SWIM BETWEEN THE FLAGS!!

Are you an Aussie? - Do it, you know you should. Unless you spent the last 10 years as a little nipper then a Life Saver, DO IT!

Not an Aussie? Should you ever find yourself here on one of our beautiful coasts, SWIM BETWEEN THE RED AND YELLOW FLAGS!!! These mark the patrolled area of the beaches, should you find yourself drowning, in a rip, not able to get back to shore these wonderfull trained surf professionals will be there to help. No Flags = No Swim.

Today at the beach some silly woman went out too far in an un patrolled and almost got smashed against some rocks. Why? becusase she was not swimming between the FLAGS!

Do it peole, DOOO IT!!

This is supposed to be a relaxing time of year

Working 60 hours a week means weekly blogging takes a back seat.

LCO: I am bumbling through the work. One moment I am reading a text book for next year because I have nothing to do and the next I am bombarded with so much that I know so little about. I seem to be doing O.K I noticed a letter I drafted about IP was sent to the client with the solicitors name on it, so I guess I am not a total waste of office space. Curls offered me a paid position in the new year, I suspect it will pay so little that it won't make financial sense to take it on but here's hoping!

Most of the tasks I have been given have been law related or procedure related, at the moment I am all too happy to give anything a shot and I seem to find the right track and get an answer, except last Wednesday when Glummy (this guy has been around so long he saw Australia declared as 'Settled' ) gave me something to do...

The task was researching the procedure taken to create a subordinate legislative instrument, not too difficult right? 'When was XZY S.L Gazetted?' the parent statute set 0ut that any S.L must be Gazetted...in the Gazette. The Definitions set out 'Gazette' to mean ' The Gazette' not helpful. So after an hour or so searching and getting nowhere I went to another Clerk and still no result, then I went to the Himbo (graduated but not yet admitted) but still no success or even a point in the right direction. After another hour of fruitless searching, file in hand I went back to Glummy, when I explained the issue and asked for a hint he looked at me like I kick small animals for the fun of it. Asshole. I still don't know where to find the Gazette - this bugs me immensely.

Marks came out..

Contracts B - Distinction
Torts B - Distinction
Crim B - Credit
Foundations B - Credit

Overall I am pretty stoked about my marks, especially since I never stepped inside a lecture theatre (lectures are pod casted) and they were better than last semesters.

I have traded due dates for deadlines

So LCO does not suck. In fact I kinda like it.

The people:

Generally a good bunch of people. I am still quite shy and quiet (that will change), so there is not heaps of interaction. They find the partner signing off Y.S instead of Yours Sincerely an absolute RIOT, if this is what your sense of humor is reduced to after law school I am not sure I will last long in the industry. I am starting to work out who to skive work off and who to avoid like the plague 'there is a man, that man has a cat, find me the neighbours brothers dog,' - I looked at Curls and asked if that was it, apparently it was. Uh Huh.

Pretty sure the universe does not want me there, or at the very least wants to make it as freaking hard a possible. I am a grub, not intentionally dirt just launches at me. Because of this I know that I should get changed into nice clothes as close to the moment I walk in the office as I can. I drove to the office nice and early, about 2 hours early. When time to get changed rolled around I want to a gazebo like thing in a park and changed my shirt, on the way out I missed a step. My right ankle snapped. The language I used would have made a sailor blush. My foot ballooned into my shoe, but like a trooper I just hobbled my broken ass into the office and tried to look enthusiastic instead of putting it up on ice and staying off it. Thank goodness it was not broken or fractured (I hope it is not fractured). I can thank years of working on a kitchen where if you are injured there is a few hard and fast rules.

Is it bleeding?

Yes - Put a bandage on it, put a glove on the bandage. Get back to work.
No - What are you whinging about. Get back to work.

A few weeks ago I mentioned to Mr. Ovum that I can't wait to work in an office where there is less chance of doing serious injury to myself. Then the optimist that he is Mr. Ovum pointed out "yeah, but knowing you, you will spill your coffee over very important original documents". A very good point. My office cup is a travel mug, you know, a sippy cup for grown ups.

My car is a total B O M B, so I have to leave for work really, really early. It is so early my car is the only one on the road that is not a ute. It is kinda sad that I am up with the tradies, however I have my morning routine down to a fine art now. Everything is ready to go, the coffee and sugar is in the travel mug, bag is packed, lunch is made and clothes are ironed and all on the one hook. I have even gotten to the point where I have sewn little loops of thread on the inside of my socks so than when they are rolled up with my unides I can hang them on the coat hanger to. That is how much I hate mornings.

Tomorrow I have LCO followed by a shift at the Cackle Berry, I hate Christmas in hospitality - Obiter

Scotch and Coke STAT!!

I survived 1L law. There were tears, tantrums, hissy fits, bouts of depression and massive highs. My last exam was a few days ago but I had to go straight to work afterwards and then for the next two days more hellish work (this time of year sucks as a chef).

After the last exam there were no fire works, no streamers came down at the end of the exam, no wild wooting and 'yee haaas' we all just filed out somber and a little dazed. So here is how it went.

Foundations B:

Yup, this subject is shit. What I mean by that is, a computer biased course does not lend it's self well to a paper exam. If I thought that printing 'print screens' of all the legal databases was going to help I would have. Stupid freaking exam. I think I did OK though. It is beyond me why they don't just give you 2 hours in a computer lab with social media restrictions enabled. Grrr.

Contracts B:

Meh, I think I did alright. My exam prep was a little off, I planned for 3 questions not 2, big difference in exam preparation method.

I get my marks on the 29th, this time I think I will try and withhold from obsessively checking the blackboard until then (yeah, as if).

So, on Tuesday I start at the firm for three days a week unpaid work experience, from henceforth it will be known as 'Lucifer's Corner Office'. I am not overly thrilled about starting, has allot to do with the no payment bit, hopefully it will put me in a better position for a paid placement next year.

Somethings I plan to post about over the holidays:

- A prayer for law students pre exam (don't freak out, it will be tongue in cheek)
- All about Lucifer's Corner Office
- No doubt I will need to vent about the stupidity that is the Cackle Berry over Christmas.

I have some serious drinking to do - Obiter

I finally added this fantastic blog, the author frequently leaves comments which I love. Every time I go to do the same on his, the content is funny, informative and interesting, so interesting I go to check it out and forget to comment. Sorry bout that.

Also added is Survive Law School, if the content is not making me laugh it probably given me something to think about (procrastinate with). They should post more. That simple.

In other news:

You got to be freaking kidding me?!

After getting home from 9 hours in kitchen Mr. Ovum jumps on me and informs me that he/we are moving to London for 2012. There are a number or problems with this, namely financial (on my part, I am student. I think he forgets that I am not on the 65k a year he is). Even if by some miracle it does happen it would effectively be like this year all over again as a 1L but worse. Yes the Australian system is a CL system, yes it was only in 1986 appeals to the Privy Council were ended, yes many watershed decisions are English cases. I still think it would be worse because in the subjects I would have to take to keep my graduation date on track there will be assumed knowledge of the law, law different to the one I am learning in. If I can make it happen $$ I will go no doubt, but wow what a scary concept.

Half way there.

Torts and Crim B exams done.

Crim: I walked out of that exam shaking with anger, fear, hate and without my sense of humor. All I want is a 51% overall. I do not want to go through that again. Did not help that I was busting for 70% of it. I tried to find the gents before the exam but the whole building seemed to only have ladies. Furious. On top of that I spent 5 minutes too long on the first two questions, at some points I heard people shuffling paper and I thought 'can't be that time, they must just be looking for a section in the code'. Wrong. I was 10 minutes short on the last question, epic fuck up.

Torts: :-D Issues were crystal clear, timing was perfect, notes worked really well. I walked out with a smile from ear to ear, most people did. Almost made the Crim exam less depressing.

Check out Bubbl.us

This is making a birds eye view of contract termination issues really easy - loving it so much righ this second.

Yay for 6 days left! - Obiter

Exam time, but I have Sea Monkeys!

My first exam is in 6 days. Followed by another, then a 5 day (three of which I am working) break before the last 2.

So here is my head space for the subjects.

Crim B:
The last few days have been entirely devoted to outlining and doing Q&A book questions, I stand a fair chance of passing. Beyond that, I have no idea where I stand. If nothing else my outline and the text book have lots of pretty tabs. The more pretty tabs the better the chance of survival right? Does anybody else compare themselves to others against the style, amount and aesthetics of their tabbed out text books?

Foundations B:
NOT a substantive law subject. Legal research and writing class. I think some marks were lost in this subject because I only attended 60% of the classes. In my defense it was an hour and half of being walked though databases. In the computer labs there is a massive mix of computer literacy, some people fall behind and others sit there board out of their skull (aka ME). This should be a competency based class, set the tasks, when you reach the tasks get them signed off and go. On the flip side, the skills developed are very useful. I have an interest in employment law, more specifically how sexual orientation in a church biased institution will impact on employment if the orientation were to become public. With the skills developed in Foundations B, I can now to some point research and find an answer (from what I am finding, she/he could very well lose their job, irregardless of discrimination statute). Applying what we were learning to something outside the tute work has resulted in a deeper understanding of the principals/skills I think I will do O.K.

Torts B:
I love torts. Even when there are no clear cut rules (see, novel DOC) arguing by analogy makes it fun to try. I guess we will see.

Contracts B:
So this semester contracts did not have me weeping like a school girl who was just told she is fat by her BFF like it did last semester. The tutor for this class is AMAZING. I am not over confident about this subject, but I am not terrified of it either.

Overall I am not as far behind as I thought I was, thank goodness.

Sea-Monkeys, I have a very long history with them. They make me very, very happy. My close friend gave me some. As I said in the last post, get them where you find them.

The finish line is in sight! (for this year anyway) - Obiter

Take your jollies where you can find them

It's all about getting your happy points where you can find them.

On my last post I mentioned just how much I love my calender, it is not a fancy printed one, it is an A4 piece of paper with numbers on it. It makes me happy.

My Nan sent me some cash for my impending birthday. I feel guilty that she sends me money, as a pensioner money is tight, especally with 6 grand kids and 6 great grand kinds. I am almost 24 (31st Oct) But that is niether here nor there.

For the last few weeks people have been asking ' what would you like for your birthday?' and my answer has been 'a cork or white board'. Nobody takes this seriously. So thanks Nan!

I am a bit bummed out about by birthday this year, it is the day before a massive exam. The week before and the day of will be consumed with torts and crim study, so no socailizing for me :-( BUT NOW I HAVE A CORK BOARD!!! So it's not so bad.

Getting em, where I can - Obiter

p.s see the book prop? best $15 ever spent.