AHHH: Applying to Law School Forum

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So I've debated about writing a blog, but now I've finally done it. I think I'm doing it to keep my sanity by not hitting the F5 key on the TLS main page all day long.

Quick background on me:

LSAT - 161
UGPA - 3.35
Good soft factors, but so do a lot of other people
Great PS, but so do a lot of other people

Schools that I'm applying to: Loyola Law School (L.A.), University of San Francisco, Santa Clara, University of San Diego, and Southwestern Law School (L.A.).

I change my top choice weekly and now I'm just waiting to hear back from them.

I'm going to write soon on the frankly scary articles I've been reading regarding job prospects after law school, but I need a drink.

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What a great day:

I bombed a french final
Still no acceptances from law school
And by childhood memories are ruined by baseball

Here's my list that I got from actually skimming the report. I got 76 guys.

Chad Allen
Rick Ankiel
Mike Bell
David Bell
Marvin Benard
Gary Bennett, Jr.
Larry Bigbie
Barry Bonds
Kevin Brown
Paul Byrd
Jose Canseco
Mark Carreon
Jason Christiansen
Howie Clark
Roger Clemens
Jack Cust
Brendan Donnelly
Chris Donnels
Lenny Dykstra
Bobby Estalla
Matt Franco
Ryan Franklin
Eric Gagne
Jason Giambi
Jeremy Giambi
Jay Gibbons
Troy Glaus
Jason Grimsley
Jose Guillen
Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Matt Herges
Phil Hiatt
Glenallen Hill
Darren Holmes
Todd Hundley
David Justice
Chuck Knoblauch
Tim Laker
Mike Lansing
Paul Lo Duca
Exavier “Nook” Logan
Josias Manzanillo
Gary Matthews, Jr.
Cody McKay
Kent Mercker
Bart Miadich
Hal Morris
Daniel Naulty
Denny Neagle
Jim Parque
Andy Pettitte
Adam Piatt
Todd Pratt
Stephen Randolph
Adam Riggs
Brian Roberts
John Rocker
F.P. Santagelo
Benito Santiago
Scott Schoeneweis
David Segui
Gary Sheffield
Mike Stanton
Miguel Tejada
Ismael Valdez
Mo Vaughn
Randy Velarde
Ron Villone
Fernando Vina
Rondell White
Todd Williams
Jeff Williams
Matt Williams
Steve Woodard
Kevin Young
Gregg Zaun

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Proof that sucking up matters at least somewhat - I managed a B in French.

Finish my last final and I've been listening to Billy Joel, laying on the couch, drink some cabernet, and relaxing. Gotta relax now before law school starts.

I'm going to miss my room this year. We got "a good lottery number" and probably got the best room on campus. I've got a great view of campus, the Washington Monument, and I can see the top of the Capital building. On top of that, I live a block from the State Department and a few more blocks from Lincoln Memorial. Expensive as here attending the school, but it's worth it living in the powerhouse that is Foggy Bottom.

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Bastard old neo-con prof is giving me a C+ in one of his classes meaning that I had to get on D on the final. I know I nailed that thing and if he doesn't like my comments saying that Al Jazeera is a legitimate news organization (which it is and most competent scholars will tell you that), he should get off his soap box and do some research on it. I would argue the hell out of this grade, but I got into law school and I have better things to do than worry about this small little blemish that won't even affect my GPA.


Update: Got into Santa Clara on Monday (no money) and Southwestern ($$$) yesterday. Very, very excited about both, though slightly disappointed with getting no scholarship money from SCU. I'm 75%/50% for their LSAT/GPA and was expecting something. Southwestern did make me feel very appreciated though with a personal phone call and giving me a rare scholarship.

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Some messed up stuff below:

Shot duck survives 2 days in refrigerator
When the wife of the hunter who shot it opened the refrigerator door, the duck lifted its head, giving her a scare.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16725051/

Wheelchair user taken on wild 50-mph ride
The wheelchair, with Carpenter strapped in it, ended up being pushed by the truck as it sped down the Red Arrow Highway. Police said the wheelchair was pushed about four miles, but Donald Carpenter said it was about half that.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19088976/

Man gets probation for dead deer sex
A 20-year-old man received probation after he was convicted of having sexual contact with a dead deer.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17726206/

Naked couple who fell from roof to their deaths may have been having sex
Clothing was discovered on the roof of the four-story building, leading authorities to suspect the man and woman, in their early 20s, may have been having sex.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19335109/

Elephants electrocuted in drunken rampage
Nearly 40 elephants came to a village on Friday looking for food. Some found beer, which farmers ferment and keep in plastic and tin drums in their huts, said Sunil Kumar, a state wildlife official.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21432722/

Man brings donkey to testify on its own behalf
Faced with complaints that his donkey was too loud, Dallas attorney Gregory Shamoun decided to bring his case directly to the court: He had the donkey testify.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18193841/

Headache mystery solved by a bullet
"The nurse looked at him and said, 'It appears that you've been shot,"' the Fort Pierce Tribune quoted St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara as saying. "And he said, 'No way."' (And yes, the wife shot him.)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19460315/

Man busted while drunk driving in wheelchair
"It's not like we can impound his wheelchair," the spokesman said. "But he is facing some sort of punishment. It's just not clear yet what exactly that will be."
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEno ... edType=RSS

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To everyone out there:

DO NOT USE WELLS FARGO BANK. If you have an account, drop it immediately. If you are thinking about opening an account, go someplace else.

I have been screwed many times by the bank and this is the last straw. I will not go into details here but they have been illegally charging me fees. I have tried to get these fees dropped and reimbursed but they will not do so. Google other customer service complaints. The abuses that Wells Fargo customers have gone through have been extensive. This bank does not take care of its customers and executes business decisions that are shunned upon by others in the industry. Do yourself a favor and avoid Wells Fargo bank at all costs.

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Really wish Admissions Offices were open this past week to look over my application and give me an acceptance letter, but I wouldn't go into work either the week between Christmas and New Years. So instead I'm creating a book list (that I'll post here in a couple days) of all the books I'll need to supplement by law school casebooks. Woot woot!

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Two random things:

Facebook election debate groups are filled with horribly uninformed people, but it is fun destroying them and their arguments. It is seriously easier than taking candy from a baby if you know anything about what you're talking about.

Al Jazeera is awesome. Go check it out here http://english.aljazeera.net/ and watch the live news feed sometime. It gives you an international perspective and sheds light on many issues that aren't covered in America. For example, anyone know that Kenya held an election? Opposition leaders claim fraud, though I can't tell you I'm too surprised.

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So I do have a life outside of TLS and law school applications. Not much, but I do. Part of that is playing fantasy football and dominating my fraternity in it. I sent out a victory email today noting my accomplishments, mostly because I'm a New York fan and it's been a long 4 years at college with Boston dominating every sport across the country especially this year. I will play this up as much as I can.

And for possible victory celebrations, this one is a must. Well said Johnny Drama, well said. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azziWE8BFUU

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Really, really loved USF. Read CA law school visits forum under law school visits for details on the visit. It seems like a great school. The more and more I research into what type of law I want to get into, I realize that I love a lot of areas in law. I'm just going to have to find out what I love the best and what I'm the best at during 1L. And with that mindset, I feel much more comfortable picking USF over SCU if it comes down to that.

(Btw, USF's Center for Law and Global Justice looks really damn interesting and if I find out that area pays its lawyers enough money to repay student loans, I may have found a calling.)

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Reading material before I enter law school. This is what I've seen on TLS and this is what Princeton Review recommends. I just started to read Getting to Maybe and I know just by reading the introduction I've learned a lot about law school exams. For example, law school exams are not "information dump" exams that we've been taken all of our lives. We need to know the law, but exams are also how you apply the law to ambiguities that exist in real world exams. Many of these books can be found in a library or you can buy new copies dirt cheap on Amazon (from Amazon and sellers) and eBay. I bought 3 out of the 4 and got The Practice of Law from my library all for less than $35.

Law School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Law School Experience
http://www.princetonreview.com/law/rese ... eview1.asp

Miller and his team of twelve "mentors" from law schools around the country take you through every step of the law school experience, from how to determine whether law school is right for you, preparing for and taking the LSAT, applying, and deciding which school to attend, to the specific details of each of the three years of the law school experience—including preparing for your courses, examsmanship, finding and getting summer jobs, judicial clerkships and permanent employment, earning a seat on the Law Review, and more. An extensive new chapter is devoted to an exclusive one-on-one interview with Dean of Admissions Richard Geiger of the Cornell Law School, wherein closely-guarded secrets of the increasingly competitive admissions process are discussed openly for the first time anywhere. Another new chapter goes one-on-one with the hiring partners of two prestigious U.S. law firms about how to succeed in the hiring process, and what it takes to make it to partnership. Also featured is the chapter highlighting Miller's updated multi-variable "relevance calculus," which law school placement officers around the country have adopted and are actively using to help law students choose careers.

This is also the book that has set up a highlighting system for your studies that you'll see a lot of kids using (i.e. using different highlighters to highlight the facts of the case vs. the holding of the case.

THE PRACTICE OF LAW SCHOOL: Getting In and Making the Most of Your Legal Education
http://www.princetonreview.com/law/rese ... eview4.asp

They offer excellent insight on how to select the right law school, distinguish yourself both inside and outside the classroom, write like a lawyer (an especially noteworthy chapter), use effective exam strategies, deal with the unexpected matters that arise during school, maximize the summer experience, handle judicial clerkships, and much more. They even include sample law school exams, legal memoranda, and briefs.

But then this ambitious book does something else. In a profession where many lawyers lament that law school teaches "nothing practical," the authors challenge students to take charge of their future legal careers and development as lawyers now—in law school. They demonstrate ways that students can not only begin to think like practicing lawyers, but also gain the practical skills and professional polish necessary to run a law practice, deal with support staff, manage an overwhelming workload, obtain and keep clients, mentor younger lawyers, and generally develop into a great lawyer. The authors show, for example, how dealing with law professors offers excellent training for future client relationships and supervisors. Likewise, a management role with law review teaches business basics.

Getting To Maybe: How To Excel On Law School Exams
http://www.princetonreview.com/law/rese ... eview2.asp

Most law professors don't spend a great deal of time explaining what law school exams are all about...This is where Getting To Maybe comes in. This book reveals the complex world of law school exams - how they are organized, what they test for, and how to plan for them. It tells you how to think and what to do when the black letter law runs out; it reveals in simple clear (and often amusing) language the otherwise obscure activity known as "legal analysis." And most important, it gives you an intelligent strategy for finding your way through the dense forests of law school hypotheticals.

If you can't spot a "fork in the law" or a "fork in the facts" in an exam hypothetical, get this book. If you don't know how to play "Czar of the Universe" on law school exams (or why) get this book. And if you do want to learn how to think like a lawyer - a good one - get this book. It's, quite simply, stone cold brilliant.

Law 101: Everything You Need to Know About the American Legal System
http://www.princetonreview.com/law/rese ... eview3.asp

Law 101 covers all of the first-year subjects: Constitutional Law, Civil Procedure, Contracts, Property, Torts, Criminal Law, and Criminal Procedure. Here you find clear explanations of the hundreds of individual rules that bedevil students, from the ancient Statute of Frauds in contract law to abortion rights in constitutional law. More important, the book explains what each subject covers, where it comes from, and what its basic principles and policies are. This big picture of each subject is invaluable for putting in context what you cover in each day's class and then putting it all together for final exams.

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Collecting links and this is the only place I can put it

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qGx9F0sAR20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTxkxG3DF4k
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CTxkxG3DF4k
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lKO8lZp41BM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=yBxly37a7_4
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8G4l45y1OUM
http://money-law.blogspot.com/2007/07/2 ... r-new.html

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Quick Review on Law School Confidential

I'm roughly half way through this book and here are some thoughts on it. I think that, overall, this is a good book. I do have some serious concerns from this book, that if they aren't addressed, could make many parts of this book useless in the years to come. From what it seems, the revised and updated version of this book isn't significantly different from the first. Really, it seems like the only threw in some new stuff (like a conversation with an admissions dean) instead of actually revising it. Then again, it was revised 4 years ago and technology has changed significantly since then. A lot of the substantive material is good, but the younger generation doesn't do things that people 10 years ago did (when most of the "mentors" in the book went through law school). For example, there's a section on a book that talks about setting up an apartment. It talks about getting a fast "modem" and setting up your phone line immediately. Personally - and I don't think I'm alone on this - the only internet connection I'm going to get is cable (or dsl but not dial-up) and I'm not getting a phone line in my apartment. I don't need an extra bill when I already have a cell phone that satisfies all my needs. THey also talk about macs and "IBMs". Ha, there's a 90s term for you. Hey for your next revised copy, we say "PCs" now.There's just a lot of little things in the book like that, which through the reader off guard and start to second guess whether the material in this book is relevant anymore.

Also, the author of this book really likes to stroke his own ego! My god! Too many times already in this book, the author notes that you need to read this book "cover-to-cover" several times especially before you start law school. Excuse me, but when I'm entering law school, I don't need to read information on how to apply to law school or succeed on the LSAT anymore. And the author talks a lot of how great of a student he was and I don't remember any part of the book where he said, "Well shit I did that wrong." It almost seems like he's saying, "I did everything right, and the mentors did many things right. Now you need to follow our way if you don't want to fall behind."

Besides my grievances, I think I'm going to take advantage of much of the advice in this book, especially their briefing method and outlining plans. I hope the second half of this book will teach me a lot about exams (though I'm depending on the book Getting to Maybe for that), judicial internships, and the 2L & 3L years.

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Yep, I love Loyola Law School. I'm getting really impatient for mid-August to come and orientation starts.