Category: Law School

Categories
Daily Dose Law School Recipes

Things to Avoid Eating in Law School

You should probably avoid pretty much anything I stress bake.

That’s right, I stress bake. Here’s a quick little reminder for you guys who are not aware of my sordid love affair with decadent chocolate cake and anything bathed in a creme.

25271967935_414e310a40

I mean, come ON! How are you not salivating?  You see, I have a real love and passion for food. I wouldn’t say I’m as adventurous as Andrew Zimmern, but I do enjoy tasting new and interesting foods – especially when they both smell and look delish!

During midterms, I baked double dark chocolate brownies, some with a hearty layer or mint chocolate; plus there were chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, waffles, and capellini with homemade marinara! Should I have been studying? Probably. Did I need the brain-break? YES.

Once I got through the thick of exams, though, my brain kept re-thinking the exam questions and trying to remember my answers. I re-lived new hypos (hypothetical questions and scenarios on the exam), trying to see if I could apply the law to my own ideas.

  • Note: You should really avoid this kind of cyclical and tedious behavior. It’s not good for you and ends in tears. Trust me. 

 

I ended up getting myself worked up and decided I needed something to focus on, so I dug deep into my belly and decided that what my little heart craved most was capirotada. 

I know – what in the ever-loving tort law is capirotada?

Capirotada is a Mexican Bread pudding that is traditionally eaten during the lenten season. One of my Tias (Aunts) is an absolute expert at all things Capirotada and I decided to make my own recipe, inspired by her yummy treats and hilarious jokes.

bread-pudding

 

I guess you can say law school has me feeling all sorts of ways and I needed to re-ground myself. Clean the slate. And, erm..avoid studying for contracts just a bit longer.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Vanilla (I used Mexican vanilla, but I’m not convinced that another form of liquid vanilla would taste too different)
  • 6-7 bolillos (small french bread like loaves, usually found in the bakery of your local supermarket)
  • 2 cups of water
  • 2 piloncillo chunks (piloncillo is a Mexican Brown sugar, packed tightly and in a small cone-like shape about the length of your hand)
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 eggs
  • 4 star anise flowers
  • 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 cup of raisins
  • 1 cup of cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup of pecans (I picked up some candied pecans, and will not justify this delectable choice)

Steps: 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease (use butter, vegetable oil, or cooking spray) a 9 1/2″ x 13″ pan. Set aside.
  3. On the stove, place the piloncillo, star anise, cinnamon, vanilla, and water into a pot and simmer the ingredients until the piloncillo is completely dissolved and reduces by about a quarter. [This is the step where your house starts to smell like Christmas and all things wonderful and warm!] Set aside for about 20 minutes to cool.
  4. Cut the bolillos into bite sized cubes. Set them in a large mixing bowl.
  5. Take the star anise and cinnamon sticks out of the syrup.
  6. Scramble the eggs in a medium sized bowl. Carefully and slowly, add the cooled syrup into the egg mixture. Scramble again. [You should add the syrup a couple of ladel-fulls at a time.]
  7. Once the eggs and syrup are combined, pour half the mixture over the bread.
  8. Add half a cup of cheese, half a cup of raisins, and a 1/4 cup of pecans. Toss gently to combine the ingredients. Transfer them to the pan.
  9. Repeat step 8 with the rest of the raisins, pecans, cheese, and syrup.
  10. Now you place the casserole dish into the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20 – 30 minutes, until the top is slightly brown.
  11. While you’re waiting, you can make the glaze!
  12. Whisk the condensed milk and half a cup of milk in a small bowl. You can use less milk if you want a thicker, creamy glaze.

Once the capirotada is done, pull it out of the oven and pour the glaze over it.
Feel free to serve yourself a heaping slice with a nice glass of milk. You can eat capirotada cold or warm, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be gone before it has time to cool off.

img_0065

 

If you’re feeling like a daredevil and not counting any calories at all…you should try this with a small mound of vanilla bean ice cream. Oooooh!

Categories
Daily Dose Law School

Self-Care in Law School

rock-1573068_1920
So you failed a midterm? Rock the Final!

 

During our Fundamentals Week, which is basically a crash-course in law school etiquette and expectations, one professor took the time to explain self-care in a way I’d never heard. She introduced me to Spoon Theory. Ever heard of it?

It is a great model to explain the use of energy and how to get more of it. The theory was written by Christine Miserandino. She used it to explain the energy available for someone with a chronic illness, but we can certainly relate it to the struggles of law school as well.

Basically, you start the day with a certain number of spoons. Now, if you haven’t rested well, or stayed up to the buttcrack of dawn working on that Legal Writing Objective Memo due at 7:45am, then you can imagine that you probably don’t have as many spoons as the student in class who finished and proofed their memo the night before. Throughout the day, you’ll need to use a certain amount of spoons to complete tasks. But, what happens when you inevitably run out of spoons?

spoontheory

Well, you have to get yourself more spoons. That’s right! You can earn them. You can take a nap, polish your nails, walk down all the aisles in Target and talk about absolutely nothing with your best friend. Do something that helps you relax or simply makes you feel good.

Now you may be wondering why I’m sharing Spoon Theory. I feel like it’s good to remind you that you’re working really damn hard. You’re busting your butt to make the grade you want/need/feel you deserve…and if you overwork those neurons – you’re going to burst! Pump the brakes and Treat yo’ self!

Sure you need to study, but you also must take a chill pill!

 

Rory-Gilmore
Take a BREAK, love!

Midterms are over.

A few of my classmates showed up to exams in pajamas. They looked defeated before even walking into the exam. If I could have transferred some spoons, I would have. But, I don’t think I had any to spare.

That’s law school though, right? We’re supposed to be permanently exhausted, allergic to the sun, and scrambling to type up outlines.

NO. You’ll be a better student if you can get enough sleep to keep your days straight. Trust me. Your deadlines don’t seem to whiz by if you’ve taken the time to calendar them before taking an hour off to take your dogs to the park.

Now, don’t you dare lose your pool noodle and say that I told you to throw caution to the wind…because that’s not what I’m saying. I’m telling you to make time for you.
YOU.
Just YOU.

Law school is hard. Don’t make it harder by forgetting to take care of yourself.
Don’t stress about the exams you just took.
Focus on what you can improve on before getting to the Final.
You’ve got this.

Categories
Daily Dose Law School

Law School – Remember to Breathe

lakeview

Law school exams are terrifying. Maybe you are not of the same opinion, but I personally do not do well with uncertainty. Truly, I do not mind taking the exam. Waiting for grades to post however is what I find stressful.

This semester, midterms were a welcome break from classes. There is so much information poured into my brain on a daily basis, I was ecstatic to find a few hours a day to apply what I’ve learned. 

Now that exams are over, I’ve decided to alter my study methods. I recommend you take a long hard look at what is working for you, and what is not. Your legal education, especially in the 1L year, is tantamount to solidifying amazing internships and positions later on.

Pre-midterms, I read and briefed nearly every case for all classes. This is especially important in legal writing and research because it is impossible to keep all the cases straight without creating a case chart. I also dedicated at least 3 hours a day to reading and synthesizing my notes from each class.

Post midterms, I am spending at least two hours talking about the law aloud. I added this method to my study time and it made a world of difference for my understanding. You have to APPLY the law! Meaning, you need to actually work with it, change the fact pattern, and get down into the trenches of those circumstances.

Take the next few days to examine what you are doing well and what is time wasted. Law school, much like life, is about working smarter not harder. Learning the material is different for everybody, but you need to learn what works best for you.

This week is the best time to determine where you stand in each class, what you need to do to earn the best grade you possibly can, and to take stock of your abilities and shortcomings. This is no time to relax and lull yourself into a false sense of security.

These past 8 weeks flew past me.
You can bet I have set a plan in action and set meetings with professors to make sure I am making use of every tool available.

Make the best of your law school education as well. Get out there and be awesome!

Categories
Daily Dose Law School

5 Things No One Tells You about Law School

 

lawstudentquote

I started law school one month ago and, despite having a full week of orientation where I ended up with more questions than answers, I have finally figured out a few things. However, I am still basically riding a bicycle that’s on fire, while I’m trying not to fan the flames.  Here’s the good, weird, and shitty things I’ve come to realize this semester:

  1. To your friends and family – you’re a lawyer, even if you’re not actually one yet! Before you even start school, friends and family (and even rando-acquaintances) will start asking you for legal advice. Honestly, why would anyone want advice from someone who basically is 1/18th of the way through law school and knows nothing about the system? Because you know more than they do! Remind these folks that you have no clue what you’re doing, but welcome them to keep you on retainer once you pass the bar!
  2. The DRAMA is real. Law school is said to be like high school, which is true. There’s way more drama than there should be with people who spend so much time together, they may as well be related. What no one talks about is how quickly your perception of people will flip-flop. Some students come in and impress the pants off of you with their ability to spew about Federal Question Jurisdiction and Contract Defenses before classes have even started. If you meet this person…RUN!really-gif_2
    You need to be on par with your study mates, otherwise, you’ll start to feel less than and it could lead to tanking your study methods, which could lead to lower grades.
  3. Food is LIFE – remember that! Studying is an all-consuming activity when school is your job. You forget to eat and start considering coffee as a major food group. Every professor tells you to “remember to eat healthy foods” and then follow that up with “I lived off of caffeine and the occasional Ramen cup…” So you start to think that it is physically acceptable to subsist on chai lattes and the occasional Kind bar. Now, not to throw shade on Kind bars (because really, they’re amazing and everyone should carry an extra on their person) but one of these delicious granola sticks is not sufficient enough to meet your caloric needs. I know it is a huge imposition to pre-pack a lunch and microwave it before heading to the library in order to silently fight someone over a study room – but your brilliant self will thank you for doing so.
  4.  Everyone feels like they’re drowning. EVERYONE. What you need to remember is that your legal education is a marathon, not a sprint. Sure, it sounds cliche, but this is the stone cold truth. You simply cannot read, brief, and interpret every case, for every class for the semester in 1 week, plus sleep and feed yourself. You are not a robot, nor are you capable of condensing and understanding the information you’re being water-boarded with unless it’s explained to you. Everyone in your class feels like the amount juggled is not sustainable – and everyone is right! So take a beat. Make some time for yourself and work on self-care, because it is completely possible to feel like you’re drowning and not actually drown. Pull up your big girl panties and straighten that crown. You’ve got this!tumblr_inline_n45dmohxog1r73ga0
  5. You are a sucky writer, crummy reader, and you have no clue what’s going on.
    Law school is a trial-by-fire situation. What you need to remember is – one day, when you’ve graduated and can look back on this experience – you are the sum of your parts. Everything you learn can be applied to cases you will soon argue. You will be counted on more times than you can possibly imagine. You will be the knight slaying the dragon. But you have to start somewhere. Unfortunately, you can’t drink Lawyerade and know all the things. However, you will get better. Aim for progress, not perfection.

tumblr_m78g1mmig41ro2d43

Law school professors aim to break you down, and then they build you back up. You need to know what it feels like to fail – because you will…often. As a former teacher, let me tell you – this is just one step on your way to greatness. Try not to be the Debbie Downer, because no one will want to be around you. In the same token, don’t be the class know-it-all either. In my short experience, it’s best to be honest and straightforward with everyone, especially when you’re not understanding a concept.

tumblr_m56ddtvgdc1rv6lnjo1_500

Finally, share your struggle! Your legal education will be an uphill battle, but you’re certainly not alone. Dedicate time to study, focus on attainable daily goals, and carefully consider your dedicated study group peers, because you need to be surrounded by those who want you to succeed and can add value to your situation.

Kick Ass!