2014-07-17 - 5:33 p.m.

Reading this just compelled me to write as I find it so very ironic.

https://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/lawyer-quits-her-job-with-most-creative-departure-memo-ever-151105791.html

The phrase about being like so many law students- aimless really strikes me as sad in a way.

I went to law school with a specific PURPOSE

A specific GOAL to meet

A specific vision of shall I call it an AVOCATION

So it is so very surprising when I see people I have encountered who just went to law school because it would make their parents proud, or because as one of my bosses said
"I never considered WHY I wanted to be a lawyer. My very strong Aunt just TOLD ME I was going to law school and become a lawyer and to be honest I just never even questioned that."

It is amazing to see how many people fulfill OTHER'S dreams for them!

Now my boss who said that WAS VERY HAPPY!
I mean she makes a salary of about $250 K in what I seriously see as a rather STRESS FREE JOB as a lawyer.

REALLY!!

I swear In house counsel at a large corporation is WAY EASIER than at your own firm! You have a ton of resources and support. You have peers to WORK WITH and run things by! When you are a REALLY good attorney, you have wisdom to have a contract manager PROOFREAD your work at times collaboratively- knowing that only makes it better.

When you have a really great personality it is EASY to be a managing attorney of a small group.

When you have the people skills, like she does, NEGOTIATION IS EASY.

It is REALLY EASY to learn the company's position on risk and how to handle certain situations. There are SO FEW that are truly UNIQUE when handling the same kind of services with the same kind of clients. YES there is some variety , but the main issues that arise really do repeat over and over and it is not hard to become proficient.

Sure one can get caught up in the overwork mentality.

That boss didn't.

She went to happy hour, she left the office at 5pm And she took Yoga classes once a week.

She was VERY mellow and content and a lovely person to work with.

I ALSO liked that she spend her time doing pro bono work that was impactful and helped others.

Many of the attorneys definitely were motivated by a desire to have a good job to provide for their family. That was very clear.

But having gotten to know a few it is so ironic to me how few REALLY HAD A PASSION to become a lawyer FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE , To address a SPECIFIC need area they wanted to impact.

It seems odd to me that here I study and work so hard to try to meet my goals and for so many it was just kinda
Something to do - cause it would pay well.

CE la vie....

So it IS NICE to see when some have saved enough, carved out their space so that they THEN have comfort and CAN afford to FOLLOW DREAMS that were tabled.

Others like me have to keep working just to achieve that which came easy for some, even if THEY didn't REALLY WANT IT.

Ironic it seems.
When things come easy, how easily they are taken for granted.

I had to download software so I can take the bar exam on my laptop. It is taking me FOREVER... (OK not quite... but it FEELS LIKE IT) to achieve this. It downloaded, but stuck at the registration step.

I then deceided to DELETE all the PUSHED software in some "upgrade" that I didn't want. Thought that might help, as well as changing some settings on the computer.
What the heck is
CYBERLINK MEDIA SUITE That I never heard of that was downloaded and is taking all freaking day to UNINSTALL on my machine??

I didn't want to USE the laptop as it was trying to register the software -- so I LOST A TON OF TIME LAST NIGHT AND THIS AM that I intended to use listening to the end of the CRIM PROCEDURE Lecture.

Then today waiting..... Am frustrated as today was SUPPOSSED TO BE THE INTENSIVE EVIDENCE LECTURE which I am behind in. I feel like I lost almost a whole day of study by the clean up computer and register software project which is rather annoying.

I gave up waiting and logged in to listen to lectures anyway WHILE the uninstall is ostensibly still running. When I leave the machine alone it doesn't seem to achieve that any faster..

To top it off I am having a REALLY HARD TIME actually finishing an essay in 30 minutes.

I get the issues identified, and outline, and then keep running out of time to even completely recall and state the legal rules to be applied. OH YEaH No Wonder I developed the essay style of CONCLUSION FIRST , If I don't do that I might never STATE the conclusion.

I might scrap the whole IRAC model and ignore the critique of the essay critiquer who did not like my lack of organization of the essay UNLESS I MASTER THIS IN THE NEXT 10 days of practice.

Thing is with only 30 min I am better off getting all components of a coherent response down EVEN IF it is not in the EXPECTED FORMULAIC answer they WANT (as the graders are following a SAMPLE and checking essentially for the response to have the same issues spotted in the same organization it seems). So far, when timing I get as far as Issue, SOME rules AND THAT IS IT.

So when trying to follow the expected formula my C ESSAYS Are now turning into Fs

It seemed my initial essays were better than the ones of late as at least those DID Hit all the main points, even if not in the organization that is being taught is expected. When I reviewed the checklist of the sample responses and my initial essay SUBSTANTIVELY they were solid.
But if I try to write in the formulaic model I have been told to use it is a laborious task I don't think I can achieve in a 30 min time limit.
The ORGANIZATION takes too much effort and thought!

I mean I just can't WRITE THAT WAY it seems in the 30 minute time constraint as it takes too much THOUGHT to try to do so that is really WASTED on then NOT HAVING THE SUBSTANCE DOWN.

Old dogs take longer to learn new tricks .

My essays are clearly following the formula I learned from my debate coach way back in high school! I CAN DO THAT IN A HALF HOUR:
1. CONCLUSION FIRST- clear answer of the question
2. Then rational for the conclusion- which YES AS the critiques pointed out were consistently in my essays submitted in paragraphs that WERE NOT Organized as they would like (with a separate paragraph of RULE and then paragraph applying legal rules to facts) as in my paragraphs BOTH a rule, then applied facts in the SAME PARAGRAPH..
3. THEN A RE-STATEMENT OF THE CONCLUSION.

I am trying not to commit the sin of violation of the IRAC (ISSUE, RULE , APPLICAITON OF FACTS, and CONCLUSION formula)

I am TRYING to write the really simple phrases IN ORDER WANTED
BUZZWORDS as suggested (even thought I find it rather ridiculous!)

"The issue is...."

STATE RULE

Then point out the facts of scenario as applicable and how the rule applied

THEN CONCLUSION with VERY SPECIFIC Language ( which made me ask: "ARE you kidding me? I am going to have a answer that doesn't get as many points if I don't use these EXACT Trigger words . I thought -so the grader can open up the can and see each sardine in the same order??? IF one is UPSIDE DOWN it won't be recognized as a sardine? WHAT THE HECK Are they THAT DUMB?? MY ANSWER THAT HAD EVERY POINT IN IT AND WAS SHORT and to the Point would NOT GET AS MANY POINTS If the organization of it is not in the SAME ORDER as their template SAMPLE response?)

I GET IT.... but it is SO MUCH SLOWER TO WRITE THAT WAY for me.

But trying to write " THEREFORE... IN CONCLUSION.... CONSEQUENTLY...

etc... Only at the END of a CLEAR conclusion paragraph AND NOT IN THE MIDDLE WHEN MAKING ONE POINT OF AN ARGUMENT

So I am trying, but if at the end of the next week of practice I am not nailing these essays as they WANT I am going back to just getting it all down quickly - organized or not.

That is better than not even having a conclusion stated!

30 minutes only per essay! WOW That is quite a challenge for me... Its not that I don't KNOW THE LAW, but I DO NOT have quick recall and really have to think a few minutes before I recall it.

OR more precisely- I HAVE TO WRITE before I recall the rules! So for ME it is through the discussion of the facts in my writing, that I THEN RECALL And Apply the rules!

So I have been doing this BACKWARDS from what is expected.

Will keep practicing... but this timing of essays and trying to write in a formulaic manner is a bit disappointing to say the least.

I may have to just scrap the advise of the critiques and go back to writing the way I always have:

State conclusion
Articulate the reasons WHY
and then re-state conclusion

MUCH More simple formula. In that middle part of articulation of the arguments of WHY - there is of course a NATURAL organization of discussion of BOTH RULES and application of them to facts which led to the WHY.

IF that is the best I can do in a 30 minute time constraint- so be it.

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