Viva Las Vegas

Any of my fellow bloggers going to this: http://www.publicdefenderretreat.com/index.html?

Rebound again

So I'm the rebound guy again, but this time the girl actually likes me and I actually like her. This to me means that it is going to end disastrously. The fact that she isn't just getting over a break up, but a divorce doesn't give me hope either. Entering into the relationship I thought it would be nice an casual and short. Thinks got really serious very quickly though. I'm cautiously optimistic about it though because she's a really nice girl.

I'm sure this is going to increase the number of visitors I get who search for "rebound guy." That is my second most common source of visitors from google, after those searching for "I hate law school."

I've been planning my class schedule for next year. I'm hoping that next semester I can do Trial Ad, a clinic of some kind, moot court and then only one legitimate class. It would be the best schedule ever. Three of my classes would be teaching me actual skills I may one day use as an attorney. Such a novel concept, law school teaching actual skills.

I finally came across the relatively knew PD blog preaching to the choir. Some quality ranting going on there. Only 2 months before I will get to do my own PD ranting again. So excited.

dating post with a little law talk

So after the last complete pile of trash that I dated I've been essentially off the market. This is a combination of choice and lack of supply. I went on a date with Internet girl and then she moved far away eight days later. It was a proof of concept thing for me. Internet dating is not as bad as I thought it would be. Unfortunately she was the only person on the website I'm using that seemed worthwhile. Surprisingly she was much better looking in person than her pictures led me to believe.

I've taken a liken to a fellow 2L since then. Friends confirm that she is in fact sane, nice and good looking. Now because she is a nice worthwhile girl I will completely and totally screw up any chances I might have with her. I really am trying to remain optimistic but if I get too optimistic I'm just setting myself up for a big let down. It is a precarious balancing test and now I'm thinking about it way too much. I'm a disaster with women.

My client from over the summer would have had oral arguments today if his real attorney hadn't waived. I was hoping he would have oral arguments so when his conviction is affirmed I could blame it on the attorney's poor oral advocacy and not my brief. Now if/when his conviction is affirmed I have to blame it on his actually being guilty or the court's utter disregard for the law.

I started caclulating how much it will cost for me to drive home this summer if gas prices stay the same. Currently looking at around $350 if I get decent gas mileage. I've purchased plane tickets for less. Plus I have to get a hotel at least once, probably twice.

And now for my exciting Friday night plans: Laundry.

Law school is boring, thus I have nothing to write about

It has been more than a month since I last wrote anything. I have very little to add that I haven't said before. I still dislike law school. Mostly now I'm just bored. I really should have followed through with my plan to try and intern with the PD office. But I so enjoy having a three day weekend that I stand by the decision.

A prosecutor came and spoke in one of my classes awhile ago. He was nice until the end when he felt the need to remind everyone that he represented the "People of the Great State of ________." It made me think of Saucy Vixon's post http://saucyvixen.blogspot.com/2008/01/why-i-do-what-i-do.html and Audacity's comment to her post, where she said "I also represent the people, one person at a time."

I've decided that preying on the 1Ls is no longer worth my while. I have now descended to the hell that is internet dating. One girl seems interesting, we've sent messages back and forth a little bit, we'll see if anything comes of it. I'm not holding out much hope.

Job shadow

I went to shadow a PD this week. I was to watch a trial. I woke up at 7AM for the first time in a month, put on my suit and rolled the minivan out to middle of nowhere courthouse. Watched some pleas (which was fairly interesting) and then the defendant showed up. The jail people screwed up and hadn't dressed him in civilian clothes. The defendant was a larger man so he needed his own clothes. Because of this his case was continued. I got to watch all of an hour of court.

The pleas were interesting. I remember from one of my crim pro classes that in order to accept a guilty plea there has to be a factual basis for the plea. Our professor never really explained where this factual basis came from. The judge I watched would read the elements of the crime to the defendant, ask the defendant if he understood all the rights he was waiving and if he remembered signing the plea agreement. After doing that she would take a minute to review the police report and inevitable say "I find the police report contains facts sufficient to support the plea."

I got an email from one of the attorneys I worked with over the summer. The appeal I wrote for her is going up for a motion on the merits on March 14th. Not looking good for my client. In the email she said "I suspect you will have the jurors eating out of your hand." That inflated my ego a little bit.

I continue improving

Grades came out awhile ago. I had one class where I did the reading beforehand everyday, created an outline, studied with my group extensively, took numerous practice exams and got my lowest grade. I had another class that I showed up for only because attendance was taken. I did not do the reading, I will be able to sell that book as "Like New" on half.com. I didn't even pay attention during class. Two days before I took some practice exams. I did better in that class than I did in the class I actually tried at (although it was my second lowest grade). At least for the first time ever the final I walked out of thinking "I kicked that tests ass" was my highest grade. Overall I did well in two classes and not as well as I would have liked, but well enough in the other two.

Hooray

Obama won Iowa.

Went back to visit the office where I interned today for lunch. Found out that the baby seagulls in the nest on the roof across the street "disappeared" one night. I think they spared me the gory details. I might go back on Wednesday to watch oral arguments. A prisoner sent a letter to my organization asking me to call his attorney to yell at him. That attorney was one of the attorneys I worked with over the summer. He has oral arguments for that prisoner on Wednesday.

Meet with Senior Intern at the office. She gave me a copy of "The Nine" by Jeffrey Toobin. I read a couple pages of it earlier and like it so far. Thank you Senior Intern. I'd read more of it but I want to watch Leno and Conan without writers again.

Leno surprised me with his ability to write jokes. I thought it was a complete hack. Turns out he is just mostly a hack. Conan was a bit disappointing. I wish the networks would just give the writers what they want. It seems fair to me.