I am still updating....honest....

Well, it’s been a while but I am still alive and kicking. The last few weeks have gone by in a whirlwind. There has been a lot going on, but the gauntlet of the first semester of law school is almost complete. The stress level has started to rise among my classmates, and I have started to feel the tightening of the “exam noose”, to coin a phrase from “A Christmas Story.”

In law school, tests are administered differently than they are in undergraduate school. The entire semester’s worth of material is distilled down to one test for each class. That’s it. A single test can determine whether you will be entertaining offers from the big firms or scrounging around trying to find work after law school. 3 months worth of 2 hour classes are in a single test for each class, a 3 hour essay/short answer/multiple choice examination. This is a pressure packed powder keg. I think that I am pretty much in control, but the only way that I will know is when I sit down in front of my computer next month.

There are no real complaints about law school now. Getting called on by the professors is something I no longer stress about. The reason for this is Professor Roberts in Con Law. He still calls on me, and I look forward to it. He doesn’t do it maliciously; I am usually paying attention while others are surfing the internet. I think that he knows too. Contracts is great. I am still enjoying Contracts as one of my favorite classes. Torts is all right, and Civil Procedure is fine as well. I am a little sad that I will be bidding farewell to Civil Procedure and Torts after this semester. They will be replaced by Criminal Law and Property next semester.

What’s going on in Chicago? Well, there are some developments in my personal life that I will not go into right now (I know, you are all thinking “artful, this is the point of a Blog”.) Yes it is, and when the time is right, I will fill you all in. My weekly Sunday breakfast with my brother is still the highlight of my week, especially because my parents call us during the meal. As strange as it might be to say, our family seems closer now than ever before even though my brother and I are in Illinois and my parents are in Virginia. I can’t understand it…I am 34 years old and I miss my parents. I think this is just a testament to how close my family really is. This extends to my other family here in the US as well. My uncle sent me a great pep talk email after one of my (numerous) “gloom and doom” blog entries. His e-mail helped me to realize that I don’t need to stress. I haven’t stressed since! I also appreciate all of the support that all of you have sent my way.

I will get back into discussing some of the interesting aspects of the law next time. We are studying Equal protection under the 5th and 14th amendments right now in Con Law, and I find the subject fascinating. I will also keep you all apprised of my plans for the summer (job, research, classes…who knows at this point?).