Law School Exams Round 1: TKO?

Toast is an excellent study buddy. Although she wasn't very into Civ Pro, she does do a good job of keeping me warm.

Reflecting on my first round of exams I honestly have no idea if I rocked them or they knocked me out. Physically, I feel more like I have been a punching bag for a pro boxer and I am the one who got knocked out. My body is sore, my brain hurts and I am exhausted. Okay, so maybe I am being a bit over dramatic but law school exam aren’t easy and it is really hard to tell how I did (and I won’t know until grades come out in January!).

For those of you who have never gone through the agony of a law school exam period, here is how it all shakes down:

After a grueling semester of having my brain stuffed to maximum capacity with rules, laws theories and cases, I was set free before Thanksgiving to “study” for exams scheduled for December 1^st, 4^th, 7^th and 12^th. The feeling of having no structure, no classes to go to, no assignments to read, no schedule, was terrifying at first. I had very little idea of how I was supposed to prepare and study for the exam.

I had been advised to put together outlines for all my classes. This is the basic law student method of prepping for exams. Outlines are basically annotated class syllabi. Mine were usually about 20 pages long and described, in detail, everything we had learned all semester. All rules, theories and cases with notes in the margins with all the hypotheticals that my professor presented in class thinking they might rear their ugly heads on exams (and they did!). Law students make a big deal about their exam prep outlines, comparing them to each other’s in length and competing over who was “done” with their outline first as if it was a race. I personally felt that my outlines evolved up to the last minute. I wrote the basic structure, but as I reread material, had study groups with friends and compared my notes to supplemental material, I found that I added and updated my outlines and I think this method worked for me. I was glad that I had basic outlines finished by Thanksgiving and I think I will try to do more to piece together the structure of the outlines during the semester next time around.

During the weeks before and during exams I had to be very diligent. I booked study rooms in the library (private little boxes that seat maybe 4 people, where you and a few study buddies can study without being bothered and chat without bothering others) to get me motivated to get my butt out of the house. I made flashcards and practiced them with my classmates and my patient, loving husband (who now may know more about the subject matter than some of my less diligent classmates!). I took practice tests read sample answers. I reread course material and supplements and other peoples outlines. I was working, generally, from 9am-9pm daily (with a lunch break and break to walk the dog in between).

Studying for exams was exhausting and taking them was even worse. Because I get testing accommodations for my dyslexia, I take the exams in the library. Alone. I miss out on taking exams with my peers so I don’t get the traditional experience of being crammed into a room full of 75 stressed people, typing frantically, sighing and groaning and generally freaking out. Instead, it is just me in a room, with the proctor right outside for 4 hours! The exams are excruciatingly long and complicated. The first 2/3^rds of the test is a written essay that usually encompasses more than five issues that we covered during the semester, wrapped into a hypothetical case. We are supposed to give the hypothetical client advice or advise the judge on how she should rule on the matters before us. Under time pressure, I found it very difficult to address every issue thoroughly and, because the exams are closed book, I was often nervous that I might have misstated a rule of law. The second portion of the exams are multiple choice questions. I hate multiple choice questions! I never feel like I can pinpoint the perfect answer and sometimes feel like I am choosing the second best. Multiple choice questions will be my biggest challenge I think so I have to work on how to get better at them next semester.

Out of the four exams I took, three of them were challenging but manageable. I felt decently prepared and am reasonably confident that I passed. The third exam I took however, was the most awful, horrible, demoralizing hurdle of my academic life to date! Taking the Civil Procedure test felt like what I imagine sitting in the room in Sartre’s No Exit felt like. I was full of self-doubt and felt like there was no happy ending in sight. The exam tested on the most obscure topics we barely touched on during the term, the questions, even multiple choice required an in-depth analysis of complicated rules. For this exam the Prof gave us a 30-page packet of statutes and federal rules to reference. The good thing was we had the rules in front of us. The bad thing was he expected us to use them in precise legal analysis in a tiny tiny amount of time. After the exam I felt like I had gotten hit by a bus! And I was not the only one. I heard that the exam made some of the smartest people in our section cry. Literally. People who I respect, admire and view as some of the top students in my class afterwards were saying they weren’t sure if they passed. Yikes! I am just glad it is over, although I may have ptsd flashbacks in my dreams for a while now.

During exam time I was SO amazingly grateful for Tim! He took sole charge of many of the responsibilities that we usually share. He cooked and cleaned and took the dog out. He did grocery shopping and stayed up late to do flashcards with me. He gave me my space when I needed it, encouragement and hugs when I needed them, listened to me rant and cry and put up with my short temper and other stress-related nastiness. He deserves a gold medal for being so supportive! How did I get so lucky?!

Now I am 1/6^th of the way done with my legal education and on vacation! YIPPEE! I am sitting on my couch, with Toast curled up next to me, for once not thinking about laws! Yay! My plan for the vacation is to get my house in order because I have not been very dutiful about staying clean and organized during finals. I am going to put on good music and clean and organize (which is not a chore when I am in a good mood and something that I actually like to do, yes, I am a weirdo!). Then, when Tim is done with his school term, we are heading up to Searanch for a getaway and then spending Christmas and New Years with family and friends! After this break I can go back to next semester refreshed and ready to do it all over again, this time with more wisdom and experience under my belt.

Happy Holidays!

I took a quick study break to go to a Christmas Fair in Coloma, the historic site of Sutter's Mill, heart of Old California gold country! Good times with good people! 

Nor Cal Love

Our street festooned with fall glory!

So I’ve been a little MIA lately and Chelsea has been writing all the posts but it’s all good, she has covered tons of stuff.

I wanted to pop in really quickly and post some thoughts of living in Northern California. I was born in SoCal and in my heart I thought I’d always be a Southern California boy, but the more time I spend up here experiencing all the seasons, from scorching summers to chilly, drizzly falls (so far), I am quickly falling in love with the place.

I came to Sacramento with little expectations, knowing that we are back home in the good ole’ USA and we’d make the most of it. But as I wander the grid-like streets, through tree-lined avenues and watch amazing sunsets I realize I didn’t do Sacramento justice. It’s a great town not too big, not too small and in the middle of everything. We can go east to Lake Tahoe, or we can go west to San Francisco. Moreover, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Napa valley, and Sonoma are a couple hours away. If we wanted to go on a hike we could hit up the rivers, the mountains, or the parks nearby. So many options and I think we need to experience them more.  

For example, this last weekend we went to Santa Rosa to celebrate Stephan’s 21^st Birthday. We drove up and down the Dry Creek Valley hitting up 5 wineries. We even were able to visit a winery we tried at the Santa Rosa Harvest festival early in October. It was a whirl-wind weekend but all the great wines we tasted made it worth it.

I will try to post more as we continue this new adventure, but for now sit back and enjoy some photos of picturesque Northern California.  

The bridge that crosses into West Sacramento over the Sacramento River

Fall came in full force the other day. Leaves were strewn everywhere.

Some beautiful shots of a winery in the Dry Creek area

The colors are simply amazing

My new dream: own a vineyard, just so I can wake up to this scene every fall. It is really, really awe inspiring

The fam for Stephan's 21st!

Sequoias in Santa Rosa. I love it.

Truly majestic beings, these trees.

So we went on a hike, this is what we saw. Takes a bit of a walk to get this view in So Cal.

 

Meet Toast!

Two weeks ago an unexpected knock on the door brought a new friend into our lives. Meet Toast, the surprise puppy!

We weren’t planning to adopt a dog but when my friend showed up at our door to say we had first dibs on this little pup who needed a home, we couldn’t resist her cute face. We told my friend that we would take her in for a week to interview the dog and see if we could handle the responsibilities of having a puppy.

Within the first few days Toast nuzzled her way into our hearts. She is a two month-old boxer, beagle, pit bull mix and already such a good dog! She is mostly house broken. She has occasional accidents when we leave her in the kitchen/laundry room while we are at work/school (but always on puppy training pads! What great inventions!). She already knows how to sit and waits patiently, sitting still, staring up at us with her adorable scrunchy face when we are about to feed her.

Yes, a pet is an added responsibility and an added expense in our lives right now but adopting Toast is such a great thing. She brings so much joy and laughter into my daily life. I stay more focused while I am at school (less dawdling on facebook at the library) because I know I need to come home and take the dog out. Then when I do come home, it is to ebullient puppy energy, playfulness and snuggles.

Right now Toast hasn’t had all her vaccines, and she is too small, but someday soon we will be able to go for long walks and runs and I know that will be good for me. I have been much less disciplined about exercising since I’ve been in law school. Hopefully Toast will help get me in shape.

Tim and I are also realizing that taking care of a puppy is good practice, at least in some small way, for the type of coordination and balance needed for parenting. We see ourselves having to transition away from thinking only about ourselves on a daily basis since we have to plan our days, holidays and futures taking into account another being (albeit a canine one). I know we won’t be able to leave our future babies in the kitchen with a bowl of food or just put them in the backyard when the are being bad (or can we…..?) but at least we are realizing that, as with most everything else we have done so far, with flexibility, patience and teamwork we can make anything work.

Toast is so little right now, but I imagine she won't be a lap dog forever!

Toast came to the polling place and voted with us on election day

A great companion for studying on cold nights.

Everyone who came to our house said we have the perfect backyard for a dog. Toast thinks so too.

Scrunchy face!

So cute.

We love her little pout face.

Blowing in the Wind

Perhaps we were crazy to think that the transition to law school and full-time teaching would be less tumultuous than our experience as Peace Corps Volunteers. We had a misguided notion that we would be “settling down” back home in the States. But it turns out that our life in Sacramento is just a continuation of the rollercoaster ride we were on in the Peace Corps. 

Every month/week/day has intense emotional highs and lows. Recently Tim and I have been surprised at how parallel our lives run. At school we can feel elated that we did something right on any given day (by giving a correct recitation in class or getting positive feedback from students) and then a few moments later feel clueless, and ineffective when we either aren’t prepared enough or experienced enough to deal with a certain challenge. One moment we will have to cope with harsh criticism from professors and administrators and the next moment our work will be singled out and praised.

Back in Guyana we relied on our peers and amazingly supportive network of family and friends (both in country and back home) to help us through tough times. We are doing that now but even our support networks sometimes feel like they come with ups and downs. Sometimes law school can feel so isolating because my classmates and I have our heads in our books constantly and when we do get some free moments to interact our exchanges are intense, filled with mixed emotions of guilt at taking time away from studying, the need to vent and process the stress we are under, and the natural drama that arises in the bizarrely intimate community of a classroom filled with 60 strangers. Sometimes it feels like we are all so busy and self-absorbed (and rightly so) that we don’t have the chance to found any meaningful relationships. On the flipside there are moments when I feel like the friendships that Tim and I are forming are like the ones we made in Peace Corps: solid as a rock as a result of necessity and shared circumstances. 

Last week, I was feeling particularly nostalgic for my Peace Corps community and feeling quite alone at school. It made me particularly sad because something we promised ourselves that we would bring back from Guyana was the value of creating and sustaining a close-knit community, even here in the United States of Fendforyourself. But law school is not a collaborative community. People are getting stressed over exams, competitive for the best grades, scholarships and research assistant positions. On the outside people seem like they are getting along but are often (not always) focused playing a competitive game to try to get a step ahead of the rest. Not willing to play that game or participate in cliquey socializing, I felt like I was just a solo little leaf blowing in the wind last week. 

But I can’t help but remember my Peace Corps training. Any new endeavor will follow the readjustment cycle and when we acknowledge that it is totally normal for our initial feelings of excitement to wane into feelings of isolation and disillusion it helps me push through because I know that it is just a natural phase that will get better with time. It also helps to remember if we want a sense of community, we have to be active. So we took matters into our own hands.

On Friday night we had some friends come over for an early afternoon BBQ. It was so nice to be social with a group of my law school friends outside of the classroom setting. We played lawn games in the backyard before it got too cold and dark, grilled up a delicious steak and did our very best to get to know each other and not talk about law school (much). It was lovely. Later that evening, because the world knew I needed a quick fix of Peace Corps community, one of my PC Guyana buddies (who now lives and works in Chico) stopped by for a visit! It was so much fun to play the same old Guyanese card games and catch up! Yay for staying connected! 

Saturday night we went over to another colleague’s house to watch scary movies. Then this morning I got sworn into Phi Delta Phi (a legal honors society). The initiation ceremony was a great reminder that even though we are all busy, there are opportunities to create community, be social and still work hard to hone the skills that will serve us, and our future clients/students in the future. 

Dressing for Fall

My law school buddy, Erin and I filled a shopping cart before hitting the dressing rooms. 

The leaves are falling, the air has a chill to it, pumpkins are sprouting on everyone's front porches, Starbucks has pumpkin spiced lattes and facebook feeds are filled with adorable babies in corn mazes and pumpkin patches! Fall has fallen and I am so happy to be experiencing the joy of a real season for the first time since we left for Guyana over two years ago!

Here in Sacramento, fall consists of chilly mornings and evenings and occasionally an overcast day. Not time for peacoats or our central heat to be turned on but certainly time to put the fuzzy blankets on the couch and get out our scarves and sweaters. The only problem was, we didn't own any scarves or sweaters. Before now our locales did not require that we have proper fall attire (San Diego and then jungle of South America are not scarf climates). We had lived perpetually in flip flops and hoodies. Now that we are "professionals" (ha!) Tim and I decided we needed to update our wardrobes with cold weather clothing. We were seriously lacking any grown up looking layers. However, we are also still on a post-Peace Corps/student budget. Alas, what to do?

The solution, of which I am quite proud, was two trips of patiently gleaning the Goodwill in the fancy part of Sacramento. I am happy to say we spent $175 and outfitted ourselves quite nicely for fall.

Yes, we looked crazy! But our diligence was worth it.

Disclaimer: this blog contains self-indulgent photos taken of ourselves (selfies) with an iPhone. 

The Loot (not all pictured):

Tim: 2 sweaters, 1 sweater-vest, 3 long sleeved collared shirts, 2 pairs of trousers, one pair of dress shoes.

Chelsea: 4 sweaters, 3 dresses, 1 pair of kakhi pants, 1 shirt, 2 blouses, grey cowboy boots, brown knee high boots, purple flats, nine west gladiator sandals and one vintage pink blazer.

Many of the items we found were unworn with tags still on them, some are brand-name (Tim scored a lot of Banana Republic) and most are quality material (we even found real cashmere sweaters)! It took time, effort and patience to sort through the thrift store but I am so glad we did. It makes no sense for us to spend gobs of money to buy new clothes when we can buy practically new items that people give away for a fraction of the cost. Check out some of our fall fashion, all for under $175!

Relationship Maintenance (it is not always easy)

Stress is to be expected at this point in our lives. We were warned that the first year of law school is a crazy stressful experience and it is turning out to be true. For Tim, starting as a new teacher in a demanding and challenging new school is full of stresses as well. We expected this. What we weren’t prepared for was how stress would affect our relationship. Frankly these last few months have been some of the hardest months in our marriage and we are approaching the four year anniversary.

People say that if you can survive the Peace Corps as a couple you can survive anything. I believe this is true. We supported each other throughout that crazy experience and I know we will get through this too. It is just so different. In Guyana at least we had down time to be with each other, decompress from the stress of being a stranger in a strange land. Now, we are both so busy, anxious, uptight, tired and just plain stressed most of the time that we get snippy with each other, start fights for no reasons and lose our tempers (or bottle up our emotions) in ways we never have before.

Recently we have been talking about ways to make things better. I am proud of us for communicating and being willing to work for our relationship and this is ultimately what I think will get us through these, and all the hard times in life to come. We know we need to take more time for each other, even if we have to schedule it in and stick to it like we do our other responsibilities.  Our plan of stressful school relationship survival thus far has 5 steps: 

1.     Regular date nights out of the house (not necessarily spending money, but at least always getting out of the house), no canceling for school or work allowed.

2.     Making the most of the down time we have by decompressing by talking, listening and snuggling with each other, not just vegging out in front of the T.V.

3.     Patience and understanding. Openly communicating and informing each other of how we are feeling (tired, stressed, overwhelmed, hungry etc.) so we understand where negativity is coming from and not take it personally.

4.     Oma’s tip: taking turns talking (the talking stick). When in conflict, bust out the talking stick and take turns giving each other 15 minutes to express everything without being interrupted or questioned.

5.     Take care of ourselves. Make time for the things that keep up healthy and happy: continue to strive to eat healthy, work out regularly and take alone time for meditation.

The plan goes into effect when Tim gets back from So. Cal. (where he is visiting family and friends right now) next week. I think it will be a good time to start the plan because Tim will be on vacation until mid-October and then we will have the habits fully in place when he goes back to work.

As I constantly remind myself, successful relationships take constant work. We are more than willing to put in the work. After almost 4 years of marriage (and 7 years of living together) we are still madly in love with each other. We still consider the other to be our best friend, teammate, confidante and deepest love. That is the stuff that comes easy but it is also that stuff that is worth working for.

Anatomy

Anatomy of a day in the life of a 1L

Monday:
5:45: wake up, work out, eat breakfast, make lunch, get ready for school
8:00: get settled into favorite sunny spot in the library with Brazilian jazz on ipod and coffee in hand. Read and brief, read some more.
10:15: Civil Procedure class. Despite having an outline of the case and having done the reading, get terrified, baffled and confused by rules of personal, in rem and quasi in rem jurisdiction. Watch Civ Pro professor pensively puff on a stick of chalk like it is a flash back to the days he could actually smoke while lecturing
12:00: microwave lunch and eat in the gazebo with friends, talk about assignments, commiserate over how much reading we have to do, pull out laptop and finish assignment for class later, head to library to print assignment, fight with printer and hole puncher.
1:30: Contracts class. Discuss really sad cases where little old men commit suicide and their heirs have to litigate to get the estate because, greedy, grasping cousins want to dispute whether the will was an enforceable contract (or as your professor likes to ask was a puppy, aka contract, born?). Despite being prepared, still leave confused as to when to apply the common law or the Uniform Commercial Code.
3:00: Global Lawyering Skills class.  Eat a sugary snack to stay awake at the end of a long day. As useful as it is, legal writing and research class tends to drag. Get the memo you worked on all last week back only to realize you missed a crucial argument in a dissenting opinion and now the position you argued has no legs to stand on.
4:00: attend an optional volunteer training (you’ve got free time, right? not like you have 6 hours of homework still ahead of you…) because you want to actually be able to get hands on experience working in the field you are passionate about. Isn’t that why you came to law school anyway?
6:00: Head into the library with two bags full of books and binders. Wish for the millionth time you had one of those nerdy, but practical, rolling briefcases so you didn’t feel like Atlas every time you lift your bags. Find your favorite table in a corner where no one can find you to distract you. Commence 2 hours of studying to the upbeat sounds of 80s pop music medley playlist.
8:00: Homeward bound. Make dinner with your partner (thank goodness for trader joe’s online easy to make recipes because you are tired and still have work to do tonight, at least you can manage to whip up a chicken tortilla soup from a box).  Touch base with husband. Listen to him describe his day. Be thankful you are not a 10th grade English teacher! Eat. Pour a glass of wine. Read cases for Property class tomorrow.
11:00: Snuggle up on the couch with hubby to watch an episode of West Wing. Predictably, fall asleep on the couch and wake up when the show is over. Brush teeth. Bed.

Repeat, daily.

Anatomy of a day in the life of a 1st year teacher

Monday
4:45 Wake up. Go running. Get back at 5:45. Put pot of coffee on to brew. Get ready, check emails, drink cup of coffee, finish grading assignments for the day. Drink coffee.
7:00 Head to school. Tidy classroom, make copies of worksheets for today’s lesson. Set up whiteboard and projector. Organize desk and think, what am doing today? Do I have enough time? What’s going to happen today?
8:00 First period starts. ELD kids. A small class, mostly hispanic. Talk about grammar and writing. Read some Gary Soto. Do some vocabulary. Have them write me a letter. Sometimes have random conversations about soccer and life.
9:15 Bell rings, kids leave. I wait by the door for second period. Greet every student by name and shake their hand. Make sure shirts are tucked in and handbooks out. Student: “Mr. Tibbs. Mr. Tibbs you’re my favorite teacher...” Me: “What do you want?” Student: “I left my work at home...” Continue to make small talk every once and while, come in minute before bell rings. Speak rather loudly for kids to sit down, get books out and start work.  Struggle for silence. Supervise. Class goes on lessons happen. I stop. Wait for quiet. Stop. Wait for quiet. Stop... Do I get angry now? Should I get my coach voice out? Stop. Give lesson. Collect work.
10:35
Bell rings. I am exhausted. Oh great another whole period. See 9:15: repeat. Oh wait. Something is different. Is that kid going to punch the other kid? (not always...but it does happen). Intervene. Send kid out. Give referral.  Take breath. Go on with class. Talk. wait for quiet. Talk. Wait for quiet. Is it lunch time yet?
11:55
Bell ring. I breath. Lunch time. What do I have to do? Correct papers, make more copies. Oh no, the principal is coming to watch me next period. I better tighten up. Eat lunch while double checking the lesson
12:25 4th period Prep. Breathe sigh of relief take a minute. I have a meeting. Go to meeting give two cents. plan, correct more papers, make sure roll is correct. It’s coffee Monday! Go with colleague to coffee roaster buy a pound of fresh beans. I feel better already. 
1:45 Bell rings. Next period. Repeat 9:15. Greet. Talk. speak loudly for quiet. Teach. Wait. principal comes in. Make sure assigned student greets him appropriately. Did I go over  the objective? Were the students engaged? Do I look good? I hope it all works out.   Teach. Wait. Try to get students to care and be engaged. 
3:05 Bell rings. One more period to go, but its Advisory. A bunch of seniors come in, talk about college stuff. Get them choosing right schools, writing personal statements. Have them do homework. Maybe read silently. Uh oh, is an assistant principal coming in. Hello, sir. We’re just getting things together. Assistant Principal leaves.
4:00 Bell rings, school is finally out. Start extra work on after school academy. Work with attending students to get their grades up. Have students do re-takes on tests or classwork. Show them grade. See what they have to do. Supervise. Teach one-on-one.
5:00: Enrichment it should be coaching fencing, but I need to wait for approval, at least on Tuesday I teach Drama.
6:00. Last kid leaves academy. Time to do prep work for the next day plan, make copies, send e-mails. What do I have to do? Will it be engaging? Is it Friday yet?
7:30-8:00 pm. Its been at least 12 hours on campus. I should go home since I am paid for 8 of them. But the kids? Take work home with me. Do other teachers work this hard...?
8:00 Make dinner with Chels. Chat a little bit. Learn all about Law School tossing questions every now and then about cases that were previously talked about.  Wonder if Law School might actually be preferable than teaching 10th graders English. Take one glance on the case book on table. Be happy with your decision to teach.  Enjoy glass of wine. If necessary do more work such as correcting, and planning.
10:30-11:00 Sit on couch. Snuggle with loved one. Watch some TV. Look lovingly at partner sleeping on lap and know everything is going to be okay. Bed.

Repeat. Daily with slight variations.  

Getting out of the Classroom

For the majority of August, Tim and I spent our days in out classrooms and libraries reading, writing, planning, grading and briefing. Sounds like a sun way to end the summer, right?

It really was not as bad as it sounds. We are working hard but we are happy in the work. There is something satisfying about heading into class feeling well prepared and confident. Unfortunately, we have been noticing that no matter how prepared we feel when we head into our respective classrooms, we get our butts kicked and our egos chopped down to size. The fact is being a first year law student and a first year teacher in an inner-city school is humbling. Tim, despite hours of lesson planning and classroom management strategy development, had two fights break out in his classroom last week and a student stole from his teacher aid and was suspended. I have sat in class and discussed cases that I spent hours reading and briefing and thought I was prepared for, only to sit though class thinking my praying I would not get called on because the questions my professor was asking sounded like they were related to some foreign case I had never read in Swahili. Of course I am exaggerating a little, but only a little. Frankly, we are struggling with being inexperienced. I know that we will get better in time. Teaching 10^th grade English will get easier for Tim. I will get better at being a law student. Maybe soon. Maybe not until next year. We remind each other of the light at the end of the tunnel and just keep plodding away.

Just as Tim and I were feeling like we were reaching our limits, we received a valuable reminder of our strength and potential from an unlikely source. I think its funny how sometimes life hands you exactly what you need when you are feeling down. On Thursday morning I checked my calendar to see what I had on my overly-full plate that day and was mortified to remember that I had committed Tim and I to speak to a group of potential Peace Corps Volunteers at a recruiting event. I had almost forgotten about it and was feeling grumpy that I wouldn’t get time that night to study and prep for the next day of school. However, sitting in front of a room full of starry-eyed, soon-to-be volunteers and reflecting on the challenges and rewards of my Peace Corps experience was so empowering. I think that Tim and I benefited more from sharing our stories than the group did. We left the event reminding ourselves that when we started our journey as PCVs we were just as inexperienced at that job as we are now in our new lives. Yet, in Peace Corps we gained confidence when we bounced back from challenges. We learned coping strategies for dealing with stress. We learned technical skills. And somehow, along the way we had gotten ourselves so busy that we forgot about all these tools. Thursday night was such an amazing reminder of the tools that we carry with us, honed in our Peace Corps service, which will continue to serve us in school today, if we can only remember to use them! I am so grateful for the reminder! 

Also, in the meantime, we have tried to take some breaks and get outside the classroom for our mental and emotional health. Last weekend we had friends and family come to Sacramento to celebrate my birthday (27!) and warm our new house with good cheer. Some friends from college decided to make a weekend out of it. After a fun-filled day of playing lawn games, eating good food and catching up with old friends and new, we packed our guest room and living room wall-to-wall with air mattresses! It was so refreshing to have our friends in our home. Taking a break from working so hard was revitalizing and made me feel more human (and less like a law library troll). I went into last week with great positivity and energy.

I’ve also decided to get a little more active on my school campus and take my legal education outside of the classroom. I’ve gone to first meetings of two student groups which seem very active on campus: the Women’s Caucus and Public Legal Services Society. Getting involved with these groups will be a great way to network, meet upperclassmen and alumni, volunteer and perform some valuable community service and also potentially qualify for some summer grants or internships. I am looking forward to the possibilities that may arise from my participation in these two groups. 

Also, I have been in contact with a professor who is organizing and very exciting event at my school this year which I am very, very thrilled to be a part of. We will be organizing a campaign to help the immigrant community of Sacramento with cases of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Deferred Action is a new policy developed by the Department of Homeland Security designed to allow certain people who did not intentionally violate immigration law (namely children who were brought to the U.S. before the age of 16) to continue to live and work in the United States. This was Obama’s consolation prize for the DREAMers who have been working tirelessly to advocate for the rights of young immigrants and students who are living in the shadow of fear of deportation. It is a first step in providing relief to a marginalized group of promising young people. I am so very excited to be part of the campaign at my school to provide the legal guidance to qualified individuals. At the end of September, we will be conducting Know you Rights events, doing client intake and working with an army of volunteer attorneys to prepare the DACA documentation for young people around the Sacramento area. I will post more info about the specifics when I know more but for now I am just happy to be getting out of the classroom and already applying my legal education in a hands-on, practical and very relevant cause.

Tim and Groth take a break from playing Kan Jam to try on my Bday tiaras

Thanks for the Bday tiaras and love Momma!

Heather B ad I rock Spirithoods and tiaras

An afternoon hike along the American River. It was so hot, we wished we were floating like the folks in the rafts

I didn't want to waste a beautiful summer day so I decided to take my studying outside to my backyard! Good decision!