Hello… Hello everyone… Hello…

So, once again, it has been a very long time since I’ve checked in. So here goes…

This most recent semester (Spring 2010) was HECTIC! I decided to try and juggle a little bit of everything – I took a few classes, served as President of Moot Court, interned, and competed at TYLA (one of the most competitive trial competitions around). Unfortunately, I had to learn my limitations…

I took on too many obligations. In some areas, I was successful; in others I was not.

Thanks to the work from my great Moot Court members, we had a record number of competitors in our intra-school competitions. We also had a record number of applicants to the Moot Court board, and we introduced an invitation-only appellate advocacy class.

My TYLA team (Mike Maloney and me, coached by Melissa Tralla and Solomon Chang) was the only two-man team consisting of only 2Ls, and we made it to the Semi-Final round. As great an experience it was, by the time we competed, my schedule had caught up with me, and I was ill the entire weekend. Thankfully, Maloney brought the thunder. Our school’s other team (Billie Gibson and Jason Conge, coached by Jim Mangione and Shannon Kitten) was the only other two-person team, and made it to the finals. (That would be two final rounds for Billie just this year).

But for the successes I experienced, other areas suffered. My grades slipped, as did the amount of time I was able to spend at my internship.

And… Act Break

Wanting to have an easier third year, I scheduled a handful of classes over the Summer trimester. I decided not to take an internship so that I could focus on boosting my GPA, wrapping up the majority of my remaining units, and getting tan at the beach with Amanda and the dogs =)

So that’s where I’m sitting now. I’m still catching up on the sleep that I missed last year, but I’m all kinds of relaxed. I’m taking four one-day-a-week classes, tutoring two more, giving tours for our Admissions Office, and looking for internships for the fall and spring. Hopefully, my third year workload will be light enough that I can land a championship before graduating.

Alright 1Ls…

Grades come out tomorrow. Don’t panic. The absolute worst thing that you can do is to forget about the current semester. Your grades are in the past. They are relatively unchangeable. Whether you did well, poorly, or somewhere in between, you need to set your resolve to do even better this semester. This means you need to go see your professors. If anyone can tell you how to do better this semester, it’s the person who will be giving you this semester’s grade. Take the time to go over your essays and ask advice about how to practice multiple choice questions. Remember, there is no guarantee that you will do well (or poorly) again this semester. You earn your grade.

That being said, here is a little incentive… California Western has formed a joint committee with UC San Diego, one of the finest schools in the state, to determine the viability of forming a public law school. This means we may see California Western incorporated into UCSD, possibly forming California Western School of Law at UC San Diego!

Why the exclamation point? Simple. Cal Western is consistently in the top five schools in California in terms of Bar passage rates. Our hiring rates and wages are comparable to most California law schools, including many that are ranked way higher than we are. Our trial program surpasses all others in the region. So why are we stuck in the fourth tier of law school rankings? Because those rankings are based on NAME RECOGNITION. Imagine how much more name recognition we’ll have as a school when we’re associated with the University of California system!

So, 1Ls, work hard. You may be working for a diploma not from Cal Western, but from UCSD Law.

On a side note, in December, I was elected Executive Chair of the Moot Court Honors Board. We’ve had record-setting numbers of people interested in the program this semester, and we’re trying to gain more exposure for it to produce even more interest. Check back soon for the official MCHB Blog!

FINALS!!! To quote one of the great philosophers of our time, “AAUGH!” Don’t worry my 1-L friends… I have some tips to get you through them.

1) Sleep the night before.
I don’t care if you pulled all-nighters in college. That’s not how it’s done here, mostly because finals last an entire week, and you’ll be in a coma by the end even if you do get enough sleep. Don’t ruin your last final or your last two finals by trying to cram too hard during the first two.

2) Don’t stress about the curve.
We all know about the curve. Every single other 1-L has to deal with it too. Imagine the advantage you’ll have if you’re not freaked out, but instead are able to focus on the task at hand! Plus, it’s possible to survive the curve. Look around. There are a whole lot of 2-Ls and 3-Ls who did it before you, and before you know it, the curve will be no more than a horrible memory.

3) Don’t go back to the library after a final.
You’ve just been put through the ringer. Give yourself the afternoon, or the rest of the day, off. Take a nap. Eat some junk food. Watch some TV. Do anything to relax and wind down. You’ll be much more efficient at preparing for your next final, and you’ll be much clearer when you walk into that next one too.

4) Step away from your notes for at least a minute or two every hour.
This includes during a final! Just wrapped up your long essay? Great! Turn the page, close your eyes, and take a breath. Grab a sip of water, and move on to the short answers. Then rinse and repeat before the multiple choice questions. By the end of your first year, you feel like you’re going blind. Give those peepers a break.

And last, but not least,
5) Do not discuss the exam!
I know, we all want to know how we did. But you will not know for six weeks. It’s science. Talking to your friends will give you no idea of your actual score, which is all that matters, and more likely than not, will make you insecure about issues you missed. Don’t put yourself through it.

That’s it. What? You expected a secret? Ok, here it is. Don’t worry about your grades. They’re important, but they are a gauge of how well you take a law exam, not how good a lawyer you will be. After all, A students become professors, B students become judges, and C students become wealthy.

My poor blog, you’re so neglected. You’re like one of those front lawns with overgrown grass and a rusty old shell of a car on concrete bricks.
So what’s up? LOTS!!!

First, my trial team made it to the finals at the CACJ National Criminal Trial Advocacy Competition! We lost by only one point to the other team, but we beat 30 teams to advance to the finals =) And since this competition is invitation-only, we secured ourselves a return trip next year! Let’s hear it for my team: Beth Nardi, Mike Maloney, and Billie Gibson (all of whom complained for not being named in my previous entries), and our phenomenal coaches, Paul Parisi and Tom Bahr.
Also, from what I hear, the teams that went to SDDL were amazing!
Second, there are rumors swirling about regarding a Cal Western / UCSD merger (which I would LOVE, by the way). If you haven’t picked up a copy of the Commentary, do it. There’s a ton of great articles in there, including the first of a three (?) part series regarding the merger rumors.

Third, my mom and sister are coming out to visit for Christmas! They’ll get to meet Lockhart and Marty, and my sister will get to meet Sundance for the first time. I may even have a surprise up my sleeve for their visit… Who knows?

So now, some advice for the 1Ls. You’ve made it through the first couple of months. Career Services is probably knocking down your doors and dragging you to seminars and mixers and events. GO. Take two hours, bring business cards, and network. This economy is terrifying the 3Ls, and is starting to worry some of the 2Ls. Put yourself in a position to have a job in a few years. Keep those outlines strong, but start really working on that Legal Skills memo so it will be out of the way when you’re ready to buckle down for finals.

That’s it. Until next time, same bat time, same bat channel.

Hi everybody,

My goal for this year is to blog weekly.  As you can see, I’ve already fallen behind.  Not to shirk responsibility, but I blame Cal Western’s ridiculously good trial competition program for taking up so many of my blogging hours.  My team is heading to San Francisco in fewer than three weeks to compete in an invitation-only trial advocacy competition, so we’re working hard to get ready.

While I’m on that topic, I’d like to congratulate the newest Distinguished Advocates, from both the Lynch Appellate Competition, as well as this weekend’s Mediation Competition.  I can’t wait to see the action at the Gafford Trial Competition next week!

And since this post seems to be entirely about our oral advocacy program, I’ll just run with it.  For all you 1Ls out there, you’ll be eligible to compete in four competitions in the spring: the 1L Trial Competition (which, as its name might indicate, is open only to 1Ls), the Gill Trial Competition, the Legal Skills II Appellate Competition, and the Negotiation Competition.  These are fabulous opportunities to get involved in extracurricular activities at school that, simply put, look fantastic on your resume.  Plus, it’s always great to find out you love areas of the law you never expected to.

But, for now, focus on studying.  For those of you willing to learn from other people’s mistakes, here’s my biggest one to avoid: Start outlining this weekend, then add to those outlines every weekend from here on out.  DO NOT WAIT.  The sheer quantity of material that’s covered in one semester is daunting.  Give yourself a chance to see how it all fits together.

Until next week =)