Semester No. 5

It hardly seems possible that law school is half over for me, but it surely is. William & Mary marks the occasion for its 2Ls this Thursday with a "Half-Way Through BBQ."

I arrived back in Williamsburg on Thursday night, having spent three relaxing weeks in Iowa (see picture, from Pikes Peak State Park). Much like many of my classmates, I tried to achieve two main goals: spend as much time with family and friends as I could, and spend as little money as I could.

My class schedule for this semester is settled, after I managed to get admitted into one of my classes from the wait list. Here's my schedule, which is full of interesting and mostly criminal law classes:

• International Criminal Law, M-W, 10-11:15 a.m. (3 credits)
  
• Criminal Procedure I, M-Tu-Th, 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. (3 credits)
  
• Post-Conflict Justice and the Rule of Law, M-W, 3:30-4:45 p.m. (3 credits)
  
• The Death Penalty, M, 6-7:40 p.m. (2 or 3 credits, depending on length of final paper)
  
• Legal Skills (2 credits, pass-fail)
  
• Ethics (1 credit)
• Law Review (1 credit, pass-fail)
  

I have four classes on Mondays, which should make for a busy start to the week, but I think I seek that out given my history in weekly newspapers, where organized chaos reigns on Monday and Tuesday. Crim Pro I, which covers the Fourth Amendment (searches, seizures, and warrants) and Fifth Amendment (self-incrimination, due process), will help considerably on the Bar exam. Post-Conflict Justice and The Death Penalty are smaller, seminar-type classes—more discussion than lecture, which I prefer. These two classes will require presentations, class participation, and a final paper, rather than the typical final exam. My first Death Penalty presentation will be Jan. 26, with three other group members.

As one might guess from this schedule, I have settled on criminal defense as a "specialty," though law students do not actually declare majors or specialties, as undergraduates do. Our education must prepare us for only two things: passing the Bar exam and getting a job. One hopes that it will also prepare us for a third—being good at that job—but it'll be a long time before I know if I've accomplished that.

As for the immediate tasks, tomorrow I will defend my Law Review Note for 20 minutes against three editors who have reviewed it and made suggestions. Also for journal responsibilities, I'll have two cite checks this semester, and probably some other tasks. Over break, I began work on another semester of research for my fellowship professor, 10 hours per week. Our Legal Skills trials get under way next week, though mine isn't until Feb. 5. My friend Tommy and I will act as prosecutors, which should be fun.

Ethics, which is part of the Legal Skills curriculum, is a two-week class followed by a graded exam. It is all preparation for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), which all law students must pass before we can take the Bar. Next week I will likely register for the March 7 MPRE, to get that obstacle out of the way.

As for the truly exciting stuff, I got a ticket to the Inauguration! A giant thanks to Senator Tom Harkin. On Sunday, I will either carpool with a friend or take a passenger train (for about $100) to D.C., where I will do my best to record—with my mind, pen, and camera—what promises to be an amazing, historic scene.