Back to my old pursuit...

One narrative that's been overlooked here since the start of law school is the continuing implosion of my former newspaper.
Last Monday, the paper announced another 13 layoffs. These are in addition to the 20 buyouts they did in May. I have a hard time understanding how the financial outlook changed so much in four months that they had to cut payroll again. It's like a bunch of kids are running the newspaper business now. No planning, no vision, just reaction to crises.
I'm so glad I got out. But the sad thing is, nearly everyone I know is trying to get out -- especially people my age who've spent 8-10 years in the business. An excellent political reporter I know left a few years ago to pursue law. The best writer I've ever worked with, who became a city editor, is finishing her teaching certificate so she can change careers. Another talented reporter is considering PR work. My career mentor now works for a university communications department. A former newspaper colleague freelances exclusively after being laid off this summer. Last week I met a 3L here at Iowa who used to work for the Peoria Journal-Star. A law school classmate left the Des Moines Register.
Who will mind the till? Editors can try to put on a brave face, but it's a downward spiral because the revenue side of newspapers isn't going to improve. That means more payroll cuts, more reductions to the news product and fewer and fewer readers as the value of the newspaper diminishes. Oh, and don't put your hopes in the internet. It doesn't make money...

P.S. A single share of GateHouse Media, the owner of the Register Star, is trading today at 64 cents. A newspaper off the rack costs $.75.

The real first day

So I haven't had a chance to update this blog, but I did survive my first week of law school -- even though it was "just" orientation. I also choked on my first exam, a multiple choice and essay test that I muddled through. Two words: Pass/fail.
The good thing is I was able to spend Saturday and Sunday with Nicholas. We went to Magic Waters where he wanted to go on every single ride: the tube slides, the tunnel slides, the water "roller coaster," the kid-sized body slides, the wave pool, and the lazy river. I was exhausted, but we had fun.
Anyway, today is the real first day of law classes. For me that's Torts, Contracts and then Legal Analysis, Writing and Research. It's a long day. Torts begins in 40 minutes with Vosburg v. Putney, the sad tale of a sickly Wisconsin teenager from the late 19th century who gets kicked in the shin and develops a nasty infection that causes lameness. The boy who kicked him (tapped with his foot, really) is found liable for the damages: $2,500. Morale of the story is you're on the hook even if you didn't intend the harm and the damage is grossly magnified by the victim's own fragility.

Third day: Time for drastic action

This orientation week is GRUELING. I'm told by other 1Ls (1st year law students) that this is the worst week of reading we'll have all year. Supposedly this is coming from the upperclassmen, but it may also be wishful thinking on our parts. But seriously, I cannot imagine taking this level of abuse for another year. If this is how the workload is, nobody would ever go to law school. Tonight we have 58 pages to read. Folks, we're not talking about US Weekly here. We're talking about flippin' legal history and half a dozen case summaries. The case law is written by judges and read by lawyers, so it uses completely unfamiliar jargon. Know what a demurrer is? Neither do I. Did I mention we have a final exam for this 1-credit immersion course? On Saturday morning?
In light of tonight's near impossible task, I see no recourse but to salvage the overripe Missouri peaches I bought from Hy-Vee by baking a cobbler.

Second day: History and compelled labor

Today, on the second day of law school orientation, we learned about English common law systems. Don't you wish you were here? Want to know what a "writ" is? Or what is the difference between the Court of Exchequer and the King's Bench?
What is striking to me is that the legal system we now have is not solely the product of the U.S. Constitution or any intentional act of legislation, but is rather a hodgepodge of centuries of court decisions dating back to 11th century England. The common law courts were really an offshoot of the power struggle between the fledgling monarchy and the landed aristocracy that dominated the feudal system. Basically, the king used a system of courts to centralize his own power and undercut the land-owning lords. But then, the desires of British monarchs have held sway on Western cultural development for a millenium. Take English Protestantism. Britain would still be Catholic if Henry VIII hadn't wanted a divorce in contradiction of Rome's teaching.
After this intellectually stimulating tour through English judicial history, we spent the afternoon in hard manual labor. The class' inaugural community service project included moving sandbags from a hastily built floodwall meant to keep the rising waters out of an Iowa City well. I am exhausted, my back hurts, my face is flush from the sun and I have a headache. I'm in the law library now reading the 30 pages for tomorrow's class. It took an evening quadruple espresso to get me here though.
Yet, I feel strangely satisfied by all this.

First day

It's finally here. The first day. So far the Class of 2011 has been addressed by the dean, the president of the state bar association and an Iowa Supreme Court justice.
We've also had our first class and witnessed the Socratic method in practice. Nerve wracking. But the possibility of being grilled by your professor ensures you read your cases. The guy next to me hadn't read the exercise and of course, was called on to explain it.
A helpful warning...

The latest advancement

Thanks to the urging of a friend of the Institute, we here at the Partially Caffeinated headquarters have made significant capital investments in our research laboratory. The Mr. Coffee espresso maker (pictured, right) was acquired for $40 through a generous grant from the Jitters Foundation.
While the do-it-yourself stovetop latte has provided much of the Institute's baseline data on caffeine consumption over the years, the appointment of our head researcher to law school makes easy access to espresso no longer just a luxury, but a categorical imperative.
So thanks, Howard, for the advice. The machine makes four shots of espresso at a time -- all of which can fit handily in a regular mug for morning coffee!

Trouble in paradise

For those of you keeping track at home, there are less than two days before I start law school. I all moved into an apartment in Iowa City, but I'm having some trouble with my connectivity.
Hoping to avoid paying for broadband, I hooked up my cell phone as a dial-up modem with my laptop. Only problem is, I'm getting zero reception in my apartment. The best laid plans of mice and men...
Anyway, blogging could be light for a while until I can get decent service. Right now I'm "borrowing" someone else's unsecured wireless signal.

The final countdown

Ok. I have one week until law school starts. Now I'm nervous.
I've got to organize, pack, move, unpack and make sure all my affairs are in order. I know I'm not going to get everything done.

Nicholas loves dogs

I'm staying with a friend who has a large chocolate Labrador, Charlie. I've had Nicholas spend the night several times with me. He loves this dog. Now he begs to visit so he can play with him.
Earlier this week after I got him ready for bed, he decided that it was time for Charlie to go bed too. Here's video of him singing a lullaby to the dog in its cage.