hmm. ok, might have to change up the plans a lil bit. I was wanting to do like a combined mba/jd type of thing, but I like having money so I wanted to keep working full time while I did that. However, it looks like I might just have to do the mba part time and then the jd part time somewhere else.

8/30/2008 11:41:43 AM

either way, there's pretty much no way you'd survive in a joint degree professional program WHILE working full time. it is hard enough to do one professional degree part time with a full time job. so...probably best to do one then the other if you plan to continue working.

but yes, central has a part-time program. i think the part-time program is more competitive than the full-time.

anyway...my 2nd year is going well. i don't hate law school as much as i used to. i'm doing the legal aid clinic and i LOVE it. i think that is going to keep me sane...actually doing something i like and feeling like i'm making a difference. clinic are usually only open to 3 semester law students, but they opened it up because they clinic didn't fill up. so i can't do any of the third year practice stuff until next semester (you only need 3 semesters). but i CAN do unemployment hearings which is cool. and just going to small claims court and watching the housing stuff is cool too. i'm also taking refugee and asylum law as an elective. that is a pretty interesting class, too. and i'm a first year advisor, which is cool because, no offense to the 1Ls, but it feels SOOOO good not to be in their shoes. AND i've had 3 interviews in the first week AND i don't hate con law as much as i thought i would (i actually kinda like it). yayyyy! maybe i will survive, afterall.

8/30/2008 2:57:58 PM

I liked Con law too and am now taking Con Law II. It focuses solely on the First Amendment, which wasn't discussed in Con Law I. Glad this is my 3L year. I'm already thru the first two weeks of classes and so far it feels like it's the least work intensive semester I've had.

8/30/2008 9:24:13 PM

we have a first amendment course too. i would like to take that next semester or next year...whenever it is offered next which i hope is sometime while i'm still in school.

9/1/2008 3:18:40 PM

if anyone wants to give away their books at some point, I'll be happy to take them off your hands.

the idea of going to law school has completed filled my brain, I'm gonna have to go on a fact finding mission.

9/2/2008 2:21:14 AM

First year is going well. I have already sent out about 15 resumes/applications - got turned down twice (one of which I knew that they didn't hire summer associates, but it was worth a shot), but I also have two interviews already.

I also just got asked to be a research assistant to one of our new professors, but I'm not sure if I have time for it with Honor Court, Crim Law Society and other organizations that I am involved in. Anyone else have experience as a research assistant? How much time did it take? Did you like it?

9/5/2008 2:56:58 PM

third year sucks balls.


i just want to graduate and go back to NC. ASAP.

9/5/2008 11:39:27 PM

did anyone do moot court team at their school?

i'm doing a clinic in lieu of law review (i felt i had to pick/choose. not that i'd necessarily make law review but i had really high legal writing grades so i had a shot, but didn't try). the clinic takes up a good chunk of time. but they're going to be having moot court try-outs soon and i wonder if anyone else has had experiences with it (again, i probably won't make it but who knows)

9/5/2008 11:52:41 PM

I just realized that I said 'first year', which should have read either second year or first semester of second year. Ohh well.

How many applications/resumes did people send out when looking for a summer associateship/internship? I have sent out resumes to 6 firms in Charlotte and 6 firms in Raleigh. I have a pretty much locked up job in a Raleigh firm, but it isn't in the field that I want to practice in.

Also, has anyone gotten a DOJ internship? I hear that they are very competitive, but I wondered what the work was like.

How about court of appeals, supreme court, or JAG office?

[Edited on September 7, 2008 at 12:15 AM. Reason : grammar]

9/7/2008 12:12:06 AM

A freind just got his first case!

9/7/2008 1:01:01 AM

^^ JAG internships sound awesome. which ones are you applying for? there's an airforce one out of pope i think (via usajobs or something).

anyway, is they myth about 2nd year work you to death true? or am i the only one feeling the burn? its not like this year is harder (as far as comprehension of material) but i'm SOOOOOO damn busy.

9/12/2008 1:40:12 PM

i second that third year sucks balls. it's like senioritis to the infinity power....

9/12/2008 3:41:27 PM

Yeah, 3rd year is definitely more laid back but I wouldn't say it sucks. I finally get to take more classes on subjects I'm interested in. There is that sense of the calm before the storm though knowing the Bar is getting closer

9/12/2008 4:54:57 PM

As for the JAG internships, I just spoke with a Navy JAG officer last week and was told that they do not have a paid internship program. I haven't had the opportunity to speak with JAG officers from other branches. Although, as a Navy JAG officer you are not required to go over seas. It might hurt your advancement opportunities, but you are not required. Also, they have a litigation career path, which evidently none of the other branches have; meaning that you can still advance up the food chain even if you litigate your whole career.

I don't think that its for me, but to each his own.

9/15/2008 4:03:00 PM

i spoke to the airforce JAG (did i already post that?)

and i have an interview with the Army JAG in a few weeks. i dunno...the only one i'm really interested in is the navy though.

9/24/2008 9:07:35 PM

I have now spoken with Army JAG and Navy JAG...I wouldn't do Army JAG, but wouldn't mind Navy JAG if I did it for only a few years.

Got an interview with a Raleigh firm on Friday. With this economy I will take whatever I can get for summer 2009 jobs.

10/5/2008 2:01:10 PM

Just an update. I did pass the bar, and I am no working as an attorney in Statesville, NC. Great feeling passing the bar. Long sweat waiting for that shit and finally getting the results. If you want any advice on how I studied, and what I did to pass...feel free to hit me up and ask. My whole study group passed the bar. So we must have been doing alot of things right.


III

10/8/2008 5:27:14 PM

pm sent!

10/8/2008 5:34:37 PM

^^ Congrats Biggz!! Not sure I had congratulated you yet. Central representin!!! Can't wait till I'm finally out, I'm about sick of school.

10/8/2008 9:25:54 PM

^^ Replied back too, sorry when I left the office, I was out.

^Thanks. Feels good to be done. You will be there soon. Stay focused and prepare for the summer.


III

10/9/2008 9:56:23 AM

did anyone/is anyone doing moot court? we have tryouts soon. i am going to try out but i'm scared i just added too much to my plate. but i'm trying to pick and choose certain things i'm really interested in. moot court seems interesting, but even the tryout competition seems kinda rigorous/time consuming. just wondering if anyone had any experiences with it. i didn't do law review even though writing is (probably) my strongest suit. but i also did well in appellate advocacy last year. but again, that dealt a lot with writing. law review just wasn't what i wanted to dedicate my time to (not saying i would have definitely made it, but if i HAD it isn't something i wanted to spend time doing even though i know that is like the shit on resumes). that is why i did a clinic this year and i am vp of innocence project so those two things are kinda where my time goes (among other little clubs that i'm just a member in). moot court seems enticing and in theory i'd love to do it (assuming i even make it, which i probably won't) but time....i do not have a lot of it.

10/15/2008 5:28:07 PM

^The market for law firm associates is very bad this year. You should do anything you can do to differentiate yourself from other graduates looking for a job Law review is the best resume builder outside of a hight GPA and moot court is arguably the second best resume builder. You should do it if you have the time.

10/20/2008 12:58:36 PM

i know, so i've heard. sigh. i have little to no interest in working in a firm. and i hate playing the stupid game. but i guess i will try out for moot court. i don't have the time since i'm doing a clinic but oh well. what's a little more stress??

10/20/2008 1:23:25 PM

Heard through the grapevine that a large firm will be laying off paralegals this week and associates in the next month.....

10/22/2008 1:30:05 PM

^Which firm? That has been happening around the country since at least January.

10/23/2008 3:35:50 PM

Just made the mock trial team, but only as an alternative. I was really surprised by the results, people who I personally thought did terrible made the trial team. The same people were missing obvious objections and didn't have what I would call extraordinary direct, cross, or opening/closing, but ohh well. I guess I still get to put it on my resume.

Still looking for a summer 2009 job, but I guess so are many other law students. Just wish that I didn't have to be in this boat anymore.

10/27/2008 10:23:52 PM

^ congrats!!! we have our moot court tryouts next week. briefs are due this week. i'm kinda over it. i WISH i'd make it as an alternate. that would be win/win. because i'm only doing it for my resume anyway. that is so bad. i promised myself i wouldn't do things just for my resume, but oops.

10/27/2008 10:35:01 PM

Let the stress begin...

11/16/2008 9:27:55 PM

ugh we just got our choices of electives for spring, i could not be more mortified. we have 4 concentrations---the electives seem to speak to 1, MAYBE 2 concentrations. they are literally all business classes. with a few litigation/general practice classes (like negotiations and family law) except for the externships (because obviously you set that up yourself and get it approved). and that is annoying because i did an internship this semester and it is very time consuming and i don't want to have to resort to that every time. not really fair because you get 2 credit hours for like 200 hours of work during the semester. its like taking 5 classes. ughhhh i HATE LAW SCHOOL.

11/24/2008 2:34:44 PM

MVA, but I think the Wellsfargo deal saved a few attorneys from the chopping block.

I heard another firm is on a hiring freeze for a few years. I think it was Hunter and Williams, but don't recall.

In other news, family law is a booming area. It slowed briefly after the crash, but picked back up. Someone can only wait so long to snatch their child, take out a 50b without any allegations of abuse or want to sue the paramour that is sleeping with their husband.

11/30/2008 9:34:04 AM

^ I don't know if it's true, but I have always been told that family law was easy money because it has the highest rate of malpractice allegations so not very many attorneys want to touch it.

It makes sense that it would because no matter what you do, someone is angry and thinks that they didn't get enough or that someone go too much, however you want to look at it.

12/3/2008 9:27:49 PM

patent law

12/5/2008 11:01:33 AM

4 hour sales and secured transaction test in t-minus 15 minutes

12/6/2008 8:45:42 AM

ew. that sounds horrible.

my business associations exam was 4 hours. 4 hours of horror. wait you have exams on saturday? i am glad we get the weekend off

otherwise i'd definitely die.

one more on monday then a paper and i'm done with this semester, thank goodness!

12/6/2008 5:27:10 PM

^ Our BA and Con Law I exams were 4 hours too. And yeah, Central has exams on Saturdays. A 4 hour Sales exam at 9am is rough. I actually forgot it was Saturday and went to get lunch at my favorite Chinese restaurant afterwards. I was surprised to see it was closed and then remembered they don't open until 4:30 on Saturdays haha. Oh yeah, plus there were a bunch of people at the law school taking the LSAT. They looked like deer in headlights; heh I remember that.

12/6/2008 11:51:18 PM

Evidence tomorrow morninig, then Crim Pro on thursday and I'm out like a thief in the night.

12/7/2008 11:58:31 PM

i had evidence today!!!

i'm done!!!


well i have to write a paper due thursday for my international refugee law class but it is an elective and i actually like what i'm writing on (i already started it....meant to finish it before exams but it didn't happen). its on child soldiers and refugee policy. so it is way, way, WAY way way way better than taking exams. and i also have to write a final portfolio thing for my clinic experience. but that is just like a really long journal entry.

but i have until thursday which means i have all day tomorrow and wed and since research, etc is complete, i'll prob finish tomorrow. i'm dead today. no more. no more!!!

12/8/2008 3:50:16 PM

Fed Tax tomorrow, Mergers & Acquisitions Wednesday, then I'm done.

12/8/2008 6:31:29 PM

Found out I passed (or scored over 80 as NC recquires) the MPRE today!!! That's awsome, I really didn't want to have to take that thing again in the spring. Now just a take home Con Law II final and I'm done!

12/8/2008 7:45:21 PM

yay! you took it this fall?

i still haven't taken it. i'm going to take it this coming august i think.

12/9/2008 12:42:58 PM

I will be contacting you for representation in the future, khcadwal.

12/9/2008 2:12:11 PM

yeah, I mean I pretty much had to take it this fall being a 3L. Otherwise the only other time I could really take it would be in the spring and if I didn't pass, I'd be in trouble. Just one less thing to worry about now. I can get back to stressing over getting my bar application completed by January...

12/9/2008 2:14:44 PM

I have never heard that family law attorneys get more complaints to the bar. I can see how that happens, as no one is going to walk away happy in a family law situation.

I received my first threat the other day from the other party. It was a good feeling.

12/15/2008 11:15:32 AM

just an admin law exam to go...

12/18/2008 4:30:36 PM

Finished up yesterday

What a great feeling - I have nothing to do for a month.

12/19/2008 10:30:34 AM

Haven't posted here in a while. I saw Biggs give an update and I thought I would do the same. I graduated this past May from UNC, passed the bar, and have been working as a public defender in Greensboro for about 3 months now. If anyone wants advice on jobs/the bar/etc. just PM me. I know how frustrating the time between graduating and finding a job can be and I would like to help anyway I can, especially if you are looking for public interest work. Good luck next semester.

12/31/2008 11:24:25 AM

^ i got all excited cause i thought i read DA's office. i definitely need some help with those damn speeding tickets i always get in guilford. bar application was due today. man i think it's complete, and i put down everything i could possibly think of, but i'm afraid i missed something.

1/7/2009 4:01:30 AM

Don't sweat the bar application. They will let you know if they need anything and not pay extra. However, if your references do not respond, the bar will make you give additional names and addresses in order to sit. A friend had to take a name to the actual exam.

1/8/2009 8:26:22 PM

did anyone ever take classes at another law school...especially via a visiting student program?

just wondering.

due to recent circumstances, i am considering applying to schools as a visiting student for next year. you spend a semester (or year) at the institution and then are awarded a degree from your home institution. didn't know if anyone had experiences with this.

1/13/2009 2:31:48 PM

last week's realization: "woohoo!... this is my last semester! "
this week: "Dammit... I have another 4 months of this b.s. to deal with, and I still don't have a job lined up."

1/14/2009 4:08:54 AM