Worthy Of A Spot During The Super Bowl

Too bad this VW clip has been found out to be a hoax, it would have been - or maybe it still is - a great ad.

Law School Rankings And Bar Passage Rates

A friend and I were wondering if it were only law students who were interested in which tier their law school fell in or how previous graduates were doing on bar exams.

For example, does any one on the faculty or in the administration at Southwestern care that our bar rates for the past two years have been abysmal? Does anyone other than the law students themselves have a stake in which to care about?

Just wondering because it would be nice to know that someone care enough to help the students effectuate change in future results.

2004 Fall Grades

Same deal as always, look at my grades only if you really want to or go look at wooden sticks doing it instead. Something for everyone.

If you're going to comment on my grades (or the wooden figures for that matter), do so on this post please.

More Posting Later

Heading out to the Grove to study.

Why I Hate Dark Bars/Clubs

The Belgian city of Antwerp is to dim its new waterfront lights after complaints from prostitutes.

Sex workers complained the bright lights were putting off potential clients.

"We had some remarks from the prostitutes that there was too much light, both for them and the clients," city council spokesperson Jorn Verbeeck said.

Prostitutes complained to city and police officials that the lights did not give them enough privacy and hurt business, he said.

The real reason, of course, being that they're ugly prostitutes and are in need of "privacy" to hide that fact.

Stat Of The Day

Someone found the appropriate blog.

Quote This

"We get to travel a long way to go some place crappy." - Daphne

Order A Yearbook, Donate Blood, Get A Job

January's Southwestern Reporter Online up.

Stat Of The Day

Why this search leads to this blog and not to Clearly Erroneous is beyond me.

Grade Distribution

For Prof. Strader's White Collar Crime class:

A+ 2

A 5

A- 4

B+ 6

B 6

B- 9

C+ 7

C 9

C- 2

D 2

I Ask Because I Value Your Opinion, That And I'm Hopelessly Indecisive With Such Matters

I'm thinking of getting the iPod Shuffle. Thoughts anyone?

I'm thinking I don't really need to carry all of my music on me at any one time, it's one third the cost of a 20 gig iPod, and it could double as a removable flash drive or magic stick as we like to call it.

Like That Other Cracker, Santa Claus

One would think that being bestowed upon the nickname, Asian Sensation, would be enough thanks, but I suppose Soup is just that giving of a cracker person. Thanks cracker Soup.

It's An Effin' Seminar Class People

The professor for writing seminar class on White Collar Crime assigned 5 students to lead the discussion for tonight. Those five divided up the 120 pages of reading. Smart thing to do right? Well one of them didn't show. But that's not the sad part. The sad part follows.

One of them got up in front of class, posed a hypothetical to the class, assigned two students to debate the issues, and used the whiteboard in the process. Another passed out a four page handout, which looks like an outline with case briefs, to help with his discussion. Thankfully, he included his name on each page... as if any of us would forget.

So I've been assigned to the group to lead next week's discussion and we're already joking about doing a Powerpoint presentation. Emphasis on joking, because the rest of us realize it's just a seminar class. I hope.

It Probably Wasn't The Smart Thing To Do, But I Wouldn't Call It Stupid

Waiting the day before a seminar class to do 120 pages of casebook reading for it... not smart. Waiting until 4:30 in the afternoon to get started on the 120 pages the day before... even more not smart. Taking a seminar class that requires casebook reading... most not smart.

More On SW's Bar Pass Rates

To end the first day of Legal Profession, Prof. Fischer brought the class's attention to SW's 2004 summer bar exam results. He asked the class to email him three suggestions to improve those results or reasons for why the results are so poor, noting that the classes of 2001 and 2002 had pass rates in the 70s.

Now since I've been at SW only since Fall 2003, it's hard for me, or anyone else in my class for that matter, to have an idea of what has gone wrong since the classes of 2001 and 2002. But I for one think some of it may have to do with the grading policy at SW. To illustrate why I believe SW's current grading policy has an adverse effect on some students, I point to a 1L's current dilemma.

What's most upsetting is that I actually enjoyed the class. I kept up with the readings and I thought I had a good handle on the material. I studied. As one of those over-achieving assholes who always did well in school without really trying, I decided law school would be different. I applied myself. And the reward I got was a lousy grade!

So, should I go back to my slacker ways? I think I could do this well with a lot less work. Or should I chalk it up to experience and the fact that I'm still learning exactly what law professors are looking for in an exam? Or should I write it off as one bad test, hardly an estimation of my self-worth, or even my (potential) ability within the practice of law? I dunno. I suppose I should wait and see if this one grade was an anomaly, or an indication of a bad semester.

As shortsighted and wrong as the choice may be, I fear that too many disheartened students decide to go back to their slacker ways for the rest of their law school careers. It results in a graduating class ill-prepared to take the bar and that is why I favor a different grading policy.

My Kind Of Gal

Not really though, just in need of a title.

Those Sophisticated Euorpeans

And to the victor, goes the title, "Speedy Seedy."

A Quick Post On Politics

Quite a few people at my school based their vote in the last election - whether it was for President Bush or Senator Kerry - on President Bush's stance on gay marriage. Well this Washington Post interview of the president and Andrew Sullivan's analysis indicates it wasn't much of a stance but bad political pandering instead.

The FMA has gone unmentioned by Bush since the election - and it appears more and more like a pre-election ploy rather than a principled stand. (Of course, that's a relief but it's also an indication of how bald-faced a political maneuver this was in the first place). But this piece of sanity from the President deserves praise and reciprocation from those of us who support equality in marriage. We should refrain from any constitutional or legal challenge to DOMA for the foreseeable future (something I've urged for a long time now). We should also refrain from any attempt to force any state to recognize a gay marriage from another state (of course that's different from a state voluntarily recognizing such marriages). We should practise moderation, just as the Senate is practising moderation. We already have civil marriage rights in one state. Massachusetts. Very soon, it will be clear that Massachusetts' judicial decision will be endorsed by its own legislature, making this case a matter not simply of judicial activity but democratic legitimacy. And then we should bide our time and let the example of Massachusetts set in. I'm convinced that once the reality of this reform sinks in, fears will recede. The president has given us this opportunity. It would be crazy not to reciprocate. But for the record: thanks, Mr president.

Deconstructing An Anonymous Comment

Asininity is a highly subjective standard...but we will just consider the source... [I take offense, I'm a very trustworthy source... just ask Dan Rather.] For MOST of us, the point of law school is NOT the sufficiency or insufficiency of hot chicks. [It's that kind of thinking that gives us ugly looking classes. I hope you're never on an admissions board.] Your grades and AP status might improve if you acknowledge this (or not). [I'm going with probably not.] I suggest you examine the SW bar pass rates for those first time takers who had been on AP... it is not pretty. [I'm very familiar with the statistics - we're on a first name basis - and am fairly confident I'll fall in the minority.] I have it on excellent authority that the abundance of hotties in the close proximity increases upon one's passing the bar. [But do I really want to be with a girl who wants me because of my status as an attorney?] It seriously decreases for those who do NOT pass said bar. [Again, I'm passing the bar the first time and am willing to put money on that. I'll even give you 50-1 odds] Be a Republican and take the long view, not the immediate gratification view of a Liberal. [Appealing to my affinity for the GOP, I like.]

On This Day, One Year Ago

I was making butter.

Gameday Picks

3 for 3 yesterday as far as picking the winners went. I probably should quit while the going is good.

Vikings - 31
Eagles - 28

Colts - 28
Patriots - 24

More From Anonymous Commentors

Wow, your life just totally sucks. I am surprised you haven't swallowed a gun already. I'll keep checking back. If you stop posting, I'll know what happened.

Talk about exaggerating for bad comic effect. At least that's what I hope Anonymous is trying to do by leaving that comment because if he's serious, then he's way off.

Don't worry anyone, I'm not suicidal. If anything, I was more upset about my poker play last night than I was about seeing my grades. Yes, it sucks to be on AP and I only have myself to blame, which makes it worse since I'd love to pass the blame for this onto someone else. But a lot of things mitigate the suckiness of it. First, I completely expected to be on AP immediately after taking my last final. Second, I was relieved and thankful that I didn't do nearly as bad as I had expected and probably deserved. Third, I know what I did wrong last semester. Finally, I'm a 2L in my fourth semester of law school, which means I'm capable of compiling grades that will keep me in law school.

I just have to work harder than I did last semester, but that's not a high standard to meet. And even if I have to work as hard as I did during my 1L year, it's fine because I was still able to really enjoy that first year of law school regardless. So it just sucks a little bit - not totally - and not even so much so that it's going to weigh heavily in the back of my mind to dampen my mood.

More Good News About My Fall '04 Grades

I definitely hit rock bottom. So I hope.