The Finish 1Line (Part II)

A very wise UBC Law professor once said "Law school is not a sprint....it is a marathon".

January

With two weeks away and 5 extra pounds from all that turkey, it’s time to head back to law school. Last year (and hopefully this year too) we were lucky to have the second week of Law in Context right when school started in January. This was a nice way to ease back into classes after turning off our brains over the break. Mid-January is also when you will receive the marks from your December exams. This can be a joyful, stressful, eye opening, or inspiring time (but for most of us it’s a bit of all these emotions wrapped up like a late Christmas present you’re not quite sure you want to open).

The best advice I can give is to take the time to speak with all of your profs about your exams to see where you went right and where you can improve. The great thing is that the first year profs at UBC are super friendly and are always more than willing to go over exams, give pointers, and even offer some moral support. Also keep in mind that December exams are “fail proof”. If you end up scoring better on your exam in April, the mark on your December exam will not count towards your final grade. Speaking from my own personal experience it is very possible to dramatically improve many of your grades between December and April so whatever you do, don't get discouraged!

On a much lighter note, January is a great month to head up to Whistler. My small group took the time to enjoy a weekend of snowboarding and skiing in the mountains before classes got back into full swing. This is something I highly recommend to all students, whether or not you ski!

February
Reading week arrives and the finish line is in sight! Take reading week to catch your breath and work on any assignments and CANs that you have been neglecting. Most importantly, take a couple days off and just relax. Many students use reading week as a chance to get out of Vancouver. Whether you are heading south to warmer weather or home to spend time with your family, try to get some R & R. February is also the month where you may start thinking more about your summer plans. Postings for summer jobs with UBC Law (like mine) and other law organizations will start to appear near the end of January and well into February and March. Be sure to keep your eyes open and start thinking early about how you want to spend those glorious 4 months off!

March
Just like last year, March is likely the month where all first years will have their very first mooting experience. Like many first years before you, you may be asking yourself, what the heck is a moot? Should I be concerned about this mysterious task? Will I actually be required to speak in front of my entire class? The answers of course are no! You should not be too concerned as the moot is graded on a pass/fail basis and students rarely fail. The moot will take place in a small classroom and the only individuals present will be your moot partner, another moot team (consisting of 2 of your classmates), and a panel of 3 judges (comprised of students, lawyers, professors, and judges). While you will be required to actually argue your side, by the time the moot rolls around you will have worked on your factum for hours and know your points like the back of your hand. The time will pass in a blur and before you know it, you will be back in your seat. It’s a bit of a nerve racking experience but students find it to be incredibly valuable and yes, even pretty fun[1].

April
For some of us, April will be one of the most hectic times we can recall. My advice: stay on top of your assignments, CANning, and studying + still take some “me” time to stay rejuvenated. Also, one of the most important things I discovered in my second semester of law school was my perfect place to study. If you can find that room, library, or coffee shop that lets you shut out the world and just stay focused then your life will be a whole lot easier! If you are the kind of person who can’t imagine staying home to study and not seeing your friends then find a study group. This is a great way to switch up your studying, get out for a while, and gain a better understanding of the materials. Some of my best studying by far was done with my friends (something I never would have dreamed of doing in undergrad!). Finally, be sure to surround yourself with supportive people. Half the battle of first year exams is a mental one. With the help of your classmates, friends, and family, if you can stay positive, focused, and truly believe that you have what it takes to be successful, then chances are you will.

Summer

The end has finally arrived! You are 1/3 a lawyer and 100% ready for summer break. Check out next week’s blog, “School’s Out for the Summer! …Now What?” to see the possibilities in store for your summer after 1L!

[1] For more information on your first year moot see: http://faculty.law.ubc.ca/rochette/word/Moot%20Court%20Rules%202006-2007.doc. There are also many competitive moot teams that you may choose to try out for near the end of your first year. You can receive credit in your second year if you are accepted to one of these teams!

Hello Law School...Bye Bye Life? (Part I)

I’m sure that many of you have heard the horror stories, watched the movies, and at one point contemplated just how grinding life in law school may be. While I can say that the summer glow will fade from your skin and that you may develop a more intimate relationship with your textbooks than you prefer, life, even in law school, does go on… quite nicely in fact.

To ease some of the anxiety and anticipation over the year to come, I have created a timeline to give you a better idea of what life will be like in your first year of law school.

September
September is a month filled with the excitement of beginning law school and more social outings than your calendar can fit. My advice: be sure to stay caught up, but attend as many events and meet as many people as you can in September. These are the people you will see almost every day for the next 8 months so take the time to really get to know them. Also, try to branch out of your small group and meet all of your classmates. Soon those strangers will be turning into familiar faces you look forward to seeing each day. Another awesome way to meet friends, including upper years, is signing up for clubs or sports teams. Finally, if you are just too busy to do anything else, make sure you go on the boat cruise at the end of September. It’s easily one of first year’s best events!

October
The social events start to settle down and classes will start to pick up. October is a great month to attend as many lunch info sessions as you can. One of the best ways to stay excited about being in law school is to learn more about what you can do with your JD once you graduate. Try going to different panels, even ones that may not be of particular interest to you. In the end, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you find out about practicing family law, environmental law, or pursuing a career in public interest law. I would also recommend attending at least one “firm tour”. These are basically open houses where law firms allow 20 or so students to visit their firms and mingle with their associates, partners, and summer students over drinks and appetizers. Not only is the food superb, these open houses are a great time to ask real lawyers questions and get the inside scoop on what certain areas of law are like. Finally, October is not too crazy, so if you are dying to go home for thanksgiving or take that weekend trip to Seattle, then go for it!

November
With November comes rain, due dates, and December exams lurking at the back of your mind. Make sure you buy an umbrella and rain boots and get ready for this balancing act of a month! In November you will mostly be working on assignments and getting your CANs ready for winter exams. Law school will definitely be in full swing now and you may find yourself studying more to stay caught up. Don’t worry, you will still be getting those Monday’s off (which makes life much easier)! Also, by the time November rolls around, the friendships you first formed at the beginning of the year have flourished into an awesome support system. The best way to get through busier months like this is to work (and take time to play!) together with those new friends. Finally, my advice is to consistently do your readings and make your CANs starting in September [1]. This will ensure that you will already be on track and fairly prepared for your exams. I would also recommend taking any trips home or weekend vacations near the beginning of November!

December
Winter exams are upon you but thoughts of sugar plums, Mom’s cooking, and catching up on sleep (and all those episodes of your beloved HBO shows) are dancing in your head. My advice: try to waive those thoughts away, ignore the fact that the December exams are “fail safe”, and focus on doing your best [2]. Yes, it is immaculate to think that these exams may not count towards your final grade. However, based on my experience, it is far better to receive accurate feedback on how you are actually doing than a grade you will brush aside for your less-than-full efforts.

Phew! The December exams are done, the first half of the year is over, you have two weeks off, and life is looking good. Read tomorrow to find out what's in store for the next four months!

[1] [2] I will discuss and explain CANs and exams in more detail in a later blog so do not fret about these quite yet! If you do have questions, however, be sure to email me right away instead of feeling left in the dark!

It's Off to Court We Go!

Imagine this: You have a great time during Orientation Week (although that’s not too hard to imagine), you meet your classmates and your professors, and law school begins. The days whirl by, December exams come and go, and the next thing you know it’s February and reading week is finally in sight.

Like most first year students, you signed up for the Law Students Legal Advice Program (LSLAP) and have been attending clinics for months. You have met with many clients, listened to each of their stories, and discussed their cases with Brian (the awesome supervising lawyer). You have helped clients with small claims and even one with their will, but none of your files have gone much further than that.

Tonight’s clinic is different. The next client that walks through the door and sits in front of you will be unlike any other. That client will spill their story but this time you will play an integral part in it. The client tells you that they have a court appearance in a week.

You scan their file, listen to them speak, take notes, and meet with Brian. “Yep” he says, after reading over the file. “Look’s like we will want to plead guilty… you’re going to have to do a speak to sentence” he concludes[1]. You stare at him dumbfounded. The words sputter from your mouth, “I’m going to do a what?”. “Well don’t look too shocked kid, you’re going to court!”

Now you may be thinking to yourself…what do you mean a student is going to court? We are only in our first year, we hardly know anything, how can we actually represent a client? We can’t just put on a suit and play lawyers…we hardly have any law in our heads! Well the answer is that yes, some of you will have the opportunity to go to court in your first year at UBC Law. In fact, this story is hardly fiction; it’s exactly what happened to me.

There are a few of you who will be whistling all the way to court and there are a few of you who will dread ever setting foot in front of a judge. I’m guessing most of you will be like me though, and fall somewhere in between being excited and petrified at the thought of speaking in a courtroom. Now I have to say, that even though I thoroughly prepped with Brian and practiced my speech a hundred times, I was still scared out of my pants when I stepped into that courtroom in Surrey.

I ended up going to court twice. The first time there was a mix-up and I had to reschedule my speak to sentence for the next week. To top it off, I forgot where my client was standing when I went to introduce her to the judge. “This is my client Ms. X” I stated with what little confidence I could find. I turned to my left to point to my client, only to realize that she wasn’t there. “I believe your client is standing to your right Ms. Meyer” the judge stated, displeased... The rest of the appearance passed by in a blur and soon I was leaving the courthouse, already dreading my return the next week.

The days zoomed by and it was already time for my second attempt at my speak to sentence. This time there were no mix-ups and everything went ahead as planned. I even turned to my right and pointed to my client instead of an empty space beside me (phew). Thanks to one of the nicest judges I could ever hope to meet, I delivered my speech without stumbling and my client was given a very minimal sentence. I had survived! It was a success! When it was all over my client and I hugged, her eyes were filled with gratitude, and for a second I felt what it was like to be a lawyer.

In the end, going to court turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences I had in my first year of law school. I would highly recommend that you all sign up for LSLAP. Regardless of whether or not you have a client that you end up representing in court, I can assure you that it will be worth you while. Finally, I must add that you will NEVER be forced to represent one of your clients in court if you join the LSLAP program. If you do not feel comfortable going to court it is very easy to transfer your file to another student. Also, if you are set on going to court, you can put your name on a list and will receive the court files that other students transfer.

If you have any questions or concerns or want to learn more about LSLAP send me an email!

Hope June is treating you well,

Your Orientation Coordinator,

Kaitlyn

[1] Before a sentence is given, the accused, or counsel for the accused (this would be an LSLAP student), must be permitted to “speak to sentence” and make submissions to the judge that could affect the sentence. After hearing Crown recommendations and then defence submission, the judge will give a sentence. For more information you can read the LSLAP manual…but I would highly suggest waiting to learn more about this during the LSLAP info sessions in September! http://www.lslap.bc.ca/UserFiles/01_Criminal%2009.pdf

With a Little Help From My Small Group

Today’s post is dedicated to small groups; some of the most important people you will meet in your first year of law school.

I still remember my first day of grade 5 after moving across the city and starting at a new elementary school where I knew absolutely no one. I sat in the first desk right by the door as soon as I walked in and my teacher joked, “did you pick that one so you can escape if you need to?”. I thought to myself, “no, but now that you mention it, that sounds like a great idea!”. My classes slowly ticked by and I waited in agony, dreading when the clock would hit noon and lunchtime would begin. Who would I hang out with? Would anyone talk to me? How long can I play with my tamagotchi by myself until people start to notice? As the bell rang and everyone ran out of the room I tried to waste time. I slowly rummaged through my bag for my lunch. Thinking I was surely the last one left I was shocked to see a girl standing next to me when I finally got up to leave. “Hi!” she said. “Want to eat with me and my friends?”. Little did she know just how wonderful those words were to my ears! “Sure!” I replied, and off we went.

Now to my point. I am sure that many of you, just like all first years, are feeling both excited and nervous to start law school. The decision to come to UBC Law may not have been an easy one. It may have required leaving behind home, old classmates, a familiar school, a steady job, family and friends, or simply setting out to study a subject you know very little about with people you have never met before. Regardless of where you are coming from or what you are leaving behind, I can promise you that there is one thing you will all gain; your very own small group.

Just as in grade 5 I was slightly dreading meeting people on my first day of orientation…but just as I did then, I quickly met someone who was more than willing to take me in. In fact, I met 25 of those people only minutes after registering and finding my small group. I can assure you that even if you do not know a soul in Vancouver, you are sure to meet and become close with many individuals in your small group and your first year class.

After taking all of my classes with my small group over the past year, I have come to realize that one of the best ways to get by in first year is by sticking together with your classmates. The individuals in your small group are not only great for talking with during breaks and going out with on the weekends, they are also excellent resources to help you study and prep for exams. Some of the classes I was most successful in were the ones that I prepared for in study groups. Undoubtedly, some of my finest CANs were also created by comparing them with my friends'.

Finally, the wonderful thing about your small group is that everyone is selected completely at random. And, given the fact that so many law students come from such a wide range of backgrounds, you will have the chance to meet, study, and become close with people you never would have met outside of law school. Take my small group for instance. From a mother and optometrist who runs her own clinic, to a student who completed one year of law school in Australia, to a student who served in the Canadian army in Afghanistan, to students from all across Canada, to local Vancouverites who could never be convinced to leave their gorgeous city, we have them all.

So while you are waiting in anticipation for September to begin, stop worrying and start relaxing. You are going to make tons of great friends and have more social events to attend (thanks to the Law Student’s Society) then your calendar can fit! If you still aren't convinced or have any questions about small groups and meeting people in first year, be sure to send them my way!

Your 2010 Orientation Coordinator,

Kaitlyn

p.s. not all of my small group is in that picture, you will generally have 20-24 students in yours!

Great! I'm in Law School! Now What Courses Should I Take?

The answer to this question is simple…the ones that all first years take! One of the nice things about your first year of law school is that you don’t have to worry about taking the right classes and figuring out your schedule. Instead, you will all be taking 8 basic courses that are already mapped out for you. What’s more, your schedules are neatly created to give you Mondays off and extra time at lunch so that you can meet with friends, catch up on readings, or attend heaps of info sessions on law student organizations and opportunities.

That being said, as with your previous studies, it is inevitable that while you will adore some subjects, you may not fancy others. Lucky for you though, all of your classes will be with your small group. These 20 some people will become your acquaintances, your study buddies, and in all honesty, your life long friends and colleagues. Chances are that one of the 20 some students in your small group will have an interest in a subject that you find more difficult. And if there is anything I can recommend for 1L, it is to work together with these individuals. Take the time to really get to know your new classmates and don’t be afraid to ask them for help or initiate a new study group. Based on my own experiences, I can assure you that this will allow you to excel, both academically and in enjoying your overall first year experience!

While I could go on and on about small groups , I think I will leave that for next week! For now, take a look at your time table: http://www.law.ubc.ca/current/jd/timetables/index.html. While there are course descriptions on the website too, if you have any questions on what exactly a course will entail, feel free to send me an email. If I receive multiple questions I’ll be sure to post my answers to them too. I know it can be confusing, especially with Law in Context and Legal Research and Writing!

I'll be in touch soon, enjoy your weekends!

Your Orientation Coordinator,

Kaitlyn

“What Kind of Lawyer Do You Want to Be?” And Other Questions You Need Not Know the Answers To

One of the first things everyone will ask when you tell them you are in law school is "do you know what kind of lawyer you want to be?". The answer for some of you will come easily. After dreaming of becoming a lawyer since you were a kid or hearing all of your aunt’s stories about practicing law or reading too many John Grisham novels, you have already mapped out your entire legal career. However, for many of us law students the answer will simply be, "I don’t know".

I still remember my relief after being accepted to law school and thinking, great, now I don’t have to decide what kind of job I want for at least another 3 years. While I was right in many respects, I was also in for a bit of a surprise. After starting first year and attending lunchtime info sessions, I began to realize that law school was not narrowing down my options, but giving me new ones I hadn’t even considered.

As a dedicated follower of goal setting and planning in advance, I began to feel overwhelmed. How would I ever decide what kind of lawyer I wanted to be? Then, after listening to upper year students, my CBA mentor, professors, and other lawyers, I realized that not knowing exactly where I wanted to go with my legal career was alright...even after finishing law school.

In fact, tons of lawyers I met never dreamed they would end up where they are and many have changed their career paths numerous times. Take my mentor for example. She started off in litigation, doing mostly trial work in labour and employment law for a big firm in Vancouver. Then she became a mediator and judge for the BC Human Rights Commission and a part time law professor at UBC. Starting this spring, she is once again working for another firm in Vancouver!

Overall, first year has shown me that one of the best things about being a lawyer is just how flexible and ever-changing your career can be. My advice is to attend as many info sessions and panels as you can in order to expose yourself to all of the options a J.D. provides. Finally, remain open to different areas of law, including ones you never imagined you would practice. Who knows what kind of law you might end up falling in love with!

As for me, when I finally figure out what kind of law I want to practice, I'll be sure to let you know. In the meantime, I'll be working on Orientation Week and awaiting any questions you may have about law school so feel free to send them my way!

Your Orientation Week Coordinator,

Kaitlyn