October 18, 2008
Last Semester ...
So being a 3L is a different experience. Everyone says that things calm
down a whole lot, but you can't even imagine that being true during
your first and second years of law school. It is completely true,
though. So far, this has been the best semester of law school--it is
also my last semester. Come December 19th I will be done with law
school and then a new world of opportunities will open before me. I'm
still unsure of exactly what I'm going to do, but I have complete calm
and excitment about the prospect of being able to do anything. And
there are several things I've learned since beginning my journey at
Michigan nearly three years ago ...
** You can do a whole lot more than you ever realized in a 24-hour
period.
** Stress is never a good reason not to be kind.
** True friends are there, even when you don't have the time to talk to
them everyday.
** You have so little control over so many things.
** Warmth and kindness never go out of style.
** Intelligence doesn't need a salesman, it speaks for itself.
** Smile through all things, you may not be able to make it better, but
at least you can control the expression on your face.
** Some things last only for a season, it's a mistake to try and make
them last for a lifetime.
** When it all comes down to it, family and good friends are all that
matter in this life.
** Do your damnedest to keep the good people that you've met along the
way in your life.
** OH, and DO NOT TALK in silent study spaces! It's not fair to force
others to take the uncomfortable step of having to ask you to be quiet.
Just follow the rules and respect others!
I came to law school to learn about the law. I've learned a ton about
life, who I am, how I process information, how I deal with stress, how
I deal with friends, and how I deal with those who likely will never be my
friends. It's been a multifaceted learning experience that
February 24, 2008
Ramblings: Choosing a Law School
Unlike many of my classmates, I'm still in Ann Arbor for spring break. As a native, heading home means staying here ... and I'm having a blast. I've been chillin' with my little sister, who is at this moment raving about my famous shrimp salad -- it's seriously dangerous delicious! I'm listening to Norah Jones and the rest of the "love mix" that I made for my Valentine's Day festivities. Good times!
My 15-year-old sister and I are having a sleep over tonight (still one of my favorite things in the world to do!). We watched "Across the Universe" because we're both huge Beatles fans. It didn't disappoint. I'm not sure if you would love the movie if you weren't a Beatles fan, but we loved it. We were singing away the entire time. My sister, Bola – a HUGE band nerd – was salivating over bass lines and guitar riffs and hidden harmonies. She's a very interesting, fun kid!
(Now listening to Whitney Houston, "Your Love is My Love.") So, I'll probably head to Chicago at some point this week and visit friends/take care of some odds and ends. As much as Ann Arbor isn't a big city, it's only hours from several big cities. New York and D.C. are very short flights away (trust me, I was to D.C. and back SEVERAL times this fall and it wasn't bad). And Chicago is a short train ride away; you can also drive or take the Super Shuttle, which is about $20, or something ridiculous, round trip. I'm going to take the train because it'll be around $50 and the seats are cushy. The point is: Ann Arbor isn’t isolated.
I must say I'm glad that I'm at school in a city where there isn't too much to do. As silly as that sounds, law school is time-consuming wherever you go – and the idea of missing out on too much would be seriously depressing. Ann Arbor is a town where events are basically customized to a student schedule, so you don't feel like you miss out on as much. Granted there aren't as many options – this is NOT New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, or Atlanta -- but it's not trying to be any of those cities, either. (Kindred's "Who Would I Be Without You," an amazing song if you don't know it – it has a very old-school R&B feel.)
For anyone who has been admitted to U-M Law, I'd suggest visiting. You have nothing to lose. If you don't like it, at least you gave it a try. I think at the very least you'll be pleasantly surprised. At last year's admitted student weekend (and from what I remember during my own admitted student visit) the admits kept commenting on how comfortable they felt, how natural the students were, and just how laid back and normal the general vibe was. U-M is a law school that doesn't try too hard. I remember feeling like some of the schools put on massive events, like they were trying too hard to make me feel comfortable. Almost to the point where it was obvious that the level of friendliness and energy were unsustainable. That wasn't the case at Michigan. It felt like someone invited you over to their house and did minimal cleaning. And that's how it is.
I mean, Michigan was my last choice school. I'd left Michigan after undergrad (Now it’s Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing") and didn't plan on looking back. But none of the schools felt right during my visits, each seemed a bit too forced. Or the visual didn't match the message. They'd say, "Our campus is laid back" but then it would seem like people were tense and gave cookie-cutter responses to each question.
All of that to say, in the end, my last-place school became my top choice (even over more "prestigious" schools) because it felt natural. At Michigan I feel like they like me just as I am, not as a number or a set of numbers. That's why most Michigan grads you meet will say pretty good things about their law school experience. ...
Okay, Aerosmith is almost done and I guess that means that I should wrap up also. (Oh, it's Michael Buble's "Everything." Love this song, must get up and dance.) Later!
February 10, 2008
Night Owl
One of the best things about returning to law school after working for several years is that it's okay for me to be a night owl. I love staying up late. I'm most productive after midnight. In fact, I may have been the only person at the Tribune who LOVED working the night shift. The 4 p.m. to midnight schedule was perfection!
As a law student, I can tailor my schedule to my predilection and not worry about missing a 9 a.m. meeting or 8:30 a.m. interview. Love it!
So I've been horrible about posting and will try and be better. I guess my neglect necessitates an update. Since I last posted I divided my summer interning for Chicago-based law firm McDermott, Will & Emery and working with the in-house legal counsel at Microsoft. It was a great summer. I learned a TON and met so many interesting people. Plus, when else will I get to spend half the summer in my beloved Chicago and then get to experience the gorgeous Pacific Northwest?!
McDermott was a great firm, tons of smart people and a group of lawyers who were just normal people. They basically tempered my fear that I would hate working with lawyers, quite the contrary, I ended up loving it! At the Microsoft internship, I had so much fun. As I've said before, technology makes me nervous. Very nervous. So heading to Redmond, Wa., was entering the belly of the beast. But I'm glad I confronted my fear head on. I ended up loving many aspects of intellectual property law (basic knowledge of which I believe is essential for anyone who plans to be a practicing attorney) and even enrolled in Copyright and Cyberlaw during the fall semester! Also, I loved the other Microsoft legal interns. They were awesome people and completely supported my suspicions that Michigan Law students love their law school experience the best.
It's crazy the opportunities that have become available to me as a result of making the decision to leave what was comfortable and attend law school. I can't say enough about how glad I am that I made the difficult but correct decision. For anyone admitted to Michigan, I highly recommend at least visiting campus. Michigan may not be for you but I believe it's fits so many diverse personality types.
Okay, it's nearly 2 a.m., which is when I really get crankin'. Time to do reading for Bloodfeuds (a totally amazing class that I'll have to blog about next time!!).
March 22, 2007
Here Comes The Sun ...
A small part of me is afraid to post an entry about the gorgeous weather we're experiencing today for fear that it will go away. But a larger part of me hopes that with the official start of spring (March 21st), the weather gods will have mercy on us.
It's no secret that it can get cold in Michigan and as someone who finds a 95 degree day to be optimal, it can get rough. At the same time, some of the tales of cold-weather woe are exaggerated. It's not that it gets SO cold, it's just that the winter seems endless ... but then the sky opens up, the sun peaks through and the city comes alive! Today after jurisdiction, my study group decided to table our exploration into venue transfer and subject-matter jurisdiction and capitalize on the gorgeous day by heading over to Dominicks, a popular spot across the street from the law school that has outdoor patios, food and sangria (for those who are so inclined, although my teetotaling tendencies prevented me from partaking). As we basked in the 60 degree sun and embarked on a two-hour gabfest, the conversation shifted from that of summer plans to a talk about how glad we are to be at Michigan. For instance: this weekend is packed with various school-related events to remind us that we are human first and law-school students on the side. There's a karaoke fashion show; a full-blown Ball, Cinderella style; a legal fraternity frat-house party, which promises to be replete with toga wearing hosts; and bar night at one of my favorite venues in Ann Arbor. And those are just the law school goings-on that are publicized! I'm positive that this sense of community is why most Michigan Law grads that you meet will rave about their experience in the "A squared."
This sense of community also netted me a delicious afternoon snack! After getting more than my fill of the sun, I headed back to the law school and received yet another reminder of why I love this place. One of the guys from the Phid House, the legal fraternity that is one block from the law school and is where I live, enlisted me to help him carry trays of Whole Foods catering back to the house--leftovers from a law school symposium. My reward for helping, oodles of brownies, lemon tarts, kiwi, strawberries, mangoes, honeydew and sandwich wraps. Needless to say, I'm stuffed, contented. Hey, when you're up to your ears in legal text and exam preparation, it's the little things in life that make all the difference. Things like delicious goodies, great conversation with impressive friends ... and the SUN!!
March 02, 2007
Technology Scares Me ...
Okay, so before I begin with introductions, I feel the need to be frank: technology makes me extremely nervous. I'm always afraid that I'm going to break something or push the wrong button. So please bear with me as I discover this new-fangled world of blogging ...
To start, my name is Grace Aduroja and I am a 1L summer starter at the University of Michigan Law School (you probably know the school considering that you're on its website!). I'm a Michigan native--by way of Lagos, Nigeria where both of my parents were born--who attended Wayne State University in Detroit and majored in journalism. After a slew of internships, I landed at the Chicago Tribune after graduation and worked there for about four years until I put in my two-weeks notice last May and headed to Ann Arbor.
I'll try to post an entry about ending up back in Michigan. I was DEFINITELY of the mindset that I would never return and would either stay in Chicago or head to an East Coast law school ... but I seriously fell in the love with the U.
Starting during the summer semester was one of the smartest things I did ... but it was compounded by one of the dumbest: not taking even a few weeks to myself before packing up my stuff and leaving. Future summer starters, PLEASE, give yourself a bit of a break. Doing the three-semester bit is brilliant but it's also a bloody marathon and right about now I'm starting to feel the burn.
Okay, since brevity is the spice of life, let me give you a brief list of my likes and dislikes just to get a quick sense of who I am.
Likes:
Nigeria (Naija Pride!)
Old school R&B
Watching bad reality TV
Middle Eastern food, actually just food
Chicago
Cute boys (men)
Celebrity gossip (it makes me feel normal)
Clothes that make a girl look fierce
Classical music
Independent Films
HOT weather
Church
Dislikes:
Feet
People who smack their gum or chew with their mouth open
Flip flops on men (ask me, I have a theory)
Fast food (except for fries and chicken nuggets)
The Olsen twins
People who bloviate in class
Cold Weather
Running/Working out (I don't move vigorously on purpose)
Not having a salary
Depending on the day, Michigan Law falls into either category, although there are definitely more 'like' days than 'dislike' ones.
Okay, that's enough for now. And for those of you attending the first preview weekend, I'll see you Thursday!! Okay, spring break is winding down, so I've got to do some reading ...