Category Archives: Law School

The interview

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Part of the reason why I am employed at my company is because I had the dumb luck of being recruited from twitter during my first year of law school. That random break and the great people I’ve met along the way have allowed me to create a career for myself. That is why I try to recommend my qualified friends for open positions as strongly as I can without being obnoxious.

I have worked full-time for my company for close to a year now. Some of my coworkers think that my production levels and eagerness to pick up overtime hours are bizarre, but I disagree. I’m no Ellen Parsons, but law school definitely influenced my corporate life in two ways:

  1. Work ethic: even average UMN law students are used to working long hours and thriving in a highly competitive environment. This translates nicely in the corporate world if you can avoid being pegged as an OCD cutthroat. Ignore my twitching.
  2. Appreciation: part of the reason why I try to push myself at work is because I’m grateful to be employed. That sounds corny until you meet the hoards of my unemployed former-classmates.

I interviewed for a new position within the company today. The interviews made me realize that I am truly out of “school mode” and well into the next phase of my life. My work-life is exciting and rewarding. I just wish more of my equally qualified classmates were in the same position.

Another Year

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What a year.

I started the year as a 3L law student living in a mouse infested apartment building in Whittier.

My weeks were hectic. I spent my time jetting between my last few classes, my internship in the suburbs, tax training, and a public defender clerkship in downtown St. Paul.

Things changed quickly when I secured a permanent position at my company and started working full-time in February. There were also drag shows, long nights at Jetset, and blizzards.

blizzards

The snow melted and classes ended quietly. Pride came and went, I turned 25, and I finally moved out of my ghettotastic apartment.

Work got busy once I moved.  Drag shows and dancing were exchanged for Netflix marathons. I was promoted at work and got good at making brownies and mojitos.

By the time of my Miami trip I was 20 pounds heavier than I was at the beginning of the year.

I took the love handles to Miami anyway, which was fairly epic.

The Manor House Fort Lauderdale

mojitos

I started personal training at LA Fitness again upon returning, so I was horribly sore once New Year’s Eve rolled around. I was one of the DDs for New Year’s despite the best attempts of some people in our group.

mojitos

My goals for this year include working harder, spending more time on creative projects, and losing these 20 pounds. Hopefully my grueling morning workouts help me get there.

Ending the year plump and employed isn’t bad, but 2012 will be better.

The fledgling blogger

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I just met a student from my old law school at Dunn Brothers. I managed to calm the 1L about her upcoming final. I also gave her some leads about clinics and jobs.

Those who succeeded in law school were either the manic-workhorses or those with solid mentors (or, more likely, a combination of both.) The quick advice from an older student is invaluable and something I found in the form of blogs.

The conversation made me realize that there is a subset of people who view blog authors as ersatz mentors and role models. I was one of these people and definitely relied on bloggers (like her and her and them) for advice and support.

Even long before law school, I remember being the chubby middle schooler living in Kansas trolling the blogs of cool kids from more exciting places.

Ten years later and people use my blog as an example of how to survive law school. I think that’s pretty amazing and a reason not to disappear.

I find myself in a new place now. Sure, there are plenty of “how to survive high school/college/law school” blogs. The life of an aspiring corporate executive is harder to write about without coming across as obnoxious and calculating.

I suppose the only thing that I can do is just to remain as honest as I was in law school – readership be dammed. Hopefully that doesn’t backfire.