Nichole Rousseau-McAllister

Vancouver 2010: The Winter Olympics

I have had a hectic past couple of weeks and am just now finally able to get back into the rhythm of things and into blogging.

The Olympics are so close to us, here in Portland, that I just had to. Last week, I drove up to Vancouver for a mini-break and caught a preliminary round game of men’s ice hockey, Sweden v. Germany. I was rooting for Sweden and thrilled that they won with a shutout.

It made for a very long day, but we left Portland at 4am. My friends had told me many stories about spending hours stranded at the border, so I wanted to give myself ample time to get into the city. The drive takes about 5.5 hours, so we made it the border by about 9am. I was relieved to see that there were no other cars in line and to be waved on through into O, Canada.

Downtown Vancouver

We picked up our tickets, but since our game wasn’t for a couple of hours we took the chance to do a little tour of the city. Robson Street in downtown was a must, as well as Hudson’s Bay (suppliers of the official Olympic gear), and the Capilano Suspension Bridge. The bridge is 230 feet high and 450 feet long. Heights tend to make me a little light-headed, so I was thankful the weather was bright and sunny and it wasn’t breezy at all, making the Bridge as steady as a suspension bridge can be!

Bobsleigh

We also had some time to stop at Granville Island, which used to an industrial area of Vancouver but is now very hip and filled with quaint boutiques and delicious restaurants and food stands. The island also has a large public market (everything was so tempting, I tried my best to resist!) and for the Olympics, is home to House of Switzerland. Since I studied for my undergraduate degree in Switzerland, visiting the House of Switzerland felt a little bit like a homecoming and was one of the best parts of the trip (second only to actually seeing an Olympic Game!).

Sweden v Germany

The hockey game was held at Canada Place (otherwise known as GM Place, home of the Canucks, during the NHL season). I had amazing seats right behind Germany’s net and the diversity and excitement of the crowd and atmosphere of the arena made for an unforgettable experience. It was fantastic being able to cheer my team on with people from all over the world and all walks of life—that’s what the Olympic spirit is all about, the unity of sports.

 Sweden v Germany 2

 Crowd

After the  game, driving all the way back to Portland would have made for an exhausting day, so we stopped in Seattle, about 2.5 hours from Portland, for the night. I think the law school gods knew I needed to get a little bit of law into my day, though, and my car was stopped at the border for a random search. I kept it to myself but it was a very “on-point” moment for me, as the past couple of weeks in Criminal Procedure have been spent sorting through dozens of Supreme Court cases which determine our rights during search and seizure, the requirements of probable cause, and the need for warrants.

We just had a short time in Seattle, so stopped by the tourist hotspots, including Pike Place Market. I loved stopping at all the arts and crafts stands and picked up a lovely hand hammered bronze bracelet. I saw a couple of the shops Hala mentioned in a previous post, including Le Panier, and I can agree with her—highly recommended! I also tried the 4 cup chowder sampler (clam chowder, smoked salmon chowder, seafood bisque, and seafood chowder) at Pike Place Chowder and it was all so delicious I bought some for the road. Chowder I had freshly made donuts (they had a wonderful crunch to them!) from a coffee stand, purchased some cheese curd from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese and a piroshki from Piroshki Piroshki.  To say it was a delicious trip is an understatement! I am glad Seattle is just a couple hours drive because I definitely need to find some time later on this semester to go back for another visit! Donuts

26 February 2010

Happy 2010!

Happy belated 2010!

The last time I blogged was right before finals and as 1Ls, we’re starting to receive our grades this week.

Finals were tough, but not as terrible as I feared. I think exams are always like that—after you’ve spent so many hours poring over texts, they tend to be a little anti-climactic. I am glad to have them over and done with for obvious reasons, but also because now I know what to expect from law school exams and how they work. I haven’t received all my grades yet, and either way I’ve decided I am only going to take a few minutes to focus on them and then either pat myself on the back or revise my studying plan.

We are already full swing into Spring semester. I am in blue pod (the entire 1L class is divided into colors and you have all the same courses with your pod, and some classes will be a mix of your pod and another pod) and we have a fantastic schedule this semester—Fridays off! There will be no slacking on my part, however. It’s going to be a busy Spring semester! I am trying to view our schedule not as having Fridays off, but as having an extra day to do all the work I need to get done.

We’ve only had a week and a half of classes, but I am excited for what this semester has to offer. Contracts is our only holdover class and it’s nice to have some continuity, already know your classmates and professor, and know what the teaching style is like. Property is my favorite class; the professor is engaging, though the material will be dense and challenging. I like both Criminal Procedure and Constitutional Law and even in just a week worth of classes, there has been so much overlap between the two.

I am also excited to say that my schedule allows me to be more involved with the Women’s Law Caucus (WLC) at school and the Oregon Women Lawyers (OWLs) group in Portland. Emily, who also blogs here, is a member of both. Last week I attended the OWLs monthly luncheon downtown and it’s a great way to meet other lawyers in a social setting. In addition to being a good networking event, the lunchtime talks always feature great speakers. This month’s lecture focused on how, in this economy, there has been a sharp rise in job in dissatisfaction and how we, as lawyers, can better balance our work and personal obligations.

I’ve set aside Friday as my volunteer day, and this past week was my first time back since break. I volunteer with a courthouse family law program and since I’ve started, it’s really become the highlight of my week. It was an especially busy Friday and I was thankful to see three other Lewis & Clark volunteers (plus one in training!) working with the pro se litigants that come in and see us. I had several moments where I felt a little frazzled, but on my drive back to Portland, I felt contented. Over winter break, I forgot how much I enjoy volunteering, working with the staff and helping our clients, and I am glad to be back in the rhythm of things.

I am also starting up my internship again this semester. I do research work and draft memoranda for an environmental non-profit group. I’ve been really happy with the areas and topics I’ve concentrated on so far, which is mostly on forestry conservation issues.

It’s also that time of year to start looking for summer employment. Career Services has been such a help with all their offerings: practice interviews, 1L career search workshops, bringing employers to campus, job postings, receptions at the law firms downtown, and reviewing your application materials. Applications are lots of work and time consuming, and I’ll be happy to have them taken care of soon enough!

Lots going on this semester and it’s busy busy busy already! Since I’ve finished up my reading for tomorrow, I am off for a relaxing albeit competitive (!) night of pub trivia. Wish my team luck!

20 January 2010

A Day in the Life of a 1L

After reading Emily’s post on what it’s like to be a 2L evening student, I thought it might be interesting for readers to see what the life of a 1L day student is like. I was exhausted reading about Emily’s day—congrats to her for living it!—I promise mine is not nearly as packed (or exciting).

I’m blogging about my Tuesday, which tends to be my busy day. Like Emily, I’ve also noted times where students might do things differently.

***

7:00AM—Alarm goes off and it’s still dark outside. Lovely. I’m getting ready for school, fixing my lunch, and making sure everything is in order for the day. I like to take my time and watch a little TV too, so I usually have Saved by the Bell on in the mornings (nothing like remembering how easy high school was!)

9:00AM—Off to school. Class doesn’t start until 10:00, but I like to be early.

9:10AM—At school and sitting in the Legal Research Center. I usually catch up with friends and other pod mates for a bit and check my email. Other people grab coffee and a baked good, catch up on reading, or play ping pong

10:00AM—Class! Civil Procedure, can be a toughie, but we usually get a ten-minute break. We’re lurking in Erie territory,  and today, I’m called on to brief a case; happily, it goes off without a hitch.

12:00PM—Class is over and we’re out for lunch. I have 2 hours until my next class. I’m off to the LRC to eat, but one great perk about Lewis & Clark is there’s always a free lunch to be had somewhere. There are so many lunch time events going on around campus—from Career Services first years’ panel or informational meetings on judicial clerkships; meetings for NEDC, IPSO, International Law Society and the Women’s Law Caucus; to skills workshops or other panels—lots of the programs entice students with free pizza, sandwiches, drinks, cookies, etc. Not only is it a great way to get some food, but it’s also a wonderful way to stay involved and learn about what’s happening on campus. While I’ll spend my break in the LRC, other students will head to the library or Wood Hall to catch up on reading or to get ahead.

2:00PM—Back to class, this time for Contracts. We’re covering consideration and promissory estoppel, which is heavy stuff so we’re taking our time through this section.

3:20PM—Class is over and I’m done for the day! I spend a few minutes chatting with friends and then we all depart, some head to the library/Wood Hall to read, others hop on their bikes and head home. I trek over to the parking lot and run a few quick errands.

4:30PM—Finally home. I went to the grocery store (I usually try to do this on the weekends, so I can keep my time focused on studying, but I didn’t make it this weekend) and to the post office. I’m going to spend some time putting away groceries, make a light snack and pick up around the house. And then I’ll start studying.

5:15PM—…Maybe I’ll take a quick nap first.

6:00PM—Ok, really should open the books now. The good news is I’ve already read Thursday’s Contracts assignment and I’ve done half of Thursday’s Civ Pro reading (I like to try to keep at least a day ahead on my readings). Our Wednesday Torts class is rescheduled for next week, so I don’t have to work on that at the moment, either. Part of the reason why I like to keep ahead on my readings (being able to keep your head above water is reason enough though!) is that I also have an internship. My internship offers me great flexibility, so I can work from home if I can’t make it to the office that week. Once I finish up my schoolwork, I’m going to spend a couple of hours on this week’s assignment for my internship. I’m usually drafting memos or writing case briefs, so most of tonight’s work will be research based.

9:00PM—Whoops, time to eat dinner!

9:20PM—And back to work…

Midnight—Time to go to bed. My cut off point is usually midnight, unless I absolutely have to get something done. I’m a bit of a night owl, so I get the most work and my best work done in the evenings, hence my schedule is heavy toward the night hours. Some students are like I am, but not everyone is this way. My friends who study at the library after class will usually be there from the end of class (3ish) until 8pm. If they study straight on through and they’re done at 8, it’s doing the same amount of work I do, though I start later and end later. 

11 November 2009

Explore Portland!

I think of this week as the Week of No Return. Extra time has become increasingly short as the assignments and readings have become longer and more complex. We just reached the semester’s mid-point and everyone, including myself, is beginning to get into a flurry, raiding the supplies for extra notebooks, pens, highlighters, sticky notes, and power cords and buckling down to begin outlining for final exams. Outside of school, I also do pro bono work with a community organization and have an internship with a non-profit group, so time is always at a premium for me. Regardless of how busy school is getting it, I’ve found my work outside of school to be not only personally fulfilling, but also a great way to practice and apply the skills I am learning in class.

In an effort to escape the boiling pot that law school can sometimes be, my friends and I have adopted the weekly tradition of “Explore Portland.” Explore Portland is our Thursday night ritual (though we should probably change the name from “Explore Portland” to “Eat Portland”). We’ve ticked a number of Portland hot spots off our list, including: Last Thursday on NE Alberta, Podnah’s BBQ, the Laurelhurst Theater, King’s Burritos, Pok Pok, and next week we’re adopting a Halloween theme and visiting Portland’s Haunted Houses. This week we dined at Delta Café and Bar for a taste of the good ol’ South. There were hush puppies in a pond, chicken fried steak, biscuits and collared greens, and plenty of sweet tea to go around. (photo courtesy of Lindsay Ray).

Law school is intense, wonderful, crazy, enriching, and frustrating; it’s an emotional experience. I’ve learned in my short time here (nine weeks in!) that it’s important to take a step back every once in awhile, and for me, that’s Explore Portland. It’s a designated evening each week, where I take time leave the law school bubble (admittedly, many lame jokes about negligence and duties owed abound at Explore Portland dinners), to take time for myself, and to enjoy being in Portland. Stepping back from my studies for one night a week, isn’t going to set me back; to the contrary, I see it as a chance to recharge my batteries and reflect and embrace the law school experience. 

Delta Cafe and Bar

23 October 2009