Spring 2004: Week 1

Law School started last week and as usual we hit the ground running.

On the first day of class grades came in for Federal Income Tax. They were probably filed late, as all the other grades had come in weeks before. I had been entertaining the hope someone had stolen the exam and we would all get a pass-fail grade! No such luck, but I did get a "B" and am almost relieved. I need to crack down more this semester.

Wills and Trusts is taught by a practicing attorney. He authoritative and yet laid back. So far I like him. Some people complain he's too soft-spoken and has a strong Texas accent. Well, maybe. But even if he does, I speak most dialects of redneck, so I should be OK. Multiple choice, closed book exam. Ugh.

Pre-trial Litigation is going to be the class that eats up disproportionate amounts of time for the credit hours. We're not so much in a class as a workshop where we'll go through the entire pre-trial process, from interviewing a client and taking the case through filing, making motions, and arguing for summary judgment--downtown in a real courtroom in front of a real judge! Ack!

Oil & Gas is a type of property class. The professor asked us why the class was so full when oil drilling in Texas was largely a dead industry. We told him it was covered on the most recent bar exam. No one was sure why. My theory is that Texas has a hard time letting go of its glory days. Whatever, I would enjoy the class anyway for its historical aspect. I'm originally from Beaumont, where the first oil gusher in Texas was drilled in 1901 at Spindletop. All the men on my mother's side were in the oil business going back to the 1920s. (No, we weren't rich like the Ewings!)

Law Review gave us another assignment Saturday morning. I have to track down and obtain 15 different sources. Thankfully there are no newspaper articles this time, but there are a lot of books. I'm envious of whoever got the cases--those require the least effort because are so easily downloaded from Westlaw.

Federal Jurisdiction meets Monday. Not too excited about that one, but everything depends on the professor.

I'm signed up for the MPRE in March. That's the exam that tests your knowledge of the rules of professional responsibility. Things like when you have to keep client's secrets and when you can tell or have to tell.

So let's see--four classes, law review, and the MPRE to juggle, along with work, family and friends. If I don't post again until May you'll understand why!