For greater comparison, the NY Times stated that "A $700 billion expenditure on distressed mortgage-related assets would be roughly what the country has spent in direct costs on the Iraq war and more than the Pentagon’s total yearly budget appropriation. It represents more than $2,000 for every man, woman and child in the United States." Sorta scary in the scope of this plan.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Treasury Bailout of Wall St. Draft Legislation
The Bush Administration has just released its proposal for Treasury authority to buy up mortgage-related assets. It's really short, just a few pages in length. And seems to be fairly broad. All the Treasury has to do is report to Congress every so often and it gets authority to purchase up to $700,000,000,000 worth of bad Wall St. investments. [Funny how just a little bit ago folks were suggesting that we should entrust these same Wall St. people to manage actively manage individual social security accounts. Or even funnier how we can bail out Wall St. but can't bail out Medicare, or educate our children properly, or fix roads, etc...] This will raise the national debt to $11.3 trillion. The plan could pass as early as next week.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
What I Learned From OCI.
The Fall On Campus Interview (OCI) season is wrapping up and as Assistant Director of Employer Relations, I have eaten lunch with the interviewers every day since the last week of August. During the course of making conversation, I have gleaned a few pearls of wisdoms from the employers:
1. Dress Like a Lawyer, Not an Architect. One employer commented on how he was very impressed by a male student except for his clothing. The student showed up in a dark suit, very well-tailored but had the “Miami Vice” dark shirt, dark tie, cream colored slip on loafer look going on. The partner told me he could not take the student seriously after seeing the shoes. “He looked like he was interviewing for an architecture firm, not a law firm. Tell your students to err on the side of conservatism. When in doubt, wear a white shirt, dark suit, and dark shoes.” As for the women, you can never go wrong with a skirt suit or pant suit but he begged me to tell the female students “No plunging necklines! You want to be remembered for the content of the interview, not your cleavage.” Lastly, remember you are interviewing for a summer associate position, not a barista position. Take off all piercings, nose rings and other distracting jewelry.
2. When You Are Nervous, Don’t Drink the Interviewer’s Water. Another interviewer told me he asked a student about his Moot Court brief and the student became so nervous that he reached across the table, grabbed a bottle of water and started chugging it. The problem – it was the interviewer’s water and the interviewer had already drank out of it. The lesson? It’s okay to be nervous and you can always pause to think before answering the question BUT if it’s on your resume, it’s fair game. If you cannot discuss an item on your resume in an articulate intelligent manner, then think about dropping it. The best way to prepare is to go through your resume, line by line and think about possible questions and answers to those questions. Then be ready to answer the all-important question to “Why do you want to work for us?” The answer should not be “I want to get really good experience and your firm can offer me that.” Instead, you really need to think about what that firm or employer has to offer, in the way of reputation or practice area, that makes that employer the place for you.
3. Bite the Bullet and Explain Your Grades. I have heard it from multiple large law firms – if there is a C on your transcript, you need to explain it. There have been a number of students that firms have been impressed with who are not in the Top 20% of the class. However, if the student does not address in the on-campus interview why he or she received a C, then no matter how much the interviewer liked the student, the interviewer has no ammunition to go back to the firm with when it comes to vetting the student through the hiring committee. Most employers cannot call back a student with a C on her transcript unless there’s a good explanation for that C. When a student did explain his C, this is what I heard from the partner who interviewed him, “I was so impressed when Mr. B explained his grades. He took it head-on and did not shy away. Now I actually have something to argue on his behalf when I go up in front of the hiring committee. Because Mr. B was a great candidate all around, except for those two C’s on his transcript. I definitely want to call him back.” Other students who I have counseled to bring up their grades have come to my office immediately after their interviews and told me they were surprised by the results. The employers reacted in highly positive ways and one interviewer, who had been aloof throughout, suddenly took great interest, started taking notes, and asked for a writing sample and references. (On a side-note: It's the Big Firm employers that pay attention to grades, but small to mid-sized firms, along with government/public interest employers look at the whole person).
4. Answer Completely and Tell Stories. Interviewers get incredibly bored, hearing the same answer over and over again to “Why did you decide to go to law school?” Typical answer – “I’ve always wanted to go to law school, ever since I was little.” Really, since you were 3 you knew you wanted to be a lawyer? Or was it actually when you were 14 and you were taken to work by your father on “Take your Daughter to Work Day” and you realized that your father, the attorney, made an impact on people’s lives and, inspired you to do the same thing. Tell the whole story, the reason behind your drive, not the surface fluff answer that reveals nothing about you to the employer. Another pet peeve -- just repeating verbatim the job description on your resume when answering the question “Tell me about your job this summer.” If they wanted you to repeat the laundry list of tasks you did, they would have asked you to recite your resume. Instead, tell them a story – what did you learn, what exciting issue did you work on, what problem you had to overcome. Tell a story and the employer will have something to write down on her evaluation form. Entertain them and the interviewers will remember you and your chances for a call-back will increase.
5. Don’t Listen to the Rumor Mill - OCI is a No-Brainer – Apply. All the on campus employers – law firms, government agencies, district attorneys and public defenders offices noticed it: A significant drop in the number of OCI applications this year. “Why is this?” They keep asking us, the Office of Career Planning. Several top firms are so distressed by the drop that they want to come on campus as speakers, to host events or attend mixers, anything that will increase their visibility on campus so they can recruit from a larger pool of talent. Other firms were disappointed and expressed it in such a way that we are afraid the low numbers may mean that firm may not be coming back to USF to recruit next year. So what happened? We took an informal poll of students and found that a number of viable candidates listened to the Rumor Mill. A 2L who is in the Top 10% of the class was not going to apply to OCI because she heard very few people actually get their jobs through OCI. If she hadn’t run into her 3L mentor who screamed bloody murder to make her apply, she would have missed out. As it stands now, she’s an OCI favorite and has a number of call-backs. Another 2L also listened to the Rumor Mill, and despite the fact that she had received a prestigious paid summer position through a competitive scholarship process, did not apply to OCI. I was shocked when I learned this because here’s the deal, if you don’t apply through OCI, then yes, you won’t get your job that way. Don’t take yourself out of the running by being to afraid of rejection to apply. When employers, who specifically come to campus because they want USF students, find that very few have applied, do you think they will want to come back? And how do you think you will find your job when you’ve missed out on one of the easiest opportunities presented in your lifetime? There is NO OCI when you graduate. There are very few opportunities for 3L’s in OCI. Your 2L year is the year when you need to find that summer job to help leverage you for your post-graduate position. You need to use all the venues available to you in your job search. OCI is just one of the ways. But if you don’t do OCI, then the path to finding a job becomes that much harder. Now you have to find the law firms and send each and every single one a cover letter and resume. And guess what, that firm may not be so friendly or accepting of USF students. Thus, when presented with a no-brainer opportunity such as OCI – take it. Even if the only lesson you learn is that you don’t want to work for a big firm that is still a valuable lesson.
It has been an interesting experience this Fall, talking to all the employers. Most interviewers are USF alums. Many are quite candid about their hiring needs and requirements and all are enthusiastic about USF students and want more USF representation at their firms. Let's not let them down -- if you are a 1L even considering working for a law firm, then do OCI next year.
Marina Sarmiento Feehan, JD is the Assistant Director of Employer Relations for the Office of Career Planning at USF School of Law.
1. Dress Like a Lawyer, Not an Architect. One employer commented on how he was very impressed by a male student except for his clothing. The student showed up in a dark suit, very well-tailored but had the “Miami Vice” dark shirt, dark tie, cream colored slip on loafer look going on. The partner told me he could not take the student seriously after seeing the shoes. “He looked like he was interviewing for an architecture firm, not a law firm. Tell your students to err on the side of conservatism. When in doubt, wear a white shirt, dark suit, and dark shoes.” As for the women, you can never go wrong with a skirt suit or pant suit but he begged me to tell the female students “No plunging necklines! You want to be remembered for the content of the interview, not your cleavage.” Lastly, remember you are interviewing for a summer associate position, not a barista position. Take off all piercings, nose rings and other distracting jewelry.
2. When You Are Nervous, Don’t Drink the Interviewer’s Water. Another interviewer told me he asked a student about his Moot Court brief and the student became so nervous that he reached across the table, grabbed a bottle of water and started chugging it. The problem – it was the interviewer’s water and the interviewer had already drank out of it. The lesson? It’s okay to be nervous and you can always pause to think before answering the question BUT if it’s on your resume, it’s fair game. If you cannot discuss an item on your resume in an articulate intelligent manner, then think about dropping it. The best way to prepare is to go through your resume, line by line and think about possible questions and answers to those questions. Then be ready to answer the all-important question to “Why do you want to work for us?” The answer should not be “I want to get really good experience and your firm can offer me that.” Instead, you really need to think about what that firm or employer has to offer, in the way of reputation or practice area, that makes that employer the place for you.
3. Bite the Bullet and Explain Your Grades. I have heard it from multiple large law firms – if there is a C on your transcript, you need to explain it. There have been a number of students that firms have been impressed with who are not in the Top 20% of the class. However, if the student does not address in the on-campus interview why he or she received a C, then no matter how much the interviewer liked the student, the interviewer has no ammunition to go back to the firm with when it comes to vetting the student through the hiring committee. Most employers cannot call back a student with a C on her transcript unless there’s a good explanation for that C. When a student did explain his C, this is what I heard from the partner who interviewed him, “I was so impressed when Mr. B explained his grades. He took it head-on and did not shy away. Now I actually have something to argue on his behalf when I go up in front of the hiring committee. Because Mr. B was a great candidate all around, except for those two C’s on his transcript. I definitely want to call him back.” Other students who I have counseled to bring up their grades have come to my office immediately after their interviews and told me they were surprised by the results. The employers reacted in highly positive ways and one interviewer, who had been aloof throughout, suddenly took great interest, started taking notes, and asked for a writing sample and references. (On a side-note: It's the Big Firm employers that pay attention to grades, but small to mid-sized firms, along with government/public interest employers look at the whole person).
4. Answer Completely and Tell Stories. Interviewers get incredibly bored, hearing the same answer over and over again to “Why did you decide to go to law school?” Typical answer – “I’ve always wanted to go to law school, ever since I was little.” Really, since you were 3 you knew you wanted to be a lawyer? Or was it actually when you were 14 and you were taken to work by your father on “Take your Daughter to Work Day” and you realized that your father, the attorney, made an impact on people’s lives and, inspired you to do the same thing. Tell the whole story, the reason behind your drive, not the surface fluff answer that reveals nothing about you to the employer. Another pet peeve -- just repeating verbatim the job description on your resume when answering the question “Tell me about your job this summer.” If they wanted you to repeat the laundry list of tasks you did, they would have asked you to recite your resume. Instead, tell them a story – what did you learn, what exciting issue did you work on, what problem you had to overcome. Tell a story and the employer will have something to write down on her evaluation form. Entertain them and the interviewers will remember you and your chances for a call-back will increase.
5. Don’t Listen to the Rumor Mill - OCI is a No-Brainer – Apply. All the on campus employers – law firms, government agencies, district attorneys and public defenders offices noticed it: A significant drop in the number of OCI applications this year. “Why is this?” They keep asking us, the Office of Career Planning. Several top firms are so distressed by the drop that they want to come on campus as speakers, to host events or attend mixers, anything that will increase their visibility on campus so they can recruit from a larger pool of talent. Other firms were disappointed and expressed it in such a way that we are afraid the low numbers may mean that firm may not be coming back to USF to recruit next year. So what happened? We took an informal poll of students and found that a number of viable candidates listened to the Rumor Mill. A 2L who is in the Top 10% of the class was not going to apply to OCI because she heard very few people actually get their jobs through OCI. If she hadn’t run into her 3L mentor who screamed bloody murder to make her apply, she would have missed out. As it stands now, she’s an OCI favorite and has a number of call-backs. Another 2L also listened to the Rumor Mill, and despite the fact that she had received a prestigious paid summer position through a competitive scholarship process, did not apply to OCI. I was shocked when I learned this because here’s the deal, if you don’t apply through OCI, then yes, you won’t get your job that way. Don’t take yourself out of the running by being to afraid of rejection to apply. When employers, who specifically come to campus because they want USF students, find that very few have applied, do you think they will want to come back? And how do you think you will find your job when you’ve missed out on one of the easiest opportunities presented in your lifetime? There is NO OCI when you graduate. There are very few opportunities for 3L’s in OCI. Your 2L year is the year when you need to find that summer job to help leverage you for your post-graduate position. You need to use all the venues available to you in your job search. OCI is just one of the ways. But if you don’t do OCI, then the path to finding a job becomes that much harder. Now you have to find the law firms and send each and every single one a cover letter and resume. And guess what, that firm may not be so friendly or accepting of USF students. Thus, when presented with a no-brainer opportunity such as OCI – take it. Even if the only lesson you learn is that you don’t want to work for a big firm that is still a valuable lesson.
It has been an interesting experience this Fall, talking to all the employers. Most interviewers are USF alums. Many are quite candid about their hiring needs and requirements and all are enthusiastic about USF students and want more USF representation at their firms. Let's not let them down -- if you are a 1L even considering working for a law firm, then do OCI next year.
Marina Sarmiento Feehan, JD is the Assistant Director of Employer Relations for the Office of Career Planning at USF School of Law.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
ACS USF Speaker: Dennis Edney
OK, So, I'm a little late on posting this (who can blame me, I ventured off to Clark County, NV for the weekend)... but the USF chapter of the American Constitution Society hosted a speaker on Wednesday, September 10. ACS USF hosted defense attorney, Dennis Edney. Mr. Edney is an attorney for one of the youngest Guantanamo Bay detention camp detainees, Omar Khadr. Mr. Khadr was captured when he was 15 years old and has been held at Gitmo, without trial, for 7 years. He is, finally, going to trial this October, where Mr. Edney will mount his defense.
As to the event, it was the first event hosted by ACS USF- and it was wildly successful. Over 100 people showed up (110 by my count), including students and faculty. Mr. Edney spoke for a little bit over an hour and fielded questions afterwards. We were stopped only by the fact that a legal writing class started flowing in. In addition to speaking on his experiences with Mr. Khadr and his personal experiences visiting Guantanamo Bay, Mr. Edney main message was clear: anyone can do what he [Mr. Edney] does. That is, anyone can fight for justice. Indeed, by many accounts, Mr. Khadr is being subject to terrible physical and mental abuses at Guantanamo Bay. The least of which include the violation of fundamental legal rights. Mr. Edney has taken on this case pro-bono because he feels it is the right thing to do. He believes that, indeed, while Mr. Khadr should be held accountable for any actions that can be proved, the American government should equally be held accountable for its actions in treating detainees.
If you missed the talk, we're working on getting a video to post. It's a talk well worth viewing. Until then, here are some (mlidly decent) pictures I took of the event. Enjoy
Friday, September 12, 2008
Burnham v. Superior Court
By the third week of Fall semester, I start getting a lot of search traffic over at my blog Traditional Notions from people searching for Burnham v. Superior Court. It seems that at about this time of year, first year law students across the country start shaking their heads and saying, "What the hell does this mean? Why are the justices so contentious if this is a unanimous decision? I don't get it. Maybe if I ask teh internets I will find an answer." And they arrive at this post, where presumably most of them get confused all the more.
But some of them seem to like it. Now, with McKaskle and Putz gone, I don't know if any of these newfangled civ pro professors are even covering Burnham, or if they are even teaching the FRCP, or if they spend the whole class period talking about fabulous things like the intersection of critical theory and normative jurisprudence. But if the new profs do still cover all the personal jx cases, and if any there are any USF first-years out there reading this blog (which there aren't), and if they have any free time (which they shouldn't), and if they want to spend it learning more about Burnham (which would make them sick in the head... who the hell wants to learn more about Burnham?), they might do so by clicking here.
But some of them seem to like it. Now, with McKaskle and Putz gone, I don't know if any of these newfangled civ pro professors are even covering Burnham, or if they are even teaching the FRCP, or if they spend the whole class period talking about fabulous things like the intersection of critical theory and normative jurisprudence. But if the new profs do still cover all the personal jx cases, and if any there are any USF first-years out there reading this blog (which there aren't), and if they have any free time (which they shouldn't), and if they want to spend it learning more about Burnham (which would make them sick in the head... who the hell wants to learn more about Burnham?), they might do so by clicking here.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
SBA Fall 2008 BBQ
Folks, in case you missed it, the SBA had it's Fall BBQ to introduce the 1Ls to USF and for the rest of us...well, to get some decent quality beer and mingle with the folks we already know on the SBA's tab (hence, your fees). I think most people enjoyed the event. It featured (decent beer) wine, soda, hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, and cookies. Aside from the caterers running out of condiments (how they run out of condiments before food, I know no idea) it was a good time had by all. Well done to the SBA. But how about some In N Out next time? Do for, you know, the out going 3Ls in the Spring. PS- special thanks to Achal for the above pics.
Monday, September 1, 2008
The Predator's Ball
Yes, I realize this blog heading is a rip off of a book written about Michael Milken had his junk bond buy outs, but I think it aptly describes the media vetting process of John McCain's VP choice, Sarah Palin. From how it's started, it has been ugly. Picked and announced only a few days ago, not only does Mrs. Palin have no significant political experience to speak of, it's already been disclosed that she fibbed in her first national speech about fighting the "bridge to nowhere," is not even really a Republican, has ethical questions, and now she's been forced to release a statement explaining her family.
Indeed, recently been disclosed that Mrs. Palin's daughter, Bristol Palin is five months pregnant. Unmarried, and 17 years of age, this was, to say the least, shocking. I'm not sure if anyone thought Mrs. Palin would announce this of her daughter. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it. It's just unexpected. What's even more breathtaking, is that this information was only released in an attempt to take any wind out of the sails of an accusation by the Daily Kos suggesting that not only is Ms. Palin five months pregnant, but in fact her younger brother, Trig, is not actually her brother, but her son. Yep. Talk about explosive. Assuming, of course, this rumor is true. The accusation came from the uber-partisan Daily Kos, which has also posted pictures of her pregnant, thus refuting the rumor.
The point of this post however, is merely to point out how savage the press, and especially the blogosphere is (even more alarming, of course, are the journalistic standards that blogs possess). And it is unfair, but part of the game, that Ms. Palin has to suffer this. Even if the rumors are false, Bristol Palin, all 17 years of her time on Earth, is still being brutally bludgeoned by the investigative club of the press and it is an experience she will never forget. Quite frankly I feel sorry for her (yes, I understand the hypocrisy in me posting on this). No woman, and especially no child, should have her pregnancy broadcast all over the globe for this type of scrutiny. And it's an even greater shame that Mrs. Palin chose this path for her daughter. She must have known this was going to happen.
Alas, as bad as I feel for Ms. Palin, given the bloodthirsty nature of presidential elections and the 24 hour news cycle, it will likely only get worse. Mrs. Palin was clearly not properly vetted by McCain's people. The media and the voters (given the conversations I've had already with my friends), for sure, will make sure this is properly taken care of. And, indeed, they will have a ball.
If there is ever a time a daughter needed her mother, this would be it. But at this point, I'm not sure if there is anything her mother can do.
Indeed, recently been disclosed that Mrs. Palin's daughter, Bristol Palin is five months pregnant. Unmarried, and 17 years of age, this was, to say the least, shocking. I'm not sure if anyone thought Mrs. Palin would announce this of her daughter. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it. It's just unexpected. What's even more breathtaking, is that this information was only released in an attempt to take any wind out of the sails of an accusation by the Daily Kos suggesting that not only is Ms. Palin five months pregnant, but in fact her younger brother, Trig, is not actually her brother, but her son. Yep. Talk about explosive. Assuming, of course, this rumor is true. The accusation came from the uber-partisan Daily Kos, which has also posted pictures of her pregnant, thus refuting the rumor.
The point of this post however, is merely to point out how savage the press, and especially the blogosphere is (even more alarming, of course, are the journalistic standards that blogs possess). And it is unfair, but part of the game, that Ms. Palin has to suffer this. Even if the rumors are false, Bristol Palin, all 17 years of her time on Earth, is still being brutally bludgeoned by the investigative club of the press and it is an experience she will never forget. Quite frankly I feel sorry for her (yes, I understand the hypocrisy in me posting on this). No woman, and especially no child, should have her pregnancy broadcast all over the globe for this type of scrutiny. And it's an even greater shame that Mrs. Palin chose this path for her daughter. She must have known this was going to happen.
Alas, as bad as I feel for Ms. Palin, given the bloodthirsty nature of presidential elections and the 24 hour news cycle, it will likely only get worse. Mrs. Palin was clearly not properly vetted by McCain's people. The media and the voters (given the conversations I've had already with my friends), for sure, will make sure this is properly taken care of. And, indeed, they will have a ball.
If there is ever a time a daughter needed her mother, this would be it. But at this point, I'm not sure if there is anything her mother can do.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
A Tale of Two Women
As I'm sure you're readily aware, Republican presidential candidate John McCain has picked Arkansas Governor Sarah Palin. Indeed, this is only the second time a woman has been picked for the VP slot on a major party ticket. The first time was when Geraldine Ferraro was picked to run with Walter Mondale in 1984 to run against Ronald Reagan. While there are many issues and questions that surround Ms. Palin that will eventually be vetted out by the press corps., one issue that strikes me as odd is her comparison to Senator Hillary Clinton and the suggestion that Ms. Palin will be able to draw Clinton supporters who have not yet found a fondness for Democratic candidate, Barack Obama.
Yes, I'm not a woman. So, no, I'm not the target audience the McCain campaign might not be targeting with Ms. Palin. But I simply cannot see any comparison between Ms. Palin and Mrs. Clinton that might attract women voters over to the McCain camp. Unless of course, the McCain camp believes women's voting decisions are not complex and that women were supporting Mrs. Clinton for the sheer fact that she was a woman.
I might be wrong, but I believe many women supported Mrs. Clinton because of her experience in and around public office, commitment to key issues they identified with, toughness in dealing with opposition and challenges, intellect, poise under pressure and spotlight, and of course, yes, her being a woman, I'm sure, did play a balancing factor. But for the most part, Mrs. Clinton, by many measures, was qualified to be President and many women saw this, and thus, supported her.
In stark contrast, stands Ms. Palin, whereby most measures, is not qualified to be President. Sure, she has leadership experience. She's been the mayor of a town with a population of 5,469, and has spent two years as the governor of Alaska, who has a population roughly 80,000 people smaller than San Francisco. Does this mean she's able to navigate the complex issues and many moving parts that comes with being vice-president, or (well, given McCain's age) president? I'm simply not convinced.
Many of her supporters suggest that her accomplishments while governor, though only serving two years, match the accomplishments of a person in office for 8 years. This is supposed to represent her ability to "get things done." Still, however, I'm unconvinced. Again, getting things" done" in Alaska is not like getting things "done" in Washington. There are so many parties and considerations to contend with, both domestically and internationally, that any comparison to achieving anything in relatively isolated Alaska cannot be seriously considered.
What got me the most, however, was listening to Ms. Palin's speech and, comparing it to Mrs. Clinton's speech at the DNC. While both women are very good speakers, Ms. Palin's speech simply lacked the clarity of ideas, details, and passion that Mrs. Clinton invoked in her address to the DNC. It is readily clear, that Mrs. Clinton had spent a considerable amount of time thinking about issues that face America and solutions to these problems. This, of course, did not come about solely because of the last few years of her unsuccessful run for president. This thought process has evolved over the course of the last 35 years of her life. 35 years directed toward public service including time as First Lady of the state of Arkansas, on the campaign trail for her husband in 1992 and 1996, as First Lady of the United States, and her time as Senator of New York state. This includes time when she must surely have questioned her role in the public eye as the spotlight of the national press core shines more brightly and more intensely than even the longest Alaskan day.
In sum, Mrs. Clinton has had a lot of time to contemplate what it means to be President. She's seen the peaks and the valleys of Office. She's been all over over America and has engaged this country in conversation. Mrs. Clinton has a vision for this country. Ms. Palin, fresh-faced from Alaska, has not given us a similar vision. And because of this, I cannot see Ms. Palin seriously attracting female voters to McCain. Echoing the clichéd words of Vice-Presidential candidate, Llyod Bentsen, Governor Palin, you're no Hillary Clinton.
Yes, I'm not a woman. So, no, I'm not the target audience the McCain campaign might not be targeting with Ms. Palin. But I simply cannot see any comparison between Ms. Palin and Mrs. Clinton that might attract women voters over to the McCain camp. Unless of course, the McCain camp believes women's voting decisions are not complex and that women were supporting Mrs. Clinton for the sheer fact that she was a woman.
I might be wrong, but I believe many women supported Mrs. Clinton because of her experience in and around public office, commitment to key issues they identified with, toughness in dealing with opposition and challenges, intellect, poise under pressure and spotlight, and of course, yes, her being a woman, I'm sure, did play a balancing factor. But for the most part, Mrs. Clinton, by many measures, was qualified to be President and many women saw this, and thus, supported her.
In stark contrast, stands Ms. Palin, whereby most measures, is not qualified to be President. Sure, she has leadership experience. She's been the mayor of a town with a population of 5,469, and has spent two years as the governor of Alaska, who has a population roughly 80,000 people smaller than San Francisco. Does this mean she's able to navigate the complex issues and many moving parts that comes with being vice-president, or (well, given McCain's age) president? I'm simply not convinced.
Many of her supporters suggest that her accomplishments while governor, though only serving two years, match the accomplishments of a person in office for 8 years. This is supposed to represent her ability to "get things done." Still, however, I'm unconvinced. Again, getting things" done" in Alaska is not like getting things "done" in Washington. There are so many parties and considerations to contend with, both domestically and internationally, that any comparison to achieving anything in relatively isolated Alaska cannot be seriously considered.
What got me the most, however, was listening to Ms. Palin's speech and, comparing it to Mrs. Clinton's speech at the DNC. While both women are very good speakers, Ms. Palin's speech simply lacked the clarity of ideas, details, and passion that Mrs. Clinton invoked in her address to the DNC. It is readily clear, that Mrs. Clinton had spent a considerable amount of time thinking about issues that face America and solutions to these problems. This, of course, did not come about solely because of the last few years of her unsuccessful run for president. This thought process has evolved over the course of the last 35 years of her life. 35 years directed toward public service including time as First Lady of the state of Arkansas, on the campaign trail for her husband in 1992 and 1996, as First Lady of the United States, and her time as Senator of New York state. This includes time when she must surely have questioned her role in the public eye as the spotlight of the national press core shines more brightly and more intensely than even the longest Alaskan day.
In sum, Mrs. Clinton has had a lot of time to contemplate what it means to be President. She's seen the peaks and the valleys of Office. She's been all over over America and has engaged this country in conversation. Mrs. Clinton has a vision for this country. Ms. Palin, fresh-faced from Alaska, has not given us a similar vision. And because of this, I cannot see Ms. Palin seriously attracting female voters to McCain. Echoing the clichéd words of Vice-Presidential candidate, Llyod Bentsen, Governor Palin, you're no Hillary Clinton.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Bar Night: APALSA style
For those who haven't seen the flyers, bar night this week will be held at Milk. It's at the end of Haight near Stanyan. It's being hosted by APALSA and their flyers request you not wear sandals or flip flops. Closed toes shoes or you're not getting in the door. And be sure to bring your USF ID, or you will be subject to a cover. Sound like too many things to remember for one bar night? Well, suck it up for this one and come out for this one, cause the remaining bar nights will be a blast (including, from what I hear...a rock climbing bar night later in the semester- sounds pretty bad ass if actually is true). Anyhow, hope to see you out there on Thursday.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Bowmans are Awesome!
I don't normally post on music cause, well, this is a law school blog. But what good is it running a law school blog if you can't occasionally tell law students about awesome ways to spend their non-reading time- like listening to amazing indie artists such as the Bowmans who I came across this summer while in LA. I liked the Bowmans so much I felt compelled to blog about them.
The Bowmans consist of twins Claire and Sarah Bowman. From New York, they sing, sorta folk music, though myspace lists them as Americana/Indie/Pop. Not lame folk music, though. But stuff Fionna Apple covers when keeping her singing voice in shape for Santa Monica patrons (at the show I was at, some fan went up after the performance and told Sarah that Fionna Apple had covered them the night before at some venue in Santa Monica.) Anyhow, whatever you want to call it, it's great music and a really recommend you check em out. One of my favorite songs (if you can call it that) is entitled "Porker Song," which is actually a not-too- serious call to stop eating pork. For the record, I still eat pork, but it's a fun song nonetheless. My favorite actual song is entitled "Make it Last." It's a nice melody, presents good imagery, and is easy to listen to. Check it out.
Anyhow, it turns out The Bowmans are coming out with a new CD (well, it's in pre-sale as they're in the process of recording it). As this got me excited, I bought a presale copy ($27). It'll come signed and personalized. Fancy, indeed. Britney Spears and Coldplay certainly don't give you this type of quality. And The Bowmans make way better music. So, check out their page. And, if you like their music, I recommend you sacrifice a few bar night drinks, pony up $27, and help a few musicians live out their dreams. It'll be the best thing you do all day. And your ears, liver, and music sensibilities will thank you for it later.
Claire (left) and Sarah Bowman
The Bowmans consist of twins Claire and Sarah Bowman. From New York, they sing, sorta folk music, though myspace lists them as Americana/Indie/Pop. Not lame folk music, though. But stuff Fionna Apple covers when keeping her singing voice in shape for Santa Monica patrons (at the show I was at, some fan went up after the performance and told Sarah that Fionna Apple had covered them the night before at some venue in Santa Monica.) Anyhow, whatever you want to call it, it's great music and a really recommend you check em out. One of my favorite songs (if you can call it that) is entitled "Porker Song," which is actually a not-too- serious call to stop eating pork. For the record, I still eat pork, but it's a fun song nonetheless. My favorite actual song is entitled "Make it Last." It's a nice melody, presents good imagery, and is easy to listen to. Check it out.
Anyhow, it turns out The Bowmans are coming out with a new CD (well, it's in pre-sale as they're in the process of recording it). As this got me excited, I bought a presale copy ($27). It'll come signed and personalized. Fancy, indeed. Britney Spears and Coldplay certainly don't give you this type of quality. And The Bowmans make way better music. So, check out their page. And, if you like their music, I recommend you sacrifice a few bar night drinks, pony up $27, and help a few musicians live out their dreams. It'll be the best thing you do all day. And your ears, liver, and music sensibilities will thank you for it later.
Claire (left) and Sarah Bowman
Monday, August 25, 2008
1Ls Get No Laptops in Class
Well, technically, I think only section 2 gets no laptops, while section 1 is able to use them. This is the new policy at school. And I think it only reaches the 1Ls. The purpose, obviously is to test how effective learning and class room participation, etc. is when there is/is not a laptop present in the classroom. Section 1 is the control group. The hope is that Section 2 kids pay attention better.
I have a few thoughts on this. First, I think it's an interesting idea (and one that's gaining popularity) because, for me, surfing the internet was a huge distraction. However, I'm not sure if eliminating laptops in classrooms will actually make learning that much more efficient. I say this because classroom learning is still, actually a small part of your learning of the material. I mean, if you think about it, you have your reading, outside thinking (and discussions with classmates), outline making/outline reading, briefing/book briefing, finals study time, and office hours. I learned most of my stuff outside of classroom (and within 2 weeks of my final). I don't think eliminating laptops will necessarily make things better. I mean, kids are still going to doze off in class. Whether they are reading the news online or thinking about the awesome sandwich they're eating for lunch. If the kid is bored, the kid will be bored.
Secondly, laptops are good because people have terrible handwriting and taking notes via word processor is simply more efficient. For a short time, I tried leaving my laptop in my locker and just taking notes by hand. Big mistake. Either my hand would get too tired, my notes too unreadable, or I wouldn't be able to write everything fast enough. Plus, I'm a southpaw so my hand tended to smear the ink over the paper (and over the side of my palm.) So, I decided that taking notes on my laptop was a good thing. Which is weird, because I used to take notes in college by hand. However, in college, there wasn't much active participation in the discussion. As opposed to law school where you're supposed to be interacting with the discussion. This, I found, is much easier when I'm not worried about whether I'll even be able to decipher what I've written.
My final thought was...why couldn't the administration just put a block on wireless access in the classrooms (I don't even know if that's possible). I guess that would just make too much sense. Because the problem with laptops is that people stop paying attention to lecture because they are surfing the internet, not because they are so smitten with their word processing programs. If we can just prevent them from surfing the internet, people can still get the efficiency of note taking on MS Word or whatever Mac users use.
Well, whatever. There are a lot of other factors obviously to consider, but I don't much feel like thinking too deeply (or writing too deeply) about it now. So long as it doesn't effect me, it'll be interesting to see how the 1Ls do. A grand experiment, indeed.
I have a few thoughts on this. First, I think it's an interesting idea (and one that's gaining popularity) because, for me, surfing the internet was a huge distraction. However, I'm not sure if eliminating laptops in classrooms will actually make learning that much more efficient. I say this because classroom learning is still, actually a small part of your learning of the material. I mean, if you think about it, you have your reading, outside thinking (and discussions with classmates), outline making/outline reading, briefing/book briefing, finals study time, and office hours. I learned most of my stuff outside of classroom (and within 2 weeks of my final). I don't think eliminating laptops will necessarily make things better. I mean, kids are still going to doze off in class. Whether they are reading the news online or thinking about the awesome sandwich they're eating for lunch. If the kid is bored, the kid will be bored.
Secondly, laptops are good because people have terrible handwriting and taking notes via word processor is simply more efficient. For a short time, I tried leaving my laptop in my locker and just taking notes by hand. Big mistake. Either my hand would get too tired, my notes too unreadable, or I wouldn't be able to write everything fast enough. Plus, I'm a southpaw so my hand tended to smear the ink over the paper (and over the side of my palm.) So, I decided that taking notes on my laptop was a good thing. Which is weird, because I used to take notes in college by hand. However, in college, there wasn't much active participation in the discussion. As opposed to law school where you're supposed to be interacting with the discussion. This, I found, is much easier when I'm not worried about whether I'll even be able to decipher what I've written.
My final thought was...why couldn't the administration just put a block on wireless access in the classrooms (I don't even know if that's possible). I guess that would just make too much sense. Because the problem with laptops is that people stop paying attention to lecture because they are surfing the internet, not because they are so smitten with their word processing programs. If we can just prevent them from surfing the internet, people can still get the efficiency of note taking on MS Word or whatever Mac users use.
Well, whatever. There are a lot of other factors obviously to consider, but I don't much feel like thinking too deeply (or writing too deeply) about it now. So long as it doesn't effect me, it'll be interesting to see how the 1Ls do. A grand experiment, indeed.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Molokai Hoe Training
I have been asked by the founders of this blog to participate in its content by chronicling my training and experiences as I prepare for the World Championships of Outrigger Canoe Racing, also known as Molokai Hoe. The race will take place on October 12th, and will consist of 9 men, 1 outrigger canoe (which seats 6 men at a time) and a 42 mile span of ocean that separates the Hawaiian Island of Molo'kai from the capital island of O'ahu, more specifically the city of Honolulu. I personally find it difficult to believe that a story recording my experience in such an esoteric sport would be interesting to anyone who hasn't experienced the sport. However, as I was asked to do so, I have no problem providing the information and allowing you to make up your own mind.
For those who have no experience with an outrigger canoe, it may be pertinent to start with a short history of the sport and the technical aspects of the canoe itself, as many of the terms are Polynesian in origin and may not be familiar to the casual observer. First, the canoe itself is roughly 40 feet long, weighing no less then 400 lbs. It seats 6 people evenly spaced down the length of the boat. The Steersman sit in the back, the man in the first seat is called the stroker. He sets the pace for everyone else, and I believe it is the most difficult position in the boat. Whoever sits in seat 3 is the "Caller" and calls the "changes." The calling is necessary, as each paddler can only stroke on one side of the canoe at a time, and thus the Caller signals when the entire crew is to change sides, and continue to paddle. Seats 1-5 each stagger on which side they paddle, and the Steersman, will switch at will, so as to most effectively steer the canoe. Connected to the canoe, by two wooden struts called "Iakos" (pronounced yiakoo) is the "Ama," a 10 foot hollow piece of specifically shaped composite material which is used to ensure the boat does not constantly flip, being that it is only 2 feet wide at the center.
The outrigger canoe is considered to be the main means of transportation for all Polynesian travelers as they slowly "island hopped" from the Asian mainland thousands of years ago. The basic structure has literally gone unchanged for the past 5 millennia. The cultures whose history began with their ancestors traveling across vast spans of ocean on these canoes, are still the cultures/countries that dominate the sport, namely the Hawaiians and Tahitians.
As for me, I began racing outrigger canoes in the past year and it has become an absolute passion, to such an extent I am now dedicating over 20 hours a week to training for this one day, October 12th. This will be the content of these entries, and I hope you find them interesting enough to finish each entry....
For those who have no experience with an outrigger canoe, it may be pertinent to start with a short history of the sport and the technical aspects of the canoe itself, as many of the terms are Polynesian in origin and may not be familiar to the casual observer. First, the canoe itself is roughly 40 feet long, weighing no less then 400 lbs. It seats 6 people evenly spaced down the length of the boat. The Steersman sit in the back, the man in the first seat is called the stroker. He sets the pace for everyone else, and I believe it is the most difficult position in the boat. Whoever sits in seat 3 is the "Caller" and calls the "changes." The calling is necessary, as each paddler can only stroke on one side of the canoe at a time, and thus the Caller signals when the entire crew is to change sides, and continue to paddle. Seats 1-5 each stagger on which side they paddle, and the Steersman, will switch at will, so as to most effectively steer the canoe. Connected to the canoe, by two wooden struts called "Iakos" (pronounced yiakoo) is the "Ama," a 10 foot hollow piece of specifically shaped composite material which is used to ensure the boat does not constantly flip, being that it is only 2 feet wide at the center.
The outrigger canoe is considered to be the main means of transportation for all Polynesian travelers as they slowly "island hopped" from the Asian mainland thousands of years ago. The basic structure has literally gone unchanged for the past 5 millennia. The cultures whose history began with their ancestors traveling across vast spans of ocean on these canoes, are still the cultures/countries that dominate the sport, namely the Hawaiians and Tahitians.
As for me, I began racing outrigger canoes in the past year and it has become an absolute passion, to such an extent I am now dedicating over 20 hours a week to training for this one day, October 12th. This will be the content of these entries, and I hope you find them interesting enough to finish each entry....
Saturday, August 23, 2008
One 3L's compliment to USF's new 1Ls
Piggybacking off Keenan's post, I'd like to extend a round of applause to this year's batch of 1Ls at USF. Fantastic turnout, folks. We made a push for the unofficial Bar Night last year, and it wound up just being our usual group of friends and one or two 1Ls. This blogger (who made it his mission as a student orientation leader to promote Bar Night, ACS, TMC, and all around law-school-good-times) was personally delighted by the Class of 2011's early commitment to morale boosting alcohol consumption. Terrific start to what should be a terrific year.
Oh, and while I'm here: let's extend a big thumbs-down to Keenan for misspelling "morale" on the Bar Night flier. According to Keenan, TMC stands for the "The Moral Committee." As a TMC enthusiast (though not a co-founder, sadly), I can say that the TMC I know and love does not concern itself with morality in any fashion--unless it be a-morality. Partial thumbs-down to yours truly for not catching the typo in the first place.
Unofficial Bar Night: Success!
Well, the first USF event put on by the USF American Constitution Society/USF Morale Committee went down last night at Martin Mack's in the Haight. We promoted it pretty heavily at the 1L info fair and put up flyers around school. We even chalked the boards. I got there a little after 9pm with some friends and there was already a decent crowd from USF. Before long, that swelled to probably around 60-70 USF folks. Combine us with the regular Friday crowd and the letting out of the Outside Lands festival going on in Golden Gate Park, the bar was packed. So we pretty much stuck to the rear of the bar. Getting drinks seriously, took 10 minutes.
We were supposed to go to Hobson's Choice at 11pm, but a friend of ours told us that folks were waiting in line to get into Hobson's so the executive decision to stay at Martin Mack's was made. There was a good mix of 3Ls and 1Ls, but not many 2Ls. Apparently some 2L was having some house party that evening.
All told, it was a fun evening. And it seemed like folks were having a good time. From what I could see of that night, the unofficial bar night was a success! Thank you to all who came!
We were supposed to go to Hobson's Choice at 11pm, but a friend of ours told us that folks were waiting in line to get into Hobson's so the executive decision to stay at Martin Mack's was made. There was a good mix of 3Ls and 1Ls, but not many 2Ls. Apparently some 2L was having some house party that evening.
All told, it was a fun evening. And it seemed like folks were having a good time. From what I could see of that night, the unofficial bar night was a success! Thank you to all who came!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
What I've Learned: Brian
Hello all. We here at Citizen Kendrick are striving to provide entertaining, yet informative fodder for your blog reading/web searching needs. As the new school year rapidly approaches, we are going to implement new things to CK. You'll see them get rolled out over the course of the fall semester, but here is the first new addition: What I've Learned.
Without further ado, here is mine-
1. It's only as hard as you make it/you can still have fun.
If you made it into USF Law School, you're obviously more than capable of strong academic achievement. You wouldn't be here without good grades at a good university, and well-above average LSAT scores. Over the last two years, I've become a firm believer in the notion that if you trust yourself, try to avoid extra stress, and learn to work diligently, law school is anything but impossible. USF has a great community--the older students (myself included) are always willing to help, the professors want to see you succeed, there are tutors for all 1L classes, and your classmates will likely be more than happy to join study groups. The close-knit community at USF also offers lots of opportunities for bonding and relaxing. We have great participation in Bar Night, the student groups are active and motivated, and the Fall and Spring parties/BBQs are terrific fun. Indulge yourself by having some fun, and I'm sure you'll find law school to be entirely manageable.
2. Your LRW professor is your best friend.
Hopefully this point was stressed during orientation, but I'll say it clearly: LRW is the most important class you'll take. LRW will help you pass your finals and the Bar, it will help you get a summer job, and it will help you be good at that job when you get there. Learn IRAC/Love IRAC/Succeed in law school. Self-confessional time: In my first year I noticed that during finals where I felt very confident I drifted from IRAC, but when I was less confident I forced myself to stick to IRAC. Lo and behold, my grades were better on the finals where I stuck to IRAC, despite having less of a grasp on the substantive material.
3. Don't be a gunner.
Ok, we all know what a gunner is--the person who practically tears their rotator cuff raising their hand, who always has to be the first to comment on EVERY topic/question/response, and who views class as an opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with the professor while the rest of the students listen. Gunners are no good. I don't like gunners. You don't like gunners. Hell, gunners don't even like gunners. I read a really hokie saying once. But, however hokie it is, it's no less true: "You have two ears and one mouth. You should listen twice as much as you talk."
4. Try to exercise. It'll help with the stress.
It's a sad fact of law school that life becomes depressingly sedentary. Combine that with a poor diet, and it's not surprising what follows--weight gain, lack of energy, even for some a lowering self-image (if your self-image happens to rely on your physical appearance...it's ok, you can admit it if it does, CK won't judge you). Going to the gym helps stave off some of that. But, more importantly, it can be a great stress reliever to raise your heart rate, exert yourself physically instead of mentally, sweat a little, and just get away from the library for a while. Leaving aside any concern for physical appearances, the stress relief of a good workout can really help clear your mind, at the very least.
5. Relax already.
Law school is stressful. Ok, no big surprise there, right? The first few weeks are overwhelming. The time demands are unbelievable. It really doesn't sound like a fun prospect, and it isn't--for a while. But, as I've said already in this posting, the demands of law school become far less daunting when you have the right mental approach to school.
I speak from personal experience on this issue. More self-confession time: I felt completely lost my first semester. I hated law school, I considered dropping out more than once, and I thought I would never catch-up to everyone else. But after that first semester I joined our intramural football team, I made more friends, I became more active around campus. My grades rose. In year 2, I made a concerted effort to be even more socially active, not to view school as a life/death proposition, generally to be less obsessive and less anxious. As a result, my grades rose over those two semesters as well. Now I'm no model student, but the more I've made an effort to have a well-rounded life, the better my grades have been. I've noticed similar results from my friends.
I know as law students we're afraid of math, but think about this: there are 168 hours in every week. If you learn to be efficient with your time, you can probably do all your studying/briefing/attending class in about 60 hours a week. Add in another 40 hours or so of sleep, that leaves 68 hours a week for you. 68 hours a week to have hobbies, to relax, and to be a person, not a law school automaton. That means if you want to take a Sunday off to have a picnic in Golden Gate Park, you have the time. Friends going to a music festival? You can make the time. Even if all you want to do is spend an evening making yourself a nice dinner and drinking a bottle of wine with friends, you have the time. Obviously, you cannot let the academics slide--that's a recipe for disaster. But never-ending obsession with the demands of law school is also a recipe for disaster. Relax already, you'll find that it helps.
What I've Learned: Keenan
1. USF is a friendly environment. Make friends. Law school is a lot tougher going at it alone.
2. Make your own outlines. You learn more by writing it in your own words.
3. The legal world is EXPANSIVE and touches all aspects of this globe. Don’t be afraid to explore beyond the confines of casebooks.
4. Start your first year job search early. Especially judicial externships. Some people have interviews for judicial summer externships during winter break. Plan accordingly.
5. Don't be afraid to speak in class. There is absolutely no reason to feel intimidated. Nobody in your class actually knows what they’re talking about. If people insist they do, they are lying.
Keenan is a 3L. He is a Bay Area native, loves UCLA athletics, and is sad Arrested Development is no longer on television. John Wooden remains his hero.
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