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The End is Only the Begining: Ms. Stanford Goes to Washington
By Keisha Stanford • April 29, 2010 •Writers in Residence
Continuing my adventures in 3L, I recently took my first trip to the U.S. Supreme Court. As part of the Stanford Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, I made the trek to Washington, D.C. to observe the oral arguments for the case on which I have been working for the past two quarters, Magwood v. Patterson (briefs and discussion available at http://scotuswiki.com/index.php?title=Magwood_v._Patterson). Though the case could spark an intriguing discussion regarding the death penalty generally and the adequacy of psychological services for military veterans, the issue before the Court involved a technical question regarding the application of the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death…
Savvy Shopper-At-Law: Internet Shopping 101
By Ashley Rutherford • April 26, 2010 •Writers in Residence
Successful bargain shopping starts with the internet. The internet is convenient. You can almost always find your size, and your order can be quickly shipped to your home or office. And, for those hard-working big law attorneys, online stores allow you to shop in your pajamas at midnight with a much-needed glass of wine. And often, with a bit of patience and a couple of smart searches, you can save more than twenty percent off most retail store prices. This article is dedicated to the three most important rules for shopping on the world wide web.1. Never Pay Shipping: I…
Naming It, Claiming It: Why Here?
By Janet Wallace • April 21, 2010 •Writers in Residence
Note: On January 1, my husband and I made a resolution for the New Year: we would move to California's Central Coast before the end of 2010. This series chronicles the career component of our journey as I attempt to make connections, build a network, and, hopefully (fingers crossed!), find a legal job in the next twelve months. Here are the first and second posts in the series.Last fall, I had a job interview in a city that I knew, even then, that I didn't want to move to. I remember driving into the city, wondering what I was even…
Swimming in Small Ponds: The Peculiarities of Etymology and an Overview of the Elements of Culture
By Andrea Welker • April 21, 2010 •Writers in Residence
My upstairs neighbor and I share a similar story: we’re both from small towns, went to school in larger cities, and last year, rented a flat in the same duplex when we started our careers. Just last week, we were sitting on her balcony enjoying the beautiful weather of this Appalachian river valley in the springtime, the view of the charming city park across the street (and its various patrons) and, of course, a few beers. During this time, we compared notes on being young professionals in our new community. One of the quirks we discussed involved differences in speech…
Esquisite Paths: Rhonda Joy McLean
By Paula Edgar • April 20, 2010 •Writers in Residence
Rhonda Joy McLean is an inspiration. I first met Rhonda briefly when she was honored at the Association of Black Women Attorneys (ABWA)’s 30th Anniversary gala. One of my mentors took me to the event and told me that I had to meet her. Rhonda has the type of spirit that makes you want to hug her often and sit cross-legged in her living room listening to her tell stories. I was excited to learn more about her path as an attorney in New York City. During our conversation, Rhonda spoke about many topics, including her experience integrating an all-white…
Breaking Chains to Build New Links: Social Media
By Katherine Larkin-Wong • April 19, 2010 •Writers in Residence
If you are anything like me, you have never approached networking or self promotion in a systematic way. In fact, you may be terrified of it. Yet, our ability to network and self promote is essential for building a client base, building our own name, and building our careers. Each month I’m going to tackle one strategy for networking or self promotion in an effort to help all of us break the chains we’ve put around ourselves and begin building new links. If you have a topic you’d like covered, e-mail me at chainstolinks@gmail.com. This month we’re talking about…
Ms. Prof: Socratic? So Ineffective!
By Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq. • April 19, 2010 •Writers in Residence
Admittedly, I have some beef with the Socratic method. For starters, “Researchers…cite the use of the Socratic method in the classroom and the faculty's emphasis on linear thinking at the expense of student creativity and personal values,” write Todd David Peterson and Elizabeth Waters Peterson in their article, Stemming the Tide of Law Student Depression: What Law Schools Need to Learn from the Science of Positive Psychology. “Others have found that law school fosters certain personality traits in its students that can lead to unhappiness, such as defensiveness and pessimism.” See 9 Yale J. Health Pol'y, L. & Ethics 357…
Lawyering and Living for Less: Start a Firm Without Spending a Fortune
By Erin Rohne • April 16, 2010 •Writers in Residence, Firms and the Private Sector
It's no secret that the legal job market is in depressingly terrible shape. Ask any recent or prospective law school graduate about their career plans (if you dare) and you'll hear stories of grads fighting tooth and nail for legal assistant and paralegal positions, planning their return to pre-law jobs, or perfecting their latte-making skills.But many recent grads are taking a leap and putting their legal skills to work by forming a solo practice. Starting a firm has many benefits - you can work when and where you want, practice whatever kind of law strikes your fancy, and be your…
Running from the Law: Finish Strong
By Vado Porro • April 15, 2010 •Writers in Residence
In less than a month, I will be able to follow my name with the letters "J.D." This three year, six semester, incredibly challenging journey will be over, and I will stand at the beginning of the rest of my life. May 10th is graduation day. It's the finish line. It's what we're running towards. At the same time, I'm training for my second half-marathon. I'm on a mission to beat the course closing time of 3:15; but I'm also on a mission to beat my last half-marathon time of 2:20. My friend who I run races with is training with…