As this year's 2Ls and 3Ls are in the midst of the add/drop period and trying to figure out how to build the perfect schedule for OCI (2Ls) or excessive apathy (3Ls), I decided to list some of the more popular class-scheduling techniques.

Pick Classes Taught By Good Professors

Now, depending on who you talk to, the UT profs are either mostly bad with a few gems or mostly good with a few who make you want to bludgeon yourself to death with your laptop. In other words, this can be very easy or very hard depending on your viewpoint. The pros for picking classes this way are obvi: good professors mean you're more likely to (a) stay awake, (b) actually learn, and (c) not spend the 50-minute class period thinking of all the possible ways to kill yourself using only 6 highlighters and a casebook. The cons are that they either all tend to teach at the same time, or they teach classes at odd times when no one wants to be in class (think evenings and Fridays). So, for the five of you who still think that law classes are valuable because of what you learn, this technique could be the right one for you. For everyone else, I suggest this technique only in conjunction with at least one other discussed below.

Take All the "Clerkship" Classes

For the overachievers among my readers (not many, as they would be studying and not reading this blog), this one's for you. This technique is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for those who enjoy a cold beer more than once a month, because these classes usually contain the word "Federal" and are followed by even scarier words such as "Income Tax" or simply "Courts." Plus, if your grades are good enough that you think a clerkship could be in your future, then you're also probably expecting to rock out OCI. Therefore, you'll be taking these scary classes while flying to Dallas and Houston every other day. I don't know about you, but I'd rather be forced to watch Hostel 2 with my eyes actually open than be stuck with that courseload. So again, if you're reading this blog, this class-choosing technique is probably not for you. For those who can handle it, they'll simply ask themselves, "What would Kadens do?" and that should get them the classes they seek.

Take GPA-Inflation Classes

These include classes that have a reputation for being light, classes off the curve, seminars, and (depending on your current GPA) Pass/Fail classes. There's really not much to add about this technique, except that you have to possess the basic social skills to allow you to talk to others and find out which classes fit in this category. But a warning to my lazy readers: if grade inflation is your goal, beware scheduling only classes that are labeled "easy." Easy classes mean more B+ are given out, and unless you've got a 3.2 or lower, a B+ isn't going to raise your GPA. If you're just looking to spend the most possible time partying and the least possible time studying, then you're looking for the Easy-Breezy class-selection technique, which is pretty much what it sounds like.

Pick Classes to Minimize Back Pain and Maximize Spending Money

I.e. take classes with no assigned casebooks. Look for classes that only have Sales Office Materials or, better yet, those where all the readings are posted on Black Board. The $600 or more you would normally spend on books + the money for a locker to keep them in can now be spent on clothes, beer, or green fees. Go you!

Pick Classes That Maximize Your Weekend

This technique goes beyond the "No Classes on Fridays" that any upper classmen with a commitment to Bar Review can master. This requires extra skill and an intense desire for long weekends. To really take this technique to the next level, you should schedule classes only on Mondays and Tuesdays. It can be done. I had a friend who pulled it off. You may end up taking boring classes with horrible professors and expensive textbooks, but your weekend will start on Wednesday, and that is a beautiful thing. If this is important to you, I suggest you make this your primary class-selection technique.


And with that, you may now return to your regular Add/Drop period. Choose wisely, dear readers. Your semester depends on it.

Dear Section 2,

A number of you have come up to me in person and asked how to study for your last exam. Here's my advice:

Don't.

The exam you are about to take will shatter any remaining faith you have in merit-based grading. Your mind will implode trying to understand any connection between your knowledge of the material and the grade you receive. Killing yourself studying is not going to help you get a better grade in this class, and checking out now and relaxing until tomorrow probably won't hurt you. Pack up your books, go take a warm bath, call your mom, watch Lost or have dinner with a friend. But really just come to terms with the fact that no matter what you do at this point, it's not guaranteed (or even likely) to help you.

Need more proof? How about a contemporary writing? Here's what I said about this exam when I was in your shoes two years ago:

Now the question is how much effort do I actually want to put into Property? Not much, I know that. I figure that knowing my stuff in that class is not a guarantee of a decent grade anyway, so why put the effort in? [snip] I'll still make Alfred teach me the subject, as I don't want to go in there knowing nothing, but now that Civ Pro is behind me, I just can't see myself stressing over anything else at this point, other than what to wear to the End of the Year Party on Thursday night. So instead of starting on Property tonight, I'm going to go buy some cereal and milk, take a long, hot bath, and then make a fresh start tomorrow.

That's not quite what I did. I had dinner with a friend the night before the exam, and I skimmed my friend's outline that I've since passed on to many of you. Against all odds, I did well. Meanwhile I had friends who knew the subject front and back who didn't do so hot and others who knew it and did well. I knew others still who knew about as much as I did and at least got a B+. The grading was all over the place, and it's going to be regardless of whether you close down the library tonight or not.

So do yourselves a favor and take the night off. :)

I feel your pain,
Ruth

I've been meaning to dust off the old soapbox on this topic for some time now. And since I've got a paper to write, now seems like the perfect time.

Primarily, I want to respond to this post by JohnPMayer about the arguments for banning laptops. I want to respond to some of those, and then move on to the important part: my opinion.

"1. Laptops are a high-definition distraction and students cannot resist looking and clicking if the screen is right in front of them." Mayer says this is a good argument, and adds "If a parade of clowns was going by the windows of the classroom everyday, the instructor would pull the shades. If students brought televisions or radios or wore iPods into class, the instructor would insist that they be turned off. Isn't the laptop a similar distraction?"

I don't think this argument is sound at all. A parade of clowns, television and iPod do not contain note taking programs. They are solely a distraction, with no redeeming quality. Sure, we can watch a parade of iPod-wearing clowns on YouTube via our laptops, but when something is said that really needs to be remembered, we can also switch back to Word and make note of it. A laptop is a distraction, yes, but if a student is in the zone (and I've been there before; it's possible), he's not checking sports scores, he's taking notes and following along.

The same goes for the second argument. "2. Even if they are not a distraction to these digital native/millenial students, they are a distraction to the students around them who cannot avoid seeing what is on someone else's screen." Again, when I'm in the zone, I'm not paying attention to what other students are doing. But if I'm being easily distracted, it'll take way less than a laptop screen to grab my attention. I'm an expert daydreamer. I don't need a screen to zone out. And the fact is that I can avoid seeing what's on someone else's screen if I just look at the professor and not the other person's screen. That simple.

3. I cannot see the students's faces when they are behind their laptops. It is harder to connect with the students. Those students must either be very short or have really bad posture. I'm 5'2" and my face still manages to shine above my laptop. In fact, I find that I make eye contact with a professor more when using my laptop than I ever did handwriting notes (and I took notes by hand exclusively for a semester and am doing so again for a class this semester). Probably because I can type without looking at the keyboard or screen, whereas I haven't mastered the art of writing legibly without looking at what I'm writing.

Which ties in nicely with the last argument, "4. Students need to learn to listen and analyze without taking notes and especially without typing. As lawyers, they will be in many situations where they cannot have their laptop open and the classroom is a good place to start learning these listening skills." That would be all well and good, except that in the classroom, there is this pesky little thing called a final exam, and our professor is not going to give us an A for good listening. The author also agrees that this is a weak argument, pointing out that "[l]istening to instructors in the classroom is not too similar to listening to clients or listening during to your boss."

I think that banning laptops is unnecessary and, in some cases, downright lazy. If you want students to pay attention in class, give them something to pay attention to and reinforce it with rewards for those who pay attention and penalties for those who don't. Design your final so that there is something on there that will show whether the student paid attention in class or not. Be interesting and engaging so that students want to pay attention. And also accept that if you don't do those things, then it won't matter whether there are laptops allowed or not. There are plenty of things students can do when they don't want to pay attention, and if you're a boring professor who doesn't engage his students, it'll only be a matter of time before they start buying crossword puzzle books or balancing their checkbook during class. Or, just check out my contracts notes from my first year; they're boasting some pretty impressive doodles.

There are certain professors who will never need to ban laptops, because a majority of their students are going to pay attention to them or risk missing important info. And then there are professors who will never have everyone's full attention, because they're just not good teachers. And when I had bad teachers in high school, I passed notes to my friends, much the same way I gChat them now, only gChat's paperless. My guess is that most professors fall somewhere in between, and that those professors who want their students to look up from their laptops and engage with them need to at least meet the students halfway. Banning laptops is not going to make students more excited about a boring lecture.

Tune in next time for a rant on attendance policies or the ABA or both.

And there's currently an opportunity to do so over at Paragon to Pieces. Got an opinion on LRW"? Of course you do.

Meanwhile, I'm going to complain about Ian Ziering's song choice tonight. Jennifer Lopez? For the Paso Doble? Meh. Took away from it, I thought. He was one of my favs going in, but now I'm pretty underwhelmed.

Also, I want to complain about girls who go on The Bachelor and then can't deal with the fact that Prince Charming is kissing all the girls and not just her. Ugh. That theme's been done, bitches. Be original. Seriously.

ADDED: Is it just me, or does the Bachelor seem more and more like a bit of a tool with every word he speaks. I mean, he's cute, sure, but the more he talks, the less attractive I find him. Ugh.

Professors Reese and Leslie are listed as offering classes in the tentative Spring course list. Even though I won't be here/already took the classes they are offering, this brings me great joy and happiness and redundancy.

Professor Leslie is hands-down the single greatest teacher I've ever had. I urge every one of you to take his Antitrust class. He made the monopolization of the tin can industry appear to be fascinating. He's also simultaneously hilarious and adorable and can give Professor Dix a run for his money on language use.

And... just for kicks... I decided that I don't have to miss out on the fun of planning to take classes next fall after all. Thus I present to you: Classes Ruth Would Take in the Fall if She Weren't Graduating

1. If I was returning this fall, I would take the following: Good & Evil in Art and Law (or Advanced Criminal Defense), Advanced Legal Writing with Schiess, Gender and the Law with Wiseman, Domestic Violence with Buel, and Speech and Religion with Rabban.

2. If I was currently a 1L planning my classes but somehow still knew what I know now, I would take the following: Admiralty with Robertson, Conflicts with Woolley, Good & Evil in Art and Law, Advanced Legal Writing with Schiess, and Literature and the Law Seminar with Getman. In the Spring I would take Maritime Injuries Litigation with Robertson, Antitrust with Leslie, Copyright with Reese, and then I'd try to take Leslie's seminar too: Antitrust and Intellectual Property. Heh.

And that's my two cents on classes. Probably my last two cents. *sniff*

Today we're going to talk about future interests in Wills.



I am about to graduate, and today is the first time I'm learning about future interests. I suppose it could be worse. BAR/BRI could be the first time I learn about it.

EDITED to add: I also FINALLY learned what a fee simple absolute is today (I tried to figure it out during Oil & Gas studying last semester, but was never really clear on the concept). Apparently it's just when you own something regular-like. E.g. I own my Honda CRV: it's mine and always will be. I don't know whether to be concerned that I went this long without understanding something so easy or whether to be pissed that none of my professors before today explained it so well. I suppose I could also be pissed that we use language such as "fee simple determinable," because I probably would have gotten the concept way before today if we just said things like, "regular ownership" or "plain ownership."

For the most part, I love the fact that I get to ignore emails about priority deadlines for financial aid and registration. But a small part of me misses the joy of picking classes for the coming semester. I always loved my classes during registration, when they were full of promise and potential. When they were not yet boring. When I still had every intention of going to class each day. There was a simple happiness to be found in creating the perfect schedule (no class before 10:30, no classes on Fridays), and I was able to find that happiness on many occasions. But now all I can do is look at the schedule and see all the classes and professors I'll never know. Now don't get me wrong, there is s simple happiness to be found in that as well, but at my core I am a nostalgic and sentimental person. Registering for classes made me happy, and now I find myself already missing part of law school when I haven't even left yet.

I'm also going to miss the drinking, but there's still plenty of time for that.

Thank you, Facebook. Because of you, I now obsessively check my bracket standing several times per day, even though I barely understand the concept and just picked teams that sounded good. I still don't care enough to actually watch the games, but I'm pissed at Texas for losing, because I didn't have them losing until the next round. I thought Florida was going to lose to Purdue, and I was really scared, because that would have screwed a lot of my bracket. This is my first bracket ever, so I think my 10th place spot in my pool is decent considering. I'm doing much better (2nd place) in my celebrity gossip bracket, but Penelope Cruz beat Tom Cruise, and I had him going to Round 3. Damn.



So I'm looking around my Wills & Estates class, and everyone's Texas Probate Code book is red, but mine is blue. I couldn't figure out how I managed to get the wrong book. I distinctly remember going to the Co-op and being outraged at how much it cost. I was about to be pissed off at the Co-op for giving me the wrong book when I remembered going back there and returning my book before the 12th class day or whatever and then going clothes shopping with the cash I got back and using a friend's book from last year and just hoping that the probate code hadn't changed much.

Ah, me.

I have another book that's still in the shrink wrap, and I'm REALLY regretting spending money on that one now. I could have used that money to buy two of those uber cute sundresses that are all over the stores these days.



I think ABC is wrong for having Heather Mills in Dancing With the Stars. First off, I hate that they refer to her profession as "charity campaigner." Why not call her by her real celebrity status? "Paul McCartney's Soon-To-Be-Ex Wife." Second, why did her dress and hair suck so much more than the other stars? The other women looked great, and she had an ugly dress and horrible hair. Third, I'm not sure I buy the whole inspiration thing. Maybe I would buy it more if they weren't exploiting her artificial leg so much. I think that ABC wanted to be all "OMG, we have a dancer with a prosthetic leg for the first time evair!" and that she's agreeing to be exploited because she has a highly publicized divorce to get through and she could use the good press. I would feel a lot more inspired if they'd stop shoving her down my throat.

Haven't picked a favorite yet, but I'm way excited about Laila Ali, Ian Ziering (who's looking way hotter than he did as Steve Sanders... despite being way older), and (duh) Joey Fatone. I missed the speed skater, was he any good? I'm also glad to see Kym with a decent partner, because she's my favorite of the girl dancers and she got stuck with Jerry Springer last season. I was disappointed by Billy Ray Cyrus, because I <3 Hannah Montana (yeah, I said it) and I was sad to see Mylie's expression while the judges ripped her dad apart. (On a side note, I hate when Disney Channel gives these kids shows and lets them keep their real life first names as the character's name like in Hannah Montana and That's So Raven.) I also may just have a special place in my heart for the Achey Breaky Heart singer. Clyde Drexler was charming. I hope he gets better as a dancer, because I thought he was kind of stiff.

Early prediction for going home next week? Leeza Gibbons or Shandi Finnessey. But I reserve the right to change my prediction after next Monday's show.

...it's probably a sign that you don't go to class much when you decide to go and the people around all say "Oh! I thought you'd dropped this class."

But at this point, do they really expect much more from me? The only reason I went today is because I thought I was on call next week and I wanted to see where we were. Turns out I'm on call the week after, so now I think I'll sleep in tomorrow. And by sleep in I mean stay up late doing this damned application and forgetting to set my alarm clock.

"I expect you to attend class. If you can't make class, please let me know in advance."

"I will adjust your grade upward one grade for exceptional class participation and downward one grade for poor class participation."

So in other words, my B+ will be a B instead. Good thing I'm graduating and don't care.

"This class can kind of eat you alive if you don't keep up with it."

I'm now making a prediction. You are all invited to my funeral in 4 month's time. There will be no viewing, however, because my body will be interred inside of Wills & Estates.

Prof Wills is on a roll, though. Funny guy so far. May actually attend this class...

ADDENDUM: He just called the ABA's regulations about class time "silliness." A man after my own heart.

So, I'm studying for my PR exam, and while I'm no Dzienkowski, I'm fairly certain that when Bob Loblaw represented Tobias in the divorce, he was violating model rule 1.9(a) (Duties to Former Clients) because he was representing him against Lindsay, a former client, in the same matter and did not obtain her informed consent, confirmed in writing. And he may have also violated model rule 1.6, but I'm not as clear on that one (IIRC, it's a "may" disclose rule), but I would argue that he learned of Lindsay's pursuit of sex outside the marriage while she was still his client, so I'd think he at least couldn't use that information to her disadvantage under 1.9(c). This is from the same lawyer who refused to sleep with Lindsay because she was a client under 1.8(j). Such inconsistent behavior.

I also think that Treat (the former paralegal) may have been engaging in the unauthorized practice of law.

I think I'm going to rewatch this episode of Arrested Development under the heading of "studying for PR."




PS- While Antonin left the library for a few minutes tonight, I wrote various lines of "A Special Christmas Box" all over his PR outline. Should make for fun times when he finally gets to those pages.

I have finally (FINALLY!) made it through the Oil & Gas syllabus. It's like I can feel myself slowly climbing up the curve, and I just painfully dragged myself onto the ledge of B- Land. I think with a little more study tomorrow after PR, maybe, just maybe, I can make it to B Land. It's a lofty goal, I know, but I live by the belief that if you shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you will land among the stars. The B is my star, folks. The B is my star.

Three semesters ago, my 1L year culminated in my civ pro exam. Longtime readers will recall that this was the class for which I totally flipped out, openly sobbed in front of a group of people, and was physically sick during my exam. I swore I'd never take another class with the professor.

It's a good thing I didn't swear on someone's life, or else they'd now be dead. Here I am, some time under my belt, older, wiser, and a tiny bit more confident. Fast forward to this gChat message today:

Alfred: so what are you up to
Ruth: in class. Q&A with [Civ Pro Prof] today
Alfred: LOL. Are you going to cry after this one too?
Ruth: fuck you

And the answer is that I'm not going to cry this time. This time, I feel like I have a handle on what's going on. This time, I'm not on the urge of vomiting from my inability to grasp forum non conveniens. This time I think I handle it. I can more than handle it, actually. In fact, I plan on making interest analysis my bitch. This time, I think I can pull an A. Eff that. I'll go for the A+.


Alfred: hey, didn't you say there were like 30 law review kids in that class?


...


Oh. Right.


Maybe I'll go have that cry after all.

Today our SBA president really dropped the ball. A group of us were planning to do the slow clap in one of our classes today, and as his last name is at the beginning of the alphabet, he sits up front--making him the perfect person to lead us in the slow clap. The details aren't really necessary for the point of this post, so cutting to the end, the professor in question ended class abruptly, and the slow clap just didn't work out. At first we gave him a hard time, accusing him of lapses in leadership ability. But then a quick trip to the archives of Buffalo Wings&Vodka (forever praise his name) made us realize that it wasn't SBA Prez's fault after all:

"

And some professors make it even more difficult by finishing offtheir lectures with anti-climactic lines like "So if anyone has anyquestions, just come up to the front" or "I'm going to go and walk mycat now." What the hell do you do with that? Do you try to start theSlow Clap in a lecture room of 125 students? It might be worth it,especially if the professor notices who starts it...but what if youfail? Do you try to pass off your clapping as an attempt to get honeyoff of your hands, or pretend that you're killing a really sturdymosquito? And what if you think the professor is finishedlecturing, but he's actually just pausing? Won't you end up lookinglike one of those idiots who claps during the middle of the symphony?Do all professors even deserve applause? Does it matter? Isn't anyone else worried about this?

Man. Law school is hard.

"

I miss Wings&Vodka most during finals time. *single tear*

Dear Ruth,

Well, this is another fine mess I've gotten myself into. It's november and I've done squat for classes - again. This time I might have pushed the limits. I'm taking several class regarded as amongst the most dificult at our Law school. I know I'm a 3L and shouldn't care - but I can't help myself.

I'm trying to knuckle down but nothing's working. If there's a distraction around, I'll find it and focus on it until I say - well, there's always tomorrow.

This can't continue (or can it?) - what do you advise?

Dear Reader,

Today I had stuff to do. Legitimate things that I needed to get done. So how did I spend my morning? I spent roughly 90 minutes making paper turkeys by tracing people's hands and putting them up around the mentor office. I am so fucked that I can't even think about it.

So I can't advise you, because if we have any classes together, I need all the help on the curve that I can get.

Ruth

Mind was elsewhere during PR, when the Dz said, "Now, onto (J), sexual relations with clients."

And suddenly I was really paying attention. Apparently there are thousands of cases involving lawyers who had sex with their clients (a number of them being unreasonable billing cases where the lawyer had sex with the client and then billed them for it). Fun times in PR.

Hey, remember how I thought I was done tweaking my spring schedule? Turns out Sir Basil won't be teaching classes here in the spring at all, which means I've got to pick up two hours somewhere. Meh.

Any suggestions?

EDIT: How funny would it be if I took Jurisprudence with Brian Leiter? Maybe he could call me out in class, and then I could be like my hero, W&V.

I've changed my spring schedule at least 8 times today. Gah!

Longtime readers will know that early registration is my favorite time of the school year. This early registration, however, is bittersweet because it's the last one. After this week, there will be no more looking fondly upon the schedule and imagining myself in shiny new classes which at this point aren't boring or a pain in the ass to actually attend. The sad part is, there aren't a whole lot of classes I want to take. I only have to take 13 hours, and I am having trouble filling those 13 hours up with classes.

Any suggestions?

I now join a number of other people in wondering why law school needs that third year.