So, today the law review write on starts today.
Eek?
For those that don't know how LR write on works, SMU has a mandatory write-on policy. Some schools allow grading on, which is where the top XX% of the class is automatically invited on. Here, however, everyone who wants to be on any of the law review journals has to compete in the write on. (If you're in the top 10% of the class, a "good faith" effort will get you on no problems).
The write on competition consists of three portions: an editing exercise, a bluebooking exercise, and a writing exercise. The packets are made available on Thursday morning, and due back on Monday morning.
Good way to ruin a weekend, right?
SMU has three law review associations that publish five law review journals. The SMU Law Review Association publishes the SMU Law Review and the Journal of Air Law and Commerce. The International Law Review Association publishes The International Lawyer and Law & Business Review of the Americas. Science & Technology Law Review publishes a journal by the same name.
According to our LR orientation, every year about 175 students compete, and between 100 and 120 are offered positions on one of the journals. If you're extended an offer from a secondary journal but decline it, you're not allowed to write on for a "better" journal the next year. So either be really awesome or suck really bad if you know you only want the SMU LR.
Law review is really a great resume builder, but if you know you want to go into litigation and you don't want to work at Jones Day or some other firm like that, then LR isn't necessary. It's always helpful though.
Soooooooo... I'll be working on my LR write on submission this weekend. Wish me luck! Catch y'all on the flip side.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Post 1L Decompression
All right, so 1L is done. For those of you 0Ls looking for some last-minute advice before you transition into law school life in August, I hope to write a few entries in the upcoming weeks about things I wish I had known before 1L that would have made my life a little easier in the last few months.
A preemptory "you're welcome."
Also a preemptory "sorry I didn't write as much as I wanted to."
So here's the low down on my recent life. SMU schedules it's spring finals so that this year we had one reading day before having a final every other weekday for two weeks (five total). Between the studying, the caffeine, and the drama it's all a blur, but I'll do my best to break it down for you.
In a later post.
Until then, I'll be taking the next week or so to decompress, clean my apartment, play with my dog (he's doing very well, thanks for asking), and generally get my life in order before the first of my two summer jobs starts.
For reference, I'm working for half of the summer at a boutique corporate litigation and tech startup firm in Dallas (paid -- yay!), and then the second half I'll be with a justice at the Texas Court of Appeals (not paid, but good experience). They stop hearing cases in May, so I'll mostly be doing research and writing there; not too much courtroom shadowing, unfortunately.
I always thought it would be interesting to sit in on family court or criminal court. I would think it would be like Jerry Springer or Maury Povitch or something. Without the moondancing when a potential baby-daddy is told, "You are NOT the father."
I digress.
Anyway, I'm excited for the experience of both jobs, even though it means I'm not getting much of a summer break. I might end up having to take a bartending or waitressing or retail job PT in order to make rent the second half of the summer, but it might not come to that. We'll see. For the next week I'll be cleaning my crap up and working on law review write on. And maybe (if I'm lucky) getting my tan on pool-side.
So, ask questions, let me know what you want me to write about, what you're interested in, or what you're worried about in your own law school journey. I'll try my hardest to respond and enlighten you as to the perils and pitfalls (and fun times, don't worry) of 1L.
A preemptory "you're welcome."
Also a preemptory "sorry I didn't write as much as I wanted to."
So here's the low down on my recent life. SMU schedules it's spring finals so that this year we had one reading day before having a final every other weekday for two weeks (five total). Between the studying, the caffeine, and the drama it's all a blur, but I'll do my best to break it down for you.
In a later post.
Until then, I'll be taking the next week or so to decompress, clean my apartment, play with my dog (he's doing very well, thanks for asking), and generally get my life in order before the first of my two summer jobs starts.
For reference, I'm working for half of the summer at a boutique corporate litigation and tech startup firm in Dallas (paid -- yay!), and then the second half I'll be with a justice at the Texas Court of Appeals (not paid, but good experience). They stop hearing cases in May, so I'll mostly be doing research and writing there; not too much courtroom shadowing, unfortunately.
I always thought it would be interesting to sit in on family court or criminal court. I would think it would be like Jerry Springer or Maury Povitch or something. Without the moondancing when a potential baby-daddy is told, "You are NOT the father."
I digress.
Anyway, I'm excited for the experience of both jobs, even though it means I'm not getting much of a summer break. I might end up having to take a bartending or waitressing or retail job PT in order to make rent the second half of the summer, but it might not come to that. We'll see. For the next week I'll be cleaning my crap up and working on law review write on. And maybe (if I'm lucky) getting my tan on pool-side.
So, ask questions, let me know what you want me to write about, what you're interested in, or what you're worried about in your own law school journey. I'll try my hardest to respond and enlighten you as to the perils and pitfalls (and fun times, don't worry) of 1L.
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