Been a while...

Here's what's going on:

1) Work is work.

2) "Law" is sometimes "law" but sometimes it's not "law"

3) I'll be back in FL soon...pretty hype about that.

4) I should be working, but I need a break.

5) Life is good.

...yeah.  That's pretty much it.  All in all, not too shabby.   

First off...work.  well, it's certainly interesting.  working in a law firm is nothing like being in law school.  clearly, i was aware that there would be differences between what I learn in school and how I analyze the issues and problems that I encounter as a student of the law versus the actual application in a legal setting as a quasi-practitioner, but i didn't think that the difference between the two would be quite as...what's the word?  HUGE.  it's like night and day.  actually practicing (as much as they allow interns and clerks to "practice") law involves a lot more of abstract thinking than i do in school.  while law school is, in itself, a practice in analysis and abstract problem-solving, there's still at the very least a foundation in the textbooks that we have in hand...you always know that the answer is somewhere in one of your books.  at work, though, this isn't the case.  i'm working on something right now that may or may not have an answer and that's a little disconcerting.  i don't ever want to be wrong with anything i do, but, in certain situations, there's a chance that there isn't even an answer in the first place so any answer in general would just be superfluous.  it's like, riiiiiiiiiiiiight.  on the bright side, it's still really quite cool.  i love the job, i really do.  i like being this close to what i want to do.  still a little intimidated, but i guess that's part of the process. 

Second...the apartment.  it's coming along nicely.  finally got my couch...i get my cable and internet hooked-up on wednesday (between 9am and 6 pm...wtf?)...and i love the neighborhood.  i live right across from a really, really nice park.  i usually go for about a half-hour after work in order to meditate, master P style...not really, i just go to watch the ducks and unwind since i don't have cable yet (no, seriously...between 9 and 6?!?!). 

Most importantly...the sister.  she's coming along nicely too.  she just graduated from high school.  from what i understand, her big brother is VERY proud of her.  i also hear that he's very sad that he couldn't make it back to orlando for the ceremony .  however, i've been told that he will, at some point, make it up to her by doing something extremely thoughtful and kind for his kid sister, who so happens to also be his intellectual superior (i think that he's exaggerating on this one).  i do know that kid sister's got tons of potential (yup...the dreaded "p" word) and right now, the world is her proverbial oyster. 

yo.

well, i've started my summer clerkship at the firm.  it's been interesting, that's for sure.  first off, it's a larger-sized firm so there are just tons of lawyers milling about.  it's quite intimidating, actually...seeing all these people who are where i want to be or, in all actuality, where i'm supposed to be relatively soon.  secondly, the work's pretty interesting...there are a ton of cases to work on so, as of right now, i've been able to pick and choose the ones to my liking.  thus far, i've worked on cases in my primary fields of interest.  unfortunately, i don't know if i'm working too slow or if i'm doing good work or if i'm doing anything right.  it's pretty much, "well, mr/ms/mrs _________...here's the __________ I've been working on. let me know what you think."  but they're all so busy that, right now, i highly doubt they've gotten to the cases i've worked on...oh well...i'd rather they didn't look at it yet anyway...i'm not sure if i'm doing things right (you know how it goes...i think i may have overextended myself on the first day).

otherwise, things are coming along.  i've been super busy between moving and unpacking and doing all the new apartment things.  again, i'm very thankful for good friends and company.  i've de-stressed from the hell that was the final examination period and i should be getting done with my move relatively soon.  once that's all done, then (and only then) will i be able to concentrate on this whole "hey, i work at a law firm"-thing.  when that happens i think that i'm going to just absolutely LOVE doing this whole thing. 

on a side note, one of the coolest things about working at a firm and my friends working at their firms is the after-work drink.  it's just fun to go to a bar all dressed up in suits with your friends, i guess. 

hey there, kid sister...

First off, congrats again on the the whole winning the trip to Switzerland thing...you worked hard and you deserve it.  big brother's proud.    Secondly, how cool's your first week as an undergrad gonna be?  You go off to Switzerland to compete and then you go to Chicago???  What?  That's gonna kick so much ass!

Let's see...it's been a while since we've talked...what's going on...hmm...oh, that's right...pretty much nothing.  The last three weeks were pretty crappy.  That's an understatement, actually.  They straight up sucked.  Law school exams are a fiasco...I don't think I've ever read as much as I have in the past 3 weeks.  I'm very lucky to have such good friends, though...since everyone's going through the same thing most everybody's being very supportive of one another.  (But then again you've also got the ultra-competitive ones hiding books in the library and such, but we don't talk about that.)  I guess that I don't have to say that the tests themselves proved to be one debacle after another. 

The best things that've happened in the last three weeks, then, are 1) the 3 weeks ended and the exams are over, 2) I've gotten a few of my grades back and I definitely got some grades that I didn't deserve, and 3) I got to spend some quality time [if you can call any law school exam period time "quality" time] with certain friends whom i don't spend nearly enough time with, nor can I spend enough time with.  (that's me being coy.)

anywho, no rest for the weary.  I've gotta move into the new digs and I just realized that I have WAY too much crap.  I like moving in and setting up shop, but I'm not too big a fan of packing shit and actually transporting everything to the new apartment (which, I might add, is pretty decent...I got a fireplace!  Now, where do i get the bearskin rug?).  and then monday...my first day at the firm!!!  I'm pretty excited about that, but the prospect of my first legal job is a little daunting.  oh well, me needs the ducats.