Charles Parrott

What did you do before school started?

Good question. The law school has some suggestions for what to do the summer before school takes over you life with research and reading assignments: Read more. Sure, these books can be educational, enlightening, and even entertaining. But, I took a different approach. I tend to take a different approach on everything though so it’s not surprising. My roommates and I decided to paint our kitchen. Keeping in mind we rent, this should not have been a big deal. Landlord pays for paint and brushes, etc., we roll out the paint, get a little light-headed from the fumes, and enjoy the color that we now regret. No way. We decided to paint a mural covering the entire wall.

After much deliberation, we decided to paint a scene from the beloved children’s book: Where the Wild Things Are. I wanted to write this post now because I feel like after the movie comes out (October 16th, save the date. I’m excited too.) it won’t be as original. I also want this post to be Part I of a series of posts about the many murals I have undertaken since law school started. So far, the Wild Things mural is the only finished one (there is actually two leaves that aren’t colored in but I’m cool with that) but I wanted to keep a log of my progress on the others. The second mural (pictures to follow in Part II) is of Dr. Suess characters but I haven’t finished the background. The current project (which looks like it may be my masterpiece but will also take me forever to finish) is of Rafael’s School of Athens (pictures to follow). This one is still in the preliminary phases.

But, for now, I wanted to share the Wild Things mural with the blogging community. I also want to advise folks that are thinking of applying and/or those worried about what to do to prepare for law school. Don’t worry. Get all the fun things you can get in before you dive into law school. If you are really really worried, go ahead and pick up one of those books from the list (I think it’s “100 books to read before law school”). Paint a mural (piss off your landlord a little (our landlord is really cool about it actually)). Make some wine (evidence of my attempt at the bottom of the bottom picture). Go for a long trip. Do something memorable, because once school starts, the material has a funny way of pushing other things out of your mind and replacing them with legal mumbo-jumbo.

2 October 2009

Bike Portland!

There has been a lot going on in the Portland bike community lately. The season is coming to an end, bike commuter challange, bike swaps, and new speedbumps.

For starters, I want to make a shout out to all the folks that help make the rides in Portland possible. I rode the Portland Century and the Tour De Lab this year (both great rides that I recommend to everyone) and had a blast. The pictures below are from the Century. Unfortunately, the bad weather is ready to roll in and it’s harder to find big rides this time of year. But, I want to encourage any cyclists out there to get out, despite the rain and gloom, and ride. I’m hoping to organize some mini rides from campus. The more the merrier. September is bike commuter month after all.

So, CATS (group on campus (Coalition Advocating Transportation Sensibility)) has been sponsoring the Law School’s bike commuter team for the Bike Commuter Challenge this month. So far, it looks like we have 57 riders signed up (which doesn’t include all the bike commuters as evidenced by the overflowing bike racks on campus). Hundreds of miles have already been logged and there’s still another week left. It’s really incredible to see the dedication that some folks have put into reducing their reliance on automobile transportation.  I’ve heard of some riders that just started riding because of the challenge. Converts! Yay! All it took what some team support and friendly competition.

For those that are really new to cycling and/or don’t even own a bike, there are so many deals out there right now it’s crazy. For starters, because the weather is turning, you can find cheap stuff on craigslist all the time. It helps that the economy is in the crapper too but hey, you’ll be helping someone out by buying their old bike, which is nice. This past Sunday The Recyclery (A local used bike shop i nPortland) hosted a big bike swap.  vendors came out with tons of cool bike gear and cyclists came out to trade/sell their old/extra gear/bikes. I only stayed for a little but I definitely saw some good deals and wish I brought one of my four extra bikes to trade/sell. Unfortunately, I’m a bit of a gear head myself (Read: pack-rat) and find it hard to part with my beautiful babies (Roxanne, Lemon, Casper, Zebra, and Bonnie). By the way, if anyone reading this and comes to Portland to visit, shoot me a line and I could be convinced to lend out a bike or two (or tandem) so you can check out the city by bike. Just a thought.

The last thing I wanted to mention, since it’s on everyone’s mind, is the new speedbumps in the Cemetery. For those that aren’t in the know, the law school is on top of a hill. The only safe route up and down that hill from the Southeast (at least the Sellwood neighborhood)  is through a cemetery. It’s a 2 mile climb (400+ feet elevation gain). Recently, the folks at the cemetery installed three (3) rather abrupt speedbumps (read: deathtraps for bicyclists). I was surprised to find out that the reason for these new hazards was to directly target cyclists riding down the hill too fast. In addition, there was talk of cyclists being disrespectful to people who were visiting graves and cemetery employees. The behavior I heard about is entirely unacceptable and I agree that something needs to be done to curb this, but installing huge curbs is a bit too literal. I would be less inclined to say that if the biking community was on notice of the installation but, as I was riding down the cemetery one night, I was taken a bit by surprise to find myself almost jolted off my bike by a practically invisible mound of concrete at the bottom of an already dangerous hill.

I want to make another few shout outs regarding this issue. To those bikers that are disrespectful. Stop it! Get off your bike and walk the ten feet instead of riding over graves. Take the corners slowly. Don’t ride through funeral ceremonies yelling obscenities. Be respectful of people in the cemetery. Hell, be respectful to people generally. What the hell are you thinking? For those that want to keep the cemetery open to bicyclists, contact me or CATS. If you have a story to share about your experience, let us hear it. We’re going to try and open up a dialogue between the Law School campus (which practically depends on the cemetery bike route) and the cemetery owner. The last thing anyone wants is for it to be closed off to cyclists altogether. And, we need to find a better way to communicate with bikers than throwing them off their bikes in the middle of the night to be eaten by the raccoons.

25 September 2009

Relax… It’s only week 4

I think I’ve said this before in a previous blog so forgive me if it sounds like I am repeating myself. I just wanted to reiterate the importance of balancing your life in law school and life outside. I also wanted to share a trip I recently went on and how I can’t even live up to my own advice. But, regardless of the fact that I can’t even do it myself, taking breaks from law school is just as important, if not more so, than school itself. Sure, you learn a lot in classes and you’d probably fail your courses if you didn’t do the readings and/or attend the lectures. But, if you don’t get your mind off the subject matter once in a while, you won’t be able to concentrate and will ultimately be wasting your time.

The problem with the idea of balancing your time outside and inside of school is that it isn’t really an even balance. I am not advocating that students spend 50% of their time doing school work and 50% doing whatever else. The message I’m trying to get across is that it is important to seize the opportunities you have to do whatever, even though they might be few-and-far-between. Of course if you find yourself not having time at all to unwind, it might be a good idea to make time.

     Take a break.

     Put the casebooks/study guides down.

     Get off campus.

     Have a drink with friends.

     Call your mom.

(Not necessarily in that order)

A few weekends ago, I flew to Colorado to attend a family friend’s wedding. I was so excited to get away and relax that I only brought one reading assignment. Of course my plan was to not bring anything related to law school but, like I said, I can’t follow my own advice. The best thing about that trip, besides the open bar, was that I didn’t touch that assignment the entire time. We hiked, fished, lounged, and just enjoyed ourselves the whole trip. When I got back to town, I had more energy, I was happier, and I ended up finishing the assignment in probably half the time it would have taken me while sitting by a lake in Estes Park.

The point is, I find that some of the most lackluster times I’ve experienced have also been the most productive. Now, I know the Dean is going to say that working out and being active is good for mental prowess. I agree with that too. But isn’t it nice sometimes to just slow things down?

     Sit back and relax.

     Crack a beer.

     Think about something else.

     Take a deep breath.

     Call your mom.

(Not necessarily in that order)

16 September 2009

What student groups to check out your first year…

ALL OF THEM!!! yeah right. Who has the time? (If you do though, check ‘em all out, seriously)

I’m going to try and go through some student groups and give you my own assessment of what they do and what they can offer. I may be a little biased since I am a part, although sometimes a small part, of like a dozen groups. I’ve also left out a bunch of groups but that doesn’t mean they stink, I just dont know enough about them. Check them all out at orientation (hopefully they will all have tables but it’s not guaranteed)

21^st Amendment Society. This group is brand new to campus and I really couldn’t tell you much about them (great way to start a list like this). But, I hear, if you are into brewing and drinking beer (who isn’t?) you should check out this group.

Law Review (any of them). If you really like academia and legal research and writing go with any of the three we have. All three offer an incredible experience and a chance to hone your legal writing skills. The work may be tiring at times but it’s incredibly important and looks great on a resume (which is why you’re looking at groups in the first place, right?). Overall, it’s a ton of work and very time consuming at times, which is why I have never been on one and do not plan on it. That is not to say I didn’t think about it but when deciding on moot court, a part-time job, climbing, a social life, classes, and law review, I had to let something go. I have a lot more to say about law review (mostly good honestly) but I’ll save it for another time.

Coalition Advocating Transportation Sensibility (CATS). JOIN THIS GROUP! It will make you feel good.

Criminal Law Society. These folks put on some really interesting presentations/panels. I couldn’t tell you much more than that though. Go ask them.

Scales of Justice (Dragonboating). What better thing to do in early spring than climb inside a ferocious dragon with 20 of your peers and paddle that monster up and down the Willamette River? It will take courage but I have faith in this first year class.

Northwest Environmental Defense Center (NEDC). If you’re interested in environmental law (hell, even if you’re not) this is a great group to be a part of. You might just want to be like me the first semester and just go to the meetings to see what it’s all about, which is fine. You could also step it up and work on some really cool projects. I waited until second semester but you are encouraged to start right away. This is one of the few groups, and definitely the most established, where you will actually get to work on environmental law issues in your first year.

Environmental Justice Advocates (EJA). They also put on some interesting panels. It’s more than just another environmental group… they provide pizza.

Environmental Law Caucus (ELC). It’s nice to be in an environmental law group that’s not as huge as NEDC. Some cool things they do: mushroom hunt in the fall, sponsoring events on campus (earth day for example), and managing the mug board. Another fun environmental related group where you can meet and get to know other law students.

Federalist Society. They always put on a good show. You might not agree with all the views expressed but it is really good to hear all sides. It might solidify your views or make you think twice about what you thought you knew. Also another group that delivers when it comes to bringing in delicious food. I think the Federalist Society fed me two days a week my first year… and second year.

Jewish Legal Society. Seder with the Dean! Awesome!

Letter of the Law (LOTL). Did you miss out on writing for your High School Paper (not me) or were originally on a path to journalism before law school (maybe me)? You still have a chance to be part of a small publication that pokes fun at the seriousness that is the next three or four years of your life.

National Lawyers Guild (NLG). More great presentations. Lots of volunteering/pro bono experience. You can do anything from visiting a high school to answer questions about legal rights to watching a protest downtown making sure protestors’ rights are not being thrown out the window. I’m sure there are other things they do but it just shows the variety of things your legal education can do for people.

Public Interest Law Project (PILP). Do you want free money to go work for the summer? Volunteer for PILP! My advice is to start doing pro bono work and volunteering for PILP early so you can get all your hours in before applications are due. Last year I think they got like $70,000 for summer stipends. Sometimes they can be bossy, but it’s a good group to be involved with even if you only volunteer a few hours here and there.

Snowriders. Cheap tickets for skiing. You’re in enough debt, save on the fun stuff.

SABER. It’s good to see a group that blends environmental issues with economic and business ideas. If you are interested in sustainability issues, this is a good group to check out. My first year, we toured a sustainable vineyard and a more environmentally conscious lumberyard. They also put on some great panels.

Student Bar Association (SBA). Get involved on campus. Make it your own. Run for pod rep your first year! Since when do dorky students like us get elected for anything in school? Wow that’s kind of sad, but true.

I hope that helps. I know I’m going to get reemed by some of these groups but that’s what makes us all one big happy family. If you have specific questions e-mail me. Or, I’ll be at orientation manning three tables I think. See you there.

29 July 2009

What a summer!

** This is an update since the previous post was all messed up** 

Well. What can I say. The summer is finally here for real. Long days, sunlight, high temps, and lots of trips. But, Fall semester is creeping up and you can almost smell the anticipation. It doesn’t help that all the grads are studying for the bar and can’t stop saying how miserable it is. Gives us 3Ls something to look forward to.

A little update on what I’m doing this summer:

I got a job at the US Fish and Wildlife Service. I’m working for the realty department researching legal issues, updating manuals, contacting land owners with conservation easements on their property, and reviewing recent caselaw that affects the Service. I’m meeting all kinds of interesting people within the federal government. So far, it’s been a lot of fun.

 I’ve also been getting outside a lot. Tons of climbing, surfing, lounging, gardening, etc. I’ve made several trips out to Smith Rock this summer. Despite the heat and the herds of families, I always havea blast. In fact, the last trip, we discovered a new climbing area none of us had been to before and ended up there two days in a row. The garden is in full swing. We’re going to have so many potatoes and tomatoes that we won’t know what to do with them all.

More later.

26 June 2009