My legal writing class instructor got half of our section in to observe oral arguments in the First Circuit appellate court yesterday, necessitating a trip into town early in the morning. The best/worst moment was when one judge said to one attorney, "Well, then, you have completed misunderstood the law. I'm trying to help you out, counsel. Do you have any other arguments to present?" He didn't. Burn!

I didn't stay the whole time, but apparently the consensus was that the trip was a confidence-builder -- we have our mock oral arguments next week, and hey, we can't do much worse than some of the lawyers arguing yesterday in front of actual appellate judges.

I left during a break with several other classmates, and said goodbye when they entered the subway to go back to school while I walked on in my oppressively uncomfortable shoes toward that palace of pleasure, DSW. (Discount Shoe Warehouse, to you uninitiates out there.) I don't always find something to get there, but yesterday the shoe gods were with me -- Kenneth Cole Reaction heels in the exact style I wanted, in the exact size I needed, for $19.96. It just doesn't get better than that, dawg.

I considered buying a pair of Saucony retro sneakers for $40, but couldn't get myself to do it. The cheapskate in me just won't die. I tell ya. And I know it's not all that expensive either! I just -- dunno. It's a thing.

I walked around a little bit after that supremely successful shopping experience and enjoyed the spring. Yes, it's come to Crimson City and its environs -- 60 degrees yesterday, with a tiny bite to the wind, but otherwise perfect. It almost made coming back to campus bearable.

Working backwards... I went to class on Monday with disgruntlement in my heart, which continued into the afternoon, when I just could not focus to do any work. So much for the break being a period of relaxation so I can push through the final 6 weeks. But! Met J1 in the little Italy section of town for dinner and had an excellent time over a bottle of wine and lobster ravioli. Yum. And fun! Sometimes I wish I could be more like J1. So stylish. So confident. So enjoying of life. I know I'm such a downer sometimes.

Ah well. At least I get to wear the hand-me-ups of the J three (J1 and her two sisters).

Sometimes I do think I'm the only one who is so bothered about law school, but I was walking with a classmate today who also took a walk around town after oral arguments yesterday, and she said she didn't want to come back to campus either, that it was so nice to be away from school. There really are a lot of people who don't like law school -- in fact, the majority of people, I'd say, aren't too fulfilled or interested by the classes. The difference is that a lot of them do enjoy the whole experience of it -- when you don't know anything but school, what can you compare it to?

And working forwards... tonight we had practice oral arguments, where we delivered our arguments in front of our sub-section classmates and then -- worse yet! -- had to watch ourselves on videotape afterwards. There's something about being on the judge side of the bench that sends even the most mild-mannered on a power trip. It's that unlimited power to interrupt the earnest lawyer on the other side, when that lawyer can't do anything about it, and has to pull out the respect for you no matter what. It's heady.

Appellate oral arguments usually consist of the judges asking lots of questions, interrupting you, and generally wreaking havoc on your prepared speech. Which you shouldn't at all expect to deliver. It wasn't so bad tonight, with classmates acting as judges, although I flubbed a couple questions. Everyone said that I had a very calm, "Oprah-like" voice that belied the difficulty of my questions (I admit to grilling my classmate when I was judge). I found the experience of arguing less scary than I thought, though I hate thinking on my feet -- I just get so anxious and sometimes flustered.

Actually, I think being grilled by the actual mock team of judges (a student, a professor, and an outside lawyer) might be less intimidating -- there's something about being judged by your classmates that is supremely unnerving. I confess that one of my judges tonight is a fantastic public speaker (she has a doctoral degree and teaches, so lots of practice) and delivered a great argument, so it was that much more paralyzing to be on the end of her pointed questions. There are a couple issues that I think will just sink me if I get asked about them (a little more prep time may or may not fix that), and I've got to work on turning questions into opportunities to get my points in. I seem to be perceived as quite calm and unshakable though, so that's good. Little do they know that my insides were churning and heart hammering all the while. My partner asked me how I was so calm; I'm all about presentation, that's why! Substance can seem so much more impressive when wrapped in assurance.

Oow. Pain in stomach. Weird. Possibly should not have eaten MSG-laden Chinese food truck super-spicy chicken two days in a row. But it's so goooood. The Chinese food truck is my new favorite gustatory experience.

Aagh! It's 1 am. Must sleep.