up from there.

The complexes that I looked at were called The Bend/Bend East, The Gate, The Cliffs, and The Lakes. I also took a quick glance around The Dakota (mostly because of the name -- maybe I could convince people I lived in the same building as Yoko Ono).

I was particularly interested in The Cliffs -- it had a gated parking area, some lake views, included alarms, and these cute "greenhouses" where they had enclosed what would have been a patio to add on to your indoor space. I think a 1/1 there ran about $657 without the "upgrades" (black appliances, tile entry, wood laminate flooring in the bath rather than linoleum) and without a W/D. I'm not too worried about the W/D because each complex has several communal laundry facilities spread out, so odds are I'd be pretty close. The Cliffs was behind the Lifestyle Center/country club, close to a main road. That's why it's gated -- so that it can't be used as a short cut.

The Bend/Bend East was located before you got to the Lifestyle Center/country club, coming off of Lover's Lane and Amesbury. They seemed to be less expensive than the other places I checked out, but they weren't gated, alarm service was an extra $25/month, and their pool wasn't quite as nice as the other places. However, the leasing office was really friendly. The plus side was that it would be closer to the SMU Mustang Express, which is apparently a shuttle that will take you to campus. Neither the Bend nor the Cliffs allowed pets (not a problem for me right now, but I might want a dog in the future -- after 1L. Odds are that I would kill anything living from sheer neglect my 1L year).

The Gate is really pretty, with a great pool and really nice landscaping. They do allow pets, and are slightly more expensive than The Cliffs. They, too, are un-gated and un-alarmed. They were across the street and down a little from the Bend and Bend East.

The Lakes was nicer than any of the other buildings I checked out, because it's newer. It has great lake views, is the closest to the "country club" and other communal amenities, and has good access to the jogging trail. It was also the most expensive of the complexes I looked at. I probably wouldn't be able to afford a 1/1 there, but if I got a roommate a 2/2 would be close to what a 1/1 would run at another complex within the Village.

Overall, the Village seemed like a good option for people who wanted to be pretty close to campus while still being removed from it. It was cheaper than I was expecting, and the community had a nice, safe feel to it. It seems like a lot of law students (and other students) make the Village their home, but most of the buildings are 21 and up, so I don't think you would have to worry about it being too undergrad-y. I'm definitely keeping the complex in the running.

So, does anyone have any experience -- good or bad -- with the apartments in the Village?

It's Official -- Pony Up!

All right, so if you follow me on LSN or are familiar with my posts on TLS, or are friends with me IRL and thus on Facebook and Twitter, then you know by now, but for the lurkers out there, I just wanted to say that it's official: I'll be starting as a 1L in August at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX.

WOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

My cycle is officially over, and that is SUCH a great feeling. Seriously, the weight on my shoulders has been lifted. Not only do I not have to worry about getting in anywhere anymore (which was my main stressor from, oh, October of 2008 through December of 2010), but I don't have to worry about any of the schools I still haven't heard from, or have that crazy nightmare about the admissions office at a given school calling me and saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry, there's been a HUGE mistake..."

(I seriously had that nightmare at least 3 times.)

There's not just one reason for my decision, so I'll list some of the factors that went into my final decision to attend SMU:

• Scholarship offer of $21,557 per year, with easy stips
• Ranking in the T1
• Comparatively GREAT employments statistics
• Location (the legal market in Dallas is better than a lot of other places, and Dallas is so much fun, and everyone in Texas is really nice!)
• Vibe of student attitude and quality of life during my campus visit
• Campus visit (see, I told you it was important!!)

I was so impressed by the campus and the academics and the general friendliness of the students, and I enjoyed the ASD program so much, that I went ahead and paid my deposit there on the spot, in the middle of the campus tour.

Lying in my hotel room in Dallas the night before I was supposed to leave, I had about thirty seconds of serious buyer's remorse and major anxiety. I offered up a small word of prayer, and you know what? This sense of peace and calmness stole over me, and I was able to go right to sleep. And I haven't felt a second's hesitation since. I know that I'm for sure going to be in the right place come mid-August.

So now begins the process of getting all my loose ends tied up -- sending in my transcripts and medical records, finding a place to live, deciding whether I want to sell my car here and buy one there, etc... I'll keep updating on (close to) every step of the way, but I'm definitely STOKED to be starting this new phase of my journey to and through law school.

YAY!!

SMU Dedman School of Law ASD: A Review

So this past week I took a quick jaunt (alone, completely alone) down to Dallas to check out the SMU Dedman School of Law's Admitted Student's Day. I'd never been to SMU or Dallas, so I wanted to spend a little extra time checking it out, so I flew out of Bakersfield on Wednesday afternoon and flew back Saturday night. It was FABULOUS.

I wanted to take a little time before the program to look at apartment buildings, just in case I decided to attend, so on Thursday I went around to a few buildings that had come recommended to me by a friend, a realtor, and a few people on the TLS boards. I checked out at least 6 or 7 different floor plans in 4 different buildings in the Village, and then went to two buildings uptown. (For what it's worth, I think I'd rather live in the Village than uptown, just for convenience and traffic).

Then I went shopping around Mockingbird Station and drove through University Park, checking out a few of the houses (and getting some phone numbers for town houses and duplexes in the area). I went to dinner at a souffle restaurant called Rise No. 1, and it was great. Overall, I really enjoyed the vibe around (but off) campus.

The next morning I drove the three minutes from my hotel to SMU (I seriously could have walked, I think). We started our program in Carr Collins Hall with a meet and greet and a continental breakfast (and good coffee, thank goodness!). I kind of liked that while there was an undergraduate campus attached to SMU, the law quad was a little more isolated from the school than I had seen at other campuses (on the far northwestern corner of campus). It was like the best of both worlds. The law quad was picturesque with it's rotunda and scampering squirrels. Plus there were amenities that were solely for the use of the law students -- a law parking garage, the law library, and the lawyers inn (kind of like a convenience store/deli on the law quad just for law students), which is great.

After the opening remarks by Dean Attanasio (who started off with the questions "Why do you want to go to law school?" and "Why do you want to go to THIS law school?" and didn't seem at all surprised when he heard crickets for a good two minutes), the whole group headed to Professor Crespi's contracts class. It seemed a little preachy to me -- there was literally zero interaction between the prof and the students, and I felt like I was being talked at rather than talked to -- but a few current students eased my mind by saying that it normally wasn't that bad, that none of the other teachers were like that and that Crespi had tailored his lecture style a little because of all of the prospective students there. That was reassuring, at least.

From the class we split into smaller (well, small) groups and took "campus" tours. They weren't really tours of campus so much as they were of the law quad, but that was fine, because we hit the important points. My tour guide (Cassandra) was a 3L and very sweet and knowledgeable. She talked to us about the pressure of exams and where to live and eat off campus as much as she did about the number of volumes in the library, etc. It was a very well-rounded tour.

From the tour we went back out onto the quad for something everyone was calling "Hamburger Man." I don't know what I expected -- maybe someone in the Hamburgler costume entertaining us? -- but what I got was a nice little cook out. We sat at tables around the quad and soon TONS of students from every building were swarming out to get the food. It was good, because it gave us a chance to talk to really anyone we wanted, rather than the five pre-approved admissions workers.

After a leisurely lunch, we went back into a classroom for the "talking head" portion of the afternoon, but it wasn't as painful as I was expecting. Then the student panel (3 girls) came to speak with us. The thing I didn't like about that was that the admissions director actually stayed in the room during the Q&A, often interjecting answers to student questions. It's not like they were bad answers, but it did seem, at times, that her presence might have been holding the student panel back just a little bit...they had to be more guarded.

(Side note: It kind of makes me laugh that the most common thing I've heard from every law student at every law school I've visited is how much free food is available to law students. I just think it's funny how that's a serious topic of conversation.)

After the program had ended, I took a little stroll around campus, snapping a few photos for my folks and generally taking in the pleasant afternoon (it was about 78 degrees and sunny outside, how perfect!). The campus reminds me of a bigger, southern version of my undergrad -- well manicured lawns, red brick buildings, the whole shebang. I drove over to the rec center to check it out (swanky!), and then hit up "i heart yogurt" for an afternoon treat before heading to the bookstore to pick up a t-shirt and then back to the hotel.

There were far fewer parents at this ASD than at previous events at other schools that I had attended (a personal pet peeve of mine), everyone was REALLY friendly, the campus had a solid, easy-going vibe, which was important to me (I would imagine that 1L is stressful enough, you don't need the undercurrent of stress all over campus), and the location really can't be beat. University Park seems like a quiet suburb, but it's smack in the heart of things. The program itself didn't seem as structured or planned as the program at McGeorge, but was more interactive and enjoyable than my recent trip to Santa Clara. I enjoyed the opportunities for talking to older students that the program presented us with.

Overall, it was really a wonderful day, and really helped cement my decision -- but that's a story for a different post.