The Checkered Flag

That's right folks, we're into the final lap. 1L first semester exams are (about) a week away.

Which means... tons of work. I'm still working on the legal writing final (3 documents: an office memo, client letter, and 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss) that's due on Monday. I can feel it hanging over me like the Sword of Damocles. Although we're no longer attending classes for LegRes and LegWri, my days are still chock full of studying and all-round yummy legal goodness. (Hmmm... I could go for a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie about now...)

Also on the docket for the upcoming week: Deposition finals. Since I'm a witness, that means I have the distinct honor of sitting through ten (10) hours of exciting, edge-of-your-seat deposition finals. They're split up into two hour blocks over four different days, at least. I don't think it's going to interfere with my ability to study for finals, but I'm expecting it to be a bit draining, to say the least. Still, all sarcasm aside, I think it'll be fun. The first couple at least.

The exam lineup: Next Friday, Contracts. Next Monday, CivPro. Wednesday, Crim, and Torts on the following Friday. I've been attending the Bar/Bri review sessions which vary in their usefulness. Sometimes they're funny. Sometimes they're very repetitive. All of them eat up time. But I figure it's the closest thing to studying by osmosis, and at least suggest one kind of structure to use on exam essay questions.

There are a few good things about classes wrapping up (aside from the obvious, that is). First, as professors race to try and cover the remaining material on the syllabi, there's more lecture and less Socraticism (Ok, I think I made up a word. Primary brain power has been redirected to retaining legal knowledge, and I hereby reserve the right to make up words at my discretion.). This means that 1) there's less fear of being called on in class, and 2) the discussions are more directed. Take Torts for example: Tidmarsh leads us on meandering philosophical discussions enough as it is without the unscheduled detours of student input. Additionally, many of the professors are holding review sessions or taking time during the final few lectures to give us the bigger picture. Ah, now they show us the ball. Well, at least we get to see it at some point.

Oh, and as a side note, we've been filling out the teacher evaluation forms for all our classes. I had many good things to say about all my core classes. The ability to rant a bit for Legal Writing was cathartic. And afterwards, I reflected how grateful I am that none of our writing submissions were written by hand.

Everywhere I turn I seem to see stressed out 1Ls. Even the law school lounge has become a site for ad hoc study groups to obsess over legal details from various classes. That's why I try to get away from the craziness from time to time by retreating to a different building on campus or hiding in some quiet nook in the library.

For better or worse, the first semester is coming to a close and will soon be over. There's still a lot to be done, but the end (of this phase, at least) is in sight.