The "I'm finished with 16% of Law School" post

Hello all,

I am pretty sure this is either my last or nearly last blog post. I figured I would do a nice sum up, hopefully it won't be too long. Technically, I am 1/6 of the way done with law school, if you count by semesters. I do have a final later today and Friday, but whose counting? (That is sarcastic.)

Some things I have learned about law school and life:

1) Yes, in law school, to some extent your career is over before it starts.
Unfortunately, the best jobs are connected to the best internships and clerkships, which are connected to either Dad's Fishing Buddy, Mom's Brother in Law, or those in the top 10% of the class. There are work-arounds, and of course the best job for one person isn't the best for everyone, but it still is a fresh dose of reality to know doors are already closing.

2) Yes, law school exams ARE that bad.
Too much material, too many possible ways to approach each question, and it isn't even really a good test of "lawyer" skills.

3) Yes, UB law uses a grading curve.
My undergrad instituted a grading curve while I was a student there, so I have plenty of experience. All this does is hurt students.

4) Yes, UB is the best law school in Maryland.
I hang out at the other law school in Maryland's library because it is closer. I am SO GLAD that school rejected me and I went to UB. And it isn't because it is a bad school, in fact it is a great school (and they have a gorgeous library) but I think UB Law does it better.

5) Yes, adjunct and new faculty are bad for students.
I was spoiled by an undergrad that only have full professors teaching class. That all ended with my first semester of law school. My adjunct was never prepared for class, and always running by the seat of his pants. I wish I learned more, he was (supposed) to be teaching an important legal skill. I already know I am way behind my peers in this area. I also had a first year and second year faculty. The second year was fairly lost. The first year was lost too, but he put in 150% every day. Too bad for me that I got to "break him in" but the next classes he teaches will be getting a great education, because he obviously has what it takes.

6) Yes, UB Law has the best Law Professors.
At first I was upset that my contracts professor missed a week of classes early in the semester. He redeemed himself by making contracts interesting, pushing us to always be ready for class, and giving concise, detailed, and organized lectures. Also he missed class because he does contracts for some branch of the armed forces and was in Iraq for the week. There are tons of other stories about professors at UB Law really earning their salaries, but I won't bore you with the details.

7) Yes, getting old really isn't all that much fun.
Sometimes I just wish I could take a day off. My knees crack and pop when I go down the stairs in the morning. An all-nighter leaves me in actual pain the next day. I actually look forward to spending part of the weekend running errands.

8) Yes, family and friends are that important.
Sometimes you just can't do it on your own. Even for a loner like myself, I think I now understand the true importance of having supportive people in your life.

9) Yes, there is justice in the world.
I spent the two years before law school working as a social worker at the highest rated hospital in the United States for 12 years running. It was one of the worst experiences of my life, and left me jaded. It has been so nice to get outside of that. It is amazing, in law school, rules mean something. People admit when they don't know the answer. No one makes a decision without first thinking it through. Hard work gets recognized and rewarded.

10) Yes, Baltimore is a very racist city.
I love Baltimore, I moved here from far away and will live here the rest of my life, but we have a real problem getting along.

11) Yes, walking around Baltimore is unsafe.
Mostly because drivers don't obey the signs! Also, I was walking along Pratt Street yesterday, and a police officer waved myself and a woman across the street. She (the officer) did not bother blowing her whistle, or even signaling, to the driver who nearly killed the woman crossing next to me.
*This is meant to be lighthearted, Baltimore is pretty safe as long as you keep your head about you.

12) No, law school is NOT cutthroat like everyone makes it out to be.
Seriously. Yes, everything is decided by your class rank, but at the same time, I find my classmates nothing but supportive and helpful. Sure, there is the one guy who refuses to even say hello during exam weeks, but otherwise nothing but help from the other 99% of students.

Like I said, this may or may not be my last post this semester. If it is, then thank you all for reading. If it is not, then expect something like massive shout-outs next week.

Cheers all,
-Spencer