Beyond Justifiably Blonde

I created Justifiably Blonde as a way for me to share my entire experience when it comes to law school. When I began this chapter, I would search for answers to things I was needing some advice on, help with, etc. and there were few places to turn to. It was after that moment that I just started to write everything down in a notebook as a way to recap on what I did to get to XYZ and as a way to just vent. Writing has always been a stress reliever for me especially during this entire process. 

During undergrad, a few of my classes used blogging as a way to share thoughts on a project, book, etc. or was used for assignments. I was familiar with blogger and thought maybe this would be a great way for me to just put my experience out there. For months I went back and forth with the idea and just relied on putting my thoughts down in the notebook. But a few months ago  I decided to take the plunge and create a blog to put my story out there with the hopes of helping, relating to, informing at least one person on what even getting into law school can be like. 

Throughout this journey I have gradually stumbled upon some amazing blogs that are definitely worth your time to not only browse through but to follow. As you'll see, not every single one of these blogs are solely about law school experiences... why? I think each and everyone of these blogs has something great to offer regardless of whether or not you are thinking about law school, in law school, done with law school or on a completely different career/education track. So, take a moment and check out these blogs, I know their authors would greatly appreciate it!

Brazen and Brunette

The Beautiful Fool  

(this blog is great for undergrad students)

Curls and Constitution

Duchess Of Plumewood

Lawschooli

Legally Foreign
(great blog for undergrad students that are about to begin the entire process)

Ms.JD

Survivor Caribbean Med Student  

(this blog is great for entering med students)

Wish I Would Have Known

If you would like to have your blog featured on this list, or know of any other blogs that should be on this list, please feel free to contact by emailing me!

Crossing Off Some Recommended Books

It's definitely been a hot second since I have posted last. The last week or so was absolutely crazy due to my parents surprise 30th anniversary party that my sister and I hosted.. it went very well though so it was COMPLETELY worth all the stress && was a really great way to say thank you to my family & friends for all of their support. 

But enough with that, if you happened to check out my post on Some Much Needed Time Off you'll remember that I mentioned the "Recommended Reading List" that my school released for incoming 1L's (if you haven't, check it out fast!) I picked a total of 4 books off of that list and then found another one on my own. With only two weeks let until I start my Orange Edge Program, I am disappointed to say that I have only completed one of the recommended reading books. Although what I loved about this book is that I was completely pulled into it, I just couldn't set it down so I actually finished the book in 24 hours and then basically needed a break because I had just blew through a 130 page book in a heart beat...

One thing I highly suggest before I get into the details of why I enjoyed this book so much, TAKE NOTES ON WHAT YOU READ. This book provided so many great tips that I know I want to use in school that writing them down was the only way to save me the time from flipping back through the book to find whatever it is I'll be looking for. 

Coming To Law School - How to Prepare Yourself for the Next Three Years is so COMPLETELY WORTH THE READ & YOUR TIME. I decided on this book mainly because it is actually written by one of the professors at my law school. I figured it would be a smart idea for me to read it because it is actually written by one of the professors at my law school and at a first glance it looked as if it could really give some useful information for the upcoming semester and year to follow. I was right - Gallacher covers the basics and when I mean basics I mean BASICS. His book doesn't talk about life as a 1L, instead his book is focused around how to on properly study

When I first was going through the table of contents I was a little surprised to find that the book focuses on reading, writing, note taking, outlining, etc etc. But as I started to really think about all these things I realized that I was slightly freaked out about simple things like..

Will I read properly and get all the information I need? Will I take notes in a way that helps me rather than hinders me? Should I use a laptop to take notes or should I just do pen & paper? Am I going to outline in a way that I can really study from? My mind has been moving closer and closer to completely frazzled as my start date gets approaches but Gallacher's book has really helped calm a lot of the nerves that I really didn't realize I had. 

Aside from all the great topics and information that he gives, I LOVE that he includes 10+ exercises that you can do to help prepare you for what is to come. It allows you to really give what he is saying a try before you have to actually sit down and take notes while reading, briefing a case, preparing an outline. One example would be the exercise he gave for writing. He starts by saying:

"Try to write every day, even if you write a journal recording the events of you day. Imagine that a future biographer wants to know about you, and think about how what you are writing would convert information to that person. Would your reader think of you as a technically skilled writer? Would your reader like you? Does that matter to you, as long as the events are accurately recorded? Try different drafts to vary your tone, compare different drafts to each other, and think carefully about every word, phrase, and sentence in your journal entry....." Gallacher 89 (did I seriously just cite a book on a blog...... sureeeeeee did)

The purpose of that exercise revolves around his chapter on Writing and that writing is reader centered, with little errors, structured, uses the appropriate voice/tone etc etc. This exercise is simple, and honestly does not take long to do. Its his way of bringing it all together and providing his readers with something to actually do in order to get something from what he is saying.

Besides the fact that he discusses the basics like active reading and writing in law school, I really enjoyed the chance to do a sample case brief. It was a great "preview" of what briefing will be like. Whats great is that he included a sample of his own case brief to compare mine too and that really helped get my wheels turning because it showed me what MORE I could be doing; What more I could be asking, commenting, thinking as I read; it showed me all that I could get out of a case brief and how completing them will benefit me in the long run. I actually briefed a case before my senior year of undergrad and i think that helped me a bit but where i struggled was looking beyond what lies in front of me, thinking about the things that aren't being said, what's in between the lines. I think realizing this now and completely some of his exercises will help me strengthen my active reading and note taking skills. 

Long Story Short - Read the book if you get the chance. There's a lot of little things that I didn't think I would be concerned about like note taking and reading because I mean we all did it for undergrad. But I was nervous about it and if I'm going to be completely honest I'm nervous about law school in general. But this book took away a lot of the fears I was having and that was because his book is like an ongoing, casual conversation filled with great tips and exercises all that will only HELP you along this journey. Hopefully over these next two weeks I can knock out the last couple books and give some feed back! If you have any questions feel free to contact me!

The Laptop Dilemma

My apologies for not posting in a hot second... I've been pretty busy with getting my room re-done, reading & getting the most out of these last couple of weeks as I can. I knew that by the time it came time for me to go back to school I was going to need a new laptop. My school actually prefers if you have a laptop that isn't older than two years old so I also knew from the school requirements that it was something I was going to have to invest in. So what laptop did I pick?

Well all four years of undergrad I had dells.. yes that word was plural. My dad swears by dells and that is what I got when I first started school. My first one was great… until it randomly crashed. I ended up with a new laptop, same model, and that too worked fine until I somehow snapped the hinge on it and one button on the keyboard just refused to get unstuck…. then it crashed over the summer of my junior year. But thankfully I got that all fixed and it was working smoothly….. until the end of spring semester my junior year.. 1 week before finals…. and it decided to completely crash and not let anything turn on… It is safe to say that was my week from hell. I was beyond panicked… I had two major papers to finish up, an online exam and all my notes for the other exams were on my laptop…. I was smart enough to put everything on a flash drive just because I had been having issues the week before where the laptop would randomly freeze or turn off on me so I made sure to back everything up.

Side Note: I highly suggest purchasing a flash drive or two just to keep all important documents, photos, etc in one safe spot and so that it is portable

I don't even know how I did so well at the end of the semester but I made it work. It was at that point that I swore I would never ever ever get another dell because they were not compatible with the amount of work I did and the long hours and research I had to do for all my papers ( I also know that the server my undergrad used for its research data bases gave many many students viruses and issues with their laptops so that didn't help the situation either)

My mind is blanking a bit but I'm pretty sure I ended up with a new laptop my senior year or dell sent a new hard drive and my dad put it in. But christmas time came and my dad surprised my sister and I with dell laptops. Up until now the thing has been great but I haven't been in school for a year and I really don't trust the thing with the amount of work, papers, exams and what not I am going to have to do come the fall, I was in the market for a new laptop and after some research and comparison I finally got my hands on the laptop I've wanted for sometime: the Macbook Pro and it's safe to say that I absolutely LOVE IT.

Yes Mac’s are expensive, but as a student I received a discount (any little bit helps, if you're looking into a mac or any laptop check to see if there are discounts available!)  && Apple is running a promotion right now where if you buy certain products like a laptop (I’m not sure if its all laptops or just specific models) you get a pair of $300 beats for FREE - who doesn't love free stuff?! && let's be honest those bad boys will come in handy at the library, or at home, when I need some extra quite time to study or get work done. So why did I pick a mac book pro and not the air or just a mac book? Honestly it was all based on personal preference. If I was going to invest in a mac I wanted something I would love to have for the next couple of years. I like the size of the pro: its light weight and not bulky like my latest dell. Compared to the air - which only comes in 11" and 13" - the pro has more storage space but cost a bit more than the air. Compared to the just the mac book again the pro has more storage space, additional ports like usb, hdmi & thunderbolts. Long story short, I got more for my money with the Mac Book Pro then I would have with the other two models: BUT any of the models would be a good laptop! 

But here’s a major point I want to make: you don't need to go out and buy a mac, you don't need to go out an buy a dell. ITS ALL PERSONAL PREFERENCE. My experience with dell clearly wasn't a great one but that doesn't mean they don't make good products and they won't be a good fit for you, they do and it could be. But their products and my experience with them just hasn't been the best relationship… so I moved onto something else to try and hopefully the Mac will be a better fit. If not, I’ll try something else next time. Just purchase a laptop you trust, have read good reviews on, will be RELIABLE. COMPATIBLE with your schools system. WORTH YOUR MONEY. Buy whatever you are comfortable with and familiar with. Its going to be YOU who uses it, not anyone else.

Some Much Needed Time Off

For the lsat 8-9 months I have been working full time. I was lucky enough to receive a full time offer in October from the office I had been working for part-time. It couldn't have worked out more in my favor considering I was taking a year off from school to focus on improving my LSAT score and then later apply to school. I loved who I was working with and enjoyed my position as an information aide. The position let me tie in some of my undergrad work while improving my skills as a co-worker and employee. I think if you have the opportunity to take a full time position during a gap year or two, do it. It can only benefit you, and others, in the end.  

Between working full time, babysitting on the side, and continuously working on my "next step" for law school, by the time I was accepted to school and made my decision I was ready for a break from all of it. I decided that July 1st was going to be my last day of work and that a five week stay-cation was beyond needed before I start this next exciting chapter of my life; law school. 

So what am I doing over these next couple of weeks?

1. Tackling some of the books on my "Recommended"

2. Finishing up whatever I have to do on the schools check list. 

3. Preparing my study room - a couple DIY project's that I will be sure to post on

4. Two words... POOL. TIME. - hottest summer of the year calls for pool days & a couple of margs.

5. Spending time with friends, family & the pup - because in august it's "see ya in 3 years peeps"

6. Enjoying myself - first time for everything right?

First and foremost the "recommended reading list". So I think its safe to say a lot of students want to know if there are any required readings to do before the fall semester. My school has created a "highly recommended reading list" and a "suggested reading list" for summer readings. I decided to pick a few from both and another through recommendation. The ones I picked are highlighted below:

Highly Recommended

• Binder, David, Paul Bergman & Susan Price. Lawyers as Counselors (1990)
• Cappalli, Richard B. The American Common Law Method (1997)
• Fischl, Richard & Jeremy Paul. Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams (1999)
• Friedman, Barry & John C.P. Goldberg. Open Book: Succeeding on Exams from the First Day of Law School (2011)
• Gallacher, Ian. Coming to Law School: How to Prepare Yourself for the Next Three Years　(2010)
• Irons, Peter. A People's History of the Supreme Court: The Men and Women Whose Cases and Decisions Have Shaped Our Constitution (1999)
• Irons, Peter. The Courage of Their Convictions: Sixteen Americans Who Fought Their Way to the Supreme Court (1990)
• Levit, Nancy & Douglas O. Linder. The Happy Lawyer: Making a Good Life in the Law (2010)
• McKinney, Ruth Ann. Reading Like a Lawyer: Time Saving Strategies for Reading Law Like an Expert (2005)
• Sherwin, Richard K. When Law Goes Pop: The Vanishing Line Between Law and Popular Culture (2002)
• Toobin, Jeffrey. The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court (2008)

Recommended

• Banks, Russell. The Sweet Hereafter (1992)
• Farnsworth, Edward. An Introduction to the Legal System of the United States (1983)
• Harrington, Mona. Woman Lawyers: Rewriting the Rules (1994)
• Hegland, Kenney. Introduction to the Study and Practice of Law (1983)
• Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird (1960)
• Levi, Edward H. An Introduction to Legal Reasoning (1949)
• Lewis, Anthony. Gideon’s Trumpet (1966)
• Lewis, Anthony. Make No Law (1992)
• Miller, Robert H. Law School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Law School Experience By Students, For Students (2000)
• Stropus & Taylor. Bridging the Gap Between College and Law School (2001)

Now I AM NOT READING ALL OF THEM, that is wayyyy too much within my five weeks off. Some are how to books and while I am going to read two of them (one has really good ratings online and the other is written by one of the COL professors so I feel like that is a must) I feel like if I read too many of these it would hurt rather than hinder. I want to go into this as open minded as I can be especially when it comes to figuring out what works for me and what doesn't (studying habits mostly), etc. etc. I'm more of so reading them as a pre-req. into what I am about to be experiencing if that makes any sense at all.

While all of these books sound interesting, many are a bit pricey (a few on the list were in the $100+ range and I just can't see how spending that much on a recommended book was worth it right now) and with the course I am taking (I'll get to this later) and the cost of books for the fall semester I have looked into some cheaper options - like what my local library has to offer - that deal with the same, if not similar, topics. My plan is to knock out these first 4, plus my own choice, and then see what I can get on topics like the Supreme Court.

Now the book I found on my own was based off a suggestion that I got from an acquaintance, who was previously an attorney: "If you're going to read anything, read up on the constitution" so I found this nifty little book called "The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution" to do just that. So far I have really enjoyed it, its a little dry but I figured its something that I should get used to and one of those topics that I should familiarize myself with and understand to the best of my ability. 

Side Note: Along with reading through these books, I decided to take notes on the readings as well. I'm not sure if it will be useful or not but it could be something to reference to in the future along with just getting into the habit of taking notes again. 

The second thing on my "time off to do list" is to complete whatever I have left to do for the fall semester. Thankfully what I have left are simple things like taking a photo for my school ID - although I know for damn well that I'll probably end up taking about 50+ photos before I find one that I even remotely approve of. After that I have to fill out my parking permit - this isn't available until July 11th- and complete the Pre-pack Text Book form. (I didn't really want to do this just in case I could get them online cheaper butttt we don't get our fall semester schedule until the first day of orientation, classes start a week later and some have readings due the first day. I don't want to risk not having the book or the readings done on time so for this first semester this is the best option for me); then I need to get a new laptop, I will be posting on what I choose and why later on, and whatever else I need for supplies. Finally I have to just prepare for my Prep course - I will post on this too don't you worry. 

The rest is just history. But on a real note... TAKE SOME TIME FOR YOU. you need to be mentally, emotionally and physically (carrying all these damn books) for the change that is about to come. Its a new and exciting chapter, you want to start it with a clean slate and a fresh, open mind to learning whatever it is that's about to come so take some "you" time and do whatever it is that makes you happy (and is legal of course). It's well deserved and needed. 

Enjoy your summer!

The Entering Students Checklist

Justifiablyblonde.blogspot.com

I think it is safe to say that my law school "To Do List" feels as if it is never ending at this point. As soon as one list is completed, another one pops up for the next task. The LSAT List - done, then came the Law School Application List - Done, both led to the Acceptance to School List- done. Now I've moved onto yet another list.. The Entering Students Checklist. Thankfully my school (as do many schools) provided me with a list of all the things that needed to be completed before the fall term begins:

Pay your Deposit

Set up your Email & Online Portal

Financial Aide (This had its own To Do List as well)

Photo & Transcripts 

Housing (Living at home so that was an easy check off the list) 

Health Stuff 

Laptop Requirements, Parking Permit, Registration, Books 

ETC. ETC. ETC. 

Looking at the list in its entirety, I was definitely feeling a little overwhelmed at first but in order to tackle any of it I had to get the first deposit out of the way. (I had two due about a month apart from one another which were deducted from my total amount due for the fall) Once I did that I gained access to my email account and the school's online portal (The portal is just where I can access my school account). So right away I was able to start crossing things off on my list.

Side Note: Don't wait around until the last minute to submit your deposits (unless you seriously have to) I say this because sometimes it can take some time to process all the things you need to do so the earlier you submit things the better off you'll be. Also it has just makes the process easier in the sense that I can actually focus on enjoying my summer rather than be frantically getting things submitted to the school and out of the way. 

One thing that has worked out well for me was getting whatever I could get out of the way, done asap. (things like the deposit, email & online portal set up, final transcript, photo for ID). It has definitely made it easier to stay on top of everything and not feel like I am rushing to get it all done or stressed about what needs to get done. After I completed what I could, I had to wait for other things to become available for completion; things like the proof of health insurance forms, parking permits, registration forms,etc. etc. have been (and are still being) gradually released from my school rather than all at once.

Financial Aide has probably been the only thing that has truly stressed me out. (Make sure to complete FASFA on time to be considered for any available scholarships or Federal Grants... any little bit of financial help is better than none) I knew that I would have to get outside loans but what made it frustrating was that things had to be updated on my account in order to know how much the final amount owed is. It took a hot second for this due to the fact that I had to prove things like adequate health insurance so I didn't have to purchase it through the school (which alone is a pretty penny). Although even when it was all updated I was still completely confused (and feeling pretty stupid at this point)... I was fortunate enough to receive scholarship money and be approved for a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, but they weren't showing up on my updated account. I was really starting to freak out because I knew the amount there wasn't the amount I owed so I reached out to financial aid to figure it all out.

Side Note: When in doubt... ASK QUESTIONS. I can't even begin to tell you how many emails I have sent to my school about things that have seemed so commonsense to me but either turned out not to be or just needed to be clarified. Don't be afraid to reach out to them for help, that's what they are there for. If it wasn't for the support of the financial aid and admissions office alone I would be completely and utterly panicked/lost.

The school has been my leaning post throughout all of this (which has proved yet another reason why this was the place for me). I was fortunate enough that I didn't have to worry/understand the loan process or financial aid for undergrad. But Law School is 100% all on my own. I wanted to make sure that I understand everything before I started signing my life away.

Which Loans to Pick?

Well there are a bunch of options and honestly I just went with the same lender that my undergrad loans were from. It made it easier because they had all of my information, knew my credit history, and actually had decent fixed rates and deferment options. 

Side Note: YOU NEED TO CONSIDER THESE WHEN GETTING A LOAN. I chose the option where I don't start paying until December of the year I graduate - best option for me, you don't have to do this. There are options where you can pay the interest rates while in school, make full payments while in school, choose a 15 year payment plan, variable rate plans, etc etc. its all based on your personal situation 

So I completed my end for the loan application and was waiting to get a confirmation from my school. But my school actually advised me to do the Federal Plus Loan. But after comparing the two I chose not to do so because the fixed interest rate for my private loan was a bit lower then the one offered by the Plus Loan. Every little bit counts right? Thankfully, as of now the loan was approved and everything to do with financial aid is now complete. Dont be afraid to shop around for a bit when it comes to looking for a loan, if you have a specific place to borrow from in mind, check it out. Get the details, ask question. No question is a dumb one when it comes to borrowing money, especially for big commitments like school.

Health Form Freak Out

Alright so.... here's a fun little experience I had recently. So one of the things on the to do list was to get a health form completed.. grand. So I called my one doctor but unfortunately they couldn't do it because they could only fill out about half of the information on the forms. So I had to call my other doctor and told them I needed the form to be completed for school hoping that I wouldn't have to actually go in for anything. WRONG. First mishap was that my PCP (primary care provider) had left and the one I saw when I had a cold left so now I not only didn't have a PCP. AWESOME. && in order to do anything I needed to come in for a physical. WONDERFUL. Little side note.. when I think of physicals I think of shots and shots are a no bueno for this gal. So I take leave work early, drive my half freaking out self to the doctors office, check in and sit and wait. To my surprise I was called in early (this never happens), I went and got weighed - something that every female loveeeesssss to do - got my height - thank you for telling me that I was in fact 3 inches shorter than I actually am - and then moved to the exam room, white walls everywhere. Then came the nurse, who mind you was as sweet as can be but there was oneeeeee tinsy weanie little problem... they couldn't find my vaccination records, but they were going to keep looking and hopefully they'd turn up. I tell you what I just about passed out right then and there because all that was going through my mind was YOU HAVE TO GET SHOTS TODAY. YOU HAVE TO GET SHOTS TODAY. YOU HAVE TO GET SHOTS TODAY. and there was NO WAY IN HELL that this was going to happen. I'm pretty sure I turned sheet white... The nice nurse left and in walked my new PCP came in, (such a nice man) completed my physical and then left me there waiting to find out if they could find my records. So i waited. and waited and waited. THANKFULLLYYYY they did. But there was one unlucky gal who was in there before me and they could not find hers at all and she too needed them for school. I didnt dare ask if she had to get any shots because in my mind if I asked, my luck would have turned sour and I would have gotten one. Moral of the story, get shit done so you don't get screwed. or you may have to get shots.