I get the feeling that most law students are closeted voracious readers. Why else would we willingly consume several thousands of pages of dry casebooks without pictures? So, one of the first things I’ve done with my summer is read a book that I’ve been wanting to get to for awhile. First off, in the interest of full disclosure, this is going to be probably a little biased and a little fangirly. I was introduced to Dan Savage several years ago when I worked on a project his brother (a professor) as an undergraduate. He writes a most excellent, and entertaining, sex column (linked supra), records an equally entertaining podcast weekly (download it free from iTunes), and has written several books. I’m a big fan.

The book I just finished, The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family, is his most recent work.

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I almost forgot how much I hate Starbucks coffee. With a three-hour layover, I camped out at the very centrally located Dunkin Donuts in Terminal 3 and finally took the time to think about why Chicago O’Hare is one of my favorite places in our little corner of the world. Maybe my perception is a bit skewed since, for the first time in recent memory, I do not have to read a casebook or work on a write-on packet at the gate. Us Weekly, how I’ve missed you…but it’s so difficult to focus on Jamie Lynn’s baby shower when there are such ample opportunities for people watching… Continue Reading »

While others were studying for finals, completing seminar papers, or finishing up office hours for the semester last Thursday, I was on a field trip with my mom’s second grade class in beautiful Peoria, Illinois (AKA greatest civilization known to mankind). We visited a dairy farm in rural Peoria County and witnessed the incredible amount of work that goes into providing our nation’s milk supply. Below are some random musings from the fieldtrip.

Aldo Leopold, author of “A Sand County Almanac” and widely considered the greatest American conservation writer to ever live, once wrote, “There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.” One of these dangers was on display as the farmer asked the kids where milk came from, and one of the children promptly responded “the grocery store.”

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Last year, the University of Iowa Student Government split into two new and separate student governments: the undergraduates (UISG) and the graduate/professional students (ECGPS).  This means that now all of the student governments for each graduate school (such as Law, Dentistry, Medical, Graduate College, etc.) report to the ECGPS.  This covers all 9,000 graduate and professional students at the University.

The split, however, isn’t finished yet.  ECGPS is designing a process for allocating money to graduate and professional student organizations, and this includes all of the student organizations at the law school.  Nothing is final yet, but it appears that ECGPS will have a budget of around $150,000 per year.  In addition, ECGPS will need committed students to coordinate events across all the graduate schools.

In short, we need people to run this thing.  Continue Reading »

“North Carolina’s ram mascot – Rameses XVII, who was 8 – died from wounds he received after he was head-butted by another ram. The other ram? His son Pablo, who is 3. Infection set in after Rameses had a horn broken off in the collision. Pablo now takes on the name Rameses XVIII and succeeds his father as the Tar Heels’ mascot.” Per Rivals. Kill your father, get his title. Truly chilling. No word on whether Pablo/Rameses XVIII then went after his mother in one way or another.

As I’d mentioned somewhere in a comment recently, the Iowa legislature caught the University off-guard by passing the smoking ban and making it effective a year ahead of when the University was planning to implement the same rule.  University administrators had wanted to fire up some programs to  help staff and students to kick the habit between now and then and to take a little longer working out how to enforce the smoking ban.  Fortunately, some of the programs are available now.  In case you didn’t read it, here’s an exerpt from an administration e-mail:

The UI offers a number of resources for faculty, staff and students who want to quit smoking.  For staff and faculty, UI Wellness offers smoking cessation services and reimbursement of up to $300 for nicotine replacement or prescription drugs to aid people in stopping smoking.  For students who smoke or chew tobacco, Health Iowa offers a free tobacco cessation program that includes counseling and access to various therapy products.

The ban kicks in this summer.  In related news, finals are ALMOST OVER!

I’ve noticed that since starting law school, I’ve laughed significantly less than I used to. I’m sure it’s attributable to many things, namely that the law isn’t inherently funny, and that for some, law school is the most miserable time of their lives, but in any case, I like laughing. And I don’t do enough of it.

Plus, if laughter really is the best medicine, maybe we’d all be a bit less cynical and argumentative if we enjoyed some good, hearty chuckles on a regular basis. But I often wonder if the genuine honesty of laughter and the cynicism of being a law student can be reconciled.

Last semester, amidst the pain and torture of writing my final draft of an appellate brief for LAWR II, I received an e-card from my dear friend, fsford. I was expecting it to be all “keep working hard, the pain is almost over, blah blah blah.” It was not. Continue Reading »

I know we all have finals-addled brains right now, so here’s a helpful reminder: Mother’s Day is a week from tomorrow, May 11.  This gives you plenty of time to schedule a quick trip to Hallmark to pick up a card between Capanna and House of Aromas, address and mail the card, and have it arrive on time.  Even if you’re all anti-establishment and think it’s a stupid commercialized holiday, your mom probably doesn’t.  No money?  Send a free e-card.  (Bonus: since they’re free, you can also send them to grandmas, aunts, motherly neighbors, sorority pledge moms, single fathers who function as both mothers and fathers, pregnant friends, et cetera.)  See?  No excuses.  

I have a friend that is a Senior in High School and tonight is his Senior Prom. When most of us think of our High School Prom we think of good or funny things - - Like the blue tux that your friend wore, the crazy night you had with your friends out until 5am, or that special kiss you stole at the end of the night. My friend, unfortunately, will not have these fond memories (Believe it or not this post is law related) because of a few strict administrators at Neuqua Valley High School and a contract the school had with the Banquet Hall chosen for the night, Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.

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The latest University of Iowa Governmental End of Session Summary is out, and it’s got some good news for students.

First, as a left-wing socialist nutjob, I’m happy to see that the Board of Regents is getting $41 million to hand out in teacher salary increases.  This is part of a larger appropriation for teacher increases at all education levels across the state.  Faculty salaries are a huge obstacle to attracting top-notch scholars and keeping reputation up.  In total, the University of Iowa will receive $258 million from Des Moines. 

Second, the state legislature has passed  a bill recommending that state universities publicize course material lists so that students can shop around for better textbook prices:

In order to promote consumer choice and lower the costs of textbooks in higher education, the general assembly intends that students enrolled in institutions of higher learning have access to appropriate textbook information prior to the start of classes, with adequate time to pursue alternative purchase avenues.

It goes on to recommend that the school post this information near campus bookstores and online, complete with ISBNs for easy comparison shopping.  It looks like the bill is just waiting for Governor Culver’s signature at the moment.

Third, public employees have more power to bargain with the state via a collective bargaining board.  Before, the scope of this body’s ability to negotiate was limited to certain enumerated topics, now nearly everything is on the table.  The act permits the board to negotiatiate ”Other terms and conditions of employment except” for a short list of items.

The magnificent Lauren Hansen recently alerted her facebook friends (what? fine. sometimes i’m on facebook) to a little-known policy that allows students living in areas with higher costs of living for the summer to adjust their financial aid to reflect the increased cost.   The text of her note, reprinted with permission:

“If you are living in a place with a higher cost of living (like Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York), you can ask the financial aid office for a cost of living adjustment. This means about $600 more a month for me this summer living in New York.

The financial aid office doesn’t really publicize this, and you have to find and provide the data (cost of living figures for a law school in the area you are working) yourself, but it might be worthwhile.”

Now, I don’t know anything about this- the requirements, its substantive provisions, etc.  A few questions come to mind - do you need to be taking classes to qualify? or can your summer job/internship also qualify you?  These are questions that the resourceful interested candidates should figure out on their own.  But this could potentially be a great resource for 1Ls and 2Ls chasing their dreams in far-off places over the summer.  So I thought it merited posting.

Happy treasure hunting!

So my first post here bemoaned some of the more egregious problems I have with law students, specifically, certain behaviors in class I find distasteful.  (Refresh your memory here…and for the record, I’d like to add a rule to that post, stating that you should NOT shop for your sexy skivvies at Vicki’s Secret during class.  Even if you think you’re hot, or are actually hot, it’s still tacky.)

Anyway.  I think we should also discuss some finals-related decorum issues I have… Continue Reading »

It struck me yesterday that I am the sort of shopper that grocery stores must really dislike. This hit me as I was unzipping a bag of grapes and breaking one off to see if they were sweet. I covertly looked behind me to see if I was going to have to pretend to buy the bag, no-one was there so I quickly zipped up the bag and walked away. Now I wasn’t just doing this to get a free grape, I would have bought them if they hadn’t of been so sour.

That in of-itself isn’t so bad I suppose but the next thing actually got me into an argument with a guy I once dated. I have a habit of changing my mind in the grocery store, meaning I have a habit of taking things out of the cart and putting them back. This usually occurs when I see how much stuff I have in my cart and realize that I do not want to pay $150 for groceries.  I take a look at my cart and make decisions: tangerines (can stay), apples (can stay), random vegetable that I don’t really like (OUT).

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Sent by Tim Hilton:

I’d love to bring you an onion, but we’re working on multiple choice right now. - Some dude

Sent by Kara Westercamp:

There are lots of countries in the world that don’t have secured credit or Article 9 – most of them are places where you get diseases. - Prof. Porter

Sent by Fleming Ford

How tainty was the taint? - Prof. Raymond

Overheard in the BLB is an irregular feature.  If you hear someone say something funny or outrageous, you should send it in!

For some people, this might be a glittering gift from God.  For other people, this means nothing.  If you voted for Bush, this might just make you vaguely uncomfortable for some inarticulate reason.

The University of Iowa actually wants to pay you to smoke weed.  It’s part of a study by the Department of Anesthesia into the developmental effects (or lack thereof) that marijuana has on the brain.  Those who are awarded a screening interview (for a deal like this, it’s hard to get in the door) get an easy $20.  People lucky enough to be selected for the actual study go home with $600.  Yes, you really can get paid to do something that normally costs money.  And this ain’t just schwag, we’re talking government buds here.

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