It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Last month I ran the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco.  You learn a lot about yourself over 26.2 miles.  You learn what motivates you, how determined you are, and how strong you are over those 26.2 miles.  (Not to mention, all the aches and pains that develop; and who knew skin chafed so dang easily??)

When I started at my law firm, my mentor said to me, “Sarah, the one thing you have to remember is that this is a marathon, not a sprint.”  I heard his words, nodded in agreement, but did not truly understand him. I just celebrated my one year anniversary with the firm, and have now run two marathons in that same time frame. And I think I’m starting to get it.

I came into the practice of law with high expectations; not only for myself, but also for my working environment. And – as I think anyone who reads my blog regularly would agree – I have not always been happy about what I’ve found. And I thought I could be that catalyst and start the chain reaction to alter everything right away. But, just like in a marathon, you may want to cross that start line with a bang, but if you do you will inevitably hit that wall at mile 14, 18, or 22 and wish you had started out slow and steady at a pace you knew you could manage.

Adventure of the Month: An Interview with Ms. Katherine Lutton!

This month, I have a special treat for Ms.JD readers -- an interview with Ms. Katherine Lutton.  Ms. Lutton is a superstar attorney in California and has been extremely generous with her time in agreeing to be interviewed for my column!  Ms. Lutton does so many amazing things, including running marathons and leading litigation on high profile patent cases.  For those of you who would like to read more about Ms. Lutton, her biography can be found here.  Ms. Lutton has also just recently been named one of the 2012 Women Leaders in Law by The Recorder.  Rather than go on about Ms. Lutton (which wouldn't be hard to do), I will get right into the interview:

1)      Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m energized by my passions which include my family and friends, helping others, including clients, women and start-ups, technology, advocacy, photography, health, cooking, the outdoors, and trying to find ways to be present and focused in everything I do.

Passion that Pays: Picking classes

I think it goes without saying, final exam season stresses me out. You know what stresses me out almost as much as finals? Registering for next semester's classes. Either there are too many classes I want to take, or nothing in particular grabs my attention. Or every class I want to take is offered at the exact same time. Or the classes I want fill up before I can register. Every semester it seems I spend so much time pouring over the class offerings and the professors teaching, asking my friends if they have taken a class I’m interested in: what did they think, how was the final, how much reading is assigned?? Now that I’m heading into my final semester, and just registered for my last set of law school classes (though I swear I’m still trying to decide if I made the right class choices), I have a few tips for picking classes:

1. Time matters. Some of us learn better in the morning, some of us would rather die than get up for a 9 am class. Some of us fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon. The point is, sometimes it does not matter how interesting the class seems, the time of day it’s offered may just not work in terms of how we learn. I found out after two semesters of taking one day a week three hour night classes, that a class from 6-9 at night just did not work for me. Time considerations are super important—remember to think about your work schedule and other time commitments and how that will fit into you schedule.

Out of Practice: Election Protection

We all become lawyers for different reasons. One of the main reasons I became a lawyer was to gain the tools to help people and effect change in the world. On Tuesday, November 6, Election Day 2012, I had that opportunity. Throughout this election cycle I heard about the various states and organization that were making it their goal to suppress the vote on Election Day. I knew that I had to help protect the right that so many had fought to gain and some had died to protect.

My boyfriend and I went to 866ourvote.org to sign up to be poll watchers. There was one section for me as a lawyer and a separate section for him as a grassroots organizer. I then went to training led by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.  During the training they explained that you did not need to be a lawyer in order to be a poll observer, however by being a lawyer it gives us the unique advantage of understanding laws and the familiarity with explaining laws to others. I felt a sense of pride at being able to not only read and understand these laws but have the confidence to explain them. However, we were told that on Election Day we should not tell people we are attorneys, but tell them that we are non-partisan poll observers. We didn’t want to influence the voters in any way since to some individuals just the title of "lawyer" places us in a position of power.

Through Feminist Lenses: In Casebook We Trust(s and Estates)

Law school casebooks always look to me like they’re straight out of a stage crew props closet— thick binding, dull colors, and probably as hefty as your average Biology 101 textbook, which was by far the unweildiest thing I had to lug around in college. Often, I think that the contents of these casebooks match their exteriors (not to hate on Palsgraft, but, y’know…).

When I got my Trusts & Estates casebook this semester—the Dukeminier T&E casebook—I thought this was just like the others.  Same ol’ cover, same ol’ red binding. I even thought that the first few reading assignments. But then--  in notes after notes on the cases, I continued to be surprised.

On page 691, for example, after describing the Prudent Man Rule of trustee prudence?  “Among the many problems with the constrained prudent man rule, in addition to its male chauvinism..."

Legally Thrifty: Too Many Lawyers Named the Joneses

Have you heard of the Joneses?  If not, you live in a blissfully ignorant place.  If you know the Joneses but ignore them, congratulations! You’re on your way to a conscious, self-induced happiness in all your life pursuits.

[ Image Credit: http://www.stufftotweet.com/tweetthis/wikihow/how-to-stop-keeping-up-with-the-joneses ]

“Keeping up with the Joneses” is a well-known expression that refers to the need to compare ourselves to our peers in terms of visible wealth and material possessions and then strive to own whatever they own in order to be just as good or better.  Presumably, the Joneses are supposed to be your neighbors with the McMansion and luxury cars in the driveway.  We all have our Joneses, however, in varying shapes and sizes.  And what women covet may differ from what men covet to appear successful to our peers.  Maybe at some point, we wanted to be the girl who was pretty and popular, the girl who could fit into size 4 pants, or the girl who was happily married with a handsome husband. 

The Healthy Lawyer: Genetically Engineered Food

With the election just a day away, many state ballot initiatives have been overshadowed by media coverage of the hard-fought presidential race.  TV ads that do address state initiatives are so partisan they make it difficult for voters to decipher the truth.  One of the more controversial initiatives on the California ballot this upcoming election would require labeling of genetically engineered (“GE”) foods, also known as genetically modified foods. 

 What are GE Foods?

GE foods are those that have had their genetic material altered in some way, often by the insertion of genes from other plants, animals, viruses or bacteria.   This is done to achieve some desired effect, such as to make the food more resistant to pests or disease.  GE foods are ubiquitous in the American food system.  An estimated 88% of corn and 94% of soybeans grown in the United States in 2011 were GE.  GE foods exist not only in fruit and vegetable varieties, but are also ingredients in many processed foods and beverages.  High fructose corn syrup, for example, is made from GE corn.

Arguments In Favor Of and Against GE Foods

On Combining the Things You Have to Make Stuff Work: Bad News Bears Bar Results

Ah autumn.  For a large part of the world, that means crunchy orange leaves and cooler weather.  For would-be-lawyers, it means bar results.  Ah yes.  It was just a few months ago you sent countless personal documents affirming your moral character and thousands of dollars to the State Bar of your choice, all for the privilege of sitting for the bar exam.  The buildup was intense, the outlines endless, and if you were me, a lot of time was spent burning off stress in spinning classes.  Also, if you are like me, you’ll find out that come this fall, you didn’t pass.

Yup, that’s right folks.  I didn’t pass the Bar Exam (CA to be exact).  And I’m alive and my parents were not disappointed and my bar-passing friends do not shame me to another table at restaurants.  Furthermore, I have a job that I love (and that involves a fair amount of legal research and writing, oddly enough - sadly, not passing the bar has had little impact on avoiding the Bluebook.  Such is life.).  

I realize that everyone is different and thus bar results mean different things to each of you.  I’m not writing this to tell you that it isn’t important to pass the bar. For many of you, it may be critical. However, for those of you who will check your email to less than optimal results in the coming months, I want you to know that it will be okay.

Legally Thrifty: Credit Cards - The Necessary Evil That Can Be Used for Good

Plastic is fantastic. That is, if you know when to whip out the plastic and when to freeze it in a block of ice to deter usage. I kid on the latter, but all too often we’ve heard stories or seen on television the horrific consequences of credit card debt.

Image Credit: http://www.fairloanrate.com/evil-plans-of-credit-card-compan...

Credit cards can be good. When used wisely, credit cards help build your credit score and get you cash or rewards, depending on which you prefer. I personally love getting cash back. If I’m going to spend money anyway, I might as well get “free” money out of it. Plus I use Ebates to get “double” the cash back when shopping online (here’s my referral link – hey, I get $5 if you sign up!).

Anyway, I’ve compiled a list of the best credit cards out there for those who are looking to get some extra mileage. Before you proceed to sign up for a new card, however, please make sure that you are already following these cardinal rules.

Out of Practice: From Lawyer to Master Instructor - Interview with Carolyn Nelson

This month I interviewed Carolyn Nelson, the Founder, President, and Master Instructor of Nelson Test Prep, an LSAT test prep company. I met Carolyn through my previous role as Assistant Director of Admissions when we did a joint presentation at LatinoJustice PRLDEF about law school admissions and LSAT preparation during their LAWbound program. It was a pleasure working with Carolyn. She is not only passionate about working with students of color and increasing diversity in the legal profession, she is also adamant about using the LSAT as the tool with which to make that happen. Currently, she has partnered with LatinoJustice PRLDEF to offer a discounted LSAT prep course to their students. Carolyn has found a great way to make a career from her skills as a lawyer and her love of teaching. Here is Carolyn’s path from the courtroom to the classroom:

What was your path to law school?

My path to law school was fairly traditional.  In an effort to confirm my decision to attend law school, I spent the summer between my sophomore and junior years attending paralegal school.  That led to a part time job as a paralegal with a solo practitioner in my junior and senior years of college. I found the work interesting and relevant.  I attended the University of Michigan law school immediately after graduating from Barnard College.