Miss me yet?

Okay, so I haven’t been as on top of this as I should have been. I tried the Tumblr thing for a bit and that sucked, so I figured I’d dust this off.

Also WordPress has an Android app so I can post from my phone.

Which is what I am doing.

More later probably.

 

EDIT:  So I am retaking NJ in February.  Which isn’t much fun.  Granted, the material is still relatively fresh in my mind, but the process is still a pain.  My gamble is that by not retaking NY at the same time, that should make my chances a tad better.

I have obtained a form of gainful employment clerking for a local attorney.  It pays.  Which is good.  Money is good.  Because those loans have to get paid back somehow.

But yes, with bar (re)studying in my future, I don’t know if I’ll keep on top of this as much as you probably expect me to (shocking, I know), but time shall tell.

Substitute

So I finally received a response on employment, albeit from a substitute teaching service.  Not the ideal, but at least something.  Except for that part about waiting 8-12 weeks for certification (since I’m not certified in the great state of New Jersey).

Which means that, if hired, I wouldn’t be fully certified probably until close to when I get my results.  At which point (hopefully) I’d be able to get a better situation.

But better than nothing, I suppose.

Friday Night Hurricane Music

This is a live version of the song “Mr. Big” by the group Free.  Now, you’re probably thinking, “why in the world is this so good?”  Well, Free is better known for the song “All Right Now,” which anyone with a brain has probably heard at least once in their life.  So why did I choose this?

For me, the interplay between the guitar and bass during what is essentially an extended jam is very awesome.  Plus the trading of solos.  Both guitar (Paul Kossof) and bass (Andy Fraser) are underrated beyond all belief.  Paul Rodgers, the guy singing, is better known as the vocals for Bad Company and that guy who replaced Freddie Mercury in an obscure group called Queen.

Basically, this is just something that’s been stuck in my head, and is a good example of how the music of yesteryear was more about the instrumental showcase, and not just about clever hooks.

A word on Craigslist

If you are looking for some sort of legal job (or any job, really) on Craigslist, a prudent job-seeker would be wary of any email coming from a purported employee.  I have received 3 emails in almost as many days from what are probably scam artists saying that you need to visit such and such a site before the interview process may continue.

The obvious problem is that there is no real way of telling what is legitimate and what isn’t.  Which is maddening.

I know, I should have been aware of this long ago, but since I know people legitimately put stuff on there, it’s not a bad tool to use.  Provided that you don’t get duped into signing up for (hypothetically) some sort of $9.99 charge to your phone for a “required” IQ test.*

Since I’m sure there are people in my situation reading this (Hi!), what have you found to be effective ways of using the Internet for finding legal employment?***

Also, if you happen to live on the East Coast (as I do), enjoy the hurricane (he said, sarcastically.  Be safe everyone.  Seriously.).

 

* Luckily I was wise enough not to fall for this.  There are tools for determining what web sites are safe and what aren’t.  y personal favorite (which can be used in extension form on Mozilla Firefox and Chrome) is http://www.mywot.com.  Accept no substitutes.**

**I am in no way receiving any sort of financial compensation from the company for this shameless advertising.  But I wouldn’t mind it.

***And really, what is the etiquette for sending resumes out unsoliticited?  I’m not one to just walk into a law office with a resume and say, “Hire me!”  Does that even fly or does it put you on some kind of blacklist?

Gimme a Job!

So, everyone’s favorite post-bar activity (well, after the hangover wears off) is finding employment.  This is no easy task.  One of my Facebook friends said it best earlier today, essentially wondering why you advertise for an “entry-level” position but require at least one year of experience.

Seriously?  Are attorneys trying to keep recent graduates out of the profession, or do they not proofread before posting a job advertisement?

Obviously, I’m not able to practice law as of yet (at least until my results come in), but it’s quite frustrating.  Even a paralegal/legal assistant position requires experience as one or both of those positions.  What about those of us that never held positions like this (much less for the length of time required)?  Shouldn’t 3 years of law school be enough to do research and write documents?

I haven’t gotten so desperate as to put in a job application at Wendy’s, but the process is tedious.  Waiting until November for a job is not an option, obviously.  In time it will come, I suppose.

I know that other recent graduates are feeling the crunch.  Only 3 more months until results come out, and hopefully the results are satisfactory.

Post-Bar Exam Thoughts

Okay, so I’ve had ample time to decompress from the three days of hell that was the NY/NJ bar exam.  I don’t have many things to say (I’m not going to get into the particular subjects of the questions), apart from it was an experience that I’d like not to repeat any time soon.

The one thing I noticed different between the two states was how much stricter NY’s policies were compared to NJ.  NY day started right on time, NJ made it drag on for half an hour until we started both days.  It was interesting to witness.

Also, apparently in NJ, examinees were allowed to leave to take a smoke break DURING the exam.  I found that odd.

Now comes the fun part — finding a job.  Anybody hiring?

Not QUITE dead…

Just studying like crazy for the #barexam.

 

I promise that once this is over with, I’ll start writing again semi-regularly.

 

In the meantime, you can follow my sporadic Twitter updates at http://www.twitter.com/Higgmasterflex.

Nearing the Finish

So I had to do all the pre-graduation polls and surveys that my school requires us to fill out before we shuffle off this law school coil.  I’m still in denial.  Less than four months to go, and I don’t think I’m ready to leave yet.  Not because I enjoy law school necessarily, but because of all the relationships and connections I’ve built in my almost three years here.

 

Also, I don’t want to take the bar exam.  Why oh why wasn’t I born in Wisconsin?

Yeah, it’s been entirely too long.

My school’s graduation requirements require that a student does some form of externship or clinical program before they walk at commencement. For my requirement, I am going to Ann Arbor two days a week to work for the public defender’s office, primarily doing misdemeanors.

A typical day’s work starts at 8:30 am or thereabouts, when the particular judge enters the courtroom. Students like me working on the office get to appear on the record under Michigan Court Rule 8.120, allowing us to actually practice as attorneys (in a fashion). The majority of cases are either minors in possession or driving violations (mostly suspended licenses that are quickly resolved before the defendant even gets to court). It is fair to say that a lot of my appearances on the record are to ask for adjournments, in order to obtain more discovery documents (like the police report) to represent the client better.

One thing I’ve learned as that court proceedings are not as formal as I am used to in Mock Trial and Moot Court. Usually when one of the defenders or externs are up on the record, another one will be trying to cut a deal with the prosecutor, mostly to plead guilty to lesser charges which often do not require jail time. In other words, there usually isn’t as much “order in the court” as television shows would have you believe.

In addition to courtroom time, externs are sometimes asked to go interview clients in the holding cells. There is a stark difference between the individuals in street clothes fighting minor things and the people in jail, usually there for more serious misdemeanors (alcohol or drug related, and sometimes retail fraud). It’s sobering to think that these people are around our ages (or even younger), and forced to spend a few nights in a jail cell.

I’ve only been in court a few days so far (but am going back tomorrow, at least based on the time I’m writing this), but already I’ve had a few touching moments. I think the moment I most felt proud of was getting a person out on bond from a marijuana possession charge, even though the prosecutor was against him being released. Poor guy had a busted arm and mental problems, but he was so eager to submit to drug testing in any effort to stay out of prison. I even got to speak to his mother, so getting him out of prison was pretty cool. My hope is that he learns his lesson and doesn’t come back.

So I’m getting anxious for court tomorrow. I’d like to see what the city of Ann Arbor did over the weekend. Should be an interesting day.

 

Citation Hell

I think I have developed a love/hate relationship with the Bluebook.