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. 

So…this is my first blog post on my first ever blog. It’s hard to know what to write about. I could tell you how awesome school is, or even, the reverse. And, in certain ways, both will be true. The school is fantastic. The teachers are always willing to help, students are friendly, the organizations are active, etc… All in all, I really do get the feeling that pretty much everyone here cares about the school. This is the same feeling that occurred when I visited this place some months ago, and, importantly, it isn’t a feeling I received from other schools. But, this isn’t to say everything is rosy. Law school can be tough, physically and emotionally. There is always work to be done, and a lot of the time, it is really, really boring. What’s worse, you’ll likely forget it by the time you need it, or, maybe, (this is the fun part) it won’t be the law anymore. All this makes school demanding, in every sense. Add to that the fact that this is, by far, the furthest I have ever moved from “home” and it just makes things that much more trying. (Indeed, it is just about the furthest I could have moved from home and still been in the States.) It is not so much that I have felt homesick or anything, quite the opposite really; Portland feels more like home than many places in Virginia did.  Which, I think, really says something about Portland, i.e. it is pretty rad, to use the local slang. Let me qualify this a little, if you love any of the following things, you’ll probably love Portland:

• Bicycles
• Music
• Co-ops
• Markets
• Beer
• Liberal/Radical Politics (I’ll just lump these in.)
• Mountains (Volcanoes!)
• Food
• Street Food
• Vegetarianism/Veganism
• General Friendliness

The list can go on, but this just about sums up my experiences so far.  All these things, I think, are pretty great. But there is always something that evens it out, right? Nowhere is always wonderful. The infamous rain has yet to really start, and I imagine it will put a damper on some of my Portland enthusiasm. But what’s worse, and ultimately more important: unemployment. According to the Dept. of Labor the rate here in Oregon is at 11.5%, while the national rate is 9.8%. A bit worse, but it seems few places are faring well. It’s hard for me to know how this could affect summer jobs, or how the economy will be doing in a couple years, but it is a worry in the air here.

            So, now, you may be wondering what the point to all of this is…me too. I think it’s to be found in these really simple, seemingly obvious, statements. A lot goes into making a choice. A lot of those things we consider we are going to get wrong. And, a lot of factors we will just never be able to consider. But somehow, things can still work out.

The phrase describes this past month, and I just learned last week that it has legal significance.  Then of course, everything has legal significance when you are in law school.  Some highlights from the month include, I became court certified which means I can appear in court.  I did not expect to get giddy over this happening, however, when the letter came, I felt warm fuzzies inside. 

My sister got married!  She met a great guy at the dog park and we ALL fell in love with him.

Because I am an “older” student and well established in this community, I did not come to law school looking for friendship.  But, I have met some of the most kind, thoughtful and interesting people at Lewis and Clark.  This is one of them—my friend Julien.  There is a Mexican restaurant called Los Costita near campus, and we finally made the time to meet for some mid day nibbles and prattle. 

Even though I can hardly justify light reading and messing around in the kitchen, I still do it…

It doesn’t always rain in Portland.  This Saturday was perfectly beautiful, so we took the kids to the pumpkin patch to fulfill our seasonal duties and enjoy some outdoor fun.  The farm we visited had cider pressing, rope making, corn grinding, pumpkin launching, hay climbing, corn mazing, tractor riding, pumpkin picking fun.  Even my teenagers had a good time.

 Hotch-pot, or hotch-potch, in English law, is the name given to a rule of equity whereby a person, interested along with others in a common fund, and having already received something in the same interest, is required to surrender what has been so acquired into the common fund, on pain of being excluded from the distribution.

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. 

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.

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.

Both Justice Kennedy and Kathleen Sullivan spoke informally in a lunchtime Q&A, and then Ms. Sullivan delivered a formal speech in the evening regarding the 1st Amendment and its interpretation in Constitutional Law. Listening to both Justice Kennedy and Kathleen Sullivan renewed my motivation and passion for being in law school and going into the noble profession of law. I was struck by how both Justice Kennedy and Ms. Sullivan were able to communicate so clearly and extemporaneously about a variety of topics while also incorporating humor. In listening to their speeches it became clear to me how important it is to not only be knowledgeable in matters of the law but also to be knowledgeable and well read in other areas. Justice Kennedy told an anecdote of when he was a practicing attorney and was able to convince a client of an unwise decision in a matter concerning a will not by using law, but by recommending that his client read King Lear.

Perhaps Mark Twain’s words, “Don’t let school get in the way of your education,” are especially important in law school. Sure, it is important to keep up with the reading and to study, but it is equally important to take advantage of outside opportunities whether they are law related or not.

It feels great to be back, and not nearly as rusty as I feared. While registering for second year classes (note to future 2Ls - you have to plan your entire year at once, not just by semester) I was a little concerned about how everything could possibly get done. What I was banking on, and what actually seems to be the case, is a massive boost of efficiency. Despite my chronic concerns of ineptitude, it would appear that I’m getting better at this. Perhaps it’s just a deeper familiarity with the logic of legal writing and thinking, plus some Summer experience in the trenches.

One of the fun aspects of this year is leading the student group SABER (Student Advocates for Business and Environmental Responsibility). We’ve had a great turnout to our meetings so far, and are involved with a lot of great projects both at the school and in the Portland business community. On September 26th we’ll be going on our annual tour of a sustainable winery, and wine tastings pair extremely well with learning about sustainable and biodiverse business practices. We’ll have photos up shortly afterward at http://go.lclark.edu/saber, along with some information about our other projects, including a directory of sustainable businesses in the Portland area created in conjunction with a local law firm.

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)

I’ve been asked several times whether law school gets easier as time goes on, and I think like most things, it does.  One advantage is having more control over selection and scheduling of classes.  This term, I am only taking three classes in hopes that I will finish my A paper.  I am working as a legal intern at the Lewis & Clark Legal Clinic in the tax section where I get to represent clients who have controversies with the IRS.  In addition, I continue to clerk for a government agency.  Which brings me to another question several students have asked—is it a good idea to work and go to school at the same time?  The answer to this question should be addressed on a case-by-case basis, but generally, my response is a resounding “yes!”  Assuming the work is legal in nature; working helps bring the concepts introduced in class to life, and it can help determine what type of work you find enjoyable. 

Finally, another oft asked question is—how do you balance school, work and family?  My response is that it takes a commitment from your partner, your kids, your friendships and yourself.  Every family and relationship is different, but for me, knowing when to say “yes” and when to say “no” has been crucial.  I can usually tell when an area of my life is out of balance, and I try to respond to that imbalance as soon as I recognize it.  My law school journey has not been easy street, but it has been one of my most fulfilling undertakings so far. 

If you are struggling with whether or not you should apply to law school because you are afraid you can’t manage the demand, I can confidently say that with the right mix of support and courage, law school is not only possible, it is enjoyable as well.   So, get your applications in before the deadline and get ready to learn how to think like a lawyer!

“Law school taught me one thing: how to take two situations that are exactly the same and show how they are different” –Hart Pomerantz

Running full steam through finals, my summer began somewhat abruptly. Out of the pot and into the fire, you could say. Then, the ALR consumed the first half of my summer. As an Articles Editor, my duties are to review and evaluate every article submission for publications we receive, send out acceptance and rejection letters to authors, and solicit potential authors for articles. Although the job entails more, that is a good nutshell description of my job. I had the pleasure of reading articles on a broad range of topics, from Chicago’s Ban on Foie Gras to Sea Turtle protection. With the guidance from our Editor In Chief, my fellow Articles Editor and I were successful in officially filling Volume 16 Issue 1 of Animal Law, scheduled for publication in January 2010.

In addition to my work on the law review, I have spent a good portion of my summer helping plan this year’s Animal Law Conference at Lewis & Clark Law School. This year will mark the 17th year of this event and I am very excited about the broad range of topics that will be covered along with the amazing speakers that will be attending. For more information about the conference please visit www.alawconference.org.

The second half of my summer was one of many firsts: first animal law course, first veggie burger, first animal conference, and my first time visiting Washington D.C.

Professor Steven M. Wise, author of Rattling the Cage, Drawing the Line, Though the Heavens May Fall, and An American Trilogy, came to campus to teach a two week intensive course on Animal Rights. Without a doubt one of the leading scholars in the Animal Rights field, it was truly a pleasure to be in the presence of such a brilliant man.
Our class started by analyzing the implications of animal rights jurisprudence and the decisions in a few selected patent cases. We then moved to standing and read cases like Sierra Club v. Morton and Lujan v. Defenders and debated over the question of whether nonhuman animals are entitled to justice and moral rights. The remainder of the class was spent looking at what are legal rights, the sources of those legal rights, liberty and equality, and Professor Wise’s substantive argument for legal rights for non-human animals. All in all, this class was the most intense course I have yet to encounter in my educational career. The sheer volume of material that we covered is astonishing, but what is truly amazing is the magnitude of practical information we gained from the class. This class did not just teach us about “animal rights” but rather helped me better understand our legal system and give hope to the future that one-day non-human animals will be entitled to, at least, a basic fundamental right of bodily integrity.

This past weekend I felt privileged to represent our amazing Animal Law Program at the Taking Action for Animals (TAFA) conference in Washington D.C. For more information on TAFA please visit www.takingactionforanimals.org.
My trip began with a frantic dash to assemble and gather material: flyers, brochures, posters and the like for the Center for Animal Law Studies, Animal Law Review, Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Animal Law Clinic, and the Animal Law Conference. Our program had never before been represented at TAFA, so we were pretty much starting from scratch.

I didn’t know quite what to expect when the conference began, but I quickly received positive feedback from everyone. My table soon became surrounded by students, attorneys, and activists from all around the nation wanting to know more about the Animal Law program at Lewis and Clark and our Conference in October. Nearly everyone already seemed to be familiar with our program, but I found most were unaware of all that we have to offer. For those few that had never heard of Lewis & Clark Law School, they quickly became eager to learn more about the school and our Animal Law program.

After the conference was over, I stayed an additional day to take in the sites. Seeing D.C. in person was quite the experience, one that I would definitely recommend to everyone. Although the heat and humidly during the summer is enough to keep me from returning anytime soon. Like most, we visited Ford’s Theater, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, The Smithsonian Castle, Air and Space Museum, and of course The White House.

In less than a month, I embark on my second year of law school. Where does the time go? I hope that this upcoming year brings more of the same. I feel incredibly lucky to be in such a great city, at such a great law school, studying what will become my career and definitely my passion: Animal Law.

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.

There has been nothing lazy about my summer.  Gone are the days of indiscriminate leisure—replaced instead with a season of carefully planned recreation and reprieve.  I have been clerking full time for a government agency and am  now taking my second session of summer classes.  I carry at least one book with me at all times—in case the day brings pause.  Few pauses come which are not devoured by articles and cases that require my attention.   

Realizing that the summer could easily escape my grasp and that fall could descend without my breath having been caught, I have decided to take my own advice and slow things down a bit.  A few days ago, I volunteered to teach a pastry decorating class to a couple dozen  5-15 year-olds.  While being in a kitchen (especially with a bunch of kids) might sound like another layer of work, my time with chocolate and buttercream  is far more life-restoring than sitting around with a magazine.  The next day, I took my friend to Cannon Beach.  My friend has stage-4 cancer, and because of that, we took things extra slow, and each moment was packed with appreciation.  The following day, a group from work headed out of the office for a field trip.  One of our stops was at a Sandy River Delta Restoration Project where we learned about various habitat restorative efforts.  Among other things, it was a beautiful hike, and I got some good tips for dealing with invasive blackberries. 

This week, I did not buck when my husband decided to pull me away from my reading to take the kids and I down to the river.  I intentionally left my books in the car (and he had the keys), so I could fully enjoy our family time.  We ended our river day at my parents’ house where fresh berries abound.  The following morning, I picked up an additional flat of blueberries, and I spent the day making berry tarts and fruit sauces—it was delicious way to avoid reading.  Tomorrow, I go back to school and work reminded of the importance of relaxation—even if it takes some work and planning, it is well worth the effort.