A full, busy day

The madness of school and activities come again. I started out the day reading a draft of a paper to be delivered at a symposium in June as preparation for my meeting with my employment law professor at 10:35. The paper's about the (non)application of social science research on implicit biases in discrimination lawsuits. I found it very interesting, which was disconcerting. A law paper, interesting? Perish the thought!

Actually, it was more social science than law, so that's probably why. Also, it touches on the fascinating topic I stumbled across last year: unconscious biases. I went to a lecture last year by a social psychologist on this topic and now it is blossoming out for me in a tangible, productive form -- I had asked Employment Law Prof about it and she sent me the article, and after talking to her about it today and offering my slave labor, she said she did have some work coming up that she'd need some help on.

So, cool -- work for a prof. It'll be interesting, I hope.

After talking to the prof, who is insanely brilliant and scary, I checked on my con law class status with the registrar, got no love, decided to go beg the con law prof directly, and was told that everyone who showed up the first day would be allowed in. Sa-weeeeet! I'm so glad -- this prof is universally loved and the first day of class had a good vibe to it. Who doesn't like stuff like the First Amendment and shit like that? It’ll be a very work-heavy class – con law classes are like that – but with a good professor, it’ll be interesting.

After that errand, I answered some emails and then went to another meeting for Student Org #1 (the human rights group) at 2 pm. Ugh. I want to retire from it, but I can’t. The adviser is amazing and chill, and sometimes I feel inspired by his work, but mostly I think, man, I’m really not cut out for this. Which – yeah, so I’ve applied to this human rights org in Cambodia, and if I get it … okay, I’m not going to think about how I’m going to decide that one until I have to.

Then it was on to the Open House for Student Org #2 at 3 pm, which was fun and successful. A nice, bigger-than-expected crowd showed up and ate down the grapes and cheese and drinks and spinach dip to nothing. A couple of Board members stood around and chatted and ate the rest of the food after everyone left. It was nice. Mediation folks generally are.

Then, after I dumped off leftover bowls and signs at the mediation office, I went to the orientation dinner for my clinical, late. I have a good feeling about it – they’re actually going to teach us how to interview clients and assess cases; in short, how to be a good lawyer. Three of the four lawyers in my section graduated from Crimson Law School themselves, and rhapsodized about doing this clinical as one of the best things about law school.

Clinicals are, like con law, also notorious for the work load – one of the lawyers joked, “At the beginning, I was just looking at all this paperwork and wondering when I’d get to see clients, and by the end of the semester I had 15 clients and never went to any of my other classes.” So, with con law, the clinical, another reputedly work-y class (capital punishment), and possible work with a prof – plus mediation and human rights stuff… oof. It’s going to be a busy semester. But I feel hopeful about it. I definitely feel hopeful.