So...
Now that I've moved and settled and am into a pattern with classes, I am feeling much better than I was when I wrote the last post.
The whole LF thing was stressful at first, just generally trying to figure out how to lead the discussion and get them to think deeply about the various issues and such. I ended up with a somewhat quiet group, which was tricky at first because we didn't really go through much training about how to get a quiet group to talk. Most of our training was how to get an argumentative group to settle down and come to a consensus. I didn't have that so I sort of had to feel my way through prompting the discussion. But as they've been getting more comfortable with each other, and with me, it seems like things are taking off so I'm happy with that. I'm feeling much more in the groove in regards to all that.
I am having some difficulties with getting my project going, mostly due to my "support network" not being very, well...supportive. Basically the only support I have so far is from my faculty supervisor, who is also the head of the entire program so of course she's being helpful. My next step is supposed to be going to my advising attorney, who is another faculty member that knows a lot about the particular subject for the project. Well, my particular advising attorney is not being helpful at all. I'm not supposed to try and have a meeting with my client until I talk to my advising attorney (according to my faculty supervisor) so...I'm kind of stuck. I think I can go to the research librarians and get some information from them without speaking to the advising attorney but I don't know. My faculty supervisor (hereinafter known as SMR - real initials, and also what we generally actually call her) has suggested some ways to get him more involved so I'm hoping those work. The last suggestion did not work. We'll see. But anyway, that's a bit stressful since I only have so many weeks to put together my portion of the project. But it looks like some other LFs are in the same boat so I'm sure it will turn out fine. What I really want to make sure to do is really get this support network set up before I go so that they don't have to deal with what my group had to deal with last year in finding that most of our "supporters" weren't helpful in the least. But first I have to get them to support me. It's harder than it seems. Sigh. Oh well.
As for my other classes, I LOVE evidence. I should have known. It's all rules, just like civil procedure was, and I LOVED that class too. On Tuesday I "litigated" in front of the class at the request of my professor. I played the defense attorney, and the witness I was questioning was supposed to be talking about the defendant's good character (so it was my witness). And I had to respond to the objections from the person playing prosecutor and then object to their questions when they were up. Frequently the professor interrupted our role play to explain to the class what was going on and why it worked and why it didn't. Anyway, I enjoyed it. I had fun objecting. =)
Professional Responsibility is a good class too. He's actually prepping us for the MPRE (Multi-state Professional Responsibility Exam) instead of just teaching it theoretically. The theoretical approach is what commonly happens in law schools, which is irritating when Prof. Responsibility is the only specific class (besides first year classes) that is actually required for graduation rather than just suggested if you actually would like to pass the bar. So basically what usually happens is you have to take the class, then you have to pay for a prep class in order to actually take the exam. Granted, everyone takes a bar prep course for the actual bar, but that's just good sense, especially since a lot of what's on there is stuff you took in first year and you're taking the exam after your third year. You can take the MPRE at any time (I'm signed up to take it in November) so it would make more sense for more schools to use their prof. responsibility class as an MPRE prep class since you can just go take it and then be done with it. So anyway, I'm glad that my professor has actually thought about all this and is actually discussing the ABA rules we'll be tested on and talking about how it will appear on the MPRE. He's even made sure to schedule the exam a little early so that we take it before the November MPRE and then we're basically just studying for both tests at once. Granted, early exam doesn't usually sound all that great, but in this case it does. And then that class is over and I can focus on evidence and my project.
Aside from school, Nessa is finally moving in to the apartment tomorrow. She had to wait for various reasons. I'm very excited. It's kind of a big apartment to be all alone in, for one thing, and while I do enjoy my alone time, I really do love having someone there when I need a bit of company. I'm just particular about who that is, and I already know that Nessa fits the role of good company when I need it. And, going by her schedule, she's probably going to be home about as much as Christen was home when I lived with her so it should be the perfect mix of time on my own and time with her. Plus my bedroom is practically another apartment inside the apartment (I'll have to post pictures soon...it's insane) so if she is home and I need "me time", I can always just go in there.
Well, that's about it from me for now. I'm more in the swing of things with classes and LFing and the new apartment so I should be writing a bit more regularly now. As well as reading all the wonderful blogs I've been neglecting.
