I'm Moving (and starting Law School)

[Alidar Jarok]

I hope people will forgive one personal thread, since I don't have too many. As some of you know, I've been planning on going to law school for awhile. Since I got accepted, I've been a bit quieter about everything. But I got into George Mason and I start my orientation for 1Ls on Friday. That means I will have to leave my imaginary state (Delaware) and move to the nation's capital.

People keep asking me if I'm excited/nervous/whatever to start law school. My honest response is that I haven't even thought about it because I've been so worried about moving instead. Still, this is pretty cool. I know there are a couple of law school people here. Any advice will be appreciated. Also, for any DC/Arlington people, recommendations of cool places to go to are nice.

~AJ

 

[Holdfast]

Good luck!

George Mason is Tier One isn't it? Congratulations!

Start reading Above the Law now.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Congratulations, and good luck on your move.

As for what to do in DC: The Smithsonian, the Jefferson Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial, the Pentagon, and, of course, the Wall.

 

[Misfit Toy]

Shall we forward your mail to the Air & Space Museum?

 

[doubleohfive]

GO PATRIOTS! You'll be back at my old stomping grounds at the Arlington Campus! ROCK ON!

Make sure to stop by Mario's Pizza at least once. PHENOMENAL. Also, El Pollo Rico is pretty good too.

I'm pretty sure you've got several BBSers who live nearby down there, so you'll get to do meetups (hopefully) at the Hard Times Cafe in Clarendon. Make sure also to try Mexicali Blues. Very good food there. For a more formal evening, Mejana is excellent as well. GMU's Arlington campus is also literally a block from the Virginia Square Metro so you'll be able to get virtually anywhere in the area quite easily. In fact, I'd recommend it strongly for commuting to class if only because parking in that area is usually scarce and GMU isn't shy about charging you up the wazoo for parking permits.

-doubleoh, homesick.

 

[TrekkieMonster]

Congratulations ... and condolences.

Kidding. About the condolences ..., mostly.

You're embarking on a great educational adventure. As much work as it will be, if it's something you truly want and are genuinely passionate about, it can be an amazing experience.

Q'Pla!

 

[mimic]

I'm going to steal a few rumbles of Alidar's thunder to say that I'm also moving to northern Virginia. Not for law school, though, for a teaching job. So, DC BBSers, we're going to have to hit up one of those places doubleoh just mentioned sometime in the near future.

 

[doubleohfive]

^
And now I have two more reasons to come back and visit all of you! ROCK ON!

 

[propita]

Having finished, let me know if I can offer anything. I have some great outlines. At least, I've been told they're great and used as a reference by many at my school.

Your first year will be a hell only repeated by studying for the Bar. Please post your thoughts on your year, if/when you can. I'm curious to read how it compares to mine, but I don't want you to take time from your studies.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Best of luck to you! Hope you survive DC. And if I ever need a lawyer, I'll know who to call.

 

[Lord Garth]

Congratulations on getting into law school and good luck!

 

[TheBrew]

Good luck in George Mason! I hope to join you there in a few years (though in the Public Policy department).

I will take you to Ray's Hellburger, the greatest burgers in existence. I am decently busy (what with work and all), but I am always down to hang with people. My drinking spot is Whitlow's on Wilson since on Thursdays I can get a mug of Blue Moon for $1.50 until 9.

It is going to be funny having two other BBSers live within spitting distance of me.

 

[Yeoman Randi]

Congratulations and best of luck! Excellent school~ that is pretty damn awesome!

 

[Vulcan Princess]

Congratulations, and good luck! Law school is an intense pressure cooker, but it's also what you make of it.

I recommend that you get your hands on a copy of Academic Legal Writing by Eugene Volokh. That book is the most clear and concise explanation of how to write well. You'll be doing a lot of writing in law school.

Put in the hard work necessary to succeed, but don't let law school take over your life. You'll be more effective if you take at least half a day (or a full day if you can) per week away from your studies so that your mind can regenerate.

Take every piece of advice you get with a grain of salt. Everybody has their theory of law school success, and what works for one person may not work for you. For example, many of my classmates swear by canned briefs and commercial outlines. Others prefer audio lectures. Those don't work for me; I prefer hornbooks and law review articles. Your school's library should have copies of many of the study aids out there so you can try before you buy.

If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me. Welcome to the club!

 

[Lindley]

I'm going to steal a few rumbles of Alidar's thunder to say that I'm also moving to northern Virginia. Not for law school, though, for a teaching job. So, DC BBSers, we're going to have to hit up one of those places doubleoh just mentioned sometime in the near future.

Fauquier County is pushing the definition of "northern" VA. Do you know where you're actually going to be living yet?

You'll have the Flying Circus right there, I suggest checking it out. Shows every Sunday during the summer.

 

[bluedana]

Congratulations! Law school is as horrible and as exhilarating as everybody says it is. Your first semester will suck. Horribly. You will convince yourself you've made the worst mistake of your life by the time your first set of finals roll around. Then you'll take (and pass) those finals, and it will get better from there.

My advice (since you asked) is: find something you love that is even tangentially law related, and do that, starting in the second half of 1L. (For example, I started volunteering in the school's criminal defense clinic. It was the ONLY reason I didn't drop out.) Many people burn out and give up because they do not see the connection between the theory of law and real life. So join a club, a group, a cause, and fit it into your schedule.

Having said that, I'll add: You can do this. The same intelligence and hard work that got you through college (and all of the other facets of your life that made George Mason see your potential) will get you through law school.

Best of luck, and feel free to PM me anytime.

 

[nevermore]

I know there are a couple of law school people here. Any advice will be appreciated. Also, for any DC/Arlington people, recommendations of cool places to go to are nice.

~AJ

Welcome to the neighborhood.

As for what to do in DC: The Smithsonian, the Jefferson Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial, the Pentagon, and, of course, the Wall.

And then on your second day...

Dunno much about NoVA, but in DC, check out Adams Morgan, maybe Dupont, and there really actually are some great divey bars all over, even around the great Tourist Trap. Drinks and food will be more expensive than you're used to, but it's a happy hour town. Figure out your happy hour progression and you'll be golden. You must eat at the Amsterdam House Falafel, the Chili Bowl and Dukem. Adams Morgan is a great place to wander and find cool ethnic restaurants and hole-in-the-wall bars (avoid the flashy clubs - I was once charged $7 for a 12-oz Yuengling, which they attempted to justify by telling me it was an import ).

For music, the Black Cat is a great venue with two stages. Keep an eye on the City Paper for things to do.

Participate in DC Meat Week.

Root for the Ravens. You don't want to be a Skins fan, thrust me.

Rush hour traffic is a nightmare, especially on the beltway; don't try to drive anywhere between 4-7 or so. If you get a parking ticket in the city (and you will), pay it on time; the fees are unconscionable. MVP bus is a good cheap option for getting to Philly and NYC. Weekdays, the MARC train will get you to Baltimore for $7.

You can pick up bushels of steamed crabs at the harbor on the relative cheap.

That's all I got.

One more: Getting faced with a bunch of freaked out Hill Rats at a Capital Hill bar on election night is an experience everyone should enjoy at least once in their life.

 

[propita]

Take every piece of advice you get with a grain of salt. Everybody has their theory of law school success, and what works for one person may not work for you. For example, many of my classmates swear by canned briefs and commercial outlines. Others prefer audio lectures. Those don't work for me; I prefer hornbooks and law review articles. Your school's library should have copies of many of the study aids out there so you can try before you buy.

If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me. Welcome to the club!

What I bolded is probably the best advice you'll get.

I went to a very small, non-ABA school. Still, our professors were good--most of them, and the full-time ones were outstanding.

Canned briefs were helpful for me only on some subjects, to understand what the case was about--to learn what I was supposed to be getting from reading it. They were not allowed when called on to brief a case in class.

I used my lecture notes and others' outlines to compile my own outlines. Black letter law was ususally given during the lecture, but not usually handed to you. It was there in the notes, but you had to find it.

Some swore by flashcards. I felt overwhelmed by them (just too many) and relied on my outlines to keep things organized in my head, the flow of what followed what on the issues and sub-issues.

As with the Princess, PM me if you want (and if you want outlines--concise ones that have pretty much all the black letter law you need).

 

[RJDiogenes]

As for what to do in DC: The Smithsonian, the Jefferson Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial, the Pentagon, and, of course, the Wall.

And then on your second day...

Actually, it took me three. But I shamble slowly.

 

[scottydog]

Welcome to the great state of Virginia! Up north where you'll be, the traffic truly sucks, but then again you'll have no life for a while and thus won't notice.

Good luck!