Justice Ginsburg

Fascinating article in the NY Times today about the new (and improved, I think) Justice Ginsburg. Are Alito and Roberts the final straws as far as she is concerned? It's an interesting idea that she is no longer willing to play nice and conciliatory, as she was when Rehnquist was CJ, and has become more and more alarmed at the behavior of the new guys on the block, so much so that she has delivered TWO oral dissents from the bench this term (more than during any other term).

I have written about the abortion decision dissent before in this blog (the post was called, if memory serves, "Enough Already"). Now, this week, she is again pointing out that laws designed to protect women are not necessarily enforced in a way that best protects women's interests anymore. This latest ruling (disclaimer -- I have not read the opinion, only news reports about it) apparently denied the right of a woman who worked for Goodyear to file a sex discrimination claim against them. Apparently she was routinely discriminated against (earning less than her male co-managers for many years), but according to the Court her claim was not filed in a timely matter, and the aim of the law is not to protect women, but to protect businesses from having to defend against stale claims. Since when do businesses need MORE protection from punishment for being involved in discriminatory behavior, especially blatant gender discrimination?

So here's a big shout-out to the Court's might minority -- Justices Ginsburg, Souter, Stevens, and Breyer. It was Ginsburg's dissent, but the fellas joined her in it (as they did in the abortion case), showing a very decent understanding for women's concerns and not giving in to the government or big business. I'm sure it has been really a hard decision for someone like Justice Ginsburg, who according to news articles puts a premium on decorum and tact, to issue her dissents orally. But thank goodness she did it, and thank goodness she didn't have to stand alone in doing so.

Update from the Esq.

Haha, I promise that is the last time I will refer to myself as "Esq." Yes, I graduated from law school on Friday, May 18th. What a wonderful day! Lots of friends and family were there to wish me well, and I had some lovely time off during which I read some non-law books and watched a lot of TV. Of course that was too good to last.

Now I am in the beginning of the hell known as BARBRI. For the uninitiated, this is a very expensive program that everyone who wants to pass the bar exam subjects themselves to during the summer after graduating from law school. I go to classes and do homework every day -- just like law school. UGH. I answer practice test questions, make outlines, memorize rules, and try not to waste too much time (like I am now by writing in my blog), just like in law school. This will be my life for the next two months, until the test itself. SUPER UGH.

Yes, the California Bar Exam -- the days of reckoning for me are July 24-26, 2007. That's right. California is the only state in the nation with a 3-day exam (even NY only has 2 days). This is probably because of all the California-specific subjects they test us on, of which they have added TWO for the first time for the upcoming test (California Evidence and California Civil Procedure --- we have to know that in addition to the federal rules in both of these subjects).

I am trying to get into a routine. I get up and try to be at my desk studying by 8:30am, study through the morning, then have a break for lunch, a shower, and short nap. Then back to it for a few more hours. Then fight the traffic out to Woodland Hills to sit in a tiny conference room at the Holiday Inn from 6pm until 10pm, watching lectures on a large TV. The indignity! Over $3K paid for the privilege and we have to watch the classes on TV. Oh well, I only want to take the exam once so I need to pass it in July. Which I hope I can. The brilliance is you just have to pass. No one cares what your grade is (unlike in law school). How refreshing. But it's a hell of a lot of work and I foresee very little fun from now until 6pm on July 26th. At least SP promised me a trip to Vegas after it's all over.

Another update -- I will be working as a reference librarian in the law school library starting on 8/1. I accepted their job offer a few weeks ago and can't wait to start making $ again. This means, of course, I need to get a library degree. There are some (mainly) online programs, and I applied to one. We'll see if I get in there and how that will all work out. Because of the horror stories of blogging about one's employer, I will continue to keep this blog as anonymous as I have before (although those who know me will know it's, well, me).

My final bit of news -- grades. I have spent 5 semesters bitching about my sucky law school grades, straight B's and C's with 2 A's thrown in by a fluke (yes, 2 A's in 5 semesters). Somehow, however, the stars aligned for me this semester and I got all A's and made the Dean's List, including the highest grade given in my Comparative Law class. How that happened I will never know. I personally think all the other 3Ls in my classes stopped working hard, but because I am a freak I did (could) not. I also know I changed my strategy a bit this semester and pounded the practice essays after finishing my outlines early. They told us to do that during first year, of course. But I am stubborn and it took me 3 years to believe them that that actually works. TRUST ME PEOPLE, IT DOES. I am far from a stellar law student, but I managed to run the table my last semester of law school. Keep the faith, keeping working hard, don't give up or doubt yourself, and it can happen for you too.

These Girls Are Golden

So my hockey team won last Friday, 7-0. But it wasn't just any victory. It was game 3 of the best 2-out-of-3 series against the Silver Team for the championship of our league's Winter season. These girls brought it (as indicated by the score and the 5 different goal scorers). I have never been prouder of them, or to be a part of a hockey game, than I was last Friday.

I'm hoping that victory translates into success here in my last few weeks of law school. One final (Remedies) done, two more (Corporations and Comparative Law) to go, and I have to turn in a paper in my International Litigation class. Then it's over. Not that I need to do well at this point -- as long as I pass, I graduate. But I want the satisfaction of knowing I did my best all the way to the end.

Graduation is going to be one great day.