Exams

This afternoon I get my criminal law exam online. It is due on Monday. Then next week is SWOTVAC, then one week of exams. Then more blogging. Eventually.

This time last year I went to Europe the day I finished my last exam. Oh how I wish I was flying away next week. But no, alas I am doing the winter subject Evidence and Proof over the break. Hopefully this course planning will allow me to go on Exchange of the U S of A next year, fingers crossed.

Good times.

Have a lovely weekend all, for those in Melbourne stay warm and dry.

Actually, go for a walk in the rain, it's pretty great if you have a brolly and some gumboots.

Not clinging, so much as slipping

Tonight I went to a fancy event called Meet the Profession. I wore panty hose and everything! Felt like a cross between Kate Middleton and a middle aged banker.

And then on the way home, I slipped. In front of many people. In my corporate attire. So much for fancy future lawyer.

Baby Animals!

Today there was a launch of a student run magazine at Uni. To get people excited they had baby animals to play with. What else is there to say really.

Positive things

I have done enough whinging of late. When really I am very lucky to be able to be doing this law degree of mine, in a city I love, with teachers and subjects that really are not so bad (other than admin).

This morning I did the PILCH (public interest clearing house) Walk for Justice which involved traipsing through the city in 5 degree weather in support of public interest legal work.

It's pretty easy to get caught up in the Big Firm dream working on corporate deals in fancy Collins Street offices, but maybe thats a bit like doing plastic surgery with a medical degree. Good for some in some worthy circumstances, but generally there are other ways that skills could be used.

In Melbourne there are many people who need legal assistance for housing, migration, criminal or family matters. Probably they need it more than those who need a multi-billion dollar trust sorted out. Or a merger and acquisition. Although they are valid in their own market I guess.

One thing I have noticed about doing law is that everything I think or write or say becomes objective and reasoned. Each time I make a proposition I immediately feel the need to acknowledge the other side of the argument. With everything. X is the better option, although I do understand why you may choose B in these circumstances. Super boring I am beginning to realise as I blog more, but hopefully a good legal skill.

It's a bit unnerving how objective legal thinking permeates my writing. I did an Arts degree and am somewhat ashamed of this development. Anyway. The walk- I did it. It was cold but worth it.

This is President Maxwell of the Court of Appeal.

He's a semi-celebrity in legal circles.

What a go-getter.

Firm Freebies and Cheesecake

One of the rare perks of sitting through firm sponsored seminars each lunch time; free highlighters and study related loot. Well played firms. In other news:

Last night I did zero homework. My tute was cancelled and it became all too much for me so I stayed in bed, watched revenge and made a sugar-free cheese cake. On the way to the supermarket to get cheesy products a horse and carriage pulled up next to me. Adorable. For a split second I thought, hey wouldn't it be cool if everyone got around by horse?

Then I remembered the billions of childhood trips to Sovereign Hill in Ballarat-a 1850s theme park. The stench of horse manure is a real alexanderdowner, on an otherwise awesome day filled with raspberry drops and gold panning. Nothing says good time quite like a blood-red tongue and a hand-made 1850s walking cane. Surprisingly popular with the able bodies young'uns at Sov Hill. May even top corporate branded highlighters.

Ballarat in the 1850s! The modern day recreation of the first victorian gold mining Boom. Eat your heart out Gina Rhineheart.

Cheesecakes ingrediants.

It appears substantially less visually appealing than it actually tastes.

Also, I'm a poor student and can't spring for "cake tins"etc. Yes this is a casserole dish.

DLA Piper provided post it notes (RRP $9.99 at Officeworks). Win.

Yes the pen does produce its own post-its. Double win.

http://www.melbourne.visitorsbureau.com.au/tours/aat-kings-t5/sovereign-hill-2880-3.jpg

Elevator down

This is grey Melbourne through a large corporate/academic window.

Every lunch time for the next few weeks different firms from across Melbourne will present seminars about why we should work for them. They also conduct mock interviews to prep you for the clerkships interview process. Good bye lunch. The clerkship process is the most dreaded time of the year. Applications begin in the holidays. Exams are in just over one month. This will be my 9th semester of uni assessment. It's getting cold in Melbourne again and people in the law school are starting to fret and it's contagious. Not helpful, and not worth it- but contagious nevertheless. I think the best move for me next year may be exchange. Another year at the same university with the same assessment and the same elevator up and down to the library may just kill me. Which isn't very calm-like.

Public Holiday

I am now that person who takes photos of food. And blogs about it. I spent the day cafe hopping with my admin books.

Many would say Clare, why blog about your silly little day and post meaningless pictures of food? To that I say, good point. I tend to become obsessed with things in short and intense bursts. I learn everything I can about the subject and cram it all in, because I don't know when I will just as suddenly be over said subject. This happened when I quit sugar completely for a month and read for hours about all the dangers of the white poison. Then easter happened.

I became equally obsessed with Mormonism. Have no interest in becoming a Mormon- they're just weirdly fascinating. Now a bit meh. Same with my blog. So fun for a while. Now it is a little challenge to post something, anything everyday. Just some routine, in a good way.

Posting means getting a little break from studying, or watching Modern Family when I should be studying, or thinking about how much I should be studying. As the days roll over I should be doing more studs and less everything else. But I think back to exam prep in previous years and I feel sick with how much effort is required for seemingly so little reward. Supposedly it will all be alright in the end. Just feels a tad like high school when people kept saying "wait until you're in the real world" when we obviously were already. Still feels like I'm not quite there yet. Still studying. Stuck in a study funk. Surely will blow over. Yes?

Monday night mind

Monday night:

What I'm learning
(the old test for self-defence in Victoria under the common law)

Viro propositions:
1. It is for the jury to consider whether the accused killed the deceased and reasonably believed that an unlawful attack which threatened death or serious bodily harm
2. If the jury is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that there was no reasonable belief by the accused of such an act no question of self defence arises
3. If the jury is not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that there was no such reasonable belief by the accused it must then consider whether the force in fact used by the accused was reasonably proportionate to the danger which he believed he faced.
4 .If the jury is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that there was no such reasonable belief by the accused, it must then consider whether the force in fact used by he accused was reasonably proportionate it should acquit
5. If the jury is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that more force was used, then its verdict should be either manslaughter of murder, that depending upon the answer to the question by the jury: did the accused believe that the force was used was reasonably proportionate to the danger he faces?
6. If the jury is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the accused did not have such a belief the verdict will be murder. If it is not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the accused did not have that belief the verdict will be manslaughter.

     But really what I'm thinking about is these.

And this is playing over and over in my head.

Law student fail.

Law Ball

Last night was law ball. I'm still recovering.  Clutching blue gatorade and some luke-warm porridge, lovingly prepared by someone not going through the multiple stages of recovery. My feet are in an unusual amount of pain. And I even swapped from ridic-high shoes to wedges. Sincerely hope I didn't cause some sort of unintentional tort in those monsters.

It was the most fun night. I was on a ladies only table and we were a bit crazy. See photo of posing with mini chillies (which for whatever reason I seem to keep in my purse). I got to catch up with some people I haven't hung out with in far too long, which made realise that next time maybe shouldn't be so long. Good intentions.

I have class in an hour. This seems overly optimistic. After all, I went to a class yesterday that most people skipped to begin ball prep. Therefore I deserve... unlikely my lecturer will appreciate this logic.

How was your Thursday night? Get up to anything exciting some place else in the world?

The descent:

PreBallWednesday

Failed bike scheme, bbq lunch, line for pop up coffee, lady tools for law ball

Law Ball is tomorrow night

The Hidden Secrets of Success

Well thank god for this. Now I know.

Today we were issued several small booklets created by the law school and designed stop 

STOP DEPRESSION IN IT'S TRACKS. They include tips and tricks of the trade to get you feeling ace about life again.

This year my uni has made a concerted effort to create awareness about the dangers of the stressful life lawyers lead. Pfft I hear you say- with all that money and those corner offices- what's not to love!

Sadly however there have actually been heaps of studies on the high rates of severe depression among lawyers. Its a naturally competitive environment with crazy hours. A lot of firms bill associates and junior lawyers in 6 min blocks which doesn't generally encourage bonding over the water cooler. Of course the content most lawyers are dealing with is also fairly intense and involves working with or against people at their worst point in life. Sign me up!

This lawyers with depression thing seems to start early. There are more and more students seeing psychologists for stress related issues from first year onwards and the drop out rate in law school is fairly high (don't know exact numbers as hard to tell who drops out before the census date).

Anyway, this isn't a rant about showing lawyers of the land some love. Its just another small reason why focussing on things that make me happy and hopefully stress-free is pretty important with this ye old profession I seem to have chosen.

Also have heard job hunting is fairly heinous so may as well find peace with being a student for ever.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/black-dog-gnaws-at-profession/story-e6frg97x-1111117523222