MILP #100

Pt-Lawmom has the 100th round-up and she has come up with a fitting tribute indeed.

Part of the reason we started the round up, I think, was to collect a bit of shared wisdom about surviving law school pregnant or with kid(s) in tow. I think we accomplished that, and my archives are often searched by women looking for answers to the heart-felt and occasionally bizarre questions. Over the course of the 100 weeks, the Round-up grew to include mothers working in the legal profession... which is great because it means I get to keep doing it!

I would just like to take this occasion to note how honored I am to be even mentioned in the same sentence as some of these fantastic women bloggers. Thank you all for being part of this journey.

If you want to be included in future round-ups, please comment with your blog address.

And he should know... you should see his Ns

Clownfish and I went out for dinner last night. We got two mints from the waiter when we were done. Clownfish was concerned we wouldn't have one to share with Bullshark, so I let him keep mine to give to his father.

Bullshark didn't get home til late and is always out early in the morning, so Clownfish wrote him a note (with a little spelling help from me):

Papa
For you
Clownfish

This morning, Clownfish awoke to discover Papa had taken the mint and had left him a note in return (my idea). The note said thank you and that he would see Clownfish soon. I read the note to the little guy, and he was happy. He took the note and attempted to read it himself.

Clownfish's response:

Hey. He writes his name pretty good!

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Seems as good a time as any to update the "baby book" -- Clownfish can write all of his letters pretty clearly, though he has some continued difficulty with Y and K. He can spell mommy, papa, his own name, every three letter word that rhymes with CAT. We don't work on spelling a lot. He draws recognizable pictures of a number of animals and creates cute family pictures (the current one is a hockey game... he's about to score a goal against me and Papa is the referee.) He plays first base on his tee-ball team (story this weekend).

Bar Prep Begins in Earnest

After four hours of video lecture, I am thinking that booze is in order.
It is going to be a long summer.

MILP #99: There is no theme

The Weekly MILP (Moms In the Legal Profession) Roundup is hosted on a rotating basis between PT-LawMom, A New Duck, and A Little Fish in Law School blogs. We originally rounded up just the moms in law school, but then discovered that those women eventually graduate. Who knew? So now all the moms in the legal field (heh) are represented. We aim for Sunday posts.

Theme: There is no theme. I am listening to bar prep videos and am trying to have a nice family weekend and am frankly incapable of creativity while thinking about property law and why I don't really remember it and whether I think reciprocal negative servitude sounds more like a sexual position than a property concept. Hope everyone enjoys her weekend off.

• I was gonna do a post about partying like its 1999. Here's my nod to that: Two thousand zero zero party over its out of time. Lawschoolmom does the math on law school.
• CM does some calculations regarding money and happiness. Magic Cookie.
• Pluses and Minuses of working motherhood. Cee
  
• Vacation, all she ever wanted. So Proto Attorney wrote a will.
• Laundry woes continue for One New Duck.
• Waiting for 1L grades sucks. Newlawmom
• Legally Certifiable is holding up.
  
• How to Honey Do at Lag Liv.
• Sumo versus Goat. TrannyHead
  
• Dakota graduates!
• Drah-mah! PtLawmom
  
• The best feeling: baby love. Peanutbutter Burrito

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If you’d like to have your blog added to the MILP blogroll for weekly review or would like us to consider a specific post, drop the hostess(es) an email or leave a comment at our sites.Expecting Moms in law school are welcome! Hat tip as always to the “original” Roundup — Evan Schaeffer’s Legal Underground and his co-rounder-upper, Nobody!

Makes me want to cut a bitch

BarBri Lady: Hopefully you narrowed it down to A or B. I mean, its obviously admissible. B is the better answer because blah blah blah blah. So it is B.

I picked D.

Ok... I think some time off in in order.

Barzam WTF

The first in what I imagine will be a series of WTF moments while studying for the barzam.

Today's episode: evidence: hearsay exceptions.

Bride collapses at wedding after drinking champagne. Declares to onlookers while gasping for breath: "I knew my new husband wanted my money. Make sure he is brought to justice for murdering me." Poisoned, lapses into coma, persistent vegetative state, unavailable. Husband arrested.

Rule: Dying declaration
1) declarant believed death was imminent -- need not actually die and
2) statement concerned cause or circumstances of what she believed to be impending death

Answer chosen: Her statement is admissible against him in his attempted murder trial as a dying declaration.

BZZZZT! Wrong! Why? Anyone care to hazard a guess before I put the answer in the comments later?

What You're Missing

The BarBri Preview Edition of Tweets:

annoyed: I got a B+ in Trial Practice.4 minutes ago from web

"If you go reading [treatise] about RAP and I hear about it, I will come to your house and go all Jay and Silent Bob on you." #barzam #lawabout 1 hour ago from web

@Val221 re: LSAT prep material. Wait til you see the density of bar prep material waiting for you at the end of law school.about 7 hours ago from web in reply to Val221

@lawschoolninja @legalgeekery In BarBri I trust. I am just doing the preview stuff now. I will be fine. I don't *really* regret my classes.about 8 hours ago from web in reply to lawschoolninja

Bar review making me rethink decisions to NOT take the following classes: crim pro, UCC, secured trans, more... *gulp* #barzam #lawschoolabout 17 hours ago from web

"Reasonable value? What are we? Hippies? Let's hit the bong later." BarBri Preview Contracts Guy is dorky. Awesome. #barzam #lawschool5:45 PM May 16th from web

I wish I could draw: I have sumo-style "forms" doing "battle" in my head right now. Contracts makes me punchy.5:09 PM May 16th from web

I've forgotten more about contracts than you'll ever know! Umm... wait.... shit, this does not bode well...3:34 PM May 16th from web

BarBri torts lady has a voice like a buzzsaw--nasal, consistently strident, slightly angry. Bit like Nancy Grace. #barzam #lawschool3:31 PM May 14th from web

Inherently dangerous activity for felony murder: BARRK! #lawschool #barzam12:30 PM May 14th from web

Don't judge me

Yes. That's him. That's my kid.

He is the one wearing two completely different colored socks to preschool today.

Yes, I intentionally let him leave the house like that.

No, really, I do love him. I'm not a neglectful parent.

This was his choice. He wanted his friend to "laugh his head off" and apparently wearing a black dress sock and a white sports sock with his Spiderman sneakers and khaki shorts would accomplish this goal. No, I think the shorts are a nice touch. Makes certain you notice the socks. It would be a shame if they were hidden under a pair of jeans or sweats or something.

Oh, you were looking at the gorilla face tee-shirt? Umm, never mind then.

MILP #98

Originally posted at OND. Re-posted here for posterity.

Welcome to the weekly MILP (Moms in Legal Practice) Roundup #98. The roundup is hosted on a rotating basis between me, Butterflyfish and PT-LawMom. This week's roundup focuses on the important questions in life.

• What is 3LWannabe doing in bed?
• Who is trashing the hell out of Cee's house?
• Dakota: Can CANDY be a meal?
• And You Know What Else: What kind of crazy IS your baby?
• Butterflyfish: What's more painful that a c-section, a root canal, a quadruple widsom tooth extraction and a broken toe?
• What kind of crazytalk is LEO talking?
• How is Frequent Citations spending her precious sleeping time?
• Googiebaba: Why didn’t I tell him my husband was at the morgue until midnight?
• What could possibly entice Lag Liv to wake up at the crack of dawn?
  
• And what could possibly entice Proto Attorney to take a secretarial job for the summer?
• Why did Lawmummy jump out of a cab in the middle of traffic, run barefoot through Harrisburg, and knock over a crowd of innocent train-goers?
• How did Legally Certifiable's cake end up with a typo?
• Magic Cookie: What says "wom wom wom" and eats Ewoks?
• What kind of dreams is Peanut Butter Burrito having about Ruth Bader Ginsburg?
• PT-LawMom: Is there anything worse than the moving process?
• So, Trannyhead, have you kicked any puppies today?
  

That's all for now, folks. Catch next week's roundup over at Butterflyfish!

Bar application

The Bar application for my state was painful. How painful? I have experienced the following things and would rather do them again before filling out the bar application again.

Things LESS painful than my state's bar application:

* root canal
* child birth by cesarean
* four wisdom teeth pulled simultaneously
* broken toe

I hope there is not a next time. But if there is a next time, I'm going to ask to take the physical challenge instead.

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N.B. Three of the 'less painful' options were accompanied by lovely painkillers, so that could have something to do with it.

A boy and a stick

I took Clownfish to the beach yesterday. It was far too cold for swimming but he wanted to karate chop the waves (hiyah!) and that was the location he chose for our post-grad Mommy-Clownfish picnic. We built a sandcastle and a moat and then the castle was condemned for flooding and was washed out to sea. I would have been content to sit and enjoy a few hours, dig a little sand, eat a little, and relax.

My son was not so content.

He found a piece of driftwood--a stick, about the diameter of a larger broom handle and about half as long. First he used it to draw finish lines for beach races. After my third race I had the idea to "time" him as he happily raced himself. Then he used it as a golf club to hit rocks and shells into the ocean. That little problem of rocks and shells more often getting buried than flying when hit with a stick? Solved, when he made small sand mound "golf tees." Finally, he used his stick as a baseball bat to blast rocks and shells that he tossed into the air even further into the sea.

Get me a beach chair, a big umbrella, and a margarita. My son, the boy who invents three sports in a spring afternoon on a beach, did NOT get this behavior from me.

...but I am pretty sure I know where to look it up

In your first week of law school, when a professor asked you a question, you could look at him honestly and answer "I don't know." Three years later, having read tons of case law, having immersed yourself in scholarly articles, and having spent hours and hours puzzling out UCC and the IRC and other statutes, when someone asks you a question, you can now confidently answer "It depends."

paraphrased from the SBA President's graduation address

While I get what he was saying, I'm pretty sure that my answer is still "I don't know."

Does that feeling go away?

Butterflyfish, JD...almost

Officially, I am not a JD for another month, when grades come in and we receive our diplomas. I'm really more of a law school student who does not have to go to class anymore and who has already walked to Pomp and Circumstance.

But the weather was lovely, and I had the best Mother's Day ever with my family and friends. Grateful to my sister and best friend, both mothers to two kids each, who decided to spend their Mother's Day at my graduation. Happy that my Dad was so proud of me. Disappointed that my mom decided not to come at the last minute and is now mad that no one thought to videotape the event for her. But really, nothing could have brought me down yesterday. I was feeling everything at once, but in a good way.

Lucky blessed happy sad relieved scared nostalgic

Clownfish, even at "almost 5" doesn't really get "graduating" or why it was Mommy's special day beyond Mother's Day. But I am so grateful to him and for him. This post is shorter because we are taking a day off together and I am supposed to be looking for mini-golf places.

But I can't reflect, however briefly, on graduation without thanking my husband. He was super supportive and really very helpful in pulling yesterday off. Thanks to Bullshark also for my graduation present (a gift certificate for a 1 hour professional massage!) Oh and thanks to Bullshark for letting me hang out with and say goodbye to friends last night instead of spending a well-deserved and long-postponed quiet evening with him.

On to the bar exam... ummm, right after mini-golf...

MILP #97

Round up! Pt-Lawmom had it. Then New Duck, then here.

Not with a bang but with more of a slow march toward the inevitible punctuated by occasional bouts of stressful panic

Otherwise known as: I'm am done with law school . . . some time today . . . right after I go to "Muffins with Mommy" at Clownfish's pre-school in celebration of Mother's Day which could totally have waited until Monday and when I finish some public interest organization things I have to wrap up and turn in my exam and go to the end of year barbecue with Clownfish and OMG PANIC I hope I didn't screw up the S-Corp question.

And then I have to go shopping for food because we have none and I will have a houseful for graduation this weekend and I have to make the ziti and CLEAN oh my God do I have to clean seriously how have I lived like this and I need nylons to wear with my graduation dress that I bought Monday but don't love but I'm out of time and its cute enough so whatever and maybe I need new shoes.

And what will I wear to the award ceremony on Saturday?

But yeah, otherwise done. Woo?

What you're missing

Highlights from my Twitter feed:

1. Scene: the law review office, after midnight, the sound of one woman typing...then suddenly,*loud belch* Scuse me. Gotta lay off the Pepsiabout 17 hours ago from web
2. Dear skin: Breakouts & wrinkles should not happen together. Stop being red & blotchy & flaky or I will seriously consider a chemical peel!about 24 hours ago from web
3. Had to apologize to a good friend for my mistake. Lost the $100 my mom gave me as a present to buy my graduation dress. Its not even 3pm.11:28 AM May 3rd from web
4. I realized I spent a really long time answering a question for this take home, and I think I'm wrong. Shit. BizTax #lawschoolfail5:21 PM May 2nd from web
5. Panicking is for amateurs. . . you're not fully engaged in the process unless you're losing sleep and sweating blood. Finals. #lawschool3:02 PM Apr 29th from web
6. I put red under wear on a stuffed tiger today. Motherhood is weird4:39 PM Apr 28th from web
7. Happy tweet: I think I figured out some tricky stuff on my tax exam... worth less than 10% of the credit, but still. Woo!1:36 PM Apr 28th from web
8. Yes, my analysis may be wrong...Sure other people might have spotted those issues immediately...wait, this was supposed to be a happy tweet!1:33 PM Apr 28th from web
9. Tax take home exam question: Asks for a yes/no. Three pages later, and the answer is "probably." I love the law.10:15 AM Apr 27th from web
10. My biz tax notes: SH owns appreciated property tries to S-corp transfer to change to capital gain. IRS can call shenanigans! OI!! Umm, wtf?5:32 PM Apr 24th from web
11. I just figured out how to deal with transfer of liabilities under IRC 357 and the basis adjustments of 358... one topic down, many to go!3:56 PM Apr 24th from web
12. There is no known connection between Justin Timberlake and environmental law. ~ Enviro. Professor11:55 AM Apr 23rd from web
13. Showed my mom her house on Google Earth... she ran outside and asked if I could see her.4:51 PM Apr 19th from web
14. My friend wants to make "Too Big To Fail" tee-shirts. I would buy one and wear it to the Barzam. Works on so many levels.2:17 PM Apr 13th from web

... and now, back to business.

I have about six days of work left to do. Unfortunately I have less than four days to do it.

Send caffeine and snacks.

Plus with pressure and time, you get a diamond

I try really hard to tell Clownfish the truth about things when he asks.*
Case in point:

CF: Mommy look at that dog! What is that near his butt?
Me: That is his penis. Like you have a penis.
CF: Oh... no that's his penis in front. What is that in the back?
Me: Those are his testicles.
CF: I want testicles that big.

Did I mention we had this conversation in front of one of my law professors?

I try to do it in a way that he can understand, and I leave out details. So when he went to bed and then about an hour later came out to use the bathroom, he came in and asked what I was watching on television.

Me: It's a show that's a little too scary for you but not too scary for me.
CF: Tell me a little about it.
Me: Well, there is this girl and she pretends to be different people and she helps people. But sometimes people chase her and scary things happen.
CF: Like what? (insert obligatory mommy tone sending him back to bed and his adorable negotiations and promises about going right back to bed if we talk just a little more) Tell me one thing scary.
Me: Well you know how mommy drives very carefully? Sometimes the girl has to drive a car and it crashes into things, but since its television no one really gets hurt.
CF: Well if you drove like that the police would come. And you wouldn't get any presents from Santa or the Easter Bunny. You'd get coal. You shouldn't drive and crash into things.

If Clownfish ran the world, the worst thing that would happen to any of us is coal in our stockings.

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Ok, yes I lie about the existence of childhood things like Santa/Easter Bunny. I lied when he asked me recently if me and Bullshark were Santa. He's four. He can't handle that truth yet. Or maybe I can't handle him not believing.

MILP #96: Don't Stop Believing

The Weekly MILP (Moms In the Legal Profession) Roundup is hosted on a rotating basis between PT-LawMom, A New Duck, and A Little Fish in Law School blogs. We originally rounded up just the moms in law school, but then discovered that those women eventually graduate. Who knew? So now all the moms in the legal field (heh) are represented. We aim for Sunday posts.

Theme: I have had a really really rough week, and I've spared you all from my bitching. You're welcome. I was gonna do a different theme, but I needed something kind of uplifting. Let's see how it goes... I present

Songs about Hope and Survival. No, they're not all exactly examples of what one would call traditional uplifting songs... (I Can See Clearly now the rain is gone...) but if you're having a bad day, I challenge you to listen to any of these and not feel better.

• We Are the Champions. Queen. (f**k you Barzam, incorrect unofficial results and all!) TrannyHead Rawks.
• I Won't Back Down. Tom Petty. (In a world that keeps on pushin' me around But I'll stand my ground and I won't back down) (Formerly) Knocked Up and Law School.
• Hit Me With Your Best Shot. Pat Benetar. (Knock me down, its all in vain I'll get right back [to cleaning] again!) One New Duck.
• You're the Best Around. (From the Karate Kid). (*crash* Nothing's ever gonna keep you down...) Newlawmom.
• The Middle. Jimmy Eat World. (It just takes some time, Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. Everything, everything will be just fine...) Lag Liv.
• Friday I'm in Love. The Cure. (Dressed up to the eyes, It's a wonderful surprise, To see your shoes and your spirits rise...) PtLawmom.
• Learn to Fly. Foo Fighters. (Make my way back home when I learn to fly...). Magic Cookie.
• Unwritten. Natasha Bedingfield. (Live your life with arms wide open... today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten.) Legally Certifiable.
• Survivor. Destiny's Child. (I'm a survivor, I'm gonna make it, I will survive) Cee
  

(Man I could keep going: I'm Still Standing (Elton)? Eye of the Tiger? I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)? Here Comes the Sun (Beatles)? Fighter (Christina Aguilera)? About half of Eminem's repertoire?) Though an old favorite, Break My Stride (Matthew Wilder), loses inspiration points because it has been used in adult diaper commercials.

Also, not within the theme but Somebody's Watching Me (Rockwell) (I always feel like somebody's WATCHing me...and I have no privacy). 3L Wannabe.

Ok, no more procrastinating. This round up has done its job... I feel uplifted. Gonna kick some exam ass. Right after my nap.

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If you’d like to have your blog added to the MILP blogroll for weekly review or would like us to consider a specific post, drop the hostess(es) an email or leave a comment at our sites.Expecting Moms in law school are welcome! Hat tip as always to the “original” Roundup — Evan Schaeffer’s Legal Underground and his co-rounder-upper, Nobody!

One down. Three to go. Bloody hell.

Environmental Law went ok I guess. No way to know until the grades come out. Definitely not a B- or worse, definitely not the high A. It was a massive issue spotter, which is my favorite kind of exam,* but I didn't feel on my game. Not the best analysis, I didn't feel as if I was using cases well, and I was having difficulty citing authority for most of the propositions other than "the statute defines x as...." which made me feel as if I was missing something.

So waiting and seeing. I have three take home exams to go. I've never really had a take home exam in law school. Now I have three. And at least one of them has the potential to make me cry.


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* Yes I say that completely un-ironically. I love issue spotters. I have since 1L Torts. I love the feeling I get when I think I've seen something nuanced and difficult. I love when professors are creative and write a terrific narrative that manages to test every damn thing I learned and at least one thing I am pretty sure I never heard of. If I could be a law professor, I'd give open note in class issue spotter exams and I'd look forward to writing my exams each semester and the sky would rain adorable puppies and life would be awesome. Anyone bother to read this after "Yes I say that completely un-ironically?" Totally didn't think so.