Like Namby, I seem to be suffering through a phase of un-funniness and semi-writer's block. I used to post every day and now I'm hitting about once a week - and it's not even that good. It's not that I don't want to write. It's just that I want to write about stupid, serious, phases of life stuff. For example, I'd love to write a breakdown of my "date" with the ex-BF, contemplating the good and bad aspects of relationships. Usually I can do stuff like that and insert humor, but my funny and punny has temporarily (I hope) abandoned me. So I leave you with the best attempt I can do tonight, in an effort to get back in the swing of things...
The other night I sat at the bar reading my book. Bartender-boy walked over to ask what I was reading and after perusing the inside cover announced, "Looks like a chick book."
I snatched the book back from his hands. Chick book? Are you kidding me? I don't read silly little chick books. My book was a historical novel set during the industrial revolution. It traced the fleeing of Jews from czarist Russia to underpaid factory workers on the Lower East Side. It chronicled the women's suffrage movement and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. Chick book. Hmpf. How dare he make such an assumption!
At the time, I had just begun the book. I have now finished, and while, yes, it does discuss all of the key historical items listed above, it also carried the uncommon distinction of every main character being a lesbian.
I guess, in a way, it was a chick book after all.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Studying with Martha...
Since starting back to school, Martha's been experiencing a little bit of an adjustment. Owner is home, but Owner won't always play with her. Here's how it goes down...
Hey Owner, I'm just going to lie down right here, but I'll be good, okay?
Look at me! Look at how quiet and cute I am! Aren't I being a good dog? Don't you want to play with me?
I'm just going to put my nose right here. Just in case you forgot about me...and how cute I am.
Owner, this is so boring. How do you stand this?
What if I play with your hair? Does that get your attention?
Maybe if I climb on your back? I know you hate that.
(um, is it just me, or does my arm look HUGE in this pic?)
YOU ARE NO FUN.
Fine, be that way. I am just going to snuggle with your beloved 'hoodie.'
Hey Owner, I'm just going to lie down right here, but I'll be good, okay?
Look at me! Look at how quiet and cute I am! Aren't I being a good dog? Don't you want to play with me?
I'm just going to put my nose right here. Just in case you forgot about me...and how cute I am.
Owner, this is so boring. How do you stand this?
What if I play with your hair? Does that get your attention?
Maybe if I climb on your back? I know you hate that.
(um, is it just me, or does my arm look HUGE in this pic?)
YOU ARE NO FUN.
Fine, be that way. I am just going to snuggle with your beloved 'hoodie.'
Monday, August 27, 2007
Hoodie has been found!
After calling every establishment I visited over the last 48 hours without success, I continued to search for hoodie, calling friends, family, and just about every person I knew.
It seemed odd that anyone would "steal" hoodie. One of the reasons that I love hoodie is because he's cut for a smaller, shorter armed person. Anyone who found hoodie would likely think he belonged to a child - and what type of jerk steals from a kid?
So I went to my bar where no one had answered the phone and where granted, kids do not likely hang out, but still and ...sniff, no hoodie.
Then I stopped back at home and scoured the internet to see if hoodie was replaceable online. I found a similar item at twice the price, but unavailable in size small. Sniff.
I emailed my friends with scheduled trips to Paris, "Please bring back Hoodie!"
How could I have lost him? I was so, so sad. I pondered planning a memorial service.
On my way to meet Wine-Time-Girl for dinner I stopped at one of the places I'd called earlier. Maybe the people who answered the phones were idiots. Maybe hoodie was really there. I couldn't bear to give up. People stared at me as I crawled under booths, lifted up seats and then finally, spotted hoodie on the back counter of the coffee shop near the modern art museum.
Hoodie is home!
Thanks to all who sent kind words. WTG thinks I'm deranged. After reclaiming hoodie I actually pulled out a sharpie and wrote my name and phone number on his label - just like when you went to camp.
And just because when I pulled out my camera Martha thought I was doing so to take a picture of her and posed, here is her shot.
It seemed odd that anyone would "steal" hoodie. One of the reasons that I love hoodie is because he's cut for a smaller, shorter armed person. Anyone who found hoodie would likely think he belonged to a child - and what type of jerk steals from a kid?
So I went to my bar where no one had answered the phone and where granted, kids do not likely hang out, but still and ...sniff, no hoodie.
Then I stopped back at home and scoured the internet to see if hoodie was replaceable online. I found a similar item at twice the price, but unavailable in size small. Sniff.
I emailed my friends with scheduled trips to Paris, "Please bring back Hoodie!"
How could I have lost him? I was so, so sad. I pondered planning a memorial service.
On my way to meet Wine-Time-Girl for dinner I stopped at one of the places I'd called earlier. Maybe the people who answered the phones were idiots. Maybe hoodie was really there. I couldn't bear to give up. People stared at me as I crawled under booths, lifted up seats and then finally, spotted hoodie on the back counter of the coffee shop near the modern art museum.
Hoodie is home!
Thanks to all who sent kind words. WTG thinks I'm deranged. After reclaiming hoodie I actually pulled out a sharpie and wrote my name and phone number on his label - just like when you went to camp.
And just because when I pulled out my camera Martha thought I was doing so to take a picture of her and posed, here is her shot.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
I lost hoodie...
I have a black zip front hoodie that I carry with me everywhere. It's the perfect size and perfect weight (thicker than a t-shirt, thinner than a sweatshirt) for shifting from the outside heat to indoor air conditioning. I purchased it at a little shop in Paris and it says Universite Paris on it which is where I studied during my time there. Hoodie is loved and irreplaceable and sometime on Friday, I lost him.
I was out with an old ex-boyfriend in town from Atlanta, and I must have got caught up in the moment - because somewhere - either at the restaurant or the coffee shop or the bar - I left hoodie.
It's funny how something so little can seem so valuable. Hoodie's sentimental because I found him in Paris, but like I said, he also fits just right and is not too warm or too cold. I can't even think of a store here in town where I might be able to find something similar.
Yes, I know it's silly, but I'm so freakin' sad. I've called around and no one's seen him. Maybe I'll try back again. In the meantime, I'm stuck in a meeting at school...and I'm cold.
:-(
Update: Everyone has competing theories on the location of hoodie. The ex-BF says that I forgot it at home after the restaurant and mentioned it as we walked to the coffee shop. A friend of mine says that I had hoodie with me yesterday when we were studying at different coffee shop (although she also says I packed him up when we left), but I don't remember taking it with me there. Where is hoodie?
I was out with an old ex-boyfriend in town from Atlanta, and I must have got caught up in the moment - because somewhere - either at the restaurant or the coffee shop or the bar - I left hoodie.
It's funny how something so little can seem so valuable. Hoodie's sentimental because I found him in Paris, but like I said, he also fits just right and is not too warm or too cold. I can't even think of a store here in town where I might be able to find something similar.
Yes, I know it's silly, but I'm so freakin' sad. I've called around and no one's seen him. Maybe I'll try back again. In the meantime, I'm stuck in a meeting at school...and I'm cold.
:-(
Update: Everyone has competing theories on the location of hoodie. The ex-BF says that I forgot it at home after the restaurant and mentioned it as we walked to the coffee shop. A friend of mine says that I had hoodie with me yesterday when we were studying at different coffee shop (although she also says I packed him up when we left), but I don't remember taking it with me there. Where is hoodie?
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Oh, this is a new one...
Prof: I won't be able to make it to the law school for class on Friday.
Ana: YAY! NO CLASS ON FRIDAY!
Prof: Instead, be sure to view the podcast on my web page.
Ana: What's next? Office hours on IM?
Ana: YAY! NO CLASS ON FRIDAY!
Prof: Instead, be sure to view the podcast on my web page.
Ana: What's next? Office hours on IM?
So much for buying books early...
I ordered my books online three weeks prior to class. A few days ago, I got an email from Amazon telling me that one of my books was on hold and therefore, so was the entire order. I cancelled the book immediately and the rest of the shipment arrived on the morning of my first class.
I purchased the final book at the student bookstore an hour before class started, but when I checked the first reading assignment, something was wrong.
“Oh,” said the person sitting next to me, “They changed the book a few days ago. Didn’t you get the email?”
Email? What? Unless the subject line said “Urgent – Book Change” I probably thought it was spam. Digging through my email, I found it, subject line ‘Urgent - Book change,’ sent out approximately SIX days prior to class. Oops.
As it turns out, the book I bought was later split into two separate books, one of which became the required course material. When I returned to the bookstore I found that my larger, heavier book was less than the cost of just one of the new books so I kept the old one.
Ok, so no big deal. I pull out my book for the next class and look up the first day assignment. Wouldn’t you know, in the last five days, there’s a new professor for the course, and he wrote his own book. No one’s sent out an email for this change, but I can’t complain as I probably would have missed that one, too. Thank goodness I bought this book new on Amazon and I’ll only lose ten bucks in shipping for the return…and an hour out of my life to package it back up and deliver it to the post office.
Since I won’t be doing any reading in that class for awhile, I move on to my third class. This prof makes very clear in his first assignment that he calls on people randomly and expects students to come to class prepared. There are two books for the class, but the instructions say the first reading comes from the Smith & Jones book. I look at my books. They’re both by Smith & Jones. I turn each to the requested page number. Neither relate to the topic listed on the syllabus. I double check the book titles, their ISBN numbers. Yep, I’ve got the right books. Is this some kind of joke?
At class the prof explains the mystery. The book is between editions, and he managed to wrangle a copy of the one forthcoming from the authors. They agreed to let him make copies of the new version on the grounds that he required us to buy the old edition.
“So, you can just take those old books and put them on your shelf. We won’t be using them,” he says.
Thanks. Thanks so much. The prof gives us a spiel about how this is the most fair for all parties involved. Profs are poor. Profs work hard on their books. Profs deserve to be compensated. I suppose I would feel more sympathetic if profs didn’t have the sweetest job in this industry. Or profs didn’t make around six figures a year as I accrued nearly six figures of debt. Or if the argument wasn’t completely superfluous in that I bought my books used.
“And to make sure that you don’t return or resell your books immediately,” he says, “I’ll be handing out the copies in piecemeal over the course of the class. Each time you need to pick up a packet, you’ll have to show me the two books you purchased.”
If you’re in this class and haven’t yet purchased your books, I would be more than happy to loan you mine at various intervals for the low, low price of a dollar. In the interest of fairness, for each rental I will kick back a quarter to the prof so he can pass it on to the authors and the publisher.
I purchased the final book at the student bookstore an hour before class started, but when I checked the first reading assignment, something was wrong.
“Oh,” said the person sitting next to me, “They changed the book a few days ago. Didn’t you get the email?”
Email? What? Unless the subject line said “Urgent – Book Change” I probably thought it was spam. Digging through my email, I found it, subject line ‘Urgent - Book change,’ sent out approximately SIX days prior to class. Oops.
As it turns out, the book I bought was later split into two separate books, one of which became the required course material. When I returned to the bookstore I found that my larger, heavier book was less than the cost of just one of the new books so I kept the old one.
Ok, so no big deal. I pull out my book for the next class and look up the first day assignment. Wouldn’t you know, in the last five days, there’s a new professor for the course, and he wrote his own book. No one’s sent out an email for this change, but I can’t complain as I probably would have missed that one, too. Thank goodness I bought this book new on Amazon and I’ll only lose ten bucks in shipping for the return…and an hour out of my life to package it back up and deliver it to the post office.
Since I won’t be doing any reading in that class for awhile, I move on to my third class. This prof makes very clear in his first assignment that he calls on people randomly and expects students to come to class prepared. There are two books for the class, but the instructions say the first reading comes from the Smith & Jones book. I look at my books. They’re both by Smith & Jones. I turn each to the requested page number. Neither relate to the topic listed on the syllabus. I double check the book titles, their ISBN numbers. Yep, I’ve got the right books. Is this some kind of joke?
At class the prof explains the mystery. The book is between editions, and he managed to wrangle a copy of the one forthcoming from the authors. They agreed to let him make copies of the new version on the grounds that he required us to buy the old edition.
“So, you can just take those old books and put them on your shelf. We won’t be using them,” he says.
Thanks. Thanks so much. The prof gives us a spiel about how this is the most fair for all parties involved. Profs are poor. Profs work hard on their books. Profs deserve to be compensated. I suppose I would feel more sympathetic if profs didn’t have the sweetest job in this industry. Or profs didn’t make around six figures a year as I accrued nearly six figures of debt. Or if the argument wasn’t completely superfluous in that I bought my books used.
“And to make sure that you don’t return or resell your books immediately,” he says, “I’ll be handing out the copies in piecemeal over the course of the class. Each time you need to pick up a packet, you’ll have to show me the two books you purchased.”
If you’re in this class and haven’t yet purchased your books, I would be more than happy to loan you mine at various intervals for the low, low price of a dollar. In the interest of fairness, for each rental I will kick back a quarter to the prof so he can pass it on to the authors and the publisher.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
On the eve of the last year...
A few weeks ago, I made the bold statement to Wine-Time-Girl that this year I was going to be more positive, more outgoing, accept invitations regardless of friends or location, and generally grab life by the balls.
Ten days later I’m in a state of near exhaustion. I think I’ve gone out nearly every night to house parties, new 1L orientation parties, cocktail parties, dinner with random callers, happy hours with old friends, and Wine-Time with WTG. My in-house ban on alcohol came back to bite me in the butt. It’s no wonder I made a fool of myself the other night because my tolerance has gone from admirable to pitiful. A few nights ago, I sat in the PG bar and announced, “Oh crap. I think I’m drunk. Again.” Perhaps Bartender-Boy doesn’t actually have a girlfriend, but rather didn't want to tell me that he thinks I'm a lush.
Today, for the first time since my declaration I backed out on plans to attend the roller derby with a group of friends. I’m kind of hacked. Roller derby seemed a lot more exciting than some of things I’ve dragged myself to recently. Martha however, is glad to have me home for the evening. She’d gotten to the point where as soon as she spied me applying make-up, she retreated to her crate awaiting lock-up.
School starts tomorrow and I plan to spend the evening doing last minute clean-ups and chores that will no doubt be put off until December. My slightly used books are sitting beside me waiting to be dusted off and cracked open. Some things this summer just didn’t get done and now need to be sandwiched in between classes and work. Oh yeah, somewhere in the last crazy ten days I also found a job – a job where the attire is jeans and flip-flops and my supervisor uses phrases like, ‘Rock and Roll, Baby.’ And yes, it’s a law job.
Here we go…
Ten days later I’m in a state of near exhaustion. I think I’ve gone out nearly every night to house parties, new 1L orientation parties, cocktail parties, dinner with random callers, happy hours with old friends, and Wine-Time with WTG. My in-house ban on alcohol came back to bite me in the butt. It’s no wonder I made a fool of myself the other night because my tolerance has gone from admirable to pitiful. A few nights ago, I sat in the PG bar and announced, “Oh crap. I think I’m drunk. Again.” Perhaps Bartender-Boy doesn’t actually have a girlfriend, but rather didn't want to tell me that he thinks I'm a lush.
Today, for the first time since my declaration I backed out on plans to attend the roller derby with a group of friends. I’m kind of hacked. Roller derby seemed a lot more exciting than some of things I’ve dragged myself to recently. Martha however, is glad to have me home for the evening. She’d gotten to the point where as soon as she spied me applying make-up, she retreated to her crate awaiting lock-up.
School starts tomorrow and I plan to spend the evening doing last minute clean-ups and chores that will no doubt be put off until December. My slightly used books are sitting beside me waiting to be dusted off and cracked open. Some things this summer just didn’t get done and now need to be sandwiched in between classes and work. Oh yeah, somewhere in the last crazy ten days I also found a job – a job where the attire is jeans and flip-flops and my supervisor uses phrases like, ‘Rock and Roll, Baby.’ And yes, it’s a law job.
Here we go…
Friday, August 17, 2007
Little Miss I-can-do-it-MYSELF!
I left the party and got into my car. When I turned the key, nothing. No clicks, no whir, no attempt to even turnover. Crud. I walked back inside, grabbed the host, and he lined up his car for a jump. As I began to hook up the cables, my friend wavered on my knowledge and ran inside for back-up. Next thing you know three guys were peering into my engine, pulling on cords, and telling me what was wrong.
Since childhood, I’ve always been fascinated with the way things work. I like to fix things. My dad and I used to bond over Sunday morning viewings of This Old House, making cracks about Bob Vil*la as we lusted over Norm’s pre-made jigs and awesome power tools. When something goes wrong at my house, I can usually fix it with a $10 run to Home Depot rather than call the landlord and wait around for a repair man. When my car has breaks down, I have the serviceman take me to the garage and show me the parts and how they function. Sometimes, I can tell them what’s wrong before I arrive.
All in all, I’m pretty self-sufficient. The downside of this is, I’m more knowledgeable about cars than most of the men in my generation. I have no problem with a guy’s need to identify with repairing cars and home craftsmanship. Where I do have a problem is when they not only have no idea what they’re talking about, but then treat me like I’m the idiot.
I sat in my car as two law students and a neurologist communed, kibitzed, and finally informed me after twenty minutes that I needed a new alternator. I listened to my car’s sounds, monitored the lights, calculated the age of my battery in relation to the heat factor and replied that the problem was actually the battery. They refused to believe me until I said, “Well, I took it in for service just a few weeks ago and during that time I was told that the battery needed to be replaced.
Oh it was definitely the battery then; they all agreed. Sigh. At least they didn’t try to tell me it was the carburetor. That would have been embarrassing. Whatever it was, the car was D-E-A-D dead with no sign of impending revival. I got out and started to walk the four blocks home, but to add insult to injury, the host refused to let me go alone.
“If I was a man, you wouldn’t think twice of letting me go by myself,” I said, utterly exasperated, a cigarette perched between my fingers, hair pulled back, dressed in European jeans and tank top.
“Yes, but Ana, you’re not a man,” he said.
I guess he was right in the sense that had I been a man I wouldn’t have assumed that a person who owned the same car for ten years would be unable to diagnose its problem simply because she painted her toenails. I wouldn’t have looked beyond a person’s size and stature to see a street-smart girl who knew ways to avoid getting into trouble during a walk home.
Knowing that I could win a battle based on wit, but was too tired to waste it on ego, I got into his car. Besides, had he been a woman or even just a little less offensive, I would have taken him up on the offer immediately because driving was the safer option. I did my best to be polite and thanked him when we got to my house, telling him that somewhere in the universe my mother would sleep more soundly tonight with her daughter safe. Unwilling to let me leave without a final indignity, my friend offered to help me with the car the next day when he could fit me into his schedule. Insofar as I didn’t need a new alternator, I passed. If there’s a girl term for emasculated, that’s how I felt, but I couldn’t think of one. It certainly wasn’t effeminated. Damn the patriarchal English language.
The next morning I awoke determined to fix my car completely on my own. I hopped on the internet, figured out the make of battery that I needed, found the location of the closest auto parts store, and downloaded instructions on how to change a battery. I knew the process was fairly simple. After all, I'd watched it being done before.
Thoroughly proud of my ingenuity, I grabbed my canvas Trader Joe’s shopping bag and walked about a mile to the store. I knew the battery would be heavy, but really, it wasn’t much bigger than a large box of laundry detergent. How bad could it be? Ha-ha. Ha-ha. Ha-ha.
Looking back, I should have thought of the battery more as a large box of detergent equal to half my body weight. The auto clerk watched in disbelief as I shuffled out of the store into the hundred degree heat (108 heat index) with the battery strapped to my back. I made it approximately two blocks before I thought I was going to die. Walking home alone at night was a calculated risk, but in the hauling of this bitch for a mile my stupidity clearly outweighed the point I was trying to prove.
I sat down on someone’s front lawn near tears. Could I not change a simple battery on my own? Who could I call that wouldn’t mock me? Who could I call that wouldn’t tell me I was nuts? To whom could I express vulnerability without being taken advantage of and which of my friends actually knew a thing or two about cars?
“Whatcha doin’?” Alex asked when he answered the phone.
“Oh,” I replied, “I just walked to auto store, picked up a battery, and now I’m on my way home. You’re always calling to say that you’re biking near my neighborhood, so I thought I’d just call and see if you were out today so I could say ‘hi’.”
“Those suckers are heavy, aren’t they?” he laughed.
“Oh Alex, what was I thinking!?!” I said now breaking into giggles.
Alex was not near the neighborhood; he was a hundred miles outside of town, but he assured me that I could get the battery home. If for some reason I still found myself wandering when he got back to the city, he would come and get me. As I hung up the phone I realized that my problem was not a male/female issue. This was about my personal need to be recognized as a strong, capable, and intelligent individual. More determined than I ever, I lifted from the knees and trotted onward. A little under an hour and three pounds of sweat later, I walked through the front door.
Not too long after that, Alex showed up at my door and drove me to my car. Then we replaced the battery together.
“Ok, Ana, now you’re going to want to take your wrench and turn that screw away from your body. Careful, it might stick and you don’t want to strip it.”
“Thanks for helping me change my battery, Alex.”
“Nah, you’re doing it yourself - but this is what friends do for each other. They help.”
“It’s taken me awhile, but I’m slowly starting to learn that.”
Four days later, the car is running just fine.
Since childhood, I’ve always been fascinated with the way things work. I like to fix things. My dad and I used to bond over Sunday morning viewings of This Old House, making cracks about Bob Vil*la as we lusted over Norm’s pre-made jigs and awesome power tools. When something goes wrong at my house, I can usually fix it with a $10 run to Home Depot rather than call the landlord and wait around for a repair man. When my car has breaks down, I have the serviceman take me to the garage and show me the parts and how they function. Sometimes, I can tell them what’s wrong before I arrive.
All in all, I’m pretty self-sufficient. The downside of this is, I’m more knowledgeable about cars than most of the men in my generation. I have no problem with a guy’s need to identify with repairing cars and home craftsmanship. Where I do have a problem is when they not only have no idea what they’re talking about, but then treat me like I’m the idiot.
I sat in my car as two law students and a neurologist communed, kibitzed, and finally informed me after twenty minutes that I needed a new alternator. I listened to my car’s sounds, monitored the lights, calculated the age of my battery in relation to the heat factor and replied that the problem was actually the battery. They refused to believe me until I said, “Well, I took it in for service just a few weeks ago and during that time I was told that the battery needed to be replaced.
Oh it was definitely the battery then; they all agreed. Sigh. At least they didn’t try to tell me it was the carburetor. That would have been embarrassing. Whatever it was, the car was D-E-A-D dead with no sign of impending revival. I got out and started to walk the four blocks home, but to add insult to injury, the host refused to let me go alone.
“If I was a man, you wouldn’t think twice of letting me go by myself,” I said, utterly exasperated, a cigarette perched between my fingers, hair pulled back, dressed in European jeans and tank top.
“Yes, but Ana, you’re not a man,” he said.
I guess he was right in the sense that had I been a man I wouldn’t have assumed that a person who owned the same car for ten years would be unable to diagnose its problem simply because she painted her toenails. I wouldn’t have looked beyond a person’s size and stature to see a street-smart girl who knew ways to avoid getting into trouble during a walk home.
Knowing that I could win a battle based on wit, but was too tired to waste it on ego, I got into his car. Besides, had he been a woman or even just a little less offensive, I would have taken him up on the offer immediately because driving was the safer option. I did my best to be polite and thanked him when we got to my house, telling him that somewhere in the universe my mother would sleep more soundly tonight with her daughter safe. Unwilling to let me leave without a final indignity, my friend offered to help me with the car the next day when he could fit me into his schedule. Insofar as I didn’t need a new alternator, I passed. If there’s a girl term for emasculated, that’s how I felt, but I couldn’t think of one. It certainly wasn’t effeminated. Damn the patriarchal English language.
The next morning I awoke determined to fix my car completely on my own. I hopped on the internet, figured out the make of battery that I needed, found the location of the closest auto parts store, and downloaded instructions on how to change a battery. I knew the process was fairly simple. After all, I'd watched it being done before.
Thoroughly proud of my ingenuity, I grabbed my canvas Trader Joe’s shopping bag and walked about a mile to the store. I knew the battery would be heavy, but really, it wasn’t much bigger than a large box of laundry detergent. How bad could it be? Ha-ha. Ha-ha. Ha-ha.
Looking back, I should have thought of the battery more as a large box of detergent equal to half my body weight. The auto clerk watched in disbelief as I shuffled out of the store into the hundred degree heat (108 heat index) with the battery strapped to my back. I made it approximately two blocks before I thought I was going to die. Walking home alone at night was a calculated risk, but in the hauling of this bitch for a mile my stupidity clearly outweighed the point I was trying to prove.
I sat down on someone’s front lawn near tears. Could I not change a simple battery on my own? Who could I call that wouldn’t mock me? Who could I call that wouldn’t tell me I was nuts? To whom could I express vulnerability without being taken advantage of and which of my friends actually knew a thing or two about cars?
“Whatcha doin’?” Alex asked when he answered the phone.
“Oh,” I replied, “I just walked to auto store, picked up a battery, and now I’m on my way home. You’re always calling to say that you’re biking near my neighborhood, so I thought I’d just call and see if you were out today so I could say ‘hi’.”
“Those suckers are heavy, aren’t they?” he laughed.
“Oh Alex, what was I thinking!?!” I said now breaking into giggles.
Alex was not near the neighborhood; he was a hundred miles outside of town, but he assured me that I could get the battery home. If for some reason I still found myself wandering when he got back to the city, he would come and get me. As I hung up the phone I realized that my problem was not a male/female issue. This was about my personal need to be recognized as a strong, capable, and intelligent individual. More determined than I ever, I lifted from the knees and trotted onward. A little under an hour and three pounds of sweat later, I walked through the front door.
Not too long after that, Alex showed up at my door and drove me to my car. Then we replaced the battery together.
“Ok, Ana, now you’re going to want to take your wrench and turn that screw away from your body. Careful, it might stick and you don’t want to strip it.”
“Thanks for helping me change my battery, Alex.”
“Nah, you’re doing it yourself - but this is what friends do for each other. They help.”
“It’s taken me awhile, but I’m slowly starting to learn that.”
Four days later, the car is running just fine.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Where's my Blankie?
During the day, Martha usually hangs out in her crate on her soft, fuzzy blankie - but Blankie was getting a little stinky and Owner decided to give it a wash.
As a result, someone is none too happy with me today.
As a result, someone is none too happy with me today.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Tips on Choosing a Law School #3: Finances and Career
Here's the final installment!
Others in the series:
#1 Picking a Location
#2 School Specifics
Watch your debt. I knew that I wanted to go to law school in order to have more earning power over the long haul. Let me explain that statement: I wasn’t looking to make a fortune immediately. Rather, I hoped that ten years down the road I would be making more than if I hadn’t gone to law school. I also knew that I didn't want to do BigLaw. For me, taking out 200k worth of debt would essentially cancel out any enhanced earning power.
Here’s some numbers for you.
If you take out $50,000 in student loans and pay it back at 6.8% interest over ten years, you will pay $575 a month (for ten years). Oh and FYI, that’s $50k of loan repayment and $19k worth of interest.
$75,000? That will cost you $873/month over ten years and $28,000 in interest.
$100,000? $1150/month and close to $40k in interest.
$200,000? $2300/month with $76k being interest.
“Yeah, yeah,” you say, “but I’m going to stretch it out over 30 years.”
Okay.
For a $200,000 loan at 6.8% over 30 years you will pay approximately $1300 a month FOR THIRTY YEARS. You will also end up paying $469,000 for a $200,000 loan.
Keep this in mind when you're comparing schools and TUITION. In my opinion, with the exception of a school ranked 1-14, very, very few schools may be worth $35k a year over the long haul.
BUT find a happy medium somewhere in there. You might be offered a full scholarship to a certain school. That will do little good if at the end of the road, no one hires grads from that school. Do the research.
Alternatively, look at loan forgiveness programs. Some schools have fabulous programs for those who go into the public sector, BUT be careful. Some programs have low limits on how much you can make (like $35k a year) and then only offer a nominal forgiveness (like $5k a year up to $20k). Unless you’re a martyr, you probably don’t want to do that.
I have friend who applies for scholarships like a mad dog. She’s a minority – which I think helps – but I can’t say for sure as I’ve never gotten around to applying for some. At any rate, she’s got a standard set of pre-written essays. She spends about an hour a week looking for scholarships and filling out forms. Nothing is too small. She loves the $500 ones. No one applies for them. After awhile, they start to add up and she covers about half of her tuition this way.
Research firms in the area. Not just their hiring practices, but their salaries in later years and the percentage of associates who eventually make partner. I know $150k straight out of the shoot is attractive, but it’s a con. Let’s be honest here. No one is worth $150k right out of school no matter how great you think you are. The truth is, you have zero real experience and virtually no idea what you’re doing. A little less than ten years ago, a group of my friends went straight from undergrad to law school at a top law school. They made law review, got the big jobs, and then the stories started rolling in on a daily basis. First off, they all seemed to get kicked around and treated like junk by the other attorneys. Second, once they calculated how much they were making AN HOUR, they were really miffed. Essentially, they had a salary of $60k a year and $40k worth of overtime (and not at time and a half). Then came the real slap in the face. After six-eight years of blood and sweat, the big firms said, “Hey, you’re great and all, but probably not partner material. We need to let you go so we can make room for some fresh recent grads.”
Seriously, look at firms. The above example doesn’t always happen, but it does seem to happen more frequently than you think. A lot of mid-sized firms don’t pay as much in the beginning, but within a few years you can make about the same as someone at a large firm – and without the ridiculous hours. Plus, you have a pretty decent shot at making partner, and in less time than at a large firm. Working for a mid-size firm can earn you more money over time.
But here comes the caveat, mid-sized firms are not going to come to you. You will have to seek them out, dog them, and probably work there during the year. They don’t hire as frequently, and they often don’t like brand-new grads with no experience. You might have to consider working at a lower-paying job like a city attorney or state clerk before you can get hired on. That being said, I haven’t talked to an attorney yet who doesn’t think that doing litigation for a few years in a government organization isn’t the best experience one can get. Many firms drool over former government litigators. They’ve got an incredible amount of hands-on experience, a good understanding of the system, and personal relationships with judges. If you don’t have a lot of debt, you can afford to take that type of job.
You might also want to check out a list of recruiters from the career center as well as their stats. I asked my school for a breakdown showing how many students found their jobs through fall recruiting, how many found their jobs through other postings at the career center, and how many found jobs through other sources. They didn't have the information available (in fact they said no one had ever asked for it!), but later emailed it to me. Actually, here they are for 2004:
Fall Recruiting 26.1%
Job Fairs 2.5%
Prior Non-Summer Job 7.5%
Job Postings 18.6%
Self-Initiated Contact 15.6%
Referral by Friend/Relative 23.1%
Commercial Internet Job Site 1.5%
Temp Agency 0.5%
Started own practice 4.0%
Other 0.5%
Okay, I go to a well-respected law school, but do you see that over 2/3 of the students find their jobs somewhere other than Fall Recruiting? This is a reality for many, many schools! Do not go to law school assuming that a job is going to fall into your lap. Like many things in life, you are going to have to work for it!
Do you also see that nearly a quarter of the students find jobs through referrals? Make Friends! As stressed out as you are in those first few weeks of school, get to know as many people as possible. I and three other people threw a happy hour at the end of our first week so that we could get to know others in our section. Always be polite to everyone. Don’t make offhand comments about others. You may not think highly of someone, but you never know, they might like you and toss you a job at some point down the road.
Get involved. I’ve met several people who found their job through a mock trial or moot court competition. Working professionals often serve as the judges for those events. If they like you, they’ll toss you a card. Professors are also a great source for job possibilities. Many of the profs at my school also practice in some capacity or did practice in the city for many years. They know people who know people and often want to help.
Make A Monthly Budget. For real. It hurts, but do it. If this seems overwhelming, an easy place to start is by pulling last month’s bank statement. Take those expenses and divide them into categories:
Rent
Utilities (Gas, Electric, Water)
Car
GAS for Auto
Insurance (Auto & Homeowners/Renters)
Grocery
Eating Out
Clothes
Incidentals
Random Spending Cash
IF you have other categories, this will become obvious when you’re breaking down your bank statement. To get an accurate picture, do this for several statements and then average the expenses.
Readjust the budget once school starts. For me, my cost of gas actually went down even with rising costs because my commute was shorter. In addition, I lived in an area where I could walk to many places. I don't get in my car unless I have to. On the other hand, I went from a 1-bedroom apartment to an old house. My monthly electric bill tripled. I cried. Hard.
Be Honest when making a Budget. For example, my budget includes $130 a month for cigarettes. I hated to put it on there, but I knew it was a reality.
Include about $150 a month for float. Something’s going to come up that you didn’t include in your budget. My car broke down during my first month of law school. I got in a wreck during my fourth month of law school. I got a dog after my second year. You might need a new suit or a haircut. Keep that extra cash in your budget, and when you get to the end of the month and have it leftover, don’t spend it. That’s your emergency cash.
Give yourself a weekly amount of spending money. Once I did my budget I was left with $50 a week. I withdrew that money in cash on Sunday and when it was gone, it was gone. I wasn’t allowed to take out any more or use my credit card until the next Sunday. Period.
Have two bank accounts. I have a savings account where I keep the bulk of my money. Once a month, a pre-set amount is transferred from my savings to checking. (You can set up automatic transfers through your bank.) That's how much money I have for the month and it keeps me from spending more without realizing it. The first time I overdraw, my bank pulls money from savings; the second time, my card gets denied. (You can also set up monthly overdraft limits with your bank. Usually a bank will not charge overdraft fees when they can pull from another account. If your bank refuses to do this, get a new bank.)
Cut back where you can. Little things go a long way. I no longer buy $4 coffee or bottled water. I allow myself to spend $100 on clothes twice a year. I have a newfound appreciation for Target – their clothes are cheap and surprisingly fashionable. The supermarket is my new cosmetics counter. I used to spend $30 for a bottle of shampoo. After experimenting with different products from the grocery, I now spend $4. I let myself spend about $15 on makeup from the grocery around three times a year. You’d be surprised how decent that stuff actually is. Give yourself a treat every so often. For example, I used to buy a big fountain drink once a day. Now that I’m in school, I get a Diet Cherry Limeade about twice a month. Every time you’re about to buy something, stop yourself and ask, “Do I really need this?” It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but if you do it for several areas, it can add up to thousands of dollars.
Know your limits. There are some places where you just don’t want to sacrifice. For me, my home is my little safe place. I was willing to spend more on rent in order to have a place that I always wanted to come home to. I also refused to stop shopping at my natural foods store. That being said, I joined a program where they send me coupons and I use them.
Don’t shop in bulk. It’s tempting, but I’ve found that I spend less when I buy on an as-needed basis.
Stay in. Save money on cabs and liquor by splitting a bottle of wine with a friend at your apartment. You can do the same by trading off on making dinner once every few weeks.
Do go to a nice restaurant every so often. Take a friend and split an entrée, but tip the waiter as if you bought two meals. (You waiter is, after all, serving two people.) Pick three or four places to visit regularly. They’ll treat you the same as other customers and occasionally throw in free stuff because they know you and because you tip decently.
Buy books online. The school bookstore always seems to be a gross rip-off. I’m not a big fan of books with highlighting so I usually look for used books online that specifically indicate they are without. Even when I can’t find them, a new book at Amazon is usually much cheaper than the bookstore. As soon as my exams are over, I list my books for sale online. In the past two weeks I’ve made $200 on old books.
Be wary of school salary stats. I have no strong basis for this except personal experience. In undergrad, I graduated from a program that according to U.S. News was one of the top 5 in the nation. My starting salary at my first job was around $20k. When the career center sent out the survey I answered that I was employed, but didn’t include how much I made because I was embarrassed. I would imagine that this happens quite frequently. Those that make the big bucks are anxious to let others know; those that don’t – aren’t. When reporting salaries for the graduating class schools don’t have to report a big fat zero for people like me. They just take them out of the equation. Thus, the starting salaries for graduates are merely the average salaries for grads that make that information available. Keep that in mind when you’re thinking, “Oh, it’s okay to pay X number of dollars in tuition and take out X number of dollars in debt because I’ll make X number of dollars when I graduate.” Check with your specific school to be certain.
Only 10% of you will be in the Top 10%. Because we've done well in the past, we assume we have a good shot of being there. The top 10% will tell you they worked hard to get there. Unfortunately, most of the top 50% probably works just as hard. I have a friend who made three A's his first semester and one C+. He didn't feel any differently walking out of the exams. There was also a hubbub in one class last semester over grades and a curve re-adjustment. A professor had inadvertantly printed out one student's exam twice and then graded and recorded it twice. On one exam the student got a B+; on the other exact same exam a B-. Try your best, but don't go anywhere assuming you'll make the top 10% and easily find a job. On the flip side of that, I've known people who went to tip-top schools and had trouble finding jobs because they were ranked low in the class. I can also think of a really high-ranked school where the students say that you're toast if you fall out of the top 50%. If you're dead-set on doing BigLaw, I suggest going to a school ranked 1-14. It's your best shot - regardless of cost.
In lieu of Big Law, the purpose of these posts is to demonstrate that it's still possible to make money and have possibly a better quality of life if you are willing to forgo the cache' of a Big name school and firm. And not everyone can go to a top 14 school whether it be due to admissions, personal, or financial reasons.
Take all of this with a grain of salt. I’m still a student so I really don’t have the personal success story to back a lot of this up. Do your due diligence and ultimately do what’s best for you. Also, this sounds like a lot of scrimping and it may be hard at first. The funny thing is, I've found that it's ultimately liberating to live a life with less consumption. As a result of my attempts to spend less, I find myself coming up with fun and creative ways to spend time with others.
And finally, if you really, really, really want to go to Harvard-like school or you really, really, really, want to live in NYC-like city, do it. No one’s going to knock you for following your dreams. Just keep in mind that it may cost you close to half a million dollars to live that dream.
Others in the series:
#1 Picking a Location
#2 School Specifics
Watch your debt. I knew that I wanted to go to law school in order to have more earning power over the long haul. Let me explain that statement: I wasn’t looking to make a fortune immediately. Rather, I hoped that ten years down the road I would be making more than if I hadn’t gone to law school. I also knew that I didn't want to do BigLaw. For me, taking out 200k worth of debt would essentially cancel out any enhanced earning power.
Here’s some numbers for you.
If you take out $50,000 in student loans and pay it back at 6.8% interest over ten years, you will pay $575 a month (for ten years). Oh and FYI, that’s $50k of loan repayment and $19k worth of interest.
$75,000? That will cost you $873/month over ten years and $28,000 in interest.
$100,000? $1150/month and close to $40k in interest.
$200,000? $2300/month with $76k being interest.
“Yeah, yeah,” you say, “but I’m going to stretch it out over 30 years.”
Okay.
For a $200,000 loan at 6.8% over 30 years you will pay approximately $1300 a month FOR THIRTY YEARS. You will also end up paying $469,000 for a $200,000 loan.
Keep this in mind when you're comparing schools and TUITION. In my opinion, with the exception of a school ranked 1-14, very, very few schools may be worth $35k a year over the long haul.
BUT find a happy medium somewhere in there. You might be offered a full scholarship to a certain school. That will do little good if at the end of the road, no one hires grads from that school. Do the research.
Alternatively, look at loan forgiveness programs. Some schools have fabulous programs for those who go into the public sector, BUT be careful. Some programs have low limits on how much you can make (like $35k a year) and then only offer a nominal forgiveness (like $5k a year up to $20k). Unless you’re a martyr, you probably don’t want to do that.
I have friend who applies for scholarships like a mad dog. She’s a minority – which I think helps – but I can’t say for sure as I’ve never gotten around to applying for some. At any rate, she’s got a standard set of pre-written essays. She spends about an hour a week looking for scholarships and filling out forms. Nothing is too small. She loves the $500 ones. No one applies for them. After awhile, they start to add up and she covers about half of her tuition this way.
Research firms in the area. Not just their hiring practices, but their salaries in later years and the percentage of associates who eventually make partner. I know $150k straight out of the shoot is attractive, but it’s a con. Let’s be honest here. No one is worth $150k right out of school no matter how great you think you are. The truth is, you have zero real experience and virtually no idea what you’re doing. A little less than ten years ago, a group of my friends went straight from undergrad to law school at a top law school. They made law review, got the big jobs, and then the stories started rolling in on a daily basis. First off, they all seemed to get kicked around and treated like junk by the other attorneys. Second, once they calculated how much they were making AN HOUR, they were really miffed. Essentially, they had a salary of $60k a year and $40k worth of overtime (and not at time and a half). Then came the real slap in the face. After six-eight years of blood and sweat, the big firms said, “Hey, you’re great and all, but probably not partner material. We need to let you go so we can make room for some fresh recent grads.”
Seriously, look at firms. The above example doesn’t always happen, but it does seem to happen more frequently than you think. A lot of mid-sized firms don’t pay as much in the beginning, but within a few years you can make about the same as someone at a large firm – and without the ridiculous hours. Plus, you have a pretty decent shot at making partner, and in less time than at a large firm. Working for a mid-size firm can earn you more money over time.
But here comes the caveat, mid-sized firms are not going to come to you. You will have to seek them out, dog them, and probably work there during the year. They don’t hire as frequently, and they often don’t like brand-new grads with no experience. You might have to consider working at a lower-paying job like a city attorney or state clerk before you can get hired on. That being said, I haven’t talked to an attorney yet who doesn’t think that doing litigation for a few years in a government organization isn’t the best experience one can get. Many firms drool over former government litigators. They’ve got an incredible amount of hands-on experience, a good understanding of the system, and personal relationships with judges. If you don’t have a lot of debt, you can afford to take that type of job.
You might also want to check out a list of recruiters from the career center as well as their stats. I asked my school for a breakdown showing how many students found their jobs through fall recruiting, how many found their jobs through other postings at the career center, and how many found jobs through other sources. They didn't have the information available (in fact they said no one had ever asked for it!), but later emailed it to me. Actually, here they are for 2004:
Fall Recruiting 26.1%
Job Fairs 2.5%
Prior Non-Summer Job 7.5%
Job Postings 18.6%
Self-Initiated Contact 15.6%
Referral by Friend/Relative 23.1%
Commercial Internet Job Site 1.5%
Temp Agency 0.5%
Started own practice 4.0%
Other 0.5%
Okay, I go to a well-respected law school, but do you see that over 2/3 of the students find their jobs somewhere other than Fall Recruiting? This is a reality for many, many schools! Do not go to law school assuming that a job is going to fall into your lap. Like many things in life, you are going to have to work for it!
Do you also see that nearly a quarter of the students find jobs through referrals? Make Friends! As stressed out as you are in those first few weeks of school, get to know as many people as possible. I and three other people threw a happy hour at the end of our first week so that we could get to know others in our section. Always be polite to everyone. Don’t make offhand comments about others. You may not think highly of someone, but you never know, they might like you and toss you a job at some point down the road.
Get involved. I’ve met several people who found their job through a mock trial or moot court competition. Working professionals often serve as the judges for those events. If they like you, they’ll toss you a card. Professors are also a great source for job possibilities. Many of the profs at my school also practice in some capacity or did practice in the city for many years. They know people who know people and often want to help.
Make A Monthly Budget. For real. It hurts, but do it. If this seems overwhelming, an easy place to start is by pulling last month’s bank statement. Take those expenses and divide them into categories:
Rent
Utilities (Gas, Electric, Water)
Car
GAS for Auto
Insurance (Auto & Homeowners/Renters)
Grocery
Eating Out
Clothes
Incidentals
Random Spending Cash
IF you have other categories, this will become obvious when you’re breaking down your bank statement. To get an accurate picture, do this for several statements and then average the expenses.
Readjust the budget once school starts. For me, my cost of gas actually went down even with rising costs because my commute was shorter. In addition, I lived in an area where I could walk to many places. I don't get in my car unless I have to. On the other hand, I went from a 1-bedroom apartment to an old house. My monthly electric bill tripled. I cried. Hard.
Be Honest when making a Budget. For example, my budget includes $130 a month for cigarettes. I hated to put it on there, but I knew it was a reality.
Include about $150 a month for float. Something’s going to come up that you didn’t include in your budget. My car broke down during my first month of law school. I got in a wreck during my fourth month of law school. I got a dog after my second year. You might need a new suit or a haircut. Keep that extra cash in your budget, and when you get to the end of the month and have it leftover, don’t spend it. That’s your emergency cash.
Give yourself a weekly amount of spending money. Once I did my budget I was left with $50 a week. I withdrew that money in cash on Sunday and when it was gone, it was gone. I wasn’t allowed to take out any more or use my credit card until the next Sunday. Period.
Have two bank accounts. I have a savings account where I keep the bulk of my money. Once a month, a pre-set amount is transferred from my savings to checking. (You can set up automatic transfers through your bank.) That's how much money I have for the month and it keeps me from spending more without realizing it. The first time I overdraw, my bank pulls money from savings; the second time, my card gets denied. (You can also set up monthly overdraft limits with your bank. Usually a bank will not charge overdraft fees when they can pull from another account. If your bank refuses to do this, get a new bank.)
Cut back where you can. Little things go a long way. I no longer buy $4 coffee or bottled water. I allow myself to spend $100 on clothes twice a year. I have a newfound appreciation for Target – their clothes are cheap and surprisingly fashionable. The supermarket is my new cosmetics counter. I used to spend $30 for a bottle of shampoo. After experimenting with different products from the grocery, I now spend $4. I let myself spend about $15 on makeup from the grocery around three times a year. You’d be surprised how decent that stuff actually is. Give yourself a treat every so often. For example, I used to buy a big fountain drink once a day. Now that I’m in school, I get a Diet Cherry Limeade about twice a month. Every time you’re about to buy something, stop yourself and ask, “Do I really need this?” It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but if you do it for several areas, it can add up to thousands of dollars.
Know your limits. There are some places where you just don’t want to sacrifice. For me, my home is my little safe place. I was willing to spend more on rent in order to have a place that I always wanted to come home to. I also refused to stop shopping at my natural foods store. That being said, I joined a program where they send me coupons and I use them.
Don’t shop in bulk. It’s tempting, but I’ve found that I spend less when I buy on an as-needed basis.
Stay in. Save money on cabs and liquor by splitting a bottle of wine with a friend at your apartment. You can do the same by trading off on making dinner once every few weeks.
Do go to a nice restaurant every so often. Take a friend and split an entrée, but tip the waiter as if you bought two meals. (You waiter is, after all, serving two people.) Pick three or four places to visit regularly. They’ll treat you the same as other customers and occasionally throw in free stuff because they know you and because you tip decently.
Buy books online. The school bookstore always seems to be a gross rip-off. I’m not a big fan of books with highlighting so I usually look for used books online that specifically indicate they are without. Even when I can’t find them, a new book at Amazon is usually much cheaper than the bookstore. As soon as my exams are over, I list my books for sale online. In the past two weeks I’ve made $200 on old books.
Be wary of school salary stats. I have no strong basis for this except personal experience. In undergrad, I graduated from a program that according to U.S. News was one of the top 5 in the nation. My starting salary at my first job was around $20k. When the career center sent out the survey I answered that I was employed, but didn’t include how much I made because I was embarrassed. I would imagine that this happens quite frequently. Those that make the big bucks are anxious to let others know; those that don’t – aren’t. When reporting salaries for the graduating class schools don’t have to report a big fat zero for people like me. They just take them out of the equation. Thus, the starting salaries for graduates are merely the average salaries for grads that make that information available. Keep that in mind when you’re thinking, “Oh, it’s okay to pay X number of dollars in tuition and take out X number of dollars in debt because I’ll make X number of dollars when I graduate.” Check with your specific school to be certain.
Only 10% of you will be in the Top 10%. Because we've done well in the past, we assume we have a good shot of being there. The top 10% will tell you they worked hard to get there. Unfortunately, most of the top 50% probably works just as hard. I have a friend who made three A's his first semester and one C+. He didn't feel any differently walking out of the exams. There was also a hubbub in one class last semester over grades and a curve re-adjustment. A professor had inadvertantly printed out one student's exam twice and then graded and recorded it twice. On one exam the student got a B+; on the other exact same exam a B-. Try your best, but don't go anywhere assuming you'll make the top 10% and easily find a job. On the flip side of that, I've known people who went to tip-top schools and had trouble finding jobs because they were ranked low in the class. I can also think of a really high-ranked school where the students say that you're toast if you fall out of the top 50%. If you're dead-set on doing BigLaw, I suggest going to a school ranked 1-14. It's your best shot - regardless of cost.
In lieu of Big Law, the purpose of these posts is to demonstrate that it's still possible to make money and have possibly a better quality of life if you are willing to forgo the cache' of a Big name school and firm. And not everyone can go to a top 14 school whether it be due to admissions, personal, or financial reasons.
Take all of this with a grain of salt. I’m still a student so I really don’t have the personal success story to back a lot of this up. Do your due diligence and ultimately do what’s best for you. Also, this sounds like a lot of scrimping and it may be hard at first. The funny thing is, I've found that it's ultimately liberating to live a life with less consumption. As a result of my attempts to spend less, I find myself coming up with fun and creative ways to spend time with others.
And finally, if you really, really, really want to go to Harvard-like school or you really, really, really, want to live in NYC-like city, do it. No one’s going to knock you for following your dreams. Just keep in mind that it may cost you close to half a million dollars to live that dream.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Tips on Finding a Law School #2: School Specifics
Here's the second installment on how to pick a law school if you want to do more than resort to U.S. News. This piece focuses on things to look for at specific schools.
Others in the series:
#1 Choosing a Location
#3 Career and Finances
Talk to practicing attorneys. Find out what they look for in new hires, how much they like their jobs, what the real time investment is. This is also a great way to find out what schools may not be highly-ranked in U.S. News, but still have a strong reputation in the area. When I was applying, there were three schools in one 500-mile radius that I considered. Two were lower Tier 1, and the third was mid-Tier 2. The Tier Two school had the best reputation among practicing lawyers. One Tier 1 had an excellent reputation for litigation and the other was viewed as a ‘decent’ school, but nothing special. Interestingly enough, the ‘decent’ school charged almost twice the tuition. When I did the research I discovered that the ‘decent’ school had recently cut their entering class size to less than half of the Tier Two school in order to have more competitive admissions and up their stats for U.S. News. The other Tier 1 offered a fall, winter, and spring admissions cycle. Not surprisingly their standards for Fall admission were much more stringent than winter or spring. Law schools will play with their numbers in order to make themselves more attractive to the non-discerning applicant.
Go to law school fairs. LSAC offers several law fairs starting in the summer. In addition, many college campuses have a law fair during application season. You can pick up brochures and information, but the best part is meeting each individual law school's recruiter. The law school picks the recruiter as a representative of their school. That says a lot. Some will gush all over you. Others will be courteous and provide pertinent info. And some will act like they're doing you a favor just by talking to you. And they'll be that way without knowing your LSAT, GPA, or anything else about your life. I was able to cut, as well as add, a few schools based on the recruiter. I particularly remember one guy from a NYC school who seemed to have a step-child mentality when it came to NYU and Columbia. The school’s brochure was doused with one grad who got a job at mega-firm and the recruiter became defensive when I asked what percentage of their grads practiced outside of New York. He got really huffy and basically said, “What idiot would leave New York?”
Gee, I would think that someone who wanted to be on par with other schools in the area would actively be trying to get students from other parts of the country and send them back to outlying states. I wasn't asking the question because I questioned the school's credentials. Rather, I just wanted to know how hard it would be for me to find a job outside of New York. End in the end, I didn’t apply there. A recruiter from a different school was so informed and answered tough questions about location and hiring so honestly that it became one of my top choices.
When visiting potential schools, talk to the students. How do they like it? What do they say about the professors and other students? Do they seem like the kind of people you would be friends with? I know a lot of us think we can suck it up for three years in order to get where we want to be, but three years can be a really long time if you’re miserable. I love where I go to school. There is a huge mix of students and while we are all internally competitive, most of us don’t actively compete with each other. Sure, you’re always going to have your gunners, but they’re limited at my school. During my first year, students left their supplements sitting out on their desks so that others could borrow them. If I missed a class, someone noticed and emailed me notes without my even having to ask.
Some schools with loony tuitions have scholarship programs that provide for a few students with disadvantaged or diverse backgrounds, but the low tuition at my school allows space for all of them. We’ve got rich kids with strong roots in the city and we’ve got kids who grew up in the ghetto and are the first in their family to graduate from college, much less law school. Kids from the Ivies, kids from Big State, kids from other-university (small liberal arts with a strong science bent) and kids from City College. Socio-economically, it’s a pretty diverse group –and it makes for a richer experience.
Talk to the professors and sit through a class. Though I may not agree with all of my professors, I feel like every single one so far has had the student’s best interest at heart. And I’m not just casually tossing that out there. I really mean it, and it’s a big deal to me. I once emailed the academic dean and he emailed me back within a few hours. I feel like the faculty is as invested in my future as I am. I also don’t feel a big push from them to get the highest paying job that I can find. They seem much more interested in the student taking the time and introspection to find what is right for the student. Litigation was never something I considered until a prof pulled me aside and told me why they thought I’d be good at it. In the same conversation, Prof encouraged me to keep writing. I’m not under the impression that the profs at my school make a ton of money. I would surmise that most of them are here because they love this city and they love what they do. Can I just say, it shows.
Another resource I used extensively was LSAC. They've got a law school guide on their site with lots of facts and figures. One thing I found especially helpful were the applicant stats from prior years. You can look at median scores on U.S. News, but it doesn't say much. And for me personally, I was a 'splitter,' meaning that my LSAT score was in the Top 25% for almost all schools and my GPA in the bottom 25% for almost all schools. The info sheets helped me realize which schools were favorable to people like me and which schools would toss my application aside without a second glance based on GPA. For example, here's Cardozo's stats. If you scroll to the bottom of the page and look at the grid, you'll see that the higher your LSAT score, the more forgiving they are in reference to GPA.
Others in the series:
#1 Choosing a Location
#3 Career and Finances
Talk to practicing attorneys. Find out what they look for in new hires, how much they like their jobs, what the real time investment is. This is also a great way to find out what schools may not be highly-ranked in U.S. News, but still have a strong reputation in the area. When I was applying, there were three schools in one 500-mile radius that I considered. Two were lower Tier 1, and the third was mid-Tier 2. The Tier Two school had the best reputation among practicing lawyers. One Tier 1 had an excellent reputation for litigation and the other was viewed as a ‘decent’ school, but nothing special. Interestingly enough, the ‘decent’ school charged almost twice the tuition. When I did the research I discovered that the ‘decent’ school had recently cut their entering class size to less than half of the Tier Two school in order to have more competitive admissions and up their stats for U.S. News. The other Tier 1 offered a fall, winter, and spring admissions cycle. Not surprisingly their standards for Fall admission were much more stringent than winter or spring. Law schools will play with their numbers in order to make themselves more attractive to the non-discerning applicant.
Go to law school fairs. LSAC offers several law fairs starting in the summer. In addition, many college campuses have a law fair during application season. You can pick up brochures and information, but the best part is meeting each individual law school's recruiter. The law school picks the recruiter as a representative of their school. That says a lot. Some will gush all over you. Others will be courteous and provide pertinent info. And some will act like they're doing you a favor just by talking to you. And they'll be that way without knowing your LSAT, GPA, or anything else about your life. I was able to cut, as well as add, a few schools based on the recruiter. I particularly remember one guy from a NYC school who seemed to have a step-child mentality when it came to NYU and Columbia. The school’s brochure was doused with one grad who got a job at mega-firm and the recruiter became defensive when I asked what percentage of their grads practiced outside of New York. He got really huffy and basically said, “What idiot would leave New York?”
Gee, I would think that someone who wanted to be on par with other schools in the area would actively be trying to get students from other parts of the country and send them back to outlying states. I wasn't asking the question because I questioned the school's credentials. Rather, I just wanted to know how hard it would be for me to find a job outside of New York. End in the end, I didn’t apply there. A recruiter from a different school was so informed and answered tough questions about location and hiring so honestly that it became one of my top choices.
When visiting potential schools, talk to the students. How do they like it? What do they say about the professors and other students? Do they seem like the kind of people you would be friends with? I know a lot of us think we can suck it up for three years in order to get where we want to be, but three years can be a really long time if you’re miserable. I love where I go to school. There is a huge mix of students and while we are all internally competitive, most of us don’t actively compete with each other. Sure, you’re always going to have your gunners, but they’re limited at my school. During my first year, students left their supplements sitting out on their desks so that others could borrow them. If I missed a class, someone noticed and emailed me notes without my even having to ask.
Some schools with loony tuitions have scholarship programs that provide for a few students with disadvantaged or diverse backgrounds, but the low tuition at my school allows space for all of them. We’ve got rich kids with strong roots in the city and we’ve got kids who grew up in the ghetto and are the first in their family to graduate from college, much less law school. Kids from the Ivies, kids from Big State, kids from other-university (small liberal arts with a strong science bent) and kids from City College. Socio-economically, it’s a pretty diverse group –and it makes for a richer experience.
Talk to the professors and sit through a class. Though I may not agree with all of my professors, I feel like every single one so far has had the student’s best interest at heart. And I’m not just casually tossing that out there. I really mean it, and it’s a big deal to me. I once emailed the academic dean and he emailed me back within a few hours. I feel like the faculty is as invested in my future as I am. I also don’t feel a big push from them to get the highest paying job that I can find. They seem much more interested in the student taking the time and introspection to find what is right for the student. Litigation was never something I considered until a prof pulled me aside and told me why they thought I’d be good at it. In the same conversation, Prof encouraged me to keep writing. I’m not under the impression that the profs at my school make a ton of money. I would surmise that most of them are here because they love this city and they love what they do. Can I just say, it shows.
Another resource I used extensively was LSAC. They've got a law school guide on their site with lots of facts and figures. One thing I found especially helpful were the applicant stats from prior years. You can look at median scores on U.S. News, but it doesn't say much. And for me personally, I was a 'splitter,' meaning that my LSAT score was in the Top 25% for almost all schools and my GPA in the bottom 25% for almost all schools. The info sheets helped me realize which schools were favorable to people like me and which schools would toss my application aside without a second glance based on GPA. For example, here's Cardozo's stats. If you scroll to the bottom of the page and look at the grid, you'll see that the higher your LSAT score, the more forgiving they are in reference to GPA.
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