March 30th, 2011Let the countdown begin! In just a short 6 weeks, I will have completed my second year of law school. This is completely INSANE! I cannot describe how fast time is flying. I officially put myself in “finals zone” today which means longer days, less sleep and essentially zero social life until the middle of May. I know it might sound crazy, but I get really excited when this time of the semester comes around. Well, let me clarify,...

March 28th, 2011What a week! Keenan Appellate Advocacy Competition All semester, my partner and I have been working on our brief and oral arguments for the Keenan Appellate Advocacy Competition which finally began on Friday, March 18th.  We competed twice on Friday and once on Saturday morning which completed the preliminary rounds.  My partner and I received 3rd place for best overall brief and advanced all the way to the finals whic...

March 21st, 2011Lawyers on Math & Ethics “You guys either need a math class or an ethics class; I can’t tell which one, but either way, this is a little scary.” – Professor Olson I would highly recommend taking Constitutional Law, or anything for that matter, with Professor Olson.  He puts a modern twist on the constitution that makes class interesting and you’re usually guaranteed to crack up laughing at least once! This quote ab...

March 17th, 2011Spring has Sprung! Today we finally got some beautiful weather that Michigan is so well known for at this time of year.  When the weather is nice, my whole mood improves. This morning I was supposed to have an appointment with one of my clients in the veterans clinic but he forgot about it, so we rescheduled for next week.  This afternoon I went to the piquette apartments for veterans with one of the clinic attorneys t...

March 13th, 2011Great Weekend! This past Thursday was my hearing with the Board of Veterans’ Appeals for one of my clients in the Veterans Law Clinic.  I think it went really well and it was definitely one of the more exciting things I’ve been able to do so far in my legal career.  Unfortunately, the Board can take up to six months to release its decision, so I don’t know the outcome yet! Friday I worked all day and then ran some...

March 8th, 2011March Madness March is completely crazy! I feel like if I can survive this month, finals will be a breeze. (Although, I’m sure come April I will be singing a different tune.)   This Thursday I get to conduct a hearing with the Board of Veterans Appeals in the Federal McNamara Building downtown for one of my clients in the Veterans Clinic. I’ve been working on this case for weeks now; I feel like I could recite the file i...

March 4th, 2011Between work, school, and the Veterans clinic, I’ve been so busy that I’ve only been able get about 3 hours of sleep a night.  Unfortunately, I still do not have enough time to get everything done. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to handle this; I know I really need to get a good night of rest. I’d love to get 6 hours of sleep; in fact, I think it would be the best feeling ever. Instead, I’m trying to figure out if there is a...

February 19th, 2011Spring Break! Although I’m not going anywhere exotic, I am ecstatic about not having classes next week. This is going to be my catch-up week.  This morning I met my Keenan Appellate Advocacy competition teammate up at the Oakland County court house to practice our oral arguments.  Every single time I get up to argue, I get this amazing adrenaline rush.  I’ve mentioned before that I was a dancer most of my life. ...

February 6th, 2011Barrister’s Ball Last night was the annual Barrister’s Ball, more casually known as law school prom.  This year we had it at Motor City Casino.  The venue was really beautiful, and with dinner and an open bar, who couldn’t have a good time? This is one event you never want to miss. It’s always a guaranteed successful night. It was a great break from studying, working, and just legal thinking in general! Unfortunately...

January 30th, 2011Snow Storm…Friend or Foe? This Tuesday night/Wednesday morning we’re supposed to get a brutal snow storm. My initial thoughts to this were not nice ones. I have class on Tuesday night until 10PM, and then must return to school Wednesday morning by 8:30AM for my clinic. In a bad snow storm, by the time I get home Tuesday night, I will have to turn around to get back to school on time Wednesday morning. But then…an email changed ...