Then I realized, I actually like con law.

This morning, after living in Charlotte over the summer and going on vacation almost every weekend, for one of the first times I woke up in my bed . I pulled my eyeshades away from my eyes, and looked at the black clock sitting in front of me. It was already 11am.

I went downstairs, brushed my teeth, and got a cold glass of water, before I headed back to my room to find something to do. Immediately, I walked over to my bookshelves, and began scanning the titles. In my English Lit undergrad, I saved most of my books, and a few textbooks and anthologies, so I can usually find something interesting to read in my down time. On the bookshelf I was scanning, I saved the top two shelves for my law books. My eyes crossed over my con law textbook, which is hard to miss, since it populates half of the second shelf, and is bright red.

I shuffled through it's immense contents, and stopped on a page detailing "Fundamental Rights Under Due Process and Equal Protection." Skimming through the seas of sentences, I stopped on a sentence, reading

" . . . the Supreme Court has considered a constitutional right to refuse medical care . . ."

Considering that the author chose to personifiy the Supreme Court, by writing that "the Supreme Court has considered," I pondered over what he was really saying. The Supreme Court doesn't just sit around and "consider" important issues; they try the most difficult issues, ones that sometimes cannot be decided in state supreme courts. They try serious cases.

Even if the author didn't know it, his sentence originated from some small courtroom in Somewhere, USA, where some person was probably being criminally tried for refusing to accept medical care. That person most likely spent years of his life in litigation, and probably under some surveillance or probation. I would love to read that case.

However, due to the sacrifice of a majority of his life over a few years, the Supreme Court was able to "consider" an important issue- the right to refuse medical care. While it might seem best to make people recieve medical care, to ensure that they are as healthy as they can be, we should be grateful to have this constitutional protection. If this fundamental right were not protected, then the government could force us to go see doctors. And even though the governement would justify this within a standard of strict scrutiny, the right to decide when to be treated is so fundamental that the government should not be allowed to infringe upon it.

And then I realized I actually like con law . . .

Today was my first day back in the office from my vacation.

I walked into the law firm this morning and greeted the paralegal, and then made my way back into my cozy yellow office. Opening the door, I flicked on the light switch, and immediately saw an letter on my computer, addressed to me.

I rolled my eyes, thinking the card was another correspondence from a convicted inmate's sister, who is convinced her brother is innocent, despite the Supreme Ct's decision. She has been begging for my help, and saying God sent me, even though we have told her that it would be a conflict of interest for me to help, seeing as her brother is already represented in his post conviction relief. I hate drama, and this particular women is brimming with it.

I sauntered over to the sealed letter, and was immediately relieved, and excited, when I saw that it was from the first person I ever got to help. The lady had a tax lien on her house, wrongfully imposed by the IRS for over 1 million dollars, and within a few weeks I helped get it removed. I ripped it open. Inside was a card thanking me and wishing me luck. It was such an upper.

Thinking back to when she first arrived at our office with her sister- worried, sleepless, and complaining of ulcers- and now knowing that I helped- this is what drives me to be a lawyer- people. I wish she knew how much it means to me that she is the first person whose issue I got to resolve as a law clerk. As much as she thinks I have done for her, she has given back to me. When I help people, I feel like I get as much out of it as they do.

Why I Keep Smiling

Everyday when I leave work, from the moment I get in my car until the moment that I slide my key in the door knob and step inside, I smile. I can't help it; I absolutely love this town. As I down India Hook Rd, past the restaraunt I bartend at, past the law firm I clerk at, past the turn that my mom took to drive me to catholic school or my orthodonist, past the restaurant my best friend's parents own, past the icecream palor that sells killer millers, down the drive that goes to the lakehouse, and right up to my townhouse that I share with my best friend of 11 years, I feel at home. Besides past memories, and present fun, here are the top 5 reasons I love this town:

1. Southern Hospitality. Everywhere I go, men open the doors for me. I have been escorted to my car, even in the pouring rain, and I half expected the gentlemen to throw his coat over a puddle so I wouldn't have to step in the water. Neighboors are friendly, and always chatting with each other. Everyone makes conversation (and usually throws in a "bless her heart" every now and then).

2. Radio. The radio stations here play the best music. I guess you will have to take my word on this; or just ask anyone who has lived in the area.

3. Fried pickles and sweet tea. Even this "carpet bagger" can't resist these southern treats. However, unlike most, I can only take them in small servings.

4. Entertainment. The best bars, professional sports teams of every caliber, concerts, shopping, recreational sports, lakes, an amusement park, shows, and best of all- Dave and Busters- a Chuckie Cheese for adults- 21 and older, an arcade surrounded by a bar. Ahhhh, Charlotte.

5. My friends. I went to middle school and high school here for 5 years. My best friends from undergrad moved here after graduation. It feels so good to be so close to them again. Sometimes I get butterflies just driving past the high school, or past places I used to hang out at.

I am so giddy. Tonight, someone asked why I was smiling so much. "I love this place," was my honest response. I'm already prepping my roomate for the day she will have to pry the key from my fingers, and pull me out the door. While my smile may fade as I leave, I really don't see myself frowning before then.

Celebrity Attorneys

I LOVE my job! Thus far, life as a law clerk is thrilling. At this point, I've mainly been involved in civil litigation- everything from medical malpractice to corporate real estate transactions. Just this week I've started keeping track of my billable hours. So far I've mainly been taking in new clients, doing initial interviews, researching the case, moving the case along, and keeping the partners and clients updated on my work.

I love helping people; although pressured, I love that people are relying on me! I have clients who call and email me. I was just as surprised as the attorneys and paralegal when a client mailed a manila envolped to the office, and it was addressed to me!

Our firm has two attorneys. Phil practices criminal defense, and Tommy practices civil litigation. Next week, Tommy is on vacation for three days, so I get to do some more intensive criminal work with Phil. While I've done a few client interviews with Phil, our relationship thus far consists of his harassing me at lunch or in the office. The first week he told me that they had costume day at the office and to dress up as a superhero on Friday. When I asked him to take me to jail to meet with clients, he told me that I knew what a jail was like because- don't lie- I've been there before. We cut up together. Life as a professional!

Sometimes I feel sorry for Phil because Tommy more than half the reason people come to the office. Tommy is a celebrity- especially in Rock Hill. Everyone in this town knows and loves him- and I mean EVERYONE.

I was somewhat concerned earlier this week that I was working for one of those TV commercial attorneys- ambulance chasers. This all came about after about the third consecutive interview of a client saying they came to see Tommy Pope because they knew he was good- they had seen him on TV. Of course Tommy used his popism "you don't always believe what you see on TV, do you?" in response.

I was in anxious disbelief over the chance that I had lowered myself to the standard of working for a commercial attorney. Finally I asked Tommy why people had seen him on TV, and was relieved to find that he did not have a commercial! Instead, he has in the past recieved a lot of media attention because he was the elected Solicitor in the 1990s, and because he was the prosecutor on the Susan Smith case. While Phil (who worked in the solicitor's office under Tommy) has only been on Larry King Live, Tommy's TV appearances include shows such as Oprah, Dateline, and A&E. He also starred on a court TV show called "Power of Attorney." The premise of the show is that it is a Judge Judy sort of show that had celebrity attorneys representing the clients. Because of his work on the Susan Smith trial, they would fly him out to hollywood on the weekends to star as one of their "celebrity attorneys," alongside attorneys from other famous cases, such as OJ Simpson. The framed TV poster of the show beside my office, with Tommy looking tough and crossing his arms, makes me laugh everytime I see it. Celebs.

However, if not for my pressuring Tommy to tell me about his media experiences, I would have never known. Both of the attorneys I work with are down to earth, funny, and personable. Everyday at work, we are laughing about something. I also like how straight forward Tommy and Phil are. They have no reservation telling clients that they can do the work without an attorney, or that they are wasting their time pursuing a case. The firm does not charge for initial interviews, and that results in all of us doing a lot of free research and work for people. Like me, the attorneys I work with have a true concern for people, and want to help them fulfill their best interests. Perhaps this is the main reason that when I leave our office at the end of the day, I smile all the way home.

http://www.wistv.com/global/story.asp?s=5083152 - WIS TV report about when Tommy and Phil left the solicitor's office to go into the private practice where I work.

Loving the Job, Missing the Roomate

Just moments ago, I got out of a hot, bubbly bath tub with a empty martini glass. The only sound in my summer townhouse was the steady deep ticking of the kitchen clock one room away. I looked under my roomate's (who owns the home) sink, and saw a light blue plastic makeup bag with pink and yellow flowers that I had given to her as part of her 8th grade birthday present. I am so lucky.

I have been a close friend of Catherine's for 11 years now. We met in 7th grade, and I still remember how we became friends. She came up to me at lunch, told me that I was sitting with a bunch of snobby girls, and that I should be friends with her instead. Every day she persisted that I sit with her. One day, just to shut her up (unbeliveably, she talks more than I do- part of why I love her to death) I sat with her. I was hooked, and we have been the best of friends ever since.

I am touched that she still has that makeup bag, and that she uses it! Catherine is my oldest friend. As a "retail" brat, my family moved around a lot, and she is one of the only people that I can tell stories about. . . like the time we tied sheets together to sneak out of my second floor bedroom in high school. We took for sale signs out of yards, and put them in the yards of people we didn't like. Haha- your home is for sale!

Cat is at the beach right now, and my only entertainment consists of choices such as the internet, cable, and vodka. I'm currently taking advantage of all three, trying to get some sleep before I head to the law office.

Catherine's dad got me the job at the law office, and I love it. The attorneys I work with are amazing. Tommy, the namesake of the firm, has such high morals. He has such a great personality and character, and everyone in this town knows and adores him. He gave me my own big, golden painted office, with a large wooden desk, file cabniets, bookshelves, a desktop computer, and a leather chair, as well as two red clothed wooden chairs for people to sit in. He asked me today what I wanted to do for him, so that he can give me the experience I want to have. He is a wonderful person, and I feel blessed to have such a good mentor.

Tommy took me and April (the most important person in our firm, the paralegal) out for lunch. April is brillant! Every time I had an idea, while skimming through files, I ran it by her to get her advice and opinion. She humored me, tossing ideas around with me, which I appreciated so much. She also was my company throughout the day, and I kept leaving my office to sit with her because it was sooo quiet (Phil and Tommy had court/ dentist appts). I would be stranded without her.

Anyway, we went for chinese, and my fortune cookie said "Continue this conversation and you will learn." Interesting fortune for the summer associate to get while out with the firm.

After lunch, Tommy went to court and I looked around the rest of the office. There are professional court room sketches hanging on the walls of Tommy when he prosecuted Susan Smith. It is so awesome to hear him tell the story. He is so down to earth when he tells it, but basically when they told him there would be cameras in the courtroom it didn't phase him, because he knew why he was there (to do justice for those little kids).

My favortie thing about Tommy is that he is down to earth, and treats everyone the same (with lots of respect).

I'm certainly loving my j0bs, yet missing my roomate. Maybe after another martini I'll get some rest, and be more than happy to wake up anticipating another day at the law firm!

There is NOTHING like summer!

I love summer.

Today has been the most amazingly simple, and still most amazing day. Although it may seem humdrum to some people, it was the day that I have been dreaming of since starting the hectic life of being a law student.

Without a legal summer job, my days have been pretty average, consisting of sitting on a couch and watching all the interesting shows on TV. However, although seemingly boring and simple, today was amazing.

I woke up late this morning; I got out of bed around 9:30. After getting out of bed, I had a bowl of Rasin Bran Crunch and a glass of juice. After finishing my late breakfast, I sat on the parlor couch and read. I have been reading Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" for a couple of days now. I spent a few hours reading, and then decided I felt like watching "Sex and the City," particularly the "Secret Sex" episode, and cleaning.

While cleaning my friend Brandon, who just moved to Detroit to begin law school during the summer semester, called me in panic. "What do I need to know . . . reading is taking me soooo long." Practicing my peer mentor skills for next fall semester, I advised him to get a commercial outline and then skim through the cases. I explained "IRAC," and told him the rules were what he really needed to learn for the exam. Then I honestly told him law school sucks, but that if you work hard, you will party even harder at the end of the semester, and it will be fantastic. He thanked me for my advise, and said he loved me. I explained this is the reason law students are so close; only we truly understand the pain of law school.

After getting off the phone, I remembered that I had a seminar for swim lessons, so I can get my raise, and had to rush off to the office. I showed up 30 minutes late, but luckily, I have good companionship with my boss, and he had no problem with my delay. I am in this training session with one of my best friends from high school, Gwen, and the two of us wrote notes to each other during the boring instructor videos. I had to stay afterwards to review five minutes of an audio video on addressing fears.

After swim practice, I called my friends to see what was going on for Sunday night. Baker was watching a TV show with Jason, his best friend. Andre was having dinner out of town with his parents. Everyone else let their answering machines pick up.

The 30 minute drive home was relaxing. I cranked up my stereo, rolled down the windows, opened the sunroof, and listened to my mixed CD while driving in the warm summer sunset. Pure bliss. I wanted to drive to I-4, and ride through Flordia.

When I got home, I opened a bottle of beer and plugged in my electric guitar. I played "Turn the Page," and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" for about an hour. Then I put "Sweet Child of Mine" in my CD player and turned it on repeat, while opening a bottle of wine and continued reading "The Sun Also Rises."

To me, days like this are what makes life worthwhile. I had so much time just for me, to do the things I love to do. Today had cumulated into doing what I love to do best; here I sit, still listening to "Sweet Child of Mine" on repeat, as Ernest Hemingway states in "The Sun Also Rises," I am "a little drunk. Not drunk in any positive sense but just enough to be careless," and I am doing one of my favorite things in the world- writing.

So now I make my way back to another glass of wine, and reopen my book. Ahh, there is nothing like summer.

Something old, something renewed.

I need out. I need an escape from the prison that is exams. For most of the day, I sit alone in front of my laptop, staring at outlines. I review and rereview until my eyes don't pick the words off the page anymore, and I find myself for the fourth time reading "nonoccurnence of which was a basic assumption to the contract," and still having no idea what is going on. The amazing thing about studying, is eventually, after the 50 millionth time you read over a sentence, it all comes together. Unfortuneately you realize that the sentence also isn't necessary to what you should be learning. You begin to dislike the author, concluding that the person who wrote that statement is a terrible writer, and you can say the substantial part of that statement in a much clearer form; "the parties didn't expect something to happen."

You finally get to the part of the night where it is time to go to bed. Sadly, your mind is still cranking, and it's hard to settle down. When you finally go off to dreamland, you realize that you are in a test: civ pro, torts, contracts, con law, property. Civ pro dreams are nightmares. I woke up reciting rule 11 one morning. Con law dreams are confusing at the least, and usually go beyond the exam and end with me physically running frantically around the law school, until Seigal chases me down and tells me to stop. Take the test.

Being somewhat uncreative, by reason of exhaustion, I decided I would post a long promised poem. However, while searching through my desk, I found another poem in desperate need of revision, and then realized I was in desperate need of an academic activity beyond the Restatement. Deciding all this, here are both poems. The first is in it's original pentameter form, although I probably could have made up a title for it. The second is in a radically revised form.

1. Untitled.

Oh! How I love the begining of fall!
Gentle the wind. How it blows on the seas.
Crisp and cool air travels swiftly to all,
wildly whistiling through willow trees.

How does the wind feel to travel so free?
Swirling around shouting audible moans.
Sailors don't mind, they need wind on the sea
And gladly they listen to the breeze's groans.

The wind endures such a companionship!
Sweet air is needed by all to inspire.
Intimately, softly, grazing the lip,
Shortly exhaled it is free to retire.

The ills of captivation are profound,
What force allows nature to be unbound?


2. Against Reason

The wisest man said he knew nothing;
knowing justice made one just.
How can just one simple person
exchange, for reason, faith and trust?

Slowly I'll tend to these pieces,
Strewn about a senseless world.
Logic falls in boundless creases,
around thin air my fingers curl.

The wisest man has set me free!
And now I leave this cave, afraid.
This baroque world confuses me,
yet makes confusion slowly fade.