Did I do that right? Is this what panic looks like? Why can't I keep a single line of thought?

Dear Incoming Law Student:
Brief this case.

Ok; so the letter I got from Suffolk Law was softer and more expository. It was, in fact, notably prosaic in tone and form. It was almost, in fact, kind.

The good news is that I've been invited to a four-day-long new student orientation session.

Orientation includes a two-hour First-Law-School-Class. Included in the orientation information was a packet of three cases. The first, Commonwealth v. Delgado, 367 Mass. 432 (1975), concerns armed robbery. The second, Commonwealth v. Howard, 386 Mass. 601 (1982), concerns armed robbery. The third, Commonwealth v. Powell, 433 Mass. 399 (2001), concerns armed robbery. As far as I can tell, the cases are nearly identical but the Supreme Judicial Court made three different rulings.

At any rate, the instructions said to read all three cases and the sample case brief for Delgado; to brief Howard but not Powell; and then...wait...what was the first one? I don't even think I cited the cases correctly.

I briefed Delgado before reading the sample case brief. The bad news is that I did it all wrong. I used bullet points where I should have used full sentences. I put some of the FACTS under the PROCEDURAL HISTORY heading. I stated the ISSUE incorrectly and the HOLDING was too long.

Now, I get that if I knew how to brief a case I wouldn't be a 1L. And I get that a sizeable part of the first year is taken up with learning how to brief cases. I'll learn it fast; of course I will. (I hope I will. What if I don't??) It's just that...well...I sort of wanted to be a prodigy.

Cue peals of evil laughter. The one-page letter may as well have been reduced to that one line: brief this case. Perhaps followed by ...and then you will die. muahaha. The anxiety is rising faster and faster.

If I can make it through the first class, then law school will be a breeze.
Just kidding.

Woot Woot

Today I got my class assignment for Fall '09. Woo HOO! I'm exceedingly excited. My schedule? M, W, TR 10am-3:50pm. T, F 11am-3:50 pm. Law school ROCKS.

Suffolk University's first year law curriculum is nearly identical to that of nearly every American law school.
1L:

• Civil Procedure
• Constitutional Law
  
• Contracts
• Criminal Law
• Legal Practice Skills
• Property
• Torts
  

Note: admins arrange schedules to accommodate lots of out-of-class work time.

New law school dream--not flying

Last night I dreamed about a law school classroom that was creepily similar to my middle school social studies room. But in this dream I was decidedly behind my classmates. I walked in late and was, in fact, only making it to class a few weeks into the semester. Also I sat in the back.

Still, this was an honors class and I was honored to be there.

Then I realized I had neither bought the book nor done the assignment. It was lucky that this didn't matter because the prof.--a gigantic version of John Houseman--was kind enough to ignore me.

The classroom debate was vigorous and I was stunned by the intelligent points other students raised. In my dream, then, suddenly, all noise stopped and I only watched the soundless class continue. That was when I noticed the books resting on the desks of the students in the rows before me. (It's common knowledge that while LSAT scores aren't reliable indicators of law school performance, high class grades are directly tied to a student's proximity to the front of the classroom. I was in a 'D' seat.) The assigned book, called The White Paper, was over three feet thick. Students used wheeled suitcases to carry them to class. I hadn't even remembered to bring my backpack.



When I was a kid the dreams where I was flying were my best. The nightmares were soundless giants.

Away we go.