‘Q. ….. who suggested the figure of $2,000.00?

A. That was how he asked [...]]]> The cases that are hardest to understand are the ones where one of the parties did something incredibly stupid. For example, in Batsakis v. Demotsis (1949), Mrs. Demotsis agreed to pay $2000 for a loan of 500,000 drachmas (worth about $25)

‘Q. ….. who suggested the figure of $2,000.00?

A. That was how he asked me from the beginning. He said he will give me five hundred thousand drachmas provided I signed that I would pay him $2,000.00 American money.’

I had to look the case up on Westlaw because I couldn’t believe someone agreed to pay back 80 times the amount they borrowed.

It also looked like Mrs. Demotsis signed a letter stating she received $2000, when she really only borrowed $25.

I must have read it wrong. The case must be in old-speak. No one does that. I must be missing something…

And so I check Westlaw and learn that Mrs. Demotsis actually agreed to pay $2000 for $25 loan. And she also signed a letter stating she received $2000, when she …well, didn’t.

So I learned three things:

1. I need to trust my readings of cases.
2. Mere inadequacy of consideration will not void a contract
3. …and yes, someone can be that stupid.

I’ll reread the book (and Getting to Maybe) in Minnesota. Both books make feel that I won’t be as blind-sided by the experience. [...]]]> How To Succeed in Law School was extremely helpful. I learned how to brief cases and accepted that Socratic method means that the teacher always wins (sort of like a Casino).

I’ll reread the book (and Getting to Maybe) in Minnesota. Both books make feel that I won’t be as blind-sided by the experience. I’m excited.

Oh, and Law School Discussion is hilarious. There was a post about whether blogging in law school is a good idea. Most people didn’t think so: the argument is that you’re likely to say something stupid and make people think you’re a douchebag.

There’s always a percentage of the class that hates the nicest person in the room. I am not suggesting that I’m that “nicest guy” – but I doubt blogging is going to make me a pariah or offend any future employers.

I’m sure there are plenty of other ways to do that – just not here.

No controversies on this blog.

I also finished reading Scott Turow’s One L, which is about Turow’s first year at Harvard Law School.

I don’t believe that my first year is going to be as bad as his – I have more of a take names attitude towards law school. If I thought [...]]]> I got into Gamma Eta Gamma. Vöt!

I also finished reading Scott Turow’s One L, which is about Turow’s first year at Harvard Law School.

I don’t believe that my first year is going to be as bad as his – I have more of a take names attitude towards law school. If I thought it was going to be easy I probably wouldn’t be doing it.

After reading “One L” I realized that there was something fishy at my law school’s open house: the student ambassadors seemed to deliberately downplay the workload and stress of law school.

The word “collegiate” was thrown around.
One girl even said she stopped studying at 8pm.

I see how “Hi, we are going to torture you, ruin your health, and have you cowering under your study carrel” isn’t a hot way to attract students. But hm, is it as easy as they claim or was that just a way to lure students into the school?

Minnesota certainly wasn’t as aggressive as some schools, like Drake, but I guess I will find out if things were sugarcoated (or not) in the fall.

Next on the law school reading list: Getting to Maybe.

They also sent me a “moving to Minneapolis” magazine and printed copies of much of the stuff they’ve emailed me already.

Still no solid financial aid numbers though. The official letter for that is “sent out in [...]]]> I got a box from my future law school today – they sent me a mug!

They also sent me a “moving to Minneapolis” magazine and printed copies of much of the stuff they’ve emailed me already.

Still no solid financial aid numbers though. The official letter for that is “sent out in late July and due back at the office August 1st.”

Hmmf.

I need to order a UMN Law shirt. DePaul sent me one in my acceptance packet and I keep wearing it because, well, it’s a free shirt.

But it’s completely awkward running into strangers at the UMiami law library and explaining that, 1) I’m not going to law school at UMiami, 2) I’m not going to DePaul, even though I’m wearing the shirt, and 3) I’m going to go to UMinnesota Law.

Yes. Random and awkward.

I’m reading “Getting to Maybe” right now, and twiddling my thumbs.

I’ve moved around a lot (countries, states, and social circles) and blog “to keep in touch” with former friends/acquaintances that care to look me up. The vast majority of people who read my main blog are [...]]]> I’ve realized (quite late actually) that the majority of law student blogs seem to be written by anonymous authors.

I’ve moved around a lot (countries, states, and social circles) and blog “to keep in touch” with former friends/acquaintances that care to look me up. The vast majority of people who read my main blog are people who I no longer have daily contact with, but who know who I am.

I plan on keeping my general “what I did today” blog throughout law school, but I’m wondering if that’s such a keen idea for this blog. I couldn’t have great categories like “professor son of a bitch.”

Not that I’d ever even think that about a professor. Gasp!

But seriously, I wouldn’t waste my time writing malicious crap anyway and wouldn’t write anything that I wouldn’t want my name attached to – so how important is anonymity?

Will I be out an important job or internship because of my digital footprint?

The financial aid side of things is still “wait and see.” More waiting than seeing obviously.

The housing information is a little more hopeful. I’m speaking [...]]]> So! I got the financial aid and housing information from the school. I actually had it in my inbox while I was bitching about not having it yet. Sorry.

The financial aid side of things is still “wait and see.” More waiting than seeing obviously.

The housing information is a little more hopeful. I’m speaking to another first year who I may end up rooming with.

I also applied to Gamma Eta Gamma, a legal fraternity which offers housing for $300 a month. Holler.

And of course the old temptations are back –FSU Law contacted me today and offered a three-year scholarship and campus trip if I was interested.

Yes, the teeth were clenched as I wrote back, “No thank you I am going to the University of Minnesota School of Law in the fall…”

I spent undergrad at a safety school that threw a lot of money at me and I’m not spending another three years wondering “what if?”

No, no, no.

I got into my first choice school and I’m going to it. We’ll figure out that bucu debt thing later…

So, lots of excitement. – I’m still hammering some things out with future roommate dude, waiting on the loan situation, and and and.

The thought hadn’t occurred to me.

It seemed like a silly question and I still don’t understand it. I couldn’t be successful at a career if I didn’t have the nerve [...]]]> A few weeks ago I was asked, “Aren’t you scared of law school? I mean, isn’t it supposed to be a grueling three years?”

The thought hadn’t occurred to me.

It seemed like a silly question and I still don’t understand it. I couldn’t be successful at a career if I didn’t have the nerve to go through the training.

Am I going to walk into law school and find the casebooks quick and thrilling as a James Patterson novel? Am I going to draft amazing essays with ease, know the answer every time the professor calls on me, and be in bed by 10pm every night that I’m not at the clubhouse?

No. Of course not.

Some of my casebooks will be tedious. Some of the assignments are going to be overbearing, and I’ll probably look like a fool in class more than once.

Duh.

If I wanted to do something easy and predictable, I would have majored in elementary education. I expect law school to be at least as challenging as the career that it prepares me for.

Otherwise, what would be the point?

What I am worrying about is qualifying for loans and finding an apartment. If I have a wealthy parent who is eager to write a check for my dream condo, then my mother has been horribly misinformed and is owed some serious back child support.

The school promised to send “housing and financial aid information” in June. This seems ridiculously late to me, but I assume they know what’s going on. Is that dangerous?

I’m tempted to blame my current housing problem on my decision to forgo the full scholarship at Macalester and go to the local safety school, which offered me slightly more money.

I could have done this whole move-to-Minneapolis deal as a freshman, right?

Although, if I went to Macalester, I would probably bitch about my decision to not go to SuchandSuch University so I could already be in SuchandSuchtown. I applied to colleges in 12 different cities. There’s a lot of “what if” potential right there.

My mother and I are going to make the trek up to Minneapolis sometime this summer. She and her pissed-off colleagues are still waiting to get their complete summer schedule. There are multiple family vacations on hold at her firm. Everyone is annoyed.

She was in Orlando all of last week. She “thinks” she may be in Atlanta for an entire week in July but doesn’t know anything for sure.

Aside from trolling around rent.com and compulsively checking my email for the “financial aid and housing information,” I can’t really dwell on things that are pending, except of course, tonight’s event.