And I didn't capitalize the first letter of every word in that title just because it's grammatically correct. This is a big deal.
I honestly hated the first two weeks of it. I was working desperately just to finish normal homework assignments, feeling lost in some classes, and watching as my classmates came up with great arguments I had trouble following. Every time I opened my mouth in class, I was wrong about something (except for that one time when I correctly informed the class that state courts can hear diversity cases and cases arising out of federal law. But I only knew that because I'd screwed up on a question about jurisdiction on my first day of Civil Procedure). I wasn't making friends among my classmates or even networking effectively. I missed the bus to school on my second day.
But then, last night, a wonderful thing happened. I had been working on my first legal memo all day (except for a couple hours of TF2 in which Adam burned lots and lots of bad guys), and I was skipping a major social event to do it. Once I was done with 10 hours of research for the paper, I couldn't work on it any more. So instead I picked up my books for class on Monday and started reading the assignments. And, at about 11:30 p.m., I finished my homework for Monday. As I sat on the couch, my eyes burning from having stared at a computer screen for too long, my head numb from thinking about attorney-client privilege, remedies for breach of contract, and canons of statutory interpretation, a weird feeling came over me. I was happy.
I liked the weird facts in the cases I had read. I liked figuring out why attorney-client privilege is important and why/how applying it to the facts of a case makes people more free. It's still not easy, but I like what I'm doing. And that's important to me.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Beware--Random Thoughts
In a feat of extraordinary extraordinariness, I finished my daily quota of schoolwork before midnight. And so, I thought, what to do with a few minutes of free time, late at night? "Blog" seemed like the sensible answer.
So I learned a couple of interesting things today. State courts have to have personal jurisdiction in order to serve complaints to potential defendants--or in English, if you don't live in a state but someone who does wants to sue you in that state, they can't unless you're also in the state. Interestingly enough, though, "in the state" means "anywhere in the state." That includes if you're in a plane flying over it. There was actually a case where this guy who wanted to sue someone in Arkansas got onto a plane with him (the plane was going to fly over Arkansas). As the plane was over Arkansas, the guy served notice on the person he wanted to sue, and the courts upheld it.
It feels bad when you're waiting for the bus, and it comes, and then just keeps going by without stopping for you.
Sometimes I cover up the fact that I don't know what to say to my classmates outside of class by studying. Instead of talking to people between classes, I just read and reread the cases.
They have free coffee on campus, and my classmates drink it all the time. I don't understand how you can want a hot drink in summer. Now, they do also have free hot water. So, come winter, I may bring hot chocolate powder or cider to drink during class. But will that be giving the appearance of evil?
My computer is pretty. I love seeing all the moving (and apparently non-moving) parts working together fluidly. I get a lasting sense of accomplishment from having built it. It's similar to the feeling I get reading a well-written paper that I wrote. Of course, the beauty here is different than a tree's beauty, a painting's beauty, etc. But there is a beauty to mechanism that too few people appreciate, I think. I should stop talking about this, though, aesthetics never was my strong point.
Of all the topics I like to talk about (religion, philosophy, sports, politics, law, games, writing), the thing I most love to hear is the good that other people think of each other. It feels so good to hear someone talk about how they love someone else, or to hear/see someone show kindness through words.
So I learned a couple of interesting things today. State courts have to have personal jurisdiction in order to serve complaints to potential defendants--or in English, if you don't live in a state but someone who does wants to sue you in that state, they can't unless you're also in the state. Interestingly enough, though, "in the state" means "anywhere in the state." That includes if you're in a plane flying over it. There was actually a case where this guy who wanted to sue someone in Arkansas got onto a plane with him (the plane was going to fly over Arkansas). As the plane was over Arkansas, the guy served notice on the person he wanted to sue, and the courts upheld it.
It feels bad when you're waiting for the bus, and it comes, and then just keeps going by without stopping for you.
Sometimes I cover up the fact that I don't know what to say to my classmates outside of class by studying. Instead of talking to people between classes, I just read and reread the cases.
They have free coffee on campus, and my classmates drink it all the time. I don't understand how you can want a hot drink in summer. Now, they do also have free hot water. So, come winter, I may bring hot chocolate powder or cider to drink during class. But will that be giving the appearance of evil?
My computer is pretty. I love seeing all the moving (and apparently non-moving) parts working together fluidly. I get a lasting sense of accomplishment from having built it. It's similar to the feeling I get reading a well-written paper that I wrote. Of course, the beauty here is different than a tree's beauty, a painting's beauty, etc. But there is a beauty to mechanism that too few people appreciate, I think. I should stop talking about this, though, aesthetics never was my strong point.
Of all the topics I like to talk about (religion, philosophy, sports, politics, law, games, writing), the thing I most love to hear is the good that other people think of each other. It feels so good to hear someone talk about how they love someone else, or to hear/see someone show kindness through words.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Creating Truth
Is truth created or discovered?
I eat a tomato, and I don't like it. "I don't like tomatoes" is a true proposition.
However, my mother continues to serve tomatoes, twice a week throughout my childhood. She forces me to eat them. Over time, I acquire a taste for tomatoes. Now, "I like tomatoes" is a true proposition, and "I don't like tomatoes" is not. Have I discovered the truth that I like tomatoes, or have I created it?
I eat a tomato, and I don't like it. "I don't like tomatoes" is a true proposition.
However, my mother continues to serve tomatoes, twice a week throughout my childhood. She forces me to eat them. Over time, I acquire a taste for tomatoes. Now, "I like tomatoes" is a true proposition, and "I don't like tomatoes" is not. Have I discovered the truth that I like tomatoes, or have I created it?
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