Law School Orientation and Other Law School Stuff

When my best friend started law school she had a week long orientation that basically lasted from 8am to 6pm the week before classes started. I had assumed that I would go through more or less the same thing. However, my school does a large part of their orientation online.

In June we got our first chunk of orientation assignments. It basically consisted of an hour and a half video on achieving your personal best in law school, a forty minute video on how to read a case critically, a thirty minute video on the court system and the three branches of government. It also had a short video on career development and what we should be doing this summer to start on that. Oh Boy! Other than videos, the first step of orientation also had a page of links about campus life and a few cases they wanted us to read to practice on.

Step two came out in July and had a bunch of power points and videos on the honor code and conduct code. It also introduced us to the various offices on campus and how to set up appointments and such.

We just got step three yesterday and it was actually the most interesting. At least by a little. The videos taught us about our pro bono requirement and we got to hear from students on how they fulfilled it. We also learned about the Florida Bar and how much cheaper it will be if we register for it now. Guys, the character and fitness part is going to be a pain. Every apartment I've ever lived in, every job I have ever had, every ticket I've had. Okay, that last one will be easy, I've only had one. Even so, I have no idea on some of these. Fun times ahead.

I wish I could say that I found the online orientation fascinating but truthfully, I was just a little annoyed that I had to do homework in June when school didn't start until August. 

On the other hand, I appreciate the convience of doing it in my own time and at home. So it's 50/50.

We still have one day of on campus Orientation in a couple weeks plus a mandatory laptop configuration and financial aid seminar on a separate day.

In more exciting news .... I finally received my schedule!!!!! It feels real now. I am starting law school in just a few short weeks! I'm really starting to get excited to make it through orientation and start classes. I already bought most of my books though they haven't all arrived yet. I decided that for my first semester I would splurge and buy new books. There is nothing like fresh never been highlighted books! Though I'm not completely stupid and did not buy them from the bookstore. It saved me a few hundred dollars but I'm sure that it won't be long before I start renting them. They only budget us for 600 dollars per semester but even on Amazon with free student prime shipping, it came to over 700 dollars. OUCH!! So yes, used textbooks are in my future. I'm still glad I chose this route for this semester though. Pretty, Pretty textbooks.  

Ten days

Whoa. In ten days the moving truck will be here. In ten days I will be moving out of Washington State for the first time in my life. In ten days I will be starting my journey to Florida and Law School. 

And with only ten days to go, my house finally sold. Oh thank God!!

It's been a whirlwind of crazy in my house the last few weeks but I'm kinda loving it. Except when I'm not. 

But mostly, I can't wait to get there!

On the school front, things are building up. I've finally sent my official transcripts and the Dean's certificate stating the I hadn't cheated, stole or destroyed school property at WSU. Whew. 

I have my school's email set up and other school login stuff. Thanks to that lovely email.edu, I can now get free Amazon Prime. Which I'll need once my school finally sends me my book list. Hurry up guys!

We got our first batch of orientation homework last week. I haven't gotten around to starting it yet (moving and all) but it is definitely feeling more real. Cases and case briefs Oh My!

And with the Orientation homework, I finally found out when my Orientation starts. They break all of us 1L's into separate days so some of us start on Monday and others later in the week. I start on Thursday the 21st! I guess in a way, I get a longer summer but I also have less time between orientation and the first day of classes. Since that is when we get our first reading assignments, I'm counting it as a negative. 

I have a free day today so I think I'm off to start my orientation videos! Whooo 

Moving sucks

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with trying to sell our place and move to Florida. For one thing, finding housing is next to impossible when you have a pitbull. And yet, when I call a place to ask about their pet policies, they tell me that I should call back in a month or so and see what they have. 

I'm also having an awful time finding the time to put our house on the market. I know that I need to do it Oh like last month or so. And yet, I work two jobs. I can not find the time. I spend all weekend trying to get the house in order so I can take pictures but I never quite get there. When I leave for work, its dark and when I come home, its dark. I just can't win!!

It really doesn't help that in the last month, I have caught two colds and the flu once. That's what I get for working in the medical field but it's still just a little ridiculous. 

I need a vacation. From life. Seriously. 

Reading 1L blogs

One of the reasons I started this blog is because I am seriously addicted to reading blogs about law school. I've probably read over a hundred. Obsessive much? 

With the numerous law school blogs out there, do I really think mine is necessary? Well yes and no. I doubt my blog will be anything close to revolutionary. However, one thing i noticed about the law school blogs are that there is a huge difference between the law school experience pre 2008 and more recent ones. The focus on jobs, grades and stress seemed much higher now. Which really makes me wish i had gone to college and law school right after high school! Have you seen the increase in tuition???? Good Lord. 

Now there are still a bunch of recent law school blogs but I can and will write about what I go through and what I think about it. Whether anyone cares is a different problem altogether. 

Additionally, most 1L blogs die a fast death around November. I am hoping to push through the hectic time called law school finals. When I read a blog that goes through orientation, classes, outlining and then disappears, I want to scream "What? NOOO. What happened next?" I have had various blogs for almost ten years, so I am hoping I can keep it up for the full three years. And this way I can share my final freak outs! Now doesn't that sound like fun? 

Last Prospective Law School Shindig

So fiancé and I drove up to our hometown this weekend for an admitted students weekend.

It's been really fun for a couple reasons. First of all, I could bring a guest so fiancé finally got to experience the law school madness with me. Even though I am the one starting law school this fall, I can't see how I'm not going to be bringing it home with me. Why not ease him into it now? As it turned out, he was more excited about talking about the law than I was. At the reception, we ended up talking to the Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court. Super exciting all on its own. However, as I'm standing there telling myself not to say anything stupid, super fiancé boy jumps right in and starts talking to her about a case we read in one of our classes. Come to find out, SHE wrote that opinion. Whoa. Thanks to my plus one, I got to hear about the behind the scenes decision making that occurred on that case. It was amazing! 

Free food and wine never hurts either. 

The next morning they fed us again and then we got to watch the finals of the moot court competition. I actually found it fascinating and fun. However, I can not picture myself ever doing it. My heart was beating fast just by watching people I did not know walk up to the podium. 

Will law school finally break my fear of public speaking? 

After the competition, they fed us yet again and gave us a bunch of free stuff! Coffee mugs, coffee, chocolate and salad shakers all plastered with their law school's name. Hey, I'll take it. 

Then fiancé and I went back to our hotel and turned into sloths. Relying on Netflix is great on the wallet but there is something to be said about laying in bed all afternoon channel surfing. 

All in all, a much better weekend than last weekend! It pretty much had to be but I'm glad we got away for a break from real life. Whooo

You don't always get what you want

I was waiting to make my decision until I heard back about the second scholarship from the Tier 1. Today I received the email telling me I had not made the cut. %*#&$&@!!!

I know it was a long shot but I was still hoping. My essay was amazing! It was probably the best I've ever written. I REALLY wanted to get that scholarship and I really liked the idea of going to that school.

However, I just can not justify the price tag associated with that Tier 1. Even with the half tuition scholarship I did received, it would still be over 120,000. That's insane. Even if the job market was healthy (it's not) and the field I want to go into high paying (it's not), it would still be insane. I do not think I can pay that debt back.

So Tier 2/3, ready or not, here I come.

Stuck!

I don't really have much to say about the law school decision right now. I have only 13 short days to decide but I am STUCK! I can not get any closer to a decision and I have run out of ideas to help. I have talked to lawyers, professors, students and alumni from both schools. You would think I could make up my mind right?

NOPE!

So for right now, I give up. I give up on picking a law school. April 1st will be here before I know it and I will have no choice but to pick one. Sometime before the 1st, I will learn whether I have won an additional scholarship to the tier 1 school and I am hoping that will help me decide. If I get it, then the tier 1 might be a better choice. If I don't, I will probably pick the tier 2.

Either way, there isn't a whole lot to say about it at the moment.

This weekend I am flying to California and next weekend I am going to an admitted students weekend at a school within driving distance. During the week I am working my normal two jobs. To say I am busy is an understatement. And I am tired of feeling anxious for not knowing where I am going yet.

At least I still have 13 days.

My favorite part of the application cycle

I think it is fabulous that some schools are willing to fly me down for a scholars weekend. And by some, I mean two. But seriously, almost free flight, free lodging and lots of free food. Hello, count me IN!!

The first time I heard of this, my town was covered in snow and it was -1 degrees outside. And then I got an invitation to head to Florida. Most of my flight costs were covered, they put me into a suite and most the meals were covered. With an open bar. The entire weekend was amazing and more than worth the 7 hour flight. The school was nice too. ;)

I kid. I kid. The opportunity to see the school in person was invaluable. I sat in on a torts class, met a dozen professors, spoke with all the elder law professors and quite a few students. It was great!

Then while I was there, I received an invite to another retreat in California. Sure, why not? At no other time in my life have I had people willing to pay for me to travel to them. Okay, so they are wine and dining me with the hope that they will get my tuition dollars. I am still getting wine and dined and what is basically a free vacation. 

Oh. And swag too! Coffee mugs, flip flops, thumb drives and more. Whoo Hoo!

Lawyers are experts on Law School. Right?

I know only three lawyers. And by know, I mean one was my crim j professor, one is my fiance's step-grandmother's son in law, and one is a friend of my stepmother, who I have met about three times. Close relationship? Not even close. But since people who have survived the law school experience should have some sort of opinion on choosing a school, I contacted all three of them and asked them which school they would chose if they were me.

The first one to get back to me was my stepmother's friend. As she is actually an elder law attorney, I was definitely looking forward to her opinion. Her email was exactly one line long.

"I would choose the tier 1. That will open more doors for you down the road."

Okaaay. Good to know. But then came my second response.

I would totally disregard rank and go to the place that has a program tailored to what you want to do. Plus, (Location of Tier 3/2) is beautiful. Rank only matters if you plan in trying to get a miserable big firm job after graduation.

And ...

A JD is a JD and nobody who matters will care where you got it.

Well crap. It's a tie. Now what?

Luckily, I only knew an odd number of attorneys because the third lawyer finally got back to me and said,

"The school's credential is most important for the entry into the career.  Once you are in, your abilities, contacts and a bit of luck matter far more than the ranking of the law school.  Elder law in (Location of Tier 3/2) sounds far better than (Location of Tier 1) - you have ready made clients with money - the finest kind."

So it is mostly two for Tier 3/2 but not entirely. Interesting. 

Now one of the advocators of the Tier 3/2 works in a small college town and went to a Tier 3 law school. The other one went to the same law school but works in an even smaller town that somehow happens to have the county's courthouse and not much else. 

The Tier 1 advocator lives in the biggest city in our state and went to a Tier 2. 

Does this color their opinion? Oh probably. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't listen to them. 

But which one do I listen to???? 

Rankings Baby!

So I guess US News just updated their law school rankings because my Tier 3 is now a Tier 2 and my Tier 1 is now a better Tier 1. Cool! A few of my other maybes turned into Tier 4s which pushed them even further into my I'm not sure about this pile. So I am still stuck on the same two law schools. For now, I am okay with that. Give me a couple more weeks and I might just start freaking out about it though. April 1st is approaching so faaaaaast. ACK!

In other law school news,
I spoke with the lady in charge of the elder law clinic at the Tier 1 today and it was very informative. Not only on her program but what she said about other programs and schools. I asked her a question about their non clinic elder law options and she straight up mentioned my Tier 3/2 school. And then she talked up the elder law professors at the Tier 3/2 that I met only two weeks ago! She basically told me that if I am committed to elder law, I can't go wrong with either of these two schools. Which made me feel much better about both of them.

Now of course, she made a point to talk about all the amazing things her school does and where alumni go after graduation but she was very fair about it. It almost makes up for the bad impression I was left with after speaking to the admissions dean. Whooooo

Naivety

I worry sometimes about sounding naive about the practice of law. Especially in this economy, you should not go into law unless you have done all the research you can. For years now I have followed blogs, looked at statistics and talked to practicing attorneys.

• Job prospects for new attorneys are . . . bad. Very very bad. 
• Job prospects for experienced attorneys are almost as bad. 
• The starting salary of new attorneys are dropping and were never really as good as people thought they were. 
• Tuition rates for law school has risen completely out of control and the debt you gain by going will never, never go away. Bankruptcy? Psssh, not for student loans. 
• Law schools are graduating too many JD students for the jobs available.  
• Biglaw jobs are considered the holy grail of law but they are far and few between. Even if you do get one, your life will suck and you will hate yourself. 

So why are so many people going to law school????? I think a lot of it is that people have a natural tendency to think that bad things won't happen to them, only to other people. Which is ridiculous. I have always gotten good grades but that doesn't mean I automatically assume I will continue to get good grades in law school. I will be competing with my fellow students and they ALL had good grades in college. Sure, I will strive for the top ten percent but I have a ninety percent chance of not making that goal. If I do not get above median grades, then I will have a much harder time finding a job. If I can not find a job, I will not be able to pay back my loans and I will not be able to assist the elderly in improving their quality of life at the end of their life. 

Tangent time:

I think that the last few years of a person's life should be the time of their life when they get to stop worrying about the rat race of America. Isn't that why most people look forward to retiring? Far too often, the elderly are dealing with all the normal worries of food, shelter and clothing, along with declining health, declining mobility AND an increased chance of abuse or neglect. It is not easy to have to rely on someone else for your basic needs but many elderly people need to. And when that person they are relying on fails, they often do not have the ability to turn to others for help. Dementia, physical disabilities and lack of knowledge of resources, trap them into a downward spiral they can not get out of. This is not okay. 

End rant. Back to law and law school. I am trying to minimize the risks of law school by keeping my loans and my expectations low. I am aware that I could make more money in another career but money is not my end goal. If my debt is lower, I will not have to chase the jobs that make the most money and will hopefully have the luxury of finding a job I love, even if the pay is low. I also exclusively looked at schools that offer some form of hands on training in elder law. I am hoping that this will give me an opportunity to graduate with at least a few of the skills I will need to use in practice. 

Am I making law school a good risk? Well no, I don't think law school can be a good bet with this legal market. However, I am hoping that I am able to at least make it less of a risk. 

Give me three years and I'll let you know how it worked out for me. 

Greedy? No. Just poor.

I realize this post has the potential to make me look like a jerk or stuck up, but I promise you that I am not!

I just received my second to last scholarship offer and it was looow. Tens of thousands of dollars lower than my next lowest offer. Considering the fact that it took this school months longer to make an admissions decision than my other schools plus such a low scholarship, I would expect it to be a reach school. As in a Tier 1, top of the ranking law school. Or at least have an impressive reputation or incredible programs not offered elsewhere. But no, it is a low ranked school without any special programs and it's tuition rate is one of the highest I have seen.

I don't get it.

I do not consider myself to be greedy and I do not think I am any more impressive than anyone else. (For Pete's sake, I wipe bottoms for a living!) but my stats are above their 75 percentile. So yes, I do find their scholarship offer slightly insulting.

Some people have wondered why I place scholarships as one of my main criteria in choosing a school but those are people who don't know me very well. I have always been poor. Food bank, free school lunch poor. I have family members who rely on me for financial support, and others who will soon. In addition, I am hoping to practice in an area that is not particularly well paid. It would be irresponsible of me to NOT consider scholarships and price of tuition as I make my law school decision.

I would love to go to the best law school I could get into and I truly did consider going that route. But I know I would regret it come graduation. So here I am. Considering total price and elder law programs over ranking. 

I just hope it's the right decision. 

Suddenly I'm not just another caregiver

I think it's strange how some people treat me differently once they learn I am going to law school this fall. It's almost like they think I am suddenly smarter or more impressive than I was before.

For example, I work at an assisted living facility as a caregiver and I only told people I was going to law school last month. Since then, I have been assigned to all the training of new caregivers and I won employee of the month. But more than that, the way people talk to me and treat me is different. Instead of "Hey, you need to do this task now," I get asked, "I know you're super busy but would it be possible for you to do this task? When you have time of course." It's weird and it doesn't exactly make my coworkers overjoyed either. I am no longer treated the same as them by our bosses but even my coworkers interact with me differently. 

I can't exactly go around telling people to stop treating me better (and I wouldn't want them to anyway) but it definitely makes work a little awkward at times.


Even worse, coworkers, friends and family suddenly think that I know the answers to all of their legal questions. As if the law school application process magically filled my brain with divorce procedures or DUI requirements. Um Whaaaaat? I had heard that this was a thing but I thought I would have to at least attend my first day before people started asking for free advice! I wouldn't want advice from a 0L! Come on! I mean, if the term 1L is used to say, this is going to be 1L of a year, then 0L should stand for 0L NO! Terrible idea bro. Terrible.

Narrowing it down

I suppose I've narrowed my choice to two top schools and a few others that are still circling around in my head. The two have been in my top few since before I even got accepted but I really did believe I would be going to a closer law school. Maybe a few states away, not 45. >_<

School A

Argument For:

• Tier 1 (mid tier 1, not T-14 or anything)
• Half tuition scholarship - no requirements to keep it except for not flunking out of the school. 
• Elder law clinic
• Decent (or at least, better) job prospects
• Good reputation throughout the country
• Have family nearby. This is important when you're moving across the entire country. 

Argument Against:

• My contact with admissions, after I was already admitted, was less than ideal. Rudeness and apathy that left me with the feeling that they didn't care whether I went to their school or not. 
• Reputation of being pretentious. I wouldn't fit in well with that nonsense. 
• The students have a reputation of being competitive and slightly cutthroat. 

School B

Argument For:

• Elder Law Clinic
• Elder Law Concentration
• Elder Law Center & Journal
• Elder Law 1L research & writing class
• Almost full tuition scholarship - Top 50% requirement in order to keep it. 
• Students say it's surprisingly non competitive for a law school. Students share notes and they haven't experienced book hiding or sabotage. 
• The law school paid to fly me down there, put me in a suite and paid all my meals. Just so I could experience the school first hand and meet everyone. 
• Tropical location. Sure, that shouldn't really matter but if I'm going to spend 90% of my time with my head in a book, the beach only being a 15 minute walk from campus is a definite plus. 

Argument Against:

• Tier 3
• Regional school. It would restrict job opportunities after graduation. 
• Restricts to smaller firms after graduation
• Hot and Humid summers. With a fiancé who doesn't like the heat. Who doesn't love heat induced crankiness???

Equal considerations:

• Similar cost of living expenses
• Both are located on the east coast. I've been on the west coast my entire life. Crap. Moving is expensive. 

I think what it is coming down to is deciding on how certain I am that I want to work in elder law after graduation and whether I want to trade slightly better job prospects for the chance I might change my mind. Oh and the whole problem of being completely miserable for the next three years compared to only mostly miserable. Oh boy. What fun.

I don't suppose anyone can look at this from the outside and give me any advice?? Which school would you chose?

Decisions Decisions

When I first started applying to law schools, I had two goals. Go to a school that had some form of elder law program and receive scholarships. So I didn't really focus my time on the traditional best schools. Once I received the LSAC waiver I just applied to almost every school that had at least an elder law clinic.

And that's how I ended up applying to seventeen law schools!

I was terrified of not getting in anywhere and having to wait another year. Luckily, I have only received one rejection letter and only one school is still deciding but that means I have fifteen schools to decide between! Good Lord. I can cut a few off for being really crappy schools and I can cut a few others for being stingy with the scholarship aid and I can cut one for deciding to close their elder law clinic this fall. (A decision they made public only after I had already applied. Gah) But that is still a lot of schools to decide between. Yikes!! I mean, it is a REALLY great problem to have but it is still a problem. How the hell am I supposed to know which school is right for me? Especially since most of them are all the way across the country and I have no way to visit them.

Is it too much to ask for a glowing neon light to appear over the school I should go to? Just BAM, a Vegas type sign saying GO HERE DUMMY!! With an arrow. It definitely needs an arrow.

So basically, I have some decisions to make and only twenty-seven days to make them.

Good God, Why Would You Go To LAW SCHOOL????

Short story time,
(This is the boring part)

I have worked with the elderly since high school, (nursing homes, assisted living and in home care) and I always assumed I would continue working with them either as a social worker or possibly as a nurse. However, the longer I worked with the elderly, the longer I realized that the difference in their standards of living had less to do with the money they had or didn't have, or their specific medical conditions, but more to do with the planning they did or did not do. And who they had to help them with that planning. The longer I worked with them, the more I wished to be a part of that process.

Add a few cases of elder abuse, neglect and one of my clients blowing herself up and I chose to apply to law school this fall.

Do I know which law school I am going to yet? Er..... Nope.

Will I be going into debt to go to law school? Oh yeah. Which is why I don't know which law school I am going to. Tier three with a large scholarship or a tier one with a small one. I don't have a clue yet.

Will I do well in law school? Hell if I know. I guess it will depend on how stupid my classmates are.

Will I find a job after law school? See question above. Though thank god for the baby boomers.

Am I scared spit-less? Yes, Yes, and Yes.

So we'll just have to see how this goes. One thing I do know, scared or not, come this August, I will be a 1L somewhere.