Why scambloggers include "cost of living"

Recently I saw someone ask the question "why do scambloggers include LIVING EXPENSES when they are tallying up the law schools' misdeeds?"  There are a variety of reasons, which I shall explain below.   

First, and the most obvious one in my mind is that some of us are just too poor to go to college or law school without getting loans for living expenses.  In other words, it's our only option if we want to go.  Many poorer students believe that it is through college that riches are obtained.  As the Pennywise song, "You Get the Life You Choose" makes clear, we believe that we are the architects of our own lives.  I, for one, always believed that it was up to me to live the kind of life I wanted to live.  It is not up to anyone else.  Not my family.  Not fate.  I figured that if I invested time in college, I would reap the rewards down the road for it.  Also, I knew that if I did not go to college, like many of my siblings and friends, I would most likely end up in the same kind of impoverished conditions they live in.  While college has not brought me any riches, I will say at this point, I do think vastly different than my family and those who I went to high school with.  I don't see the world as the same "scary" place, nor am I fearful of the unknown.  I don't believe everything I read.  I question literally everything; from the media, to statistics that seem false on their face.  In short, I chose to go to college knowing that it would cost me a lot of money.  And I knew that the only way I would be able to fund it was through college loans for living expenses.  For me, it truly was the only way. 

Second, many of us do not have families that are well off enough to pay our living expenses for us.  Some of us would not ask that of our families.  I for one never would.  Also, some of us have families that don't particularly value a college education and they would not give money for the endeavor even if they could.  While that is not necessarily true of me, I have heard of many people that do not like the idea of their children getting "educated" and being smarter than they are.  I doubt my brother-in-law, with all his vast riches would pay for his children's education.  He thinks college and education is stupid.  Not because it's a scam or because it doesn't end up with a guaranteed job.  It's just stupid.  It teaches people to be liberals, to not hate blacks and Muslims (oh, did I mention he was racist?), and to think for one's self. 

As an adult, some of us see our own education as our own responsibility, and not the responsibility of our parents.  If law school does not work out for me, the debt should not be on my parents.  They are older now. They should not have to worry about student loans and their children not being able to find work.  They should not have to spend their "golden years/enfeebled years" having to lose sleep over the fact that the loan shark is calling them all hours of the day demanding payment.  And if their child is to suddenly do well because of their education, chances are the parents would reap little of the benefit other than the "good will" of knowing that junior succeeded in life. 

Further, law schools and the ABA tell students to limit their work load during law school.  Some schools state that one should not work at all during their first year, and a student can not work over 20 hours a week otherwise.  One can not hope to fund law school working for minimum wage 20 hours a week.  Further, law school internships are not handing out money.  In fact, many expect a student to work for free.  If you can get a law internship that pays more than $10 an hour, you are doing something right.  And, if your law internship is paying well, chances are you are living in a market where housing is very high.  In other words, if you are living below your means in Omaha, NB, chances are, a law internship is not paying you $15/hour.  And even if it was, you would still probably need to borrow some living expenses to get by.

Even if the ABA said that students could work full time, the truth is that some people have a tough time with school and would probably not pass if they had to hold down a full time job.  Law school is tough for many.  Also, we are told that anyone can go to school, no matter what disabilities we have.  Many people see this as a way out of a lackluster life.  Some of us are people who don't want to suck on the nipple of Uncle Sam for the rest of our lives.  Social Security disability has done amazing things for some people, but some people have disabilities and can't get it, and others don't want to rely on it.  As humans, many of us want to be self sufficient, and if we are told countless times that college will allow us to be self-sufficient and even thrive, than chances are, many people are going to jump at that chance.

Even without having a disability, some people are just awful at college.  I was at first, but I got good at it after a while.  Many people can't seem to do well even if they study forty hours a week.  The truth is, they are probably doing something wrong and may want to try to change their study methods.  But, even if that is the case, they can't think of working.  Some people have children and a nice shiny divorce certificate on the wall.  Even if the dad/mom is ordered to pay child support, that doesn't mean that they will.  Amongst my family there is at least five divorces and nobody is paying child support at this time.  So, the reality is that the single mother/father has to trudge their way through school and raise kids at the same time.  All odds are stacked against them, but they continue on, because college is sometimes seen as a carrot on a stick. 

And of course, there are the ones who have it all handed to them, who can go to college without taking out loans.  Some have done well enough to get scholarships and not have to worry about that.  However, many have parents who pay for their school so they don't have to worry about things such as rent, utilities, transportation costs, food, etc.  I can't even imagine not having to worry about that in college.  Some students even have Daddy's credit card.  I don't live in that kind of a world.  In fact, that kind of world is alien to me.  These people don't need to worry about borrowing for living expenses.  They may have been forced into law school by overbearing parents who said, "it's either medicine or law" and their parents pay the bill.  Others just have a blank check on an education.  How sweet.  But I suspect that this is a HUGE minority of those who are scambloggers.  I honestly suspect that most scambloggers borrowed a lot of money for college and they had no choice in the matter, and that's why we include cost of living as part of our education expense. 

A Tale of Two Worlds: Life is Not Fair. A deep look at inherited wealth.

There are two major kinds of wealth that I would like to talk about in this post.  Self made wealth and wealth that is inherited.  You know, the kind that daddy passes on to a child that was lucky enough to be born with a silver spoon in his mouth.  Self made wealth often takes hard work, perseverance, and even some luck.  But not the same kind of luck that is needed to be plopped out of the womb into a  bourgeois family.

Many of us went to law school hoping to get self-made wealth.  College oftentimes delivers the idea that wealth can be obtained by virtue of education.  I know that when I enrolled I expected the big paychecks to come rollin' in.  Just like my brother-in-law's truck rolls into Philadelphia from the west coast every few weeks.  But unlike my brother-in-law, I was not handed a company.

This is a tale of two different worlds.  The world I live in is a world where one either works for their wealth or decides to remain poor for life.  If I want to do something with my life, I can only rely on myself to do something.  I can't rely on others.  My family literally has no wealth.  I funded (am funding) my college on student loans.  The same loans pay for 100% of my rent, 100% of my utilities, 100% of my food, 100% of my transportation costs, 100% of EVERYTHING.  In short, I don't rely on outside financial help at all at this point.  I have to be self-sufficient to survive.

But there is another.  A brother from another mother.  He was handed a trucking company at a tender young age and he now runs loads from one coast to another.  He's a big man (literally, he's huge), and he loves himself the ladies.  One of those ladies is my tender naive sister.  In fact, he loved that girl so much he went out and he married the lass.  Popped out a child to add to a fine collection of eight.  Now he's roamin' like a soldier out on the countryside, trying to maintain his overextended lifestyle, trying to prove the world that he's a big boy with a big toy (his truck). 

Now, there's a problem here.  He knows very little about wealth.  In fact, had his father not handed him that big truckin' company he'd be either sitting on his parents farm with a piece of grain hanging out of his mouth or he'd be hanging off the prison bars like a monkey in heat. 

Case in point: a few months back winter was raping the North Dakota landscape and his truck sat there, in some town nobody here has ever heard of, as he screamed at his wife over the phone.  Why now, was he so angry at the lass?  Did she do something to deserve his ire?  Did she run out and cheat on him?  Did she accuse him of straying too far from the gas pumps at the Flying J and picking up a lot lizard?  No, you see, the fella was a wee bit angry because he did not save any money for a break down.  And this was not the first, second, or even third time.  You see, when you are handed a company instead of working for it, chances are that you have no idea how to actually run it.  Now, this is not a universal truth, but it is often something that I have noticed in my short life.  You see, he had to call everyone he knew to borrow money to fix that truck up, so he could finish his run and return home for some fun.

Now, there was no lesson to be learned here, because it happened again.  Now, this individual lives far above his means.  There's no money left over in an account in case a truck maintenance problem arises.  Instead, the money is spent on every material possession one could hope to buy.  A TV that just has to compensate for something (at least he's fertile with nine babies, and talk of a 10th being planned for).  New vehicles are brought into the household like law students buy lattes.  Money is slung around like a banana slings a monkey.  Yet the company has nothing in case of an emergency.  He has no formal edumactaion, but he commands his own truckin' nation. 

Now, why do I write about this fine specimen of the business world?  Why do I bother spending my time talking about this person and the empire that his father dropped into his lap?  Is it to prove the notion that all of us already know - that life is not fair.  Or is it to paint a picture of a real life example of the difference between the kind of thinking of a person who inherits wealth and a person who knows how to run a company, but probably won't have the chance to?  Perhaps it's a little of both.  I thought it made for an interesting tale.  Something that perplexes me. 

As the educated class, we oftentimes think we are smarter than the rest.  We think that we have knowledge above the masses.  But the reality is that we don't always have the resources.  Nor do we have the money.  The brother-in-law has no college debt (although I suspect he's loaded with other kinds of debt), and the educated benefactors of society as we like to think of ourselves, are loaded with hundred$ of thousand$ of dollar$ worth of debt.  It's a crazy conundrum.  A vile reality.  It's just perplexing to the mind.

Yet, I wonder if the empire will be passed on to any of the fine nine.  Will it last that long?  Will the truck break down and will the company cease?  Will the marriage last (I kind of find myself doubting it.)  Does wealth bring happiness (here, I do not think so).  What is the point of it all?  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole highway but lose his own truck? 

I really don't know the point of this blog entry, but I felt that it was somehow relevant.  Maybe I am wrong, but at least it has been written, and will give me something to look back on one day, in case my views should change. 

Pennywise: You Get the Life You Choose

You've given up don't even try
Pretty soon you'll stop asking why
What do you want to do with your life as it's fading?
It's all just a waste of time
Tell everyone you don't care
You know that
You're going nowhere
So now just sit there and stare as you're waiting
Complaining that life's not fair
You're going nowhere
Don't tell me heard all your lies
Told 'em all a thousand times
When you gonna realize
You're making up no alibis
The message that you
Abuse you get the life you choose
When did you give up and give in?
You say that you can't win
But when you've
Nothing to give and you're broken
You fight on until
The end your going to win
When you think the world is against you
And you think you'll never get through
But your conscience
Just won't let you
Just give up and give in
When all the walls close in around you
And the pressure all surrounds you
But your conscience
Just won't let you
Just give up and give in
You just won't try you wonder why
Well this is you life you won't get another try

Breaking News: Hurricane Sandy closes law school on Tuesday!

I was informed just now that my law school will be closed on Tuesday.  That means that I got two WHOLE days off due to this storm.  Now, I didn't even know there was a hurricane coming on Friday afternoon.  In fact, as I have stated before, I don't really pay much attention to the news.  Had it not been for overhearing about the hurricane from someone at the school, I don't even know when I would have found out about it. 

This morning I got a few more text messages about the hurricane and some people that I have not heard from in months asked me if things were alright.  I can't help but wonder what the people on the west coast are hearing about this hurricane.  I was talking to my sister all night last night and she had not yet heard about it, but upon awakening, she was like "omgz hurricane!  are you ok?!"  I told her I was, and that I did not expect to be in any danger.  However, she told me to keep her updated.  The truth is, I don't know what I would say to keep her updated.  Should I just say, "wind has blown a leaf by my apartment?" 

Another sister, who I don't talk to very much got a hold of me and let me know that she was worried.  And yet another sister, who I don't think likes me that much actually had a nice conversation with me.  Like I said before, I wonder what they are telling people on the west coast about this hurricane.

Before I should get out the celebration caviar, I was told that these classes will be made up somehow.  That means that, although, I won't have class tomorrow, I will have to make up these classes sometime.  So I am just postponing the inevitable.  In other words, the school will have your soul one way or another.

And while the school is bleeding away my soul, I can't help but wonder if there is a sigh of relief by all the big firm attorneys.  You know, the attorneys that we all think that we want to be.  Of course, I can imagine them still under the whips while at home.  As the limbs break outside and the storm surges closer to their waterfront homes, they work hard on cases.  The big partners are in Guam, away from the reach of the hurricane, while the young associates are busting their backs, while the family is down below, in the basement, hiding. 

The electricity flutters.  The young partner reaches for his cell phone.  He dials the partner who is drinking a martini and watching that sunset over Pacific.  "I am calling sir, because my power went off.  I don't know if I will have the information typed out."

"The power's out?"

"Yes, and the storm's really picking up.  The wind is coming in at..."

"I don't care.  You have a generator right?"

"Huh?"

"An electric generator.  You know, something to plug your laptop into so you can continue to work.   You know, these things are important to have."

"Well, I do, but..."

"Plug it in, hook up your computer, and get that file typed up and ready for Wednesday.  I don't care if the hurricane is in your living room.  I am not paying you to sit around and watch the storm.  Now the courts are going to be open Wednesday and I will be back in New York that evening.  I expect to see a full report on my desk when I get back.  Now I am trying to enjoy some time off, and if you call me again you can expect to be in the unemployment line.  Right?"

"Yes sir."

"Oh, and one more thing.  Never call me again on this phone.  I don't care what the reason is."  Click.

***

I can't help but wonder if the unemployment line would be more my style.  I doubt the big firm attorneys are getting to enjoy this storm.  I imagine that this is as much fun as a law student gets during their third year.  Yes, being trapped in an apartment while a storm closes down the city is the height of fun for a third year law student. 

I am going to enjoy today and tomorrow.  I am going to not think about the make up days.  I am going to enjoy the electricity while it lasts.  I might talk to my sister.  I might let her know that I saw a bird outside.  He was on the trash can and confused.  Poor little guy.  The storm is going to barrel in on it soon.  She's an animal rights activist type, so maybe telling her about the bird would be in bad taste.  Maybe I will try to save the bird, bring him/her inside, and give her/him a dry place.  She would like that.

Thar she blows! HURRICANE!!!!

Will this hurricane be the one to end all life?

They say that there is a hurricane coming my way.  Last year the media made fools of themselves over Irene, so I don't have much confidence in the reporting over this one (more on that below).  However, the law school will be closed on Monday, so I will have the day off, and that is good.

I am sure that many people are welcoming the hurricane.  It's interesting that in our modern society that people are welcoming of a hurricane in order to free them from homework, school, etc.  There was one day where people would be down on one knee, praying that they would survive.  Now we just hope that we don't have to go to Advanced Civil Procedure or Family Law class.  In fact, some of us are hoping that we get Tuesday off as well.  Can you believe that?

Now that midterms have passed, I should feel less anxious about school.  Yet every day I feel more fear than ever.  I wake up in a sweat sometimes.  Other nights I can't even sleep.  They call it the 3L jitters I am told (more on that coming soon). 

Well, on a more serious note, the girl that I wrote about a while back came over and brought some water and made sure that I had enough food.  That was a really nice gesture of her.  She knows that I don't know many people here.  I am guessing that's her way of saying that she wants to still be my girlfriend.  I wasn't sure. 

I did receive a call from my mother who was concerned that I was not taking this seriously enough.  She was watching the Weather Channel (a channel that barely can get a regular forecast right).  Sadly, my mother can't understand that the Weather Channel exists solely to sell advertising and make money.  Many people think that these networks are around for a benevolent cause, such as to make sure people are safe from big storms.  Instead, they make their revenue off of creating fear in the masses, and having them glued to their programming.  This strategy has worked, as many people are hooked on the channel today as this "storm" moves closer and closer to New York. 

She is right though, I am not taking this seriously.  I did go out and get some coconut water and some spices to make something that I was already going to cook.  But, I wasn't going to go buy actual stuff.  I must say the store was packed and I felt silly for even going out.  But I needed that Paprika for a recipe and realized that I needed Garlic powder.  So, as you can see, I am not taking this seriously at all.

The Russians

Having some Russian in me, I feel bad for the people around Brighton Beach in Brooklyn that are forced to evacuate.  Last year I lived in a flood zone that was suggested to evacuate.  I did not, even though I was a couple of blocks from the water.  The day progressed just fine.  In fact, the day of the hurricane, I got hungry and walked to get some snacks.  Other people had the same idea.  This was a hurricane that the media was saying was going to rip the city apart.  A hurricane that was unprecedented.  A hurricane like no other.  Now the media is saying the exact same thing about this one.  I am going to remain planted here and I imagine others will be as well.  In fact, many people are sick of the media crying wolf over every storm that hits.  One day a real storm will hit, and then what?  We won't budge.  Then what?

One thing that I have realized since reading scamblogs is that there are a LOT of scams out there.  The "weather" is a scam.  A massive industry that is built on the premise that one can actually predict what nature will conjure up.  It's a gamble, nothing more.  Are you rolling the dice on Frankenstorm?  I rolled the dice on Isabel, and I must say, I won that bet.  I'm going to win this one as well.

...Sadly, I recently saw a comment that said that Bloomberg should have evacuated all of New York.  I don't even know what one should say to that...  But, all I have left to say now is, enjoy your time away from school!  Study up and prepare yourself to own the final.  Perhaps even get a head start on your job search! 

Good luck surviving this storm!  (If I die, this will be my last post).

Why Are Law School Girls So Hot? Part II

Today was a sultry day on the subway as a gal carrying a tightly bound red contracts book sat beside me, took out her pencil, and started to underline key phrases as the subway thrust its way through the tunnels, moving quicker, in and out, in and out, molesting the darkness, fondling the light of various “stations” and then diving deeper, through the underground toward it's climatic ending, the World Trade Center. It was a deliciously intense ride, but also...

...The Longest Ride of My Life.

There I sat, in utter awe, as her blue eyes gazed down at the words on the page. Breach of contract. Specific enforcement. Delicious. I could not believe myself as I sat there, literally next to this being, as the train consummated the rails, rushing forward without stopping. My jaw dropped as I saw that she was briefing one of my all time favorite cases, THE TJ FRIGGIN HOOPER (ok, she was not, but that would have been so cool). I wanted to say something, but I was in a daze, listening to my iPod. I wanted to say, “hi, what law school do you go to?” or, “have you ever read the blog, lawschoolfail? I'm the author!” But, being shy around females, I did not say a thing. I just let the train do its thing and wondered why she decided to sit next to me (other than the fact it was the only seat available at the time.) I wondered if she knew that I was a law student. As I looked at her book, she probably thought I was just some “regular joe” who didn't know anything about the law. She was obviously a 1L, reading contracts, and I thought that she would maybe swoon if she knew that I was a big time 3L, soon to be graduating. Soon to be taking the Bar. Soon to be empowered by legal grandeur! I should have jumped up and said, “where are you at in contracts? ...oh, specific performance. Yes, but the courts prefer to give expectation damages. If the contract is breached, and if the contract is for land or for something unique, then perhaps specific performance will be ordered. Would you marry me?”

New York trains are full of hotties...

I was the one to get off the train. I finally got to the point where it was depressing to ride next to her. In fact, I found myself no longer wanting to go to class. So I skipped. Sue me. You see, I could have followed her, like a stalker, only to find that she went to my same law school. Wouldn't that be something? But there were a lot of law schools that the route could have taken us to. Maybe she was coming from St. John's or Touro (which has an LLM in witchcraft law), or maybe she was on her way to NYU, Brooklyn, Cardozo, or NYLS? She could have also been going to Rutgers. Oh man, I wish I would have asked her what school she was going to.

I changed trains, watching her disappear down that tunnel perhaps forever. I only have a mental image of her in my mind. Blond, tall, wearing clothing, no outward deformities, contracts book. I wonder if she is reading this. Actually, I was not really attracted to her now that I think about it.

The LLM

Lately there has been a lot of talk about getting an LLM. Is an LLM worth it for a law school student? Some other blogs have made some good points about LLMs, and I can't be help but wondering what the point really is. For example, should one continue with law school after they can take the bar? If you are to be a lawyer and you are ready to take the bar and pass it, why would you go back to school? The ABA requires lawyers to take CLE courses every year. While these courses cost money, they cost nothing near the price of going for an LLM.

That being said, at one time I thought that I may go for an LLM. This is my dark secret, and one that I felt I should get out there. You see, I am probably not different from many students in this regard. I honestly thought that getting an LLM would make me seem more “valuable,” as if my value is related to how much schooling I get. Further, I thought that I could go to a higher ranked school, such as Georgetown, U.C. Berkeley, or Columbia to retrieve this LLM. That would make up for my school's lower ranking, wouldn't it?

Further, I thought that if I had a hard time getting a legal job, I would be way ahead of my J.D. holding peers with a shiny brand new LLM. Who could resist hiring someone with not just a JD, but a JD with an LLM? Wouldn't a degree from, say, Fordham, Cardozo, Albany, or University of Colorado coupled with an LLM from a higher ranked school be just as good as a regular JD from NYU, Georgetown, or UCLA? Of course not. Employers stop caring about how much school you have at some point and value work experience. It's kind of like transferring law schools. Before you get your first year grades, the LSAT is extremely important. But once you get your first year's grades, the LSAT becomes irrelevant. After a few years work experience, where you went to law school (largely) becomes irrelevant (except for certain schools). Yet, thousands of young ones are being misled, thinking that the LLM is “another” golden ticket.

LLMs, however, don't just come from the cream of the crop. There are LLMs from even the lowest of the low. Cooley and other lower ranked schools offer their own LLM programs. I always wondered why a person would get an LLM from a forth tier or lower rated school. Since many people go back for an LLM with the mistaken belief that more schooling equals better riches in the future, you would think that these people would also understand that the school's reputation is also somewhat important. And, if you did so bad in law school that you could only go to a very low ranked school to get an LLM, you may want to forget law school and consider doing something else.

Now I know that I won't be going back for an LLM. It doesn't have a real place in the legal world for me. Some have said that a tax LLM from certain schools is a pretty safe bet. I don't see myself doing taxes, and those kinds of programs are still quite competitive. Further, if I was to go back to school due to not doing well in law, it would probably be something other than law. That being said, when I am finished with law school, with too many years of education behind me, I think that I may just throw in the towel and say “enough is enough.”

Enough is enough. There is no reason why one should be so masochistic to continue to up their loan amounts to the stratosphere. If an LLM in space law guaranteed you a ride to space to some far away planet in which you could default in peace, I would consider it. Rumor has it that there are some Earth like planets that could theoretically sustain life. These planets may have intelligent life that has surpassed Earth when it comes to higher education costs. I wonder how one would use that space law LLM there though. Then again, I wonder how a person uses a space law LLM on Earth. Further, I can't help but wonder how much one could teach about space law. Perhaps one could create a semester long course on space law (which I imagine would mostly be based on international law), but how the heck does one do multiple semesters of full time study on space law? What the heck would you be learning about? Saturn v. Uranus? Red Giant v. Alpha Centauri and Suns? Spock v. Yoda (a heated case no doubt)? If space law is so important, why is it not taught at most law schools?

Is Higher Education Turning into Busy Work?

Is higher education turning more into busy work as a result of the weatherman's lies?  Wait a minute, let's back up a bit, shall we? What I want to say is that I was talking to a friend of mine, and she was saying that she feels that college is busy work.  At first she said that she thought it was just her.  She is taking 18 credits a semester in order to graduate in 5 years (she is required to take a minor in her program).  She stated that she noticed that it was not just her program, but almost everyone she knows at her school is taking the same type of course load.

Now, it took me well over 6 years to graduate from college, but that was because I was kicked off of the financial aid program in my undergrad due to getting three F's one semester.  The reason I got such low grades was due to not being able to pay my rent and being evicted due to a financial aid mix up at my school.  I appealed to the dean and was able to get my financial aid reinstated, even though my credit was ruined.  Later I would transfer to another university and have to take many extra courses. 

The conventional way of learning currently states that the more students go to class and read commercially manufactured textbooks, the better they will be able to get jobs and work for an overlord.  Further, conventional wisdom now states that EVERYONE should go to college.  And you see hundreds of thousands of young ones enrolling into five year programs in order to have a small chance of getting a job.  It's insanity!

Conventional wisdom has raped and pillaged our modern world.  The weatherman spouts lies about the weather, and people actually buy into it (I don't check the weather anymore, as it makes me go into a Con Dar rage).  People are told that there is a certain way to live life (such as go to school, get married, make babies, buy a big house, grow old, retire, die).  But just like the current model of education, that model is seriously broken.  It is as if the point to education is more and more about making money and not about making people smarter.  At one time it seems that going to college was a role for the aristocracy.  People who went to the university changed the world.  Now a person goes to the university in order to work at Wal-Mart (a recent opening of Wal-Mart stores, often considered the worst place in the U.S. to work, had thousands of applicants, some with masters degrees!).  We now pay from $30,000 to $50,000 a year in order to compete for a minimum wage job.  As a result, those who consider themselves to be overachievers go on to law school, where they think they will have a chance to make more.  In other words, the reason people go to law school is so that they will not have to work at Wal-Mart. 

"My soup is more elite than your soup, daddy."

How do we fix higher education?  Do we say that "only a small percent of people - the richer portions of society - can go?  Or, do we say "allow everyone who wants to go enter, but only those who get in the top 50% of grades can stay?"  It's hard to say, as a world based on Aristocracy is an asinine one.  Basing a person on who their parents were and who their parents were is a broken system.  However, people love to be seen as elite, and some people will do anything in their power to appear more elite.  Some will say, "well, my family rode in on the Mayflower, so I'm superior."  But what really matters is you. 

Conventional wisdom generally is best ignored.  When a person looks at the world, they find that reality is conventional wisdom turned on its head.  Alternative ways of thinking are never popular, but throughout history, conventional ways of thinking have been disproven over and over again.  Perhaps it is time we disprove the current model of higher education.

Why are law student women so hot?

Please, please may I please please join your study group please?

So there I was, just sitting in class, minding my own business, and trying to learn about the law.  Being reminded that we are the smartest people in society by our professors makes us feel good, but when surrounded by hot coeds, I know I'm going to be going back to my apartment feeling lonely and frustrated.

I don't understand what it is, but law school girls are some of the finest in society.  I remember when I first sat at orientation and thought, "wow, these girls are much more attractive than undergraduate girls."  I think that part of it is that they are no longer awkward looking eighteen and nineteen year old girls, but now have blossomed into womanhood.  Further, many are from families that have some money, so they know how to take care of themselves and look good.  Many of them dress very nice, carry themselves with grace and elegance that many average people seem to lack.  Further, they know they are intelligent, and there is something powerful about a woman who knows she is smart.

Sometimes when I sit in my classes, I think to myself, "how do so many fine ladies converge all in one place?"  Sometimes it's harder than others to stay focused on the subject matter of a class, such as contracts and property.  Especially when I want to draw up contracts to make these women my property.  But we are told by law that we can have only one, when there are literally hundreds of fine looking girls at my school.

What about the ugly ones?

There's this belief that there has to be some uglier girls to balance out the more attractive.  But it seems that there are truly no ugly girls at my school.  Further, I have noticed that every girl in this city that carries a law book into the subway, whether it's at the 4th street station (NYU), Jay Street station (Brooklyn Law), or 110th street (Columbia), they are ALL attractive.  Further, one would think that lower ranked schools such as New York Law School would probably be a bastion for the unattractive, yet when I find myself in lower Manhattan, I find that the girls around the NYLS building are flamin' hot.  Further, I have noticed that in my law internships, the Touro, St. Johns, and Fordham girls are all pretty.  And there is something about a Cardozo girl that makes my blood just flow to a certain area...mmm... yum yum.

I am sure that I have come across a law student female that I have not been attracted to.  And that's not to say that I am attracted to every girl I see.  First, I will say that few women really get my libido running.  Generally I tend to shy away from many people or wonder what they are thinking when they wear those over-sized sunglasses and carry those gaudy Gucci purses.  Further, I can't say that I would want a lawyer wife.  In fact, I don't think I would ever consider actually dating any of the law school girls.  But dang, they are fine! 

Is a law book a magic "get hot tome" that automatically makes girls sexier?What is about a law book in the hands of a woman that makes me swoon?  Is it the fact that when they hold those heavy books their breasts seem more perky?  Is it the smile they have knowing they are among the most intelligent of all humanity?  Do their cute little bodies seem to struggle with the weight of such a massive book?  Or is it their upbringing?  Did their parents, often bastions of wealth, make sure to get them all nice and sexy just in time for law school? 

I know the professors have seen me swooning when a long-legged coed walks in the room.  I know they know what I'm thinking when they have me read "Dillon v. Legg" to the class.  And I just know I can't be alone when I sit outside on a warm day watching the mountains of Leggs walk to and from the law school building, wondering if I can make it through class without breaking into a fierce sweat and pretty much ending up naked in my seat.



I don't mean for this blog to be a sexist post.  For example, I am sure that the guys are attractive too.  I can't tell that well, as I consider myself straight.  But I do know that there is a very popular club at my school called "OutLaws" in which many people seem to be enjoy.  Further, there seems to be a LOT of girls in there, so it just makes me wonder if even the girls see what I see: A ton of female students who are literally in the prime of their lives, looks-wise.  I am sure the practice of law takes its toll on many law student women -- and can they really be expected to remain that attractive forever?

In conclusion, I have enjoyed the opportunity to be surrounded by eye candy for the last 2 and a half years.  I don't know if it's worth $45k-70k tuition, but it's something nice to pass the days.  But let me tell you all, just between you and me, that sometimes it's VERY hard to keep my eyes on the books, or keep my mind on the Rule against Perpetuities when I literally feel like I'm in a gentleman's club. 

At least I have a private space to come home to after class and... study.  If it wasn't for that, I would be looking at my rank even plummeting more.

JP Morgan's "boss" says "housing market is back, baby! It's back!"

This is what the bottom quartile at Cooley will get you in 2014.  Saddle up!

Law graduates and students, get ready to buy your first home.  According to the article posted here on BBC, the market has turned for housing.  Law graduates, rejoice!  You soon shall be in your very own homes.  It's time to start buildin' some good ol' fashioned equi-tay.
Although I just moved into a cheap studio, I am hopeful that once my lease ends that I will be moving to a new condo in the East Village just in time for me to get that big law job.  After all, if the housing market has turned, the law sector is bound to turn as well. 

Think about it, there is going to be a lot more transactional work, and real estate law is going to be huge.  Hell, I am considering taking a real estate law course next semester to get ready for the big upswing.  And if I can't get a job in law, maybe I can become a broker or a real estate person. 

These are exciting times we live in, folks.

Cooley grads, get ready for the big time!  You may have been worried that you were at the lowest perceived law school in the world, but now there's a chance for you.  But, you must be vigilant.  And you must be willing to "burn the midnight oil." 

If you want to get the big jobs, you can't let your cat get in the way of your studies.  

My advice for all you recent and upcoming law school grads:  Go talk to your deans.  Deans need you to get the big jobs in order to keep their all-important U.$. News and World Report rankings high.  And schools like Cooley are clamoring to get onto the first tier. 

Here are some questions you might ask your dean:

"I am graduating soon.  I have read the BBC article and want to know how I can use my law school experience to have my piece of the pie."

"I am considering real estate.  I plan on buying a big three bedroom close to Times Square upon graduating, and would like to work in real estate.  What firms are hiring."

"Is it too late for me to get a tuition refund if I drop out right now?"

"Importantly, we believe the housing market has turned the corner," Mr Dimon said in a statement.

This is what the curtain-girl's dorm probably looks like.

Well, it's only a matter of time before some d-d-d-d-d-dean comes out and says the same thing, right?  I imagine a boatload of LLM programs for real estate in the pipeline. 

What do you crave?

When I was a child I was scolded often for having an appetite that was too voracious.  I was told that my "tastes" were for things that were often reserved for the rich - the 1% of society (even though my parents did not say "1%").  Well, I am finding that as I go through law school I crave less and less of those things.  Of course, I think that having a nice house in the East Village would be nice.  Who doesn't, though?  Although, I do ask myself what I would be happy with.  Perhaps just a job that gives me some stability and some extra money to go out and play with from time to time. 

Many law students who I see crave the biggest and the best, and I believe that they are going to be in for a big wake up call when they graduate.  While some may get decent jobs, the truth is that many are not going to be buying $100 curtains for each window in their studio and $750 purses.  They should not fret though, as I hear there are some really nice knockoffs in Chinatown that are hard to tell apart from the real thing.  Many of these knockoffs cost under $50.  The rest of that money could be used to put a nice pair of curtains on layaway at K-Mart. 

The Reality
Of course, the reality is that buying a house is not always the best option.  I don't know if I would honestly buy a house here in New York.  While it would be nice to work towards some equi-tay, the reality is that buying a house is expensive and something that really ties a person down.  There is sometimes a stigma towards renting v.s. buying, but I could care less about stigmas.  I have been stigmatized my whole life, and am somewhat used to it.  If you can't handle stigmas, then you are probably going to find yourself in a "world of hurt."  And you don't want to be in a "world of hurt."

Buying a house is good for people who are preparing to pop out inordinate amounts of babies (one of my sibling has 9 such babies and is preppin' up for number 10).  I have no desire to procreate.  For those that do, buying may be for you.  But, the idea of being tied down with children doesn't float my boat. 

Buying a house is also good for someone who wants to remain in a single area for a very long time.  I don't think I want to remain here forever.  The idea of spreading my wings seems nice.  Trying a new locale from time to time.  Maybe going overseas to teach English or something like that.  Buying a house is going to make that awful hard. 

The big banks want the world to think that the housing market has turned, and they will do and say anything to get people to start buying again.  Many of these big wigs have waited long enough for the market to turn, and if they want to appeal to the presses, then they are going to do that.  There's a lot of money in housing, but not if houses just sit empty or sell for cheap.  And what is spookier than an empty house full of cobwebs in October?  It's just downright bone chilling.

Never Trust the Media - It's Basically Pure Evil

If my life experiences have taught me anything - it's that the media is generally wrong.  From television news to the newspaper, it's all a bunch of gibberish.  The weatherman can't even get the forecast correct.  You walk outside with an umbrella to find out that the sun is shining all day long.  And yet people refuse to look at the sky and instead opt for the weatherman's opinion.  It is just an opinion - one that makes the news companies MILLION$ of DOLLAR$. 

I have subjugated myself to conventional wisdom for far too long.  I have allowed myself to believe that certain things were good and others bad.  The media claims that life should be lived a certain way.  Buy a big suburban house, get a couple of cars, create a few babies, and that is happiness.  Wrong, that's only happiness for a few people - not for all of society.  Personally, I would be miserable in such a boxed up middle class lifestyle.  That's not something I crave.  Yet, we are told constantly by the television that is the way to live, and there is something wrong with us if we don't have that life.

Bad Religion
Album: Stranger than Fiction
Song: Television



Television, television, television, television

oh yeah! I want to bask in your golden light,
submerge in electric waves,
I need my connection to the world outside

the world outside is buzzing like an angry wasp in summer,
the candidates are running, and soon the son of God is coming,
crackle mental convolutions tune in to the revolution,
whereby everyone's included so we'll never have to be alone

every atom of my body, blood and sinew, bone and fibre,
I can't distil you from my blood,
you're a hungry germ inside of me,
you're my lover, you're my heroine,
my conscience and my voice,
and I know that I have learned to let you in I
will lever have to be alone

I'd take after my mother but she's from a different generation,
I prefer my big brother he's so gentle and understanding,
and I learn what I can from him by the television light,
so that when I'm all alone I know everything's gonna be alright

The media tries to literally coerce us into living a certain type of life, and if we don't, we get whipped by it from the rest of the world.  I can't even count how many times I have heard from family, friends, and others that my life was "stranger than fiction" or that I should live a certain way.  Yet, I found that I was happier when I just sat back and let my life be lived how I wanted it to be.  Sure, it may appear "stranger than fiction" but I found I was happier living my life according to my own grand design.

To allow your life to be controlled by outside sources, by myths, will only make you feel like a big fool.  The media has perpetrated myth after myth for millennia.  From the days of the old Catholic church which told sinners to pay a penance for salvation (as if salvation could be bought with conventional money), to the present, where Matt Lauer and his progeny control the minds of many people across the this fair land. 

That glow of the television makes it all too easy to give in.  For some reason our eyes are easy focused on the sight of those changing images.  Our ears cry to hear the voices and commands of the people on the other side of the screen.  We can't seem to fathom living life according to our own designs.  It seems strange and wrong to plan our own lives.  We feel that if we don't aim for the same ideals and goals that are preached by the television voices that we have let down our families and our friends - as if what they think actually matters.  Does the thoughts and perceptions of anyone other than yourself really matter?  Or is it all-important that you please other people for the rest of your life, with the result only being your own suffering?  Wake up kiddos!

Many people today are in law school and are miserable.  Many went because their parents told them to, because they thought it would be a certain way (either from school advertising or from television shows showing a larger than life image of the law) or due to the perception from the days of old that law was a calling of the elite.  I am not saying that law is bad, but many people have attended law school for the wrong reasons.  Many people, impressionable young people have taken the advice of others and are angry that their choice was made for them.  And they still fall into the same trap of listening to what others say and living their lives according to what others want.  Others which include; the media, the television, the WEATHERMAN (the most worthless job on Earth), and the parents.  But as adults we can let go of all that and start to live our own lives and ignore all this outside bologna.  If there is anything that the article above has shown me (and other articles) it's that we can't trust anything but ourselves. 

The media shalt not be our guide.  Only we can decide how we want to live our lives.  Don't fall for the biggest myth of our time.  The media is a disgusting lie. 

Selling Your Soul for a Job

"Litigation or Transactional?"

There's a lot of talk about it being hard to find a legal job in this economy.  For instance, many people are graduating from law school and undergrad and are finding that getting a job isn't quite as easy as they thought it would be.  Some people are glad to move back in with Mother and Father, but for some of us adults, that is and can never be a real option.  For some of us, we would have to move into a homeless shelter before we would move back into our old bedroom or even sleep in the foyer with the dog.

Others have friends that they can bum off of for a while.  Some of us are comfortable with the idea of sleeping on a fold out sofa and taking over a good friend's livingroom until he gets angry and kicks us out onto the street.  It beats living with the parents, but it's not a big step up.

So, what if you want to get an actual job after college but nobody is calling you back.  Maybe the jobs are asking for too much,  For example, this ad on Craigslist states[1]:

***

Who I'm looking for:
- Top 15% of your class (law school's "brand name" is irrelevant)
- Graduated undergrad with honors (undergrad's "brand name" is irrelevant)
- Undergraduate degree in: Accounting, Business, Economics, Finance, Mathematics, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, or Music.
- WILL NOT ACCEPT anyone with an undergraduate degree in: English, History, Political Science, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Art History, Religion, etc.
- Lawyering skills coursework (appellate advocacy, trial advocacy, pre-trial advocacy, negotiation, drafting)
- Grade of A- or higher in: Legal Writing, Civil Procedure, Torts, Property, Business Associations, Family Law, and Tax.
- Grade of B+ or higher in: Contracts, Evidence, Trusts & Estates, and Legal Research.
- Interest in any of the following practice areas: Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Products Liability, Employment Discrimination, Copyrights, Trademarks, Real Estate, Landlord & Tenant, Creditor & Debtor Rights, Bankruptcy, and Land Use & Zoning Regulation.

***

Now, this man is nice enough to not care if you went to Cooley or Columbia, Fordham or Fleetwood Mac Law School for the Blind, but he does want you to be in the top 15% of your class, and for 85 percent of us, that is not going to get us an interview with his firm.  And even if some of us did get in the top 15%, we might have majored in something like English, Political Science, or Psychology.  So, what now? 

Well, I know a good way to get a good job, but it's something that people tend to look down on.  But, as October rolls in, it might be time to be thinking creatively.  For some of you, Bar results were good.  You passed and you are now really thinking "I need a job, and I need one now."  Well, the devil's busy this time of year, but I hear that there are better ways to conjure him than to buy a book such as:



You see, some books and websites have these long spells in which one summons Satan.  Some of these spells require you twist and turn your body in strange contortions, use strange herbs that you can't get at your local grocery store, and light a ton of expensive candles.  I know that I can't afford candles at this point in my life!  

However, there is a quicker way in which to summon the devil from the grave.  You just say, three times fast: Beelzebub. 

Now, before you start chanting, you first must be careful in what you want to ask for and I want you to consider what you are willing to give.  The devil usually wants souls, but sometimes he'll take something else.  Also, the devil doesn't discharge student debt.  But he can get you a job usually.  So, now that you know the devil is well connected, you have to consider where you want to work.  Do you want to work in a big firm or maybe some boutique firm?  Do you want the $160,000 a year job or would you rather sit back and work only 25-30 hours a week for the $75,000 job?  Sometimes those kinds of jobs let you telecommute from Hawaii I've heard. 

Recently, I heard some dark words being repeated in the basement of my very own law school.  I have heard that there is some witchcraft being practiced down there (some law schools even teach witchcraft I've heard!)  Now, at first I was a bit scared, but I soon came to the realization that it's only a job searching strategy for those who were not able to luck out during OCI. 



Do you want a job bad enough to send your resume to the depths of hell?  Are you willing to literally step into the fire for the chance to interview?  It is a dark time for many, and the only way in which some of us can expect a job is by asking the devil politely to put in a good word for us at a decent firm.

Another point of advice:  The devil really doesn't like the "quick conjure."  Most people, when summoning the prince of darkness, rely on potions, dead sheep, pentagrams made of sand, and a buttload of incense.  When you shout "Beelzebub" three times fast, you're kind of cheating.  It's like cutting in line.  People are sitting around in their bedrooms with real questions and wishes, such as for Stephanie Meyer to write a new Twilight Book, and they have gone through about $100 in materials, and here you are, a law graduate, cutting in line, asking for a three figure job!  With that in mind you have to realize that this is going to upset the devil somewhat.  So, don't get all picky with firm names and partner tracks and all that.  Also, don't ask for a corner office with a long legged secretary.  You have to be happy with just the job for now.  Of course, you only have one soul, but if you want the quick summon you have to be willing to give something up.

Also, there are many people who would rather be unemployed than give away their soul.  I understand the sentiment.  I have posted other job opportunities that are available, such as "You Shoulda Been a North Dakota Oilwoman."  Now that the oil is all drying up, you may want to consider some other options.  There's always a chance to get into Plumbin'.  In fact, I have a certain brother-in-law that loves to unclog toilets and makes some serious $$$ka-chingalinga$$$ doing so.  In fact, we call him "Daddy Warbuck$" even though his kids were lost in a divorce.  Again, a testament to the brutality of life.

If you want, you can try waiting a little while before making up your mind.  The Devil's been sitting around down low for a long time now and I don't think he's going anywhere.  See where your class rank gets you.  Maybe you will be able to get the job that was mentioned above.  Maybe you can make your rank rise from where ever it is now to the top 15%.  Just hope that you did well in your first year courses (A in torts) and didn't major in Celtic Studies. 

As for me, I am thinking that what I did hear down low in the law school basement was the conjuring up of ol' goat face.  I know that there was something sinister going on in those lower levels and I can be sure that some kid is getting ready for a job post-graduation.  I wonder how long it will be before schools start reporting who got jobs due to selling their soul to the devil and not by virtue of the school's career services office.  Something to think about. 

Next Up:  You shoulda been a...

----

[1] Text of the full ad on Craigslist:

Looking for Partners (Bayside, New York)

---

Date: 2012-10-10, 10:45PM EDT
dzbw9-3330674577@job.craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

---

We've all ran across stories about the harsh legal job market. 2,300 minimum billable hours for $70,000 a year. The appropriate response is, of course, **** you. You didn't put in 3 years of your youth and $150,000 or more in order to make less than $40 per hour (even though you bill at $250-$350 per hour) and be expected to work more than 40 hours per week. Unfortunately, instead of businesses seeking the most qualified people to join the team, they're seeking either the dumbest or most desperate people to join their team - in order to take advantage of them and pay them as little as possible. Over the long run, I believe this is a bad business strategy, because it leads to costly turnovers, lower quality work product and results, harm to the business's reputation, and cutting corners with honesty and ethics.

I am looking for a third year law student, a 3L, graduating in the Spring of 2013. In lieu of a salary, you will get to keep 35% of your billable hours. The firm's share of employment taxes is not included in, and will not be deducted from, that 35%. That means you actually get to keep 35% of your labor. Take a moment and do the math on a $160,000 per year salary. It's basically $60,000 per year base salary, plus overtime. In other words, you're basically earning $33.34 per hour based on working 1,800 hours per year. What are you billing for? Let's pretend your work gets billed for $250 per hour. You generate $575,000 per year in fees for the firm, and you keep $160,000. In other words, you get to keep roughly 27.83% of your labor (160/575). The rub doesn't stop there. You're told you need to have a minimum of 2,300 "billable" hours per year, which translates to 72+ hour work-weeks throughout the whole year. The money you're being paid isn't even worth the quality of life you're giving up. The real rub is the lack of transparency. Maybe you've worked 3,400 hours in a year, and maybe your firm has actually billed 3,100 hours of your time to clients, but told you they only billed 2,300 hours? How would you know?

I'm giving the right person the opportunity to start out his or her career by keeping 35% of his or her labor. Over time, that percentage will either go up, or you may be offered a partnership interest in a percentage share of the firm's net profits. No minimum billable hours! Extremely flexible hours and schedule. A quality law firm starts with a quality business culture. I value flexibility, understanding, compassion, respect, fairness, and the happiness of everyone in the firm. If you're not happy, I'm not happy, and chances are, somewhere down the road, a case or client is going to suffer. Minimizing stress, maximizing communication and transparency among those you work with, and growing together professionally is the kind of firm environment I aspire to have.

The matters we handle include:
- General Civil Litigation (breach of contract, torts against property, business torts)
- Commercial Civil Litigation
- Business Law (Corporate, Partnership & LLC)
- Wills, Trusts & Estates
- Family Law
- Taxation (Corporate, Partnership & LLC, Estate & Gift, Individual, International, Non-Profit Organizations & other Tax-Exempt Entities, Bankruptcy, Real Estate, State & Local)

Who I'm looking for:
- Top 15% of your class (law school's "brand name" is irrelevant)
- Graduated undergrad with honors (undergrad's "brand name" is irrelevant)
- Undergraduate degree in: Accounting, Business, Economics, Finance, Mathematics, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, or Music.
- WILL NOT ACCEPT anyone with an undergraduate degree in: English, History, Political Science, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Art History, Religion, etc.
- Lawyering skills coursework (appellate advocacy, trial advocacy, pre-trial advocacy, negotiation, drafting)
- Grade of A- or higher in: Legal Writing, Civil Procedure, Torts, Property, Business Associations, Family Law, and Tax.
- Grade of B+ or higher in: Contracts, Evidence, Trusts & Estates, and Legal Research.
- Interest in any of the following practice areas: Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Products Liability, Employment Discrimination, Copyrights, Trademarks, Real Estate, Landlord & Tenant, Creditor & Debtor Rights, Bankruptcy, and Land Use & Zoning Regulation.

Include a PDF copy of your resume' and unofficial self-prepared law school transcript. Please also indicate whether you prefer to be contacted through e-mail or telephone or text message. That's it. No cover letter, no writing sample, no list of references, or anything of that sort.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Alex

• Location: Bayside, New York
• Compensation: 35% of all your time that is actually billed to any client.
• This is a contract job.
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• Please, no phone calls about this job!
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

PostingID: 3330674577

Lone Wolf

The wolf, the gunner of the North American wilderness.  A top tier animal.

Today Earlier I found out my brother's dog was taken and eaten by what everyone is thinking is a wolf.  You see, the small dog emerged from its home and made his way into the wilderness, never to come back.  The next day, what people thought was a wolf was seen near the property, looking for seconds.  One is never enough.  Slurp!  There are a few other dogs there that would make a good snack. I feel bad for my brother and his dog.

A lone wolf is an animal or person that generally lives or spends time alone instead of with a group.

I am not on law review, nor do I partake in the sport that is lovingly called moot court.  In school I sit near the front and keep my head in the books (and sometimes in the clouds).  I have only had a few good friends in my life.  A small circle of people who I felt shared certain interests (like Magic: the Gathering), but not necessarily life goals (however, they do not carry college debt). 


I am a lone wolf.  I shy away from the 'pack' mentality.  I don't feel the need to be like others, to please others, or to stroke the ego of others.  The idea of working in a social place like a big firm doesn't really appeal to me.  In fact, I used to read that people went to law school because they were not very social.  However, now I realize that with all the talk of networking and stroking egos, that law school is just as social as anything else.  What a disappointment.

It's not that I hate other people.  On the contrary, I am open to having friends, and I enjoy learning about other people.  However, I have little want to partake in all kinds of social interactions.  I posted before about not being friends with many people in law school.  I figure that I spend enough time in those glorious halls, why should I bring that to my private life?  I have rarely had friends from my jobs, as, frankly, once I leave the employment premises, I don't like to be reminded of it.  Same goes for law school.  I go to law school, I don't live law school.  Or am I fooling myself here?

I have never been in a study group (the idea seems counter-intuitive to me).  I don't think that it has impacted my grades.  Some law students may ask: "will being in a study group get me better grades?"  I don't think that it will.  It may, but it may not.  It all depends on you.  If you want to do well in law school, you must do well in law school.  This is the kind of circular reasoning that you are probably used to from your law school professors, is it not?

I once read that if you live like a lawyer in law school, you will live like a student after.  I live like a student in law school and I know for a fact I will live like a student after law school.  It's funny when law school administrator's pretend that you'll be rich after law school if you do certain things.  Jump through these hoops and you shall see riches like no normal man sees.  You, my sons, sons of the law school, you are the makers of the world, the achievers, the great ones, the elite, you are rising above the masses, you are the cultivators of society.  Go forth children, and make me proud.  Is a circus animal promised freedom if he jumps through a certain number of hoops?  Is an elephant promised an ice cream cone (just the cone, not the ice cream) if he lends a park bench one of his spots?

The 1% of dogs in society.  The other 99% never get a banana.

One reason that I live like a student in law school is because I am not very social.  In fact, I enjoy not spending a lot of money.  I don't mind living below my means, and to be honest, it's something that many law students should learn.  In fact, it's pretty important for law students to learn right now what it's like to be living low.  I see too many people in law school literally blowing their student loans.  For example, one semester, the girl in front of me would spend her class time shopping for curtains.  I am sure the dorm room looked great in your hundred dollar plus curtains, but once you are paying back Sallie Mae for those drapes, you're going to be crying in the corner like a freshly neutered pup.  Another person I knew from the realm of the undergraduate spent $1000 on shelves from the Container Store for her closet.  Girl, contain yourself!

The only picture I have of dear brother.  I am so sorry about your dog :(

So, how does a person in law school, who is surrounded by young kids who all seem to sport the newest MacBooks, live below their means?  Do you feel like a fool if you walk into the room sporting a $60 computer that was a Craigslist find?  What about when you get home?  Are you embarrassed to let other law students see that you wrote your Legal Research & Writing paper on a Commodore 64?  

When you eat your legal lunch, is it the soup du jour from the cafetaria, with those fancy crackers (I think they call them Saltines -- I would not know, I am far too poor to afford such luxuries).  Or do you pack a banana and PB&J -- can you really afford the luxury of a banana?  When you make your way to the campus, are you riding high in a late model car, or are you packed in between sweating bums on the local bus?  Did you jump the turn-style or go through the back doors to save money?  When you dress up for that big Barrister's ball, are you wearing a fancy rented tux, or do you opt to forsake the event, because you would rather save the money instead of mixen-mingle with the professors and the big boys of law school?  Do you opt out of dancing because you could damage a limb and you have no medical insurance?  Are you saving your body parts for tough physical labor because you figure that's the only job you are going to get out of law school?  All I have are my limbs, my arms, my legs, and my Johnson, and even those can be lost if I am not careful.



It's not that spending money is bad in itself.  I don't mind letting the nickle fly now and again.  For example, I remember splurging on the collector's edition of Wrath of the Lich King back when it came out.  In fact, my characters often sport Lil' Frosty when they are ganking Alliance. However, that was YEARS ago, and when Mists of Pandaria came out, I wondered if I should even bother even buying the regular edition (you won't see me on the back of a Imperial Quilen flying mount or rocking the lucky Quilen pup -- that stuff is for the elite of society.)  After all, I had a lot of studying for the upcoming bar to do.  And I want to be able to afford a bar review course.

I can't help but wonder if my brother will be hiking deep in those woods that he calls home, and happen upon his dog.  I hope that it comes back to him, alive and well.  But the (third tier) reality is that the dog is probably at least partially digested now, making her last run through the large intestine of a lone wolf.  She was a good dog, and one that I will always remember as Princess. 

I wrote this blog a while back and edited it more recently.  The brother was distraught about his dog and ended up with pneumonia, almost dying.  He went to the hospital, after having numerous bouts of hallucinations, swearing that he saw Micheal Phelps in his backyard.  I think he is doing better now though.  This, my friends, is real life.  It's something brutal, isn't it?

This is perhaps the most valuable law "course" you could ever take.

Was this a law graduate, only a few months ago living in the East Village, with a life paid for by college loans? (which, by the way, are all outstanding and gaining interest).

Maybe the law schools are starting to get it.  Maybe they are preparing us for life after law school.  I got this e-mail from a friend who goes to a decently ranked school in the area and thought I should share.  I wonder if other schools are doing something similar.

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Could you survive a month in poverty? Find out at:

A Month in Your Clients’ Shoes: A Poverty Simulation

Friday, November 2

Experience the daily life of a low-income New Yorker, by playing the role of a single parent trying to care for their children or a senior citizen trying to maintain their self-sufficiency on Social Security. The task of each family is to provide food, shelter and other basic necessities during the simulation while interacting with various community resources. Attendance is strongly encouraged for anyone interested in a nonprofit or government internship, and those participating in pro bono projects!

This event is co-sponsored by the Office of Public Service Programs and the NYS Courts Access to Justice Program.

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The truth is, a course like this may help some people who will be graduating soon.  In fact, almost every student is going to find themselves eating out a lot less, not hanging out in Starbucks that much, and unable to shop for $100 curtains for their dorms during class.  Many are going to have to pawn those Gucci sunglasses and purses that federally backed loans bought when rent comes due.  Some will have to get used to not being able to purchase every gadget when it comes out, whether it is the new Samsung phone, iPad 4, or that $1200 Macbook Air.  Others are going to have to make a serious shift in their lifestyles, moving away from the hip college neighborhoods like the East Village, Brooklyn Heights, The Upper West Side, and moving to cheaper areas such as New Jersey, Far Rockaway, the Bronx, or back into their parent's houses. 

So, yes, this is the kind of course that should almost be REQUIRED in every college.  Learning to live on a strict budget wouldn't hurt anyone who is about to graduate, because I honestly believe that there is going to be a lot of depression from some students who got used to living the college "fantasy life" and forgot what the real world is like -- a world where one has to scrimp by for a while, perhaps a LONG while.

A Student's View on the Scamblogs

I don't go to the most prestigious law school in New York.  That being said, there are some other students at my school who seem somewhat scared of the 2013 legal job market.  I do not tell fellow students at my law school that I run a scam blog of my own.  Although many of them are scared, it seems that some do not give much thought to the scam blogs.  In other words, while scared, many students are hopeful that they will find something within 9 months of graduation.

I found myself in a conversation with another student about law school.  We did not start by talking about the scamblogs.  However, as time passed, the subject seemed to go that way.

He mentioned having looked at some blogs that were critical of the law schools, and I said I have read them myself.  I asked him which ones he had seen, and he mentioned "a blog with poop".  I wonder what blog that could be.  He mentioned another one, but I forget which it was.  Anyway, I asked him what his thoughts on the blogs were and he said something along the lines of:  "I think they were just failures.  Many of them didn't even try to find a job as a lawyer." 

I didn't know what to say back.  I could have pointed him to JDpainter's blog.  I could have pointed him to JoblessJD or the other blogs.  Surely I think that many of the scambloggers did try to find jobs.  After all, why would a person go to law school for 3 years and then not even try to find work?  It does not make any sense.

I asked him if he was scared of the legal job market.  He said he was, but he knew that he was going to network a lot during his third year and others that he knew at worse off schools had luck doing that.  He also said that the government is a good place to find entry level legal jobs because the government doesn't seem to care about grades as much as some of the big firms.  Also, he doesn't mind working for a low wage of $60k until he can lateral over to a large firm and make "real money." 

It was hard for me not to smile as he talked.  I wish I had that kind of optimism.  He mentioned the bar exam and said that he was more afraid of the bar than looking for a job.  "You know, you just have to eventually find a job.  Everyone eventually finds a job.  It's not like you will be unemployed forever.  Nobody is unemployed forever.  It's like a natural law or something." 

I wished I could have recorded the whole conversation.  He was pretty critical of the scamblogs, and I notice that the sentiment is scared across the board with law students.  Sites like "Top-Law-Schools" are critical of scamblogs.  Most student's don't seem to take them seriously, and others just discount them entirely. 

However, the most negative reactions I see toward the scamblogs is via the internet.  Many people on the internet have this "tough guy" persona.  It's the persona that says, "I am better than everyone else.  I can act like a tough jerk towards others because I have something going for myself."  I notice this kind of mentality a lot with law students.  Many of these "kids" seem to talk big and act large.  Top-Law-Schools was an ego fest in which students advertised how wonderful they were compared to everyone else.  If one had luck of any kind, whether it be getting onto Law Review, getting a big summer internship, or going to a T14, T6, T3, or HYS, they would let the world know.  As if that had something to do with their worth as a human being.  Sadly, I saw many of these individuals treat others like garbage.  Hopefully a few years of them being put in their place by a big law partner will put their ultra-large egos in place.  While it's annoying to see the kids on Top-Law-Schools act like spoiled little s**ts, it's good to know that they will eventually be put in their place.  If anything scares me about working in law, it's working with these entitled individuals.  These people who think that they are better than everyone else because their connections - their daddies, etc. put them into a top law school.  Of course, the way these kids talk, you would think they did it all by themselves.  Just give it a few years.  You'll see what it's really like.

I notice that many "adults" in school are barely that.  Many have little in life experiences.  The things that are talked about in law school classes are often so arbitrary to these kids.  Many have only their perceptions of what "food stamps", "unemployment", "poverty", etc. is like.  Many students only have to reach for the phone when times get hard and call a parent and ask for help.  The reality is, not everyone has that luxury.  And it is a lot of these same kids that think that they are pretty much better than the rest of the world. 

It will be interesting to see where these tough talking "top-law-students" end up.  The same kids that spent hours upon hours bragging to the rest of the world on the internet about how "great" they were to be in a "top 40 school."  The same kids that stroked their own egos in a mental masturbation session about how they made law review and were "GUARANTEED success" by virtue of their high position in the law school.  A big fish in a little pond.  Wait until the real world comes busting through.  Wait until reality beacons.  Everyone gets a wake up call sooner or later.  No one can hang onto pride forever.  Beauty fade, riches wane, intelligence wanes, death waxes near.  Old age eats its way through your entire family, calling you towards the grave as you stand in line waiting in the death line.  You are no better than the rest of us.  You students on your high horses are no greater than the rest of us by virtue of your position in your "higher ranked" law school.  And if your life is so great, why the hell are you sitting on "top-law-schools" forums all day stroking your ego? 

They often say that what others don't like about others is true of what a person does not like about themselves.  It can also be said that those who are the most haughty have the most fear, and the most to lose.  Many of these students who think that they are at the top are going to find themselves falling after graduation comes.  It's not that I want them to fall, it's that they should fall, so their egos are destroyed.  There is nothing worse than seeing a person who accomplished little with an overinflated ego.  If you kids on top-law-schools were so great, so wonderful, you would not need to be on there bragging incessantly.  Your wake up call is coming.  Not because I want it to, not because I said so, but because nature has a way of equalizing things.  Everyone has a high point, and everyone has a low.  Nobody can sustain a lifetime of grandeur that is worth excessive bragging.  And nobody has a right to brag, not until everyone is said and done.