The Bar Review Is Dead...Hopefully for Good

It's been almost a month since I last posted anything here. The reason? The bar exam was looming and I was drowning in a sea of mindless laws, study materials, and misery. It all came to a head on July 27th and 28th at the North Carolina State Fair Grounds where I was among 1100 souls who were subjected to two days of intellectual water boarding. And the best part? I have not a clue how I did. And won't for another three weeks at least.

Hopefully I passed. I put in a ton of time studying and knew something to write for each and every essay. What scares me is that I freaked out on a couple and that could have taken my already shaky form and style (which was bar exam specific) and regressed it into how I'd usually write. If I failed, I believe that'll be the reason. That and I have no clue how I did on the multiple choice because there were at least two right answers on each question and it was up to you - the lowly bar exam taker - to pick the subjectively "Most Right" answer. I hope there's a special room reserved in hell for the person who thought of that little quirk.

Either way, it's over. And I returned home for a wild celebration which consisted of taking a two day nap.

Since then I've contacted a head hunter in hopes of finding something for which my three years of time and six figure tuition can return some sort of gainful employment. So far there are some interesting leads, but nothing concrete. Yet. The economy is saturated with attorneys and most of them have some advantages on me. Trivial things like "experience" or fancy latin words that mean they lived in the law library 18 hours a day over the last three years and finished above me in the class rankings. Others have the benefit of parents who are somewhat influential in the world of lawyers and thusly were able to lean on the right people to hire their offspring.

As for me, I have contacts to find jobs, but they may or may not be lawyer jobs. And that's fine because I believe what I wrote over three years ago when applying to law school: A law degree is simply a key that opens many doors in many different arenas. Most people charge through the one right in front of them (i.e. practicing law). They are so sure that's the only way to be successful. I disagree. And I aim to prove my point by finding what one of my professors described as the "happy job". Without going into too much detail the happy job is basically a job that makes you happy. For me that is a job that is challenging and provides tangible output (i.e. not being a paper pushing drone for a big firm that likes its billable hours). It's also one that allows me to be at home and have a rewarding family life. I don't want to be away six of seven days. I don't want to leave before the sun rises and return when everyone has gone to sleep. That's simply not an option.

One highly placed executive of a well-known online college told me that such thinking was "small minded" and "severely limited" my ability to be successful. As I relayed to her: "I guess that depends on how you define success". I'm 29 years old. I've got, on average, 50 years remaining on earth. Five decades from now I really have no desire to be sitting here thinking that I really do wish I'd have spent time with those who meant something to me instead of logging that 100th hour of work for the week. But that's just me. It's not for me to say that lifestyle isn't rewarding for some. I assume it is. But it's not for me. Same way cauliflower isn't something I'd prefer to eat. I mean it is certainly one way to survive, but not an overly fulfilling one.

As the job hunt progresses I'm somewhat optimistic that I'll find something. Somewhere. I'm fortunate enough to be in a position that allows me to be selective, and I plan on utilizing that ability. I'm going to weigh the pros and cons of each decision that presents itself and go from there. I don't mind leaving our current location, but it'll have to be a good enough opportunity.

Regardless of where the path takes us, there is one thing I want to be sure of going forward....that I never have to take the NC Bar Exam again. So keep your fingers crossed that I some how manage to pass it and that results in a "good" letter arriving the first week of September.

Law Learning Is Dead...Long Live Law Learning

Since my last post I've been incredibly busy. It's a typical law student life post law school so I'm told. We had graduation and everyone was happy. We walked across the stage. We had our friends and family wish us congratulations. We even had an ice sculpture. Then it was time for every law student to go into a hole, cave, or jail cell. Why? Because a law degree means very little if you don't have a license to practice law. You achieve this by passing the state bar. To do this you must study. A lot. Like more than I've had to study in my entire life.

I don't mean to suggest I've been some kind of legal wiz kid. Nothing could be further from the truth. I was merely an average law student. I didn't earn any kind of fancy latin classifications with my degree. But I can honestly say that law school never really put that much stress on me. Sure there was some nervy nights during exam time. And there were some frustrating times when I was learning how to "play the law school game". And, make no mistake, there are games galore when it comes to law school. But, when it all ends, you realize you don't know anything.

Maybe it's me but I found that preparing for the LSAT only showed you how to take the LSAT. Law school only tells you how to do well in law school. The bar prep course apparently - I hope - teaches you how to pass the bar. Perhaps when you add it all up you learn to be a lawyer. I can't worry about that for now. For now it's between seven and 10 hours a day of studying and trying to figure out how to pass this monster of an exam. So far I've made my goals. Let's hope the trend doesn't stop.

The Battle Is Over. The War Now Begins

I walked out of school a few hours ago having just sat for (and hopefully passed) my last exam as a student at Elon University School of Law. It's been an interesting three years and though there were certainly times where I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders, the time has generally flown by at an alarming rate.

I do remember my first day of classes at "boot camp". A couple of the teachers bought into the whole idea of acclimating us to life as 1Ls. But not Professor Kinsler. We did our first two substantive classes in his allotted times. I remember walking into "Issues and Leadership" class and thinking there must have been a better use of my time. I certainly remember going to the library for research scavenger hunts. All things that defined my first year. Of course it's impossible to forget the stumbling blocks as well. I remember not doing particularly well in Torts because I wasn't able to frame the issues in an elemental sense. I remember doing poorly in legal writing. Most of all I remember getting my first semester grades back and wondering what on earth possessed me to come to law school in the first place.

Since then I was able to right the ship and do well enough to make it through. I've certainly changed as a result of the experience. I'm more willing to tackle challenges. I'm less likely to hold my tongue. I'm also a bit more confident when it comes interjecting my two cents or looking for a solution. Maybe that's worth the amount of tuition paid and the hours spent working towards this goal.

One cool thing we did in the first week of school was write a letter to ourselves. To be opened after we took the final exam of our third year. Mine is dated August 20, 2007. Sparing the gory details, I will quote some of the relevant passages:

"When looking for jobs, don't use a shotgun approach. Go for what you like, and stay away from what you don't. Don't be motivated solely by money. Find something you love and something that excites you."

Maybe I was a bit idealistic, but I find that portion of the letter to be the approach I'm taking in both job searching and life in general. Maybe I was looking down the road. Maybe I was already making changes in my life. Or maybe I was full of it. Regardless I was somewhat surprised to see something that hit home as well as it did.

The last sentence of the letter really hit home. It's exactly the way I feel I've evolved and have begun to approach life and all it can throw at you. Most importantly, it's how I plan to spend the next few weeks and months as a series of terrific adventures kick off. In closing that letter, three years ago I wrote:

"...either way it's been a new and hopefully exciting challenge. Now, let's get going on the next one."

I agree. Let's go.

Less than 24 Hours To Go

And law school will be finished. No more teachers, but a hell of a lot of books. Over two feet in fact. And while I look forward to having a law degree, I am more eager to dive into the next phases of my life as they head down the road.

We close on the house in just over two weeks. We are trying to get a head start on packing, but so far it's going somewhat slow thanks to my schedule of exams and soccer stuff happening. Hopefully that'll be taken care of this week. On a happier note, we have some pieces for the house arriving this week in the form of bookshelves, bathroom accessories, and a heavy duty waffle maker. (I know, it's exciting stuff).

Before all that I have one more. Tomorrow afternoon - beginning at 2:15 - I will sit for my last law school exam. Ever. I don't think I've blown the doors off any of my previous three exams, but I've done well enough (I hope). My goal has shifted away from excelling and improving my class rank and GPA to just getting out and moving on. Perhaps that's a sad commentary, and it is certainly not something I'm overly proud of. But, it's the truth. I'm burned out on school and ready for a new challenge. Three years ago I was energized and ready to burn law school to the tune of grand dreams and life in the fast lane. It's kind of funny to think about when I look back on it. I'm a different person. Hopefully a bit better for the experience (not to mention the mountain of tuition). Regardless, life turns another page tomorrow. I wonder where it'll take us.