One down, one to go . . .

So, I've taken one final. The harder final. The final that I knew I wasn't prepared for. I didn't bomb it. I just didn't ace it either, but I'm okay with that. It was hard, but I finished. For example of the difficulty here is a paraphrase of the last question, which details removed:

If case X (decided 19xx, p. xxx in text) was decided five years later, what additional issue would the court have had to address and how would that have changed the analysis.

UMMMMM...

Thank goodness it was open book, so I could just start flipping through to read the dates of decision of later cases that might be relevant. I figured out something, and so I could answer the question, but well...we'll see how well.

So, now I have one more test to take. It's a 100 question True/False test. Seriously, I'm a little scared of that because I know that those sorts of questions aren't actually easy when that's all you're being tested on. Especially when it comes to ethics. Ethics very rarely test your knowledge when the issues are black and white. Instead, you have to look at the nuanced gray areas to really determine if you understand the crux of the issue. So, to then get to the issues by asking true/false questions only means that you can't get away with explaining the issue and then making you decision, you have to choose...I don't want to choose...blah.

Other than that, I'm starting bar prep classes in a week and a half. On a Saturday. What the crap? Why couldn't they wait til Monday?

I'm also starting to exercise more. This is good because for the first time in my life I'm really not happy with my body. I'm getting fat in certain areas. I'm clearly not fit. My clothes and I struggle on a regular basis. Therefore, I really need to work on making myself okay with my body. On way to do that is to exercise. The other is to diet. Not really diet, but to eat consciously. I have found that I'm not really not paying a lot of attention to what I'm eating and what's in it. I've started eating a LOT of processed food. That's not good for you because there is a whole lot of extra crap in there that you can't pronounce and don't put in when you cook. So, now I'm trying to cook more using whole foods and known ingredients. I'm not perfect, but it's a start.

So, that's what's up with me right now. What's up with you? Does anyone read this anymore?

My Last Law School Class

So, today is the last day of classes for me in my entire law school career. I'm torn because I do love being in school, and I think that I've finally figured out some of the stuff that I want to study and become an "expert in," which is not necessarily related to the type of law that I would practice. However, I'm not so big on the trend of "I have no money because the only money I have the bank gave me and they seem to think I'll give it back soon." I've accepted that I've sold out, and I'm looking forward to the fee that comes with it, for now at least.

I started to write this post while I was still in class, but I also took notes, so class is done now, and so am I. The professor ended class discussing when we will face the conflict between our ethical obligations and our moral senses and how we will face that. Maybe I'm less torn because I don't know if I can sacrifice my morality in order to be a "good" lawyer. Perhaps school would be better for me...

The point of all of this is that my graduation is in a month (exactly a month, actually) and then I have to study for and take the bar. After that I'll have done everything I have to do to become a lawyer (provided I pass the bar which I won't know until November). This is a very scary reality because I've like being insulated from the real world in a very real way. I watch the national and local news on Monday for the first time in years (not counting "Meet the Press" or "The Chris Matthews Sunday Show") and it was a little disheartening that I have to deal with that sooner rather than later.

Also, I have been seriously considering looking to buy a home because market conditions might lead to affordability. Turns out that "areas such as San Diego" haven't really had the pricing hit and will rebound sooner plus they are getting choosy about who they extend credit to. So, I may be living in my nearly section 8 housing where my downstairs neighbors have reported us to the management for being too loud late at night and we are living under threat of potential eviction until we can afford to get an ungodly sum of money for a down payment on a way over priced home that has a commute of an hour. I love southern california...

Plus, I need to buy a car. I'm currently driving my parent's car because they have had an extra car because of daughters in college mooching off them for years now, but I feel like once I join the "real world" I should sit down and buy my first car. That requires figuring what kind of car I want, how long I plan on having it, if I want to go used or new, if I want a hybrid, how much I can afford, blah, blah, blah...

Oh, and I still need to finish my paper and take my finals. Plan my summer carefully so I can go to places when I need to, but not miss my bar classes, and still have some money from the extra loan I took out in order to afford all of this so that I can start paying off the loans that are coming due. I don't like this adult real world.

Sorry, about that rant. I'll be better later. I don't know when later is going to be, but it will happen.

Woo hoo!

It is official, I have the potential to be an ethical lawyer! I passed the ethics test, and I was only 4 points below the mean score! That's a rate of 13 points over the score I needed in order to be considered "passed" for the bar.

That is all for now.