CLS update

Well, it's been a little over two weeks, and I'm still here at Columbia Law School.

I've got a studio apartment in Lenfest, a high rise building right outside the Columbia campus and about 5 blocks from the law school. The building populated exclusively by law students, and since only 1L (that's first year students) are here now it's a little empty. Classes start officially after labor day, which I'm looking forward to immensly.

Right now the 1L's are taking a "Legal Methods" class, which is designed to give us an introduction to interpreting case law and evaluating statutes. It's really cool stuff so far, and I'm looking forward to starting real classes next week. The first semester all of the courses are mandatory so I have no choice in the matter. I'll be taking Torts, Contracts, and Civil Procedure whether I like it or not. The first two I'm looking forward to, the last one is just going to give me headache (i can already tell - the prof has assigned us work already and our first class isn't for another week. ugh.)

So what about the horror stories about the first year of law school? The mountains of work, the insane late nights, the tons of reading bearing down like a mammoth wave on a poor defensless sand crab? Actually, it's been very manageable. I'm assuming the real work will start later on next week when the real classes start, but rumors say this is about average for 1L. If that's the case, then the entire thing is a myth and the whole idea of a joint degree is going to be a lot easier than anticipated. It's also going to give me a chance to do a lot of work outside the classroom, which is great.

Finally, I have not had a chance to really get out and explore NYC, but I plan on doing so soon. I went out this weekend with a good friend and got to experience some of NYC's nightlife. Overall I'd say, based on my limited and completey subjective opinion, that the restaurants can be great, the lounges are very cool, and the clubs are crowded and suck. I recommend the Spice Market (asian food) in the Meatpacking district - very good food, although be sure to make reservations. I'd also recommend, in good weather, a lounge called 230 Fifth on fifth avenue, which has a great rooftop open patio with a gorgeous view of the Empire State Building and surrounding skyline.

One tooth later

On Friday I made a trip to midtown in quest of an oral surgeon who would extract an infected wisdom tooth. Hours later I had succeeded in defeating the stupid situation which made my life annoyingly difficult the past week, and emerged free! Free! The tooth is out, and I'm slowly making my way back to eating solid foods. The side of my mouth looks like I have cotton balls stuffed in there (it's swollen from the surgery), but that should subside soon. My speech is a little slurred -- it sounds kinda like the Godfather....I just walk around all day saying "I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse".

The process has really been pretty straightforward and painless. I have not even had to resort to the Vicadin - simple Ibuprofen has been enough to keep me feeling normal. My eating capabilities have slowly progressed to now eating soft foods and being able to chew. I hope to be in full form by Monday, excepting a little swelling and some sensitivity to hot/cold foods and drink. Oh man I can't wait. I 've been on a liquid diet for 5 days now....and let me tell you, it's amazing what you can make into juice form with a blender (I was on the Weekly World News Garth Brooks Juice Diet! - for those random movie fans out there)

As for law school, to be honest the reading is not nearly as bad as I'd heard. It could be this introductory course that we're all taking for a few weeks called Legal Methods, but I only have about 2hours a night. I'm expecting it to pick up once real classes start after Labor Day. I do find reading cases pretty interesting stuff....but I am concerned that my entire grade depends on the final exam. Kinda arbitrary, if you ask me.

Anyway, more later. Peace out for now.

Dork-dom here i come

It's amazing what even just a few days of law school will do to you -- especially if like me you find the subject matter really interesting. I saw this article just now about a US District Judge in Detroit striking down the NSA wiretapping program as unconstitutional, and suddenly I really want to read her entire 48 page opinion and contrast it against others that arrive at different conclusions.

Beware ye all. Law school is bringing out my inner dork.

Tests (of pain)

Welcome one and all to the trials of a law student at Columbia. That's a pun, folks.

I have encountered my first real test at law school. Through some sick and twisted turn of fate, I have fallen somewhat ill today. Of course, the first day of class is tomorrow, so clearly God has it in for me. Or maybe I'm paying for sins in a past life. Either way it does nothing for me right now -- not only do I have an infection, but it happens to be in my teeth. Yes, that's right, my teeth. Ugh. Probably one of the worst places to get an infection. Not only do I have fever, have to take antibiotics, and have to go the dentist for oral surgery, but I also cannot eat anything solid. Seriously, is this karma? Did I royally screw someone over that i don't know about?

The somewhat short version: I have impacted wisdom teeth which were scheduled for extraction in just a few months. However last night I woke up with a toothache of monumental dimensions; even an extra strong dose of Advil did nothing. So today in between my orientation events, dodging herds of recent undergrads, I went to the dental clinic. Turns out my gums are inflamed because one of these wisdom teeth is infected, and needs to come out "immediately". However, it also happens that their one and only oral surgeon (and incidentally, the only one around who takes the student health insurance plan) is on vacation for a couple of weeks. So instead I received a course of antibiotics for the infection, and instructions to wait for a couple weeks. Or else just go to the Columbia Hospital (located nearby, thank god) and get them taken out at close to full price - which I expect to be utterly exorbitant and ridiculous.

Now, if you think that all of the above happened in one simple visit to the dental clinic, then you are sadly naive and will surely be taken advantage of several times in the next week. No, in fact it took me about 3 hours to figure all of this out. All the while my tooth was hurting more and more, the infection was starting to give me a fever, and I was stressing out about the orientation events I was missing and worrying even more about all the homework I had to do for my first day of class tomorrow. I could not imagine sitting down and doing hours of legalese reading. Which, of course, I just finished. Amazing what you can do when you have no choice.

What a day.

Anyway, I'm now praying (literally) that the antibiotics will kick in and kill off the infection very quickly, and that I'll be able to eat again tomorrow and won't have to suffer through class with a fever. I'll probably go the hospital tomorrow just to see how much this extraction would cost. If it's not too bad, I'll just get it taken care of on Friday and get it over with. No sense in delaying the inevitable.

And for those of you hoping to get stories about law school.....don't worry. I'm sure there are plenty of those to come.

Brief Hiatus

After quitting my job at the prestigious technology company, I have been busy packing all my stuff in boxes, shipping it to the east coast, and then relocating there myself. I have also been madly studying for the GMAT this past week, which I took today (and I'm glad to report that I won't have to re-take it, thank god). Tomorrow I will drive from my parents house in Washington DC to New York City, and Friday I will be moving into my new studio apartment on the campus of Columbia Law School.

Needless to say, it looks like things will be busy for another week or so. As soon as I get my new computer (i want to get the new macbook) and get it all set up with internet connection in my new place, I will begin to chronicle the life and times of a first year law student from California in the big apple.

Hope all is well with those I have not talked to in a while. I'll be back in touch soon.