Standing in the Gap

Summer of 2007, part 1

2007-07-04T23:12:00.000-04:00

I am finally back on the posting wagon, after a long absence. Here is a quick update of what I have been up to in the past month or two.

I have been working for the U.S. Attorney's office here in Columbus this summer; in particular, the Civil Division. It has been a great experience-I have gotten to work on a variety of different projects, including both research and writing. This has been the first time I have had the opportunity to draft motions for the court, and really see firsthand the impact I am having on cases. In one instance, I got to sit in on a pretrial conference in which the judge would decide how he would rule on motions. It was very gratifying to me to hear the attorney cite the cases from the memo I had prepared, even though these kinds of meetings will be routine in my life as an attorney.

Also, I have gone back to the Vineyard, after having tried other churches in the area. I have found a great men's group there that meets on Saturday mornings, and I am excited about getting together with them once a week to learn Scripture and have fellowship with other guys my age who are fellow believers.

I haven't gotten to do a lot of traveling so far this summer, except back and forth on I-71 between Akron and Columbus. I am planning a couple of trips for later this summer, though. Later this month, I am planning to head down to Cincinnati for a day, to see the Cincinnati Zoo, go back to Newport-on-the-Levee, and possibly go to a Reds game or King's Island.

If I get a chance, I will try and coincide this trip with the Sixth Circuit's oral argument schedule. I have been externing with Judge R. Guy Cole on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals this summer, doing research on cases and preparing a bench memorandum, which will be used by other judges to give an overview of the factual background and the legal issues prior to issuing a decision on a case. It would be great if I could see oral argument on at least two or three cases, not just to gain some general legal knowledge, but also to watch some experienced practitioners in the craft in which I hope to engage after graduation.

I am also in the process of applying for judicial clerkships. My goal is to clerk for either a federal Magistrate, District, or Circuit Judge, or for a state court judge in Ohio, either with the Ohio Supreme Court, Ohio Court of Appeals, or a county Court of Common Pleas. I am putting this to prayer, and am going to work hard to show the judges to whom I am applying that I will do a great job as a clerk.

I'm Back, At Last

2007-05-12T00:50:00.000-04:00

I know it has been a long absence from my regular blog posts, but having been busy with so much for the last six weeks, I am finally through the second year of law school and ready to blog again. Some updates:

- On Monday, I start my summer job with the U.S. Attorney's office in Columbus. I am also working for a federal appeals court judge this summer, in addition to taking an independent study, where I will be writing a paper on a topic relating to civil procedure. I have some other volunteer work and opportunities planned as well, depending on time constraints.

- My other goals for the summer, in addition to working hard at all of my jobs and activities ("activities" mainly being a Managing Editor on the Ohio State Law Journal), include getting in better physical shape, improving my walk with the Lord, and becoming more active in church. The last goal is the one in which I have been lacking, especially this year. It is absolutely critical that this summer, and in my last year in law school, I find a church to call home, and one in which I can get involved and get connected with a solid group of fellow believers. One of the primary characteristics I am looking for in a church is the ability to meet a good number of people my age, in addition to having a culture where members love God and the worship and service aspects are healthy and strong.

- One other thing-I am going to try and blog more often. I know that the last two months have seen a sharp drop in the number of posts, but I am going to try and post at least twice a week now that I am free from the demands of coursework and the second year of law school.

- With what little spare time remains this summer, I am excited about planning lots of cultural and recreational activities, not just in Columbus, but around the state. In Columbus, I want to go see a couple of Clippers baseball games, the Columbus Zoo, and go to a few concerts and plays or musicals, since Explore Columbus offers them at a discount. I am also planning on taking a trip or two out of town, to go to a Cincinnati Reds game, Newport-on-the-Levee, and the Cincinnati Zoo, and to go hiking with a friend in Hocking Hills State Park. If I have time, I am also planning on going with the family down to King's Island, or maybe Cedar Point if we get the chance.

So I am home for the week, relaxing, spending time with my family, and getting ready to start my summer job(s) next week. It is going to be a great summer, and I am looking forward to posting about it on here soon.

News From the Infirmary

2007-04-10T23:30:00.000-04:00

I am still sick from the weekend, but I wanted to make another long-awaited post:

- Easter for me didn't go so well. I stayed in the apartment sick all weekend, so I didn't get to go home or even go to church. I did get to watch "The Ten Commandments" and "Cast Away," so the night wasn't a total loss. Fortunately, I am going home this weekend, so we will be eating our Easter ham a week later than normal.

- I recently found out that I will be working for the U.S. Attorney here in Columbus this summer. I will be in the Civil Division, serving as a law clerk for cases in which the federal government is a party. It will be tough to be away from my family during the week, but I am planning on having a lot of fun in addition to my work. Some of the trips I am planning include going to Cincinnati and visiting Newport-on-the-Levee again, going to Cedar Point, and hiking in Hocking Hills State Park.

- I will have pictures from my Moot Court trip to Newark and New York soon.

New Blogs

2007-03-11T14:45:00.000-04:00

I have redesigned the features you see to your right, creating a new list just for blogs, and including the blogs I check regularly. Check them out if you get a chance. The new additions are:

- Phi Beta Cons
- The Volokh Conspiracy
- SCOTUSblog
- The Drizzle
- Letter to the World
- The Hook
- Ken Jennings (of "Jeopardy!" fame)
- That's Dynamite, Baby
- Jaired Hall (a fellow Blackstone alum from Regent Law School)

Dollar Coins and Grocery Shopping

2007-03-10T23:37:00.000-05:00

Not really a connection, just two observations I had for today:

- Today really impressed upon me how much of a difference brand identification makes when you go to the grocery store. Today, instead of getting all my groceries at Giant Eagle like I normally do, I went to Aldi to buy some. If they are not in your area, Aldi is a discount grocery store-it's set up on the inside much like a warehouse, with boxes of items in rows lining the aisles, instead of your normal grocery store, where the items are arranged on shelves. Also, you bag your own groceries-you can buy bags at the store for a nickel apiece, or you can bring your own bags or take any empty boxes that are laying around.

It's different than the normal grocery store, but nearly everything is much cheaper than you would find it at Giant Eagle, Kroger or any of the "traditional" grocery stores in your neighborhood. The food you buy is a "generic" brand, like "Toasted Corn" instead of "Kellogg's Corn Flakes" for example, but so far, everything I have bought has tasted the same, and cost about half as much. The best deal I got today was on cereal-I bought the generic corn flakes at Aldi, and paid less than half as much as a box of Kellogg's cereal from Giant Eagle. Cereal is definitely overpriced, and I, for one, am tired of overpaying for it.

And you have to ask yourself-why are you paying $4.00 a box for cereal (and some of the "health" cereals like Product 19 are even more than that)? The answer: packaging. You're paying an extra two bucks, the price of a cup of coffee or an hour of parking at the Statehouse, so that you can have Tony the Tiger, or Captain Crunch, or whichever cartoon character you want staring back at you when you open the cupboard in the morning. Then when you go to pour the cereal into the bowl, and eat it, you get the exact same thing. Really, what else matters besides taste, price, and nutrition? This just shows how susceptible we all are to brand identification. Granted, not all generic products are the same as their brand-name counterparts, but many of them are. We just don't give them a try because we have been socialized to drink Pepsi, eat Kellogg's and General Mills cereal, wash our clothes with Tide, and get our morning coffee from Folger's or Maxwell House.

- Being the avid follower of presidential history and trivia that I am, I was excited to hear about the new dollar coins being issued by the U.S. Mint depicting each of the presidents, starting with George Washington. They just came out this past month, but many of the coins (by U.S. Mint estimates, about 50,000) have been found to be missing the words "In God We Trust" that were supposed to be printed on the rim. This has led to accusations that the motto was intentionally omitted, supposedly as a way of conditioning Americans to becoming accustomed to using money with the motto removed. Here's the story.

I think it was an honest mistake. If they had left off "In God We Trust" and nothing else, I would be inclined to think that it may not have been accidental, or that maybe Michael Newdow had found a new government job. But what was left off was the entire inscription on the edge, which, in addition to "In God We Trust," includes "E Pluribus Unum" and the date. And since it only happened to a relatively small number of coins, 50,000 out of 300 million struck, and at the beginning of the process in which they are being issued, this seems to go against the idea that there is some kind of conspiracy afoot.

Besides, if the idea was to get the public accustomed to "godless" money, why use dollar coins? Most people don't use them on a daily basis, case in point being the Sacajawea dollars that came out a few years ago. I just hope that this doesn't discourage the U.S. Mint from producing new coins-I am still collecting the state quarters, and I am planning to collect the new dollar coins too. I will be lucky to get one of the "error" coins, though.

The Lamp Unto My Feet

2007-03-10T00:17:00.000-05:00

Some of the Scripture verses/passages I need to remember/am going to meditate on this week (all are from the KJV):

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk but not faint." -Isaiah 40:31

"For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. / But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, / Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; / Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour" -Titus 3:3-6

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? / For ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." -1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Just some initial thoughts, even though the new week is still to come:

- I don't want to give the impression that I am taking the passage from Titus out of context. Verses 1-2 read "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work. / To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men." I think the message here is to work as approved before the Lord, and not to have an overly critical attitude toward others, staring them down for their weaknesses. The reason is simple: we were at one time sinners, equally in need of a Savior as those who so desperately need Him now. And, of course, we are still sinners, but have been redeemed. Not because we were inherently better than the people who have not yet responded to the Gospel, but because of the work of Jesus at Calvary. God had mercy on our souls.

This is something of which I continually need to remind myself. Beginning in high school, and continuing today, I struggle with the attitude of "forget them all." My (misguided) instinct is to watch out just for myself and the people I love, while turning my back to the sinners all around. But nothing could be further from the attitude of Christ.

My prayer this week is that I start to grow more tolerant of the people around me. Not just my classmates, but the imperfections of the average person I encounter every day-the reckless driver who cuts me off in traffic, or the people who make too much noise on High Street at night. I know that patience is not my strongest personality trait-but it is surfacing more often, day by day. Every time I hold my tongue in traffic, or remain calm at the trivial annoyances of others, I count this a small spiritual victory.

- Waiting upon the Lord is starting to come a little easier too. It used to be that I had to have what I wanted, when I wanted it, all the time. I still struggle with this sometimes, but it is waning as I get older. I have come to realize a simple truth: all my complaining, hand-wringing, and doubting is not going to move mountains, add an hour to my life (which I could really use right now, by the way), or do anything else to accomplish the Lord's work. I know now that I am better off putting that energy into dealing with the problem, thus using it constructively.

Lately, I have begun putting my entire future in God's hands. I have pretty much thrown out "the script," a plan for my life I formulated in high school, and replaced it with a desire to move in the direction God wants me to go. Of course, I still make general plans, and still have an idea of what I want to do after I graduate, for example. But my plans now include the one ingredient that was missing before-flexibility. Ultimately, I am not the one in charge. The challenge I face as a Christian is to keep growing and making progress, and learning to accept that I am guided by the One who holds time itself in His hands.

- Finally, I want this week to be a time where I take better care of myself. In law school, it is easy to fall behind on things like sleep, exercise, and good eating habits if you're not careful. In the haste of keeping up with my commitments, I sometimes forget these basics, and my health and well-being sometimes suffers as a result. Part of being a mature Christian (and a legal professional) is maintaining my body as a well-oiled machine for God's work. Starting this week, I am going to get back on track, by eating better, losing some excess weight, and getting plenty of sleep.

Uncle Sam

2007-03-09T23:23:00.000-05:00

That's who I'll be working for this fall. I got the call today, and I am excited. In particular, I will be working for the United States Attorney in Columbus, part time, in the Civil Division. This is a great opportunity to get some work experience during my third year, and possibly a chance to advance my career if I work hard and God wills it to happen.

My basic focus during law school has been fourfold: maintain good grades, excel at Law Journal and Moot Court, keep active with extracurricular activities/volunteer work, and get as much practical work experience as possible. I think that so far, I have kept up with each of these, and I will be a formidable candidate for a good job after graduation.

By the way....I apologize to anyone who checks my blog daily (if there are any of you left) for the dearth of posts lately. Moot Court, Law Journal, the Legislation Clinic, and my work-study job have been teaming up to give me a run for my money schedule-wise. I will try and post more regularly from now on.

The Goal.....All 50 States

2007-03-08T21:28:00.000-05:00

Check out this site, which gives you a map where you can plot the states you've visited. I actually found it off Rebecca's blog, "The Mercied," so you'll have to ask her where she got it.

I have only been to 16 states, plus the District of Columbia. That might be more than many people have had the chance to visit, but my goal (which, of course, you can figure out by reading the title to this post) is to visit all 50 states someday. It is an obsession of mine ever since I was a little boy, and we went to Disney World, which is when I got to go through South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and then Tennessee and Kentucky on the way home. I hadn't really thought about visiting more until last summer, when I got to visit Arizona (a beautiful state) and Massachusetts (lots of history). So as of this post, my map looks like this:

create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

I will get to visit at least two more this year-New Jersey in a few weeks for the Moot Court competition, and Connecticut in August for the Acton Institute convention. So after this summer, my map will look like this:

create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

And of course, here is the ultimate goal:

create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

Here are the top 5 states I am looking forward to travelling to someday:

1) Utah-I have heard a lot about it from my friend who has worked in Zion National Park. I thought I would want to avoid the desert after spending a couple of weeks in the burning heat of Arizona, but there is something incredible about the vast expanses of the West, something that I got only a small taste of, and that made me want to go back. In Utah, I want to see the Arches and Zion national parks, the Wasatch mountains, and Promontory Point, the site of the "golden spike" that completed the transcontinental railroad.

2) Oregon/Washington (tie)-I have always wanted to see the Pacific Northwest, especially the Oregon coast where they filmed "The Goonies." I've heard that it is rainy there, but I'd take that over snow any time. Plus, Washington would be a cool place to visit to see the Space Needle and Mount Rainier. Seattle is the headquarters of Starbucks-one trip there and I could JOG back to Ohio.

3) Wyoming-Yellowstone is the big attraction here, plus Devil's Tower, but really, most of the state is a national park. It's not crowded, and would be the ideal place to go camping for a few weeks, or maybe a few months after I retire. It's probably one of the few places left in the United States where you can go to find real "wilderness," and hopefully I will either get to know someone with land here, or I can buy it myself.

4) Vermont-I'd like to take a trip through New England; a couple of my friends went through here last May, and visited 9 states in 7 hours. Really, I could pick any of the New England states here (except Massachusetts, since I have been there already), but Vermont and New Hampshire would be nice to see, especially in the fall. Plus, on the way there I could stop to see some Revolutionary War sites, like Fort Ticonderoga in New York.

Legal News: Cameras in the Supreme Court?

2007-02-20T00:04:00.000-05:00

Check out this article on the recently re-introduced bill, sponsored by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), to require the Supreme Court to televise its proceedings. Specter has advocated televising the Court's proceedings before, by sponsoring SB 1768 last year to that effect, but his proposal did not reach the Senate floor. Regardless of your attitude toward the Supreme Court, however, the bottom line remains the same-is Specter's legislation (co-sponsored by one other Republican and three Democrats) going to benefit or hinder the Court's deliberative process?

To take a look at this issue, I am going to examine some of the senator's arguments, from his statement in the Congressional Record made upon the bill's re-introduction. The new bill is known as SB 344.

- "With this information, the public would have insight into key issues and be better equipped to understand the impact of and reasons for the Court's decisions."

The problem with this reasoning is that Specter's bill only televises oral arguments, not the justices' conference, discussions with law clerks, or any other internal communications that may contribute to deciding the outcome of a case. Televised coverage of oral argument would allow the public to see only a part of the case, excluding other facets that have as much or greater bearing on the ultimate disposition. In order to put much of what is said at oral argument into context, one could read the briefs that are available on the Court's website, but even this would be an incomplete picture. No one, not even the justices' office staff, are allowed in the room during conference. Ultimately, without delving into the briefs and other documents related to the case, a televised oral argument would lack the context needed to accomplish the bill's purported goals.

- "In a very fundamental sense, televising the Supreme Court has been implicitly recognized--perhaps even sanctioned--in a 1980 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States."

The decision to which Senator Specter is referring is Richmond Newspapers v. Virginia, 448 U.S. 555 (1980), in which the Court, in an opinion written by Chief Justice Warren Burger, upheld the right of the public to attend criminal trials. In the opinion, he cited freedom of the speech and press, as well as the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. However, it is important to note that Richmond dealt with allowing members of the public to attend trials, and criminal trials at that, not with any specific right to televised media coverage (although media coverage, through members of the press, is implicit in the right to attend). Whether the Court would recognize a constitutional right to television coverage of its own proceedings is open to speculation (although I doubt Justice Souter would be writing that opinion-he is quoted as saying that television cameras would enter the chamber "over my dead body").

As the senator noted in his introductory statement, the Court could opt out of television coverage when necessary to protect the Due Process rights of one or more of the parties involved. However, if this bill passes, any such decision by the Court would be subject to strict scrutiny, and must be narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling government interest. See, e.g., Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court, 457 U.S. 596 (1982).

- "I believe it is vital for the public to see, as well as to hear, the arguments made before the Court and the interplay among the justices."

At this point, the question becomes what television cameras will add to the process that is not already gained by allowing transcripts and audiotapes. Requiring Supreme Court oral arguments to be televised would give Americans a visual component to what had previously been depicted only in drawings and playing back a tape recording on the news that night. One could gain from the large percentage of communication that is purported to be visual, while being able to observe the process of oral argument for what is probably the first time. One of the positive effects would thus be transparency-while oral argument is not the only factor in the justices' decision, it may provide a window into their thoughts on a particular case, and thus make the Court seem more "accessible" to many Americans.

However, like many Supreme Court opinions, we must here employ a balancing test. Televising the Court's oral arguments could potentially demystify the process in the minds of many people, and educate the public about what goes on after the first "Oyez." But introducing television cameras also introduces the weapon of public opinion. Though the Court may not be as susceptible to political pressures as Congress, the justices are nonetheless a product of their time. Who can doubt that this was behind some of the most noteworthy (and in some cases, notorious) Supreme Court rulings in our history? Korematsu was handed down in the wake of Pearl Harbor, with our country teetering on the brink of defeat in the Second World War. A few years earlier, West Coast Hotel v. Parrish was the "switch in time that saved nine," sparing the justices and the nation from FDR's Court-packing plan. And more recently, we have borne witness to an entirely new form of political influence, this time coming from Ottawa, Sydney, and the halls of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Allowing counsel access to television cameras introduces the possibility that the medium will be used for such invasive means, with ramifications no one can yet grasp.

These are just a few of the arguments for and against televising the proceedings of the Supreme Court. Overall, like the country, the justices are divided on the use of this technology: Justices Scalia and Ginsburg are accepting of the idea, while Justices Thomas and Souter are opposed. My prediction is that the idea will not be adopted, barring a supermajority of justices, perhaps seven or eight, willing to put it into place.

Sources:
Statement on the current bill
Statement on the previous bill
NPPA Article on SB 1768

Music, Books, and Life

2007-02-05T01:00:00.000-05:00

An update from Akron, before I return from my Super Bowl weekend at home:

- It's official: I will be attending the Acton Institute conference, "Toward a Free and Virtuous Society," in West Cornwall, Connecticut later this year. As I mentioned in an earlier post, this will be an intensive three-day program where I will gather with other scholars from theology, economics, and other fields to discuss the relationship between social and economic policies, such as assistance to the poor, and our God-given rights, such as freedom of religion. I am excited to be receiving books and other materials related to the conference, which should come in the mail closer to the conference date, and to gain knowledge in these fields I can use later in life. Plus, any time I can add to my bookshelves is a cause for celebration, especially given my limited resources while in school. I will probably post about it when I return.

- The "music" in the title is the soundtrack from the movie "Gettysburg," one of my favorite movies and CD's, the latter of which I finally bought this week at Barnes and Noble. So far, it has been worth every penny: a great score by composer Randy Edelman, to punctuate the historical importance of the great battle. The music from "Gettysburg" is becoming sort of a background for my life in general, since I consider law school a moral, intellectual, and spiritual crossroads, and a pivotal moment, perhaps the pivotal moment, of my life.

- On a lighter note, I was glad to see Tony Dungy and the Colts win the Super Bowl earlier tonight. I knew he and Bears coach Lovie Smith are both Christians, and I was impressed with what he said upon accepting the trophy, talking about the role his faith played in bringing his team to the championship game and coming out on top. Of course, the secular media did their best to try and weed it out of all the quotes (case in point-see the Associated Press article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070205/ap_on_sp_fo_ga_su/fbn_super_bowl), but that didn't stop millions of people from hearing what he had to say on TV. I'm glad he mentioned God in his speech, and I'm sure Smith would have done the same thing if he had won.

- So far, my goal for 2007 to lose weight is coming along well. I have been working out in the fitness room in my apartment building regularly, at least since last week, and have been trying to eat better, including more fruits and vegetables. I have decided that the most important reason to lose weight is for myself-not so that someone else will accept me for who I am, because who I am now is the same person I will be after the weight is off. This time, I am doing it for myself-so that I can take better care of the body God has provided me, and so that I will have more energy to live as He has called me to do, and more confidence as I move forward. That being said, I am excited about the results that I have seen so far-I sleep better, have fewer muscle aches and joint pains, and generally more energy to get through the day.

- Tomorrow, we receive the problem for the Moot Court competition in Criminal Procedure, which will be held in Newark, New Jersey next month. So far, all we know is that our team, me and two other students, will produce an appellate brief and argue the case in front of a panel of judges. It sounds the same as our Appellate Advocacy class, only the stakes are much higher, and the topic is one I may have to do a little more research on ahead of time. That being said, I am thankful for the opportunity to explore a new area of law. Evidently, God wants me to go to New Jersey next month, and I resolve to do my best and not let Him down.

Reading: "Washington's God"

2007-02-04T22:40:00.000-05:00

My reading selection for January is "Washington's God: Religion, Liberty, and the Father of Our Country" by Michael and Jana Novak, about the religious faith of our most well-known Founding Father. The authors' central thesis is that George Washington, contrary to the popular perception that he was a deist and one of the more secular-minded Founders, was a Bible-believing Christian and sincere Episcopalian throughout his life, as evidenced by both his public proclamations and speeches and the consistency of these with his private words and actions.

In keeping with how I normally write my book reviews, I will run through some thoughts on the book, and its thesis and message.

1) Probably the best thing about this book was the combination of my two favorite subjects: history and theology. To illustrate the intersection between the two fields, Part I of the book, entitled "The Man," went through Washington's life, and the specific trials he faced along the way to becoming our first president. The first section that stood out to me was "The Protection of Providence: Heroism on the Monongahela," detailing Washington's survival as a young officer in the Virginia militia during the French and Indian War.

Although I had read about Washington's experiences in the war while in school, and in other accounts of his life, the authors did a superb job of relating Washington's experiences to that with which he would be faced later in life. For example, as the colonel of the Virginia militia, Washington attacked a French column in the area around the Monongahela valley (today the area around Pittsburgh), killing ten men, including Sieur de Jumonville, a French diplomat. The French later took their revenge, attacking "Fort Necessity," Washington's hastily-erected fortification, and decimating his small force. However, under banner of truce, the French offered to let Washington go if he and his men surrendered, which is surprising, considering they could easily have executed Washington and his men in retaliation for Jumonville's death.

Another example from Washington's experiences on the frontier comes from his later expedition to the area with General Edward Braddock, the British commander. Washington wrote that at least four bullets pierced his coat, two horses were shot out from under him, and one Indian chief later recalled that he had at least "seventeen fair fires" at the young officer, none of which (thankfully) found its mark. One could attribute this to extraordinary good fortune or blind chance, but the authors note that with the accuracy with which the attackers' bullets found their marks that day (Braddock and virtually all other officers on horseback were killed), it appears that God had greater things in store for Washington.

Part II of the book, entitled "The Faith," delves more directly into the tenets of Washington's faith, and shows, at least based on his personal words, actions, and writings, that his beliefs appear to have been incompatible with the "deist" school of thought pervasive in many Enlightenment circles at the time. For example, even though Washington often eschewed any public proclamation of his personal beliefs, the authors point to evidence that this was not unusual for someone of Washington's Anglican faith.

As the authors point out, it is important to put Washington's words and actions into their historical context. The eighteenth century was a time in which a divide was growing between newer evangelical churches (such as Baptists and Methodists) and the more traditional Puritan and Episcopalian churches of New England and many areas of the South, including Virginia. Evangelicals of the time tended toward a "warmer," more emotional view of the Lord, stressing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and the intense feelings following worship and conversion. On the other hand, as Novak and Novak point out, Washington belonged to the Anglican faith, which tended toward less explicit mentions of Jesus Christ, and one's personal relationship with the Savior, in favor of an increased role of reason, drawing upon a long-standing classical and theological tradition. It is too complex to do justice in a blog post, but I would recommend this section of the book for its background into the complex cultural and religious factors that influenced Washington as a man and national leader.

Overall, the book does a wonderful job of providing a historical background that helps explain why Washington may have been less open about his faith than many today would find necessary or comfortable.

2) Aside from the binding together of the theological and historical connotations of the debate over Washington's God, I was struck by the lessons for Christian living in Part III, entitled "The Fruit." Here, the authors present, through his writings and public prayers and proclamations, the lessons learned from Washington's life and travails as a soldier, statesman, and follower of Christ. These are timeless truths, still as relevant today as they were over two hundred years ago, told from the point of view of a man who had lived, and at times suffered greatly, in his role in history. A Christian at any stage of his or her walk with the Lord, or anyone seeking to know more about Christian life and theology, can benefit from these readings from the father of our country.

One of these that stood out as relevant to my life was the notion that God acts through, not in spite of, our strengths and weaknesses as human beings. Beginning in college, and especially in law school, I have been troubled by the idea that somehow, what I say or do will stand in the way of God's plan for my life. But while reading this book, I remembered that God often works not through miracles, or in contravention of free will, but through it-and that this is a sign of the artistry and intelligence He brings to a universe that is at all times under His control. Of course, it is easy to misread this as a license to fail and decrease one's efforts, but God expects our best, and in return, His plan for our lives will be accomplished. This passage underlined for me the importance of faith. I shouldn't panic in the face of a rejection letter or a grade that was lower than I expected, but instead should rejoice that God is using these apparent shortcomings to augment His glory. This is the most important lesson I face in law school, more so than anything found in a casebook.

The other main point I found relevant to my life at this juncture was Washington's firm belief that God's ways are "inscrutable," beyond human knowledge or interpretation. What I came to realize after reading this is that the inscrutability of God's will is something which I still struggle to accept, even after witnessing and going through events that don't fit into some logical framework. Early in high school, like many people my age, I developed a basic schema for how my life was supposed to turn out. Even though many of my ambitions so far have come to pass, I am just now beginning to see that God "winks" in my direction, and may take me in a direction I never anticipated, something grander, more exciting, and far beyond the limits of my capacity to devise or even imagine.

In the end, it comes back to whether I am willing to surrender my dreams, my ambitions, and my life to accomplish God's purpose for putting me on this earth. I am not so naive as to think that this is a passing phase, and that I will "get over it" and completely overcome my pride by age 30, but I am starting to realize that spiritual growth is an ongoing struggle against the forces of darkness in my own heart. This book served for me as a reminder to continue to work to trust God and place Him first in directing my life.

Overall, I recommend this book for its insights into the contrasts between Christianity and deism, as the authors spend a great deal of time explaining the differences, and why Washington belongs to the former. Also, it is an insightful look into the spiritual lessons and growth encountered throughout Washington's lifetime.

On the Trifecta of Rediscovery

2007-01-28T22:07:00.000-05:00

I have rediscovered oatmeal. I used to eat it growing up, especially in elementary school, but only recently have I begun to switch from cereal back to this healthful alternative. It's a lot healthier than a lot of different kinds of cereal, and when you're like me, and are trying to eat better, anything that cuts your calories will help. I have been eating the Quaker instant kind, which is as easy as it gets to make-just pour on some milk and stick it in the microwave for one minute. Obviously, I can't eat it every day, but I have a feeling that eating oatmeal for breakfast several times a week is going to help a great deal with losing weight.

I have also rediscovered the fitness center in my apartment building. Normally I go to RPAC (Ohio State's Recreation and Physical Activity Center) to work out, but the high today was about 17 degrees, meaning I would have frozen to death somewhere on Neil Avenue. So I worked out in the building instead. It was nice-it's just a small room, and there was no one else in there. I could be alone with my thoughts for a while, instead of listening to the din of 100 people jogging and TV's playing afternoon episodes of Oprah or SportsCenter.

To complete the trifecta...I have rediscovered the value of silence. Honestly, how much silence do we have in our lives these days? Not nearly enough. Let me explain.

I first figured this out on my way to work about a week and a half ago. It was about 7:30 in the morning, and I was doing my usual fiddling with the dial at a red light, trying to find a good station. Finally, not being able to find one among the dozen or so I listen to regularly, I turned the radio off. I drove the rest of the way to work in total silence, with nothing but the noise of traffic to disturb this tranquility. It was the most gratifying simple pleasure that I had experienced in a long time, and all I had to do was push a button. I did the same thing on the way home from work that day, not even turning the radio on, except for a few brief minutes to hear the local news.

I have begun to realize that there is a spiritual dimension to this as well. When I turn off the radio, or the TV, or seek out silence when I can get it, it is akin to letting God's presence into my life, in that small way. He is always there, but I was never able to hear Him over country, or talk radio, or whatever it was that was playing in the background. One of the things I have learned in this brief year so far is that sometimes, God speaks in what we think are the dead spots between point A and point B in the car, or the times we are sitting in our apartment without the TV on or a law book in our hands (as rare as those times are nowadays). If you're paying attention, sometimes you can really feel God's presence-it seems to have its own form of quiet reassurance, an unspoken "I'm here" that you feel when you need it the most.

This is why I am going to try and seek out more silence in my life, as a way of working toward my goals in 2007 (a stronger walk with the Lord, and better stress management). The less I have to listen to background noise, the better off I will be.

Pressing Forward

2007-01-23T23:36:00.000-05:00

From now on, in keeping with my desire to better learn and internalize Scripture, and apply its principles to my life, I am going to start listing a few verses in these dispatches that are especially relevant to my life at the moment. So, here goes:

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?...Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Matthew 6:25, 30 KJV).

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. (emphasis added)" (Proverbs 23:7 KJV)

"And he said, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV)

Newark, New Jersey

2007-01-23T23:20:00.000-05:00

I got some great news this past week-I finished fourth overall in the Herman selection argument, which means I made one of the traveling teams. Being on a traveling team is a great honor, especially for second-year students, so I am excited, and grateful for the opportunity.

The selection argument was pretty tough-we had to argue in front of two professors, one of whom I had this past semester for Appellate Advocacy. I was struck at how the selection argument resembled an actual Supreme Court oral argument-very little time to make your own points, because the judges (or justices, if you're up before SCOTUS) are constantly asking questions. I was very fortunate to have survived this session and advanced to the traveling team-at the beginning of the year, my goal was to compete in Herman, so the fact that I was able to surpass that says volumes about God's providence and love, since I will get to visit New Jersey and New York City for the first time (and that I am proud of my accomplishment).

I will be on the Criminal Procedure team, so that means I will be headed to the Seton Hall School of Law in Newark, New Jersey in March. It's right across the river from New York City, so I will definitely want to do a little sight-seeing if we have time. I'm still not sure how exactly the competition will work-I will have to wait to hear from the Moot Court Governing Board to find out more of the details. I will probably have more about this in a later post, when the competition dates get closer, compete with pictures.

This will be a great opportunity to get experience that will serve me well as a trial lawyer. I imagine that with Criminal Procedure, this will be a chance to get more acquainted with the rules of evidence, with the quickness of trial-making motions, objections, and the like-that will be so important later on, whether I go into litigation, criminal prosecution, or another field.

Praise God for this opportunity.

L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace!

2007-01-06T23:50:00.000-05:00

This will be the new theme of my search for a job this summer-boldness, boldness, in all things boldness. This was the quote of the Prussian king Frederick the Great in one of his military journals, and this is the approach I need to take to looking for a job in the new year.

Here is where I found the quote: http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=120666

Don't misunderstand me-boldness does not mean pestering potential employers, or going beyond the bounds of civility and decorum expected of members of the legal profession. But it does mean that persistence is what I need to prevail. The repeated phone calls, multiple faxing of resumes and cover letters, and increased networking opportunities is what is going to get me noticed-and this means taking an approach with more initiative and energy than ever before.

Ultimately, this is going to be the first test of my ability to argue persuasively and effectively on behalf of a cause-my own employment. And I need to be able to do the job better than the other dozen or so individuals who are likely gunning for the same job.

But there is one thing that has changed the equation. Two days ago, I felt despondent over my job search-that I wasn't hired after interviewing with several big firms through OCI (on-campus interviewing), and that while I have received at least one job offer, I am still pursuing employment in Akron and Columbus. In the midst of this, I prayed about the situation. I asked God to take over and bless my job search, that I was putting it in His hands where He chose to have me work this summer. And while I still have to work at times to keep a positive attitude, the Lord has responded. I know now that while I have to search vigorously, and leave no stone unturned, that He will lead me where I need to go.

So while I could have been bold all along in seeking out a clerkship for next summer, with each phone call, each job interview, each resume that is sent out, my attitude will be one of boldness in going forward in Him, and, ultimately, approaching His throne for the job that I need to sustain myself this summer. I am no longer being guided by my own feelings of pride, consternation, or uncertainty about the future, but by the feeling that God is going to take care of my needs before they come to pass about four months from now.

Blackstone Deadline Reminder

2007-01-06T00:52:00.001-05:00

For my law student friends who are applying for the Blackstone-don't forget, the deadline is January 22. Good luck-it is an amazing experience.

3 Days To Go....

2007-01-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

Until the start of the spring semester. And also the national championship game. I have been in Columbus since Tuesday night, buying my books, making daily trips to RPAC to work out, and researching my note in time to hand in the first draft on the 16th. Thoughts on the day:

- The warm weather is absolutely amazing. It got up to 61 here today, and instead of having the usual snow and bitterly cold winds that blow through Columbus this time of year, all we have had is some light rain. It was overcast today, but when it's in the 50's and 60's in January, you can't complain at all. It's nice not having to keep the heat on all the time, too-the less I have to flip the notch on that thermostat, the cheaper my electric bill is at the end of the month.

- Bowling starts up again next Wednesday-our team is going to make the playoffs this semester, I am sure. I have been petitioning our illustrious captain, the Bee Girl, to see if we can coordinate our colors this semester, if not order shirts with our names on them. So far, no definite answer-my vote is for scarlet this week, in honor of the Buckeyes.

Every semester, I tell myself that I am going to practice, and at the same alley we bowl at for our league, but my workload and schedule prevents it. It would be even better if we could get the whole team to go. But in law school, we are all so busy that getting together for league bowling on Wednesdays is enough of a challenge. Plus, open bowling is at least $5.00 a game, and I am always trying to save my money. My goal this semester is no less than a 130 average-I am sure I will get it, come Wednesday. I am going to keep using the 12 pound ball, and with the weightlifting I am doing as a part of my diet, I am hoping to get some more power behind the ball, for more spares and strikes.

- As for RPAC, I have a feeling I am going to get very familiar with that place before the end of this summer. My goal for this year is to lose about 100 pounds (98, to be exact) and I will be spending as much time as I can there this semester. It is amazingly busy right now-I have not even been able to get a treadmill the last two days I have been there, so I have been playing basketball in the gym instead. I started out with just shooting around yesterday, and today I joined in a pickup game with a couple of other guys. I got up and down the floor, but I was clearly a couple of steps behind them-I will need to pick up the pace as the weeks pass by, and I start to take off some of the excess weight that is slowing me down.

My exercise plan involves trying to combine aerobic exercise, such as basketball, with some weightlifting. I started lifting today-nothing that strenuous, just a few arm curls, lifting the dumbbell behind my head to work the triceps, and then a few sets on the bench press. I also got in a little bit of leg lifting and work on the calf muscles, when the machines were open. I will probably hold off on more weights for the rest of the week, since I don't want to be sore when we go bowling Wednesday.

- Also, I will be heading back to New England this summer, to attend the Acton Institute conference in West Cornwall, Connecticut this August. The theme will be "Toward a Free and Virtuous Society." The details still have to be ironed out (such as whether I'll go, since I need to be accepted to receive the travel fellowship), but I am definitely looking forward to going, if it can be arranged. More on that in a later post.

Brian Agonistes

2007-01-04T23:58:00.000-05:00

I got the title of this post from my Word a Day emails-"agonistes" means someone who is involved in a struggle, which pretty much describes my life right now, in the midst of the second year of law school.

But first, the Christmas season. I had a pretty good holiday season-got interrupted by some work at school that couldn't wait, but other than that, it was a real blessing to be home with family. We went to church Christmas Eve, as usual, and the service was beautiful. My favorite part comes at the end, where the congregation sings "Silent Night" by candlelight. This, more than anything captured the Christmas season for me-it's not about a break from exams or presents or any of the other distractions of this world, but the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord.

New Year's was fun also-I went to see "Night at the Museum" with my mom and dad (which wasn't a bad movie-I like anything with a history theme and featuring my favorite president, Teddy Roosevelt), then came home and watched the ball drop at midnight. Overall, I had a few days off around New Year's before coming back to Columbus Tuesday night.

So what lies ahead this semester? Writing my note for the Ohio State Law Journal, finding a job for the summer, the Legislation Clinic (where I go work at the Statehouse and see the inner workings of the Ohio General Assembly-more in a later post), and oh yeah, 13 credits' worth of classes and a work-study job. I move forward into 2007 prayerful and with a good attitude-I believe that good days lie ahead, come what may.

Almost Christmas

2006-12-21T01:26:00.000-05:00

This is a milestone-my first back to back posts in quite a while.

I heard today that Chicago has decided to allow advertisements for "The Nativity Story" today, nearly three weeks after its December 1 release date. Of course, now that the movie has been out a few weeks, the advertising can't have the same impact in getting people to go see the movie about the birth of Christ, but I guess that's what the people in charge wanted all along.

On a more positive note, a praise....I got word today that I have been selected to compete in my school's Herman moot court competition, where I will be preparing an appellate brief and delivering an oral argument to a panel of judges. I will also be competing for a spot on one of my school's traveling teams. If I get selected, I won't be doing Herman, but I will be traveling to some far-off corner of the country (perhaps New York City or New Orleans) for an interschool competition sometime this coming semester. So I'll have to keep my fingers crossed for one of these four slots, and if I don't get one, I still get to compete in Herman. I am excited about the opportunity-I enjoy doing appellate argument, and any chance I can get to hone my skills will serve me well as a litigator, regardless of the court or type of case I am arguing.

Exams are nearing completion as well-not much further to go. I get to go home tomorrow for Christmas, and I cannot wait. Nothing makes you appreciate your home, and your family, and your hometown, as much as being away at school. I am lucky that I get to go home every couple of weekends throughout the semester, because I am only 2 hours away from Akron when I am in Columbus, but sometimes it feels like 20. Besides getting to see my family, I am looking forward to attending my home church again on Christmas Eve, eating some good food, and not having to listen to High Street serenade me to sleep every night.

No rest for the weary though...after exams are over, it's time to dig into my note, begin preparing for my tryout for the travel team (luckily, we just do the same oral argument from Appellate Advocacy, so I don't need to prepare a new brief), and start getting ready for next semester. As a wise man once said, you can sleep when you're dead, and it looks like I'm taking that to heart.

Legal News: Christmas-Itis?

2006-12-20T01:27:00.000-05:00

More on the Chicago Christmas (er, winter solstice) display, as I break from studying for the night. There doesn't seem to be much else to report on, other than the fact that this whole business about banning Christmas symbols has gotten way out of hand.

Just a thought: has anyone advocating the removal of anything and everything remotely "religious" from public property ever stopped to consider the fact that by doing so, they might be undermining their own cause? Consider this reasoning.

One of the reasons commonly cited for purging public property of nativity scenes or any other mention of Christmas is that passersby will conflate their presence with government "endorsement" or "sponsorship" of the ideas or viewpoints being expressed. This is roughly parallel to the recent Supreme Court cases involving courthouse displays of the Ten Commandments. In one of these recent decisions, Van Orden v. Perry, the Court upheld the display of a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Texas state capital building, but not before Justice Stevens noted the risk of "'offend[ing] nonmembers of the faith being advertised as well as adherents who consider the particular advertisement disrespectful.'" (Stevens, J., dissenting), quoting Allegheny County, 492 U.S. at 651 (Stevens, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part). The basic idea is that there has to be "neutrality" between religion and what the members of the Court refer to as "irreligion." If a nonbeliever walks by a Ten Commandments monument or nativity scene outside the courthouse, it is implicit in the "offensiveness" that the government is preferring one point of view over another.

Source: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/03-1500.ZD.html

The problem comes when you consider the amount of media attention these Establishment Clause cases have received, and the measures that have been taken in granting a remedy to plaintiffs who sue over nativity scenes and displays of the Ten Commandments (which, incidentally, is displayed in frieze at the U.S. Supreme Court). After former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore lost his battle to keep the Decalogue displayed in his courthouse, workers came and carted off the 1,500-lb granite monument, in the presence of a large crowd who had gathered outside the courthouse to pray and show their support. Several years ago, after the ACLU challenged the city seal of Stow, Ohio, city officials were forced to use electrical tape to cover up the portions of the city seal deemed to be a violation of the "separation of church and state." Time and again, these stories make national headlines because they are so dramatically out of step with what the vast majority of Americans believe: acknowledging a belief in a higher power is important to our culture and legal system, and consistent with our national heritage.

Does anyone really believe that a nativity scene puts us on the verge of ushering in a theocracy? I think it's worth considering that those who oppose the display of Christmas symbols and traditions (and seek to banish them from public schools) are ultimately doing more harm than good to their cause by bringing this issue to the forefront of the cultural discourse. It's not just that it is making headlines on so many different occasions, but that the manner in which it is being done is so flagrant, and so obnoxious to the beliefs of so many, that the more that cities, towns, school districts, and airports in Seattle give in, the less opponents of public displays of Christmas can plausibly cry foul. How can anyone say we are "establishing religion" when so many concessions are made? And unless they can get help from groups like the Alliance Defense Fund, individuals are going to be less and less willing (and financially able) to stand up to the ACLU and others.

So when it comes to being offended and excluded, the shoe is now being worn on the other foot-yours and mine.

The Two Years' War (So Far)

2006-11-28T01:48:00.000-05:00

News from the 2L front:

1) I am glad to report that I will be starting on my note soon for publication in the Ohio State Law Journal. Unfortunately, I can't mention the title or topic, since this post might be read by the editors who will be reviewing it for publication, but I am definitely looking forward to the experience. When I do legal research, I am awed by the sheer amount of published material that is available, and truly humbled by the chance to leave my own mark, albeit a small one, on the body of knowledge that is American law. In a way, it is like having a connection to the Founders, just by participating in the Judeo-Christian legal system that they helped to foster, and by engaging the culture in such a profound way.

2) I am also looking forward to the Herman competition, which is about six weeks away and closing fast. Herman is a moot court competition in which students compete in mock appellate argument before the Supreme Court, so participating would definitely be a great chance to hone my skills, even more so than Appellate Advocacy. We are having a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the particulars, so it will be interesting to see what percentage of the class shows up (I'm guessing either 98% or 99%-I bet lots of people will want in on the action). If I don't get to compete, I may be able to clerk, so we will have to see how that goes.

3) When it comes to sports, two out of three ain't bad, I guess. It looks as though the Bucks will be playing USC for the national championship, barring an upset from UCLA, and as of this post, the Cavs are 9-5, and tied for first place in the Central Division. But right now, it seems as though the Browns don't have anywhere to go but up-I actually turned the game off at halftime last week, because I couldn't take watching Charlie Frye get pounded into the turf anymore without experiencing secondhand joint pain. Hopefully, they can salvage at least an improvement over last year's 4-12 mark, and bump up their record to 5-11 by beating Pittsburgh and Baltimore. It's pretty unlikely, but as I always say, any given Sunday.

4) I will have some more on this later, but apparently it didn't take long for Scrooge (read: people who are allergic to public Christmas displays) to start spreading Christmas cheer (read: subpoenas, lawsuits, and threats and intimidation). See for yourself.

5) Even though I have been busy, I have been able to get in some personal reading. Check out my last post, in which I review Edward Welch's "When People Are Big and God Is Small." There are lots of books in the reading queue, but right now, I am reading "Discplines of a Godly Man" by R. Kent Hughes. After this, I plan to get back to some history, maybe reading "Washington's God" by Michael and Jana Novak, depending on my schedule.

Reading: "When People Are Big and God Is Small"

2006-11-27T23:36:00.000-05:00

Edward Welch's "When People Are Big and God Is Small" attempts to get at the root of a problem we all face at one time or another: what do we do when we encounter situations where we fear people more than God? This book caught my eye at the CLS conference, and I decided to read this one first-I am currently reading J. Kent Hughes' "Disciplines of a Godly Man," and hopefully will have a review for that soon.

The first part of Welch's book looks at different manifestations of the same problem-the fear of man. According to Welch, this takes on different names, such as "codependency" and "peer pleasure," but the result is the same-we order our lives around what other people think of us. To get at different aspects of the problem, Part I looks at the fear of being seen (the problems of sin-shame and victimization-shame), the fear of being rejected (where people become an idol that replaces the fear of God), the fear of being physically hurt (situations such as past physical abuse), and the idea that the world encourages the fear of man (through its emphasis on self-esteem and radical individualism). Part II runs through the solutions to this spiritual and emotional problem, such as growing in the fear of the Lord, knowing your real needs, and loving enemies and neighbors. Some thoughts on the book in general:

1) One of the passages that had the most impact on me is the section dealing with the difference between faith and feelings, on page 83. Welch points out that "[t]oo often, if our faith is weak, we don't see it as a serious problem. It is only when our feelings are distressing that we decide to ask others for help and prayer."

Reading this made me realize that perhaps sometimes, we stop too soon in seeking out God. Perhaps we are satisfied only with feeling faithful, instead of actually being faithful. I know that many times, it is easy to get discouraged when I pray and seek out God, only to be missing that "feeling" I get when I experience the presence of the Holy Spirit. I'm not sure how many other believers struggle with this same issue, but it gets to the heart of what Welch is saying-we are using the wrong barometer, the wrong scale, to measure God's presence in our lives. Even though we often experience a feeling of His presence and calm during times of prayer, it is important not to commit the Pavlovian error of salivating for food based on the ringing bell.

The deeper spiritual issue behind confusing faith and feelings is that it really boils down to trusting ourselves, not the promises of the Word, for when God is moving in our lives. The Scriptural principle of "ask and ye shall receive" from John 16:24 has been boiled down to "ask and you have received if you feel like it." Our feelings, like our thoughts, are inevitably tainted by our own sinful nature, and thus cannot be reliable in comparison to Scripture. When we base our perceived spiritual well-being upon them, we do so at our own peril.

2) Of the solutions the author discusses to overcome the codependency problem, I was most struck by his call to "delight in the God who fills us." Of all of the stories in Scripture the author could have chosen to illustrate this point, to show the lengths to which God will go to pursue us in His great love, the story of Hosea stands out as one of the best. God commanded Hosea to marry Gomer, an adulteress. Before and during the marriage, she continued her adulterous ways, eventually leaving the marriage to continue her life of prostitution. But Hosea continued to provide her with provisions, never giving up on his commitment to his bride. Eventually, after a nightmarish life of adultery and abuse, Gomer was sold into slavery. But Hosea remained faithful, purchasing her out of slavery and reaffirming the marriage covenant. It is an amazing story reflecting the love God has for us-how He was willing to purchase us from the dead, even at the cost of his Son, because of His love for us.

What stood out to me here is the simple reminder that God is the only One who can fill our need for love and acceptance. Like Gomer, we will stray, and try and find it in a hundred other places, but eventually we will be in bondage to our wayward passions. Yet God is always there, waiting to buy our freedom from what enslaves us, whether it's a physical addiction or a mental pattern of sin in trying too hard to please other people. It was a real encouragement to read the story of Hosea, and be reminded of the sufficiency of God's love and grace.

Overall...I would recommend this book as a practical guide if you are struggling with any issues of being too dependent on others for love, acceptance, and support. It was easy to read because it ran through a list of specific solutions, depending on the form of the problem you are facing. This is especially relevant for us Christians who are in law school, because of the minefield we face in trying to get ahead without trying too hard to please others at God's expense.

On Being Thankful...For Law School

2006-11-25T00:14:00.000-05:00

God truly sustained me with my visit home this weekend. It is the night after Thanksgiving, November 24th, and I am in the middle of a relaxing weekend at home. Some of the little things I have noticed:

1) The beautiful weather this week. It was sunny and 50 degrees on Wednesday for my trip home, and the traffic wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Last year, heading home the day before Thanksgiving was an ordeal-it took me 4 hours to get home to Akron from Columbus, when it normally takes about an hour and 45 minutes. But compared to last year, the trip went well-no heavy traffic beyond Delaware County, and no bad weather like last year, when I ran into a snowstorm from Mansfield to Akron. Even the bad weather has worked out-the fog this morning drove people away from the stores, making Christmas shopping a lot easier.

2) Getting to go shopping with my brother this morning-our annual tradition. I woke up at 4:30, and we caught the early sales at Best Buy and Wal-Mart, and managed to get to about a half dozen other stores before finishing around 11:00.

3) Spending time with the family, the first significant time in over a month. Last night, we went to the light display at Blossom Music Center, and tonight, to see the windows on Main Street. This was the first Thanksgiving in a few years that the windows were decorated for Christmas, and it was nice to see everything again. Each window has a theme-one is decorated with characters from "The Wizard of Oz," "Peter Pan," and so on. My personal favorite is a display showing the evolution of Santa through the centuries, in different cultures. Where else can you find out about the pioneer Santa in a buckskin coat?

4) Good food-I couldn't take one more night of Pesto or Panera. Thanksgiving dinner was delicious, cooked by my brother and sister-in-law, and there were plenty of leftovers for tonight. I always eat better at home than I do in Columbus, and this weekend was a case in point.

These are the little reasons about why I am so refreshed by coming home, and why it gets harder every week to head back to Columbus.

But of all the manifold blessings in my life right now, I am thankful for the most difficult experience of my life-law school. Here's why:

First of all, the tougher things get, the closer the whole experience brings me to God. Every day I am ignored, and mistreated, and derided for the cause in which I fervently believe, serving God through the legal profession, it brings me a little closer to the Truth. The longer I have remained in Columbus, the bleaker the secular landscape appears, and it is seeing these diversions of money, power, and indulgence for what they are that is giving me the great spiritual awakening that I will need for the years ahead.

It is impossible to describe all of the undercurrents taking place to this effect, but I credit the positive influences in my life (my family, Christian and non-Christian friends who are supportive, other Blackstone Fellows), juxtaposed with the experiences I have had and people I have encountered in law school, for leading me closer to Christ than I ever could have gone in a safer environment, such as going to school while living at home. I lived that life during college, and even though I was challenged in some respects, I was never able to experience the spiritual growth I have while on my own. Somehow, I received just enough success, got thrown just enough scraps from the world's table, that I never needed to stretch myself and realize that God cannot be kept in a box-that there is something more to grab on to.

I wish I could say that this is a finished work, a three-step program under which I could claim that the first step is complete, and that I am ready to move on to the second. But God's work on my heart will never be complete until the day I die, or He calls me home.

Second, I am thankful for law school because the closer I get to God, the more I thirst for righteousness. Even as elusive as this is in my life, even with all my shortcomings, I am seeing more and more that this, not grades, money, power or prestige, is what matters. It is as though all my old idols are being left behind, and what is left is something that captivates, challenges, and dares me to rise above my own imagination. Even though I don't always achieve this in my actions, the desire is there, and I am bound to act on it.

One aspect of my desire of Him is that in law school, now that I don't have the old academic and achievement idols to hide behind, I am coming to realize more and more my own sinfulness and depravity. I compare my sinful nature to the God I serve, and it becomes all the more amazing that I am not left to rot in hell where I belong.

This is still a work a progress, however; as I continue to grow spiritually, I must enthrone God so that He can work on my heart and I can develop godliness in my life. And this is one more reason I am thankful for law school: the more I move toward God, the more I enthrone Him in my life and exercise my free will to let Him lead me where I need to go, the more He can accomplish His plan for my life.

So yes, I am thankful for the trials I have faced since last August, and for the Lord who sustains me with the rising sun each day. "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." -Rom. 8:37 (KJV)

More on the CLS Conference

2006-11-11T21:50:00.000-05:00

I just realized, after I published the last post, that I have hit the big 5-0. Not 50 years old, but "Thoughts From Texas" was the 50th post on Standing in the Gap. I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to express my thoughts through this venue, and for anyone who stops by to read what I have to say-thanks for your support.

So now that I have had almost a week to cogitate over my experiences at the conference, here are two things that have come to mind:

1) Probably the biggest realization I have had this week is that I allow other people too much sway over my thoughts, feelings, and generally, how I live my life. I have prayed about this problem before, and recognized it as such during my first year of law school, but it is only in the last few months that I have begun to combat it effectively. Right now, I am reading a book by Edward Welch, entitled "When People Are Big and God Is Small," that discusses this in more detail. But in my situation, the problem is twofold: a) minimizing the power of the Holy Spirit and God's Providence in my life, and b) putting these Godlike expectations on other people, whether or not they are willing to try to meet them.

Admittedly, this gets back to a theme that runs through most of my posts. Law school is an enormous challenge, both physically, in the number of hours spent studying and preparing for class, and spiritually, in that I must do my best to represent Christ to my peers and to others I encounter while I am in Columbus. But there is an antidote to the poison I face from other people, from the weight of the work, from the feelings of isolation that often surface. It is a message I need to meditate on from the time I wake up in the morning, as I sit in class, as I eat my dinner, as I drive to the store, and until I lay my head on the pillow at night.

God is good, and God is strong.

What makes law school so difficult lately is that I don't think about that enough, and it doesn't have the impact on me that it should. I found a site online that talks about the various names of God mentioned in the Bible, and the etymology of the Lord is amazing. So thinking about the names of God, which pertain to His qualities, I need to keep some of these in mind the next time I face trouble:

- My Eyaluth (strength) in the morning, when I go to class and need to remember what I have studied. This is why I said a quick prayer before Evidence on Tuesday, knowing that I would be called on and have to respond (Psa. 22:19).
- My Shaphat (judge) when I wrong someone during the course of my day, and I am convicted of my sin to apologize and repent on my knees (Gen. 18:25).
- My Jehovah-Nissi ("The Lord Our Banner") when I am called to engage the culture on the law school battlefield and defend my beliefs (Ex: 17:15; Psa. 4:6).
- My Jehovah-M'Kaddesh ("The Lord Who Sanctifies") when the Holy Spirit reaches into the dark corners of my heart to sanctify my life and lead me to increase in holiness in conformity with the call of Christ (Lev. 20:8).

Here is the site where I got these, if you want to check it out: http://www.ldolphin.org/Names.html

If God is for us, who can stand against us? One of my ongoing spiritual weaknesses is that while I love God, I minimize the extent of His power in my life. When I get bogged down in the busyness of a typical day, I forget who I work for. It is God I should be trying to please and emulate, not the people around me. So probably the best lesson or realization I had while in Texas is that I need to work on making God bigger and people smaller, and developing a healthier fear of, and respect for, Jehovah-Jireh.

What does this name mean in Hebrew? "The Lord Will Provide."

2) The other spiritual lesson I took away from the conference is that I need to work on developing the various spiritual disciplines to a greater extent. I have a decent prayer life, often taking the time to converse with God during the day, but to develop a regular devotional and worship time. The more regularity I have in my interactions with God, the less opportunity I will have to become discouraged and slip into common patterns of sin. At the conference, I purchased a book by R. Kent Hughes, entitled "Disciplines of a Godly Man," that should speak to this. I am going to read this book, then post later on specific ways I can help develop these disciplines in my life, around the law school schedule.

Thoughts From Texas

2006-11-05T14:11:00.000-05:00

As I am writing this, I am sitting in the San Antonio airport, waiting to catch a plane back to Columbus that, unfortunately, won't leave for about two and a half more hours. Luckily, this allows me some time for reflection:

- I have had a great time in San Antonio, coming down for the weekend to attend the Christian Legal Society convention. The theme this year was "Walking the Walk: Following Christ in Law and Life", and featured several great speakers. It was nice to hear from Alan Sears again, since I was very impressed and inspired by his addresses at the Blackstone. We also heard from Jhan Moskowitz, from the organization Jews for Jesus, and Alan Andrews, from Navigators.

Another one of my favorite speakers was Jaime Lash, who spoke on the judgment seat of Christ. In particular, he told a story about a dream in which those who were in heaven were simultaneously weeping and rejoicing, depending upon whether their works in life had withstood the test of fire, the final judgment of one's life by the torch of the Lord. He juxtaposed the pile of gold, silver, and jewels in front of Christ's most faithful servants with the barren circle of earth in front of one who had spent his life building his own kingdom.

This had a real impact on me, and it made me question what I am doing and where I am going in law school. Am I more concerned with service and doing what God wants me to do (storing treasures in heaven) or with building my resume and impressing the person sitting on the opposite side of the interview table (treasures in earth)? When I get back to Columbus, I plan to do some deep self-examination, and take a long look at my priorities and time commitments. Some changes may be in order.

- Praise-I got a work-study job. On Friday, I start working at OCLC, the Online Computer Library Center, in Dublin. I will be working in the Legal Department, doing research, writing, and performing other legal tasks for the attorneys there. My hours this semester will be pretty limited, mostly on Fridays, but I am hoping to get in some more work in the spring, depending on what my schedule looks like. I am excited, since this will get me some more legal experience, and some extra money to help out with spending and groceries.

- We also got to do some sight-seeing while in San Antonio. On Friday afternoon, we walked to the Alamo, about a half-mile from the hotel. It was inspiring for me, as someone who loves history, to walk through the old chapel and see where the fighting occurred. There were also lots of historical artifacts, including the original Bowie knife, and one of David Crockett's law books, which was inscribed with the date-1828. There were also models of a cannon that was used, and the original wall was still standing. It was a sunny day, so the pictures should turn out well-I will post some on here once they are developed.

On the way back from the Alamo, and on Saturday night, we went through the Riverwalk. This is a river that runs through San Antonio, with all sorts of shops and restaurants along the side. There are boat tours you can take to see the city-we didn't have time for a tour, but we got to see everything just the same. The food was great-on Thursday night, we ate at a place called Mexican Manhattan, right along the river, and Saturday night, we went to a restaurant/bar called Rita's Ice House. I ordered the steak fajitas, and they were delicious-the best I have ever tasted. I definitely plan to eat there when I visit again.

I will have some more spiritual reflection in the next post. I have a plane to catch.

On October

2006-10-16T23:46:00.000-04:00

October is here, and the wind is blowing a little bit colder each day. The leaves are changing colors, even here on High Street, a brilliant red and gold. And it is the heart of football season.

But this is a tough time right now, going through the onslaught that is the second year of law school. I actually had a moment tonight where I looked at my to-do list for tomorrow, and realized that I literally do not have enough hours in the day, or week, to get everything turned in that is due. I will try to do it, but it will be an awful tme crunch, alleviated only when Friday night comes along.

I don't mean to sound melodramatic in saying all this; I have a good life. But every day, I want to see the Savior in what I do, and it's just so difficult to see much of anything beyond a to-do list and the next deadline. I am just tired of being ground into powder-the endless procession of reading, deadlines, acc-checks, all of it. I am laboring for the Lord, but some days the workload can be crushing.

I just got done reading a book called "The Sacred Romance", by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge. It is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it as a companion to "Wild at Heart", by Eldredge. It talks about the journey of having communion with God and becoming synchronized with His purpose in our lives-this is the Sacred Romance to which the author refers.

Overall, the message has caused me to have mixed feelings about what I am doing with my life right now. On the one hand, the part of me that feels called to participate in the defense of Christianity and traditional values in the culture is gratified that God has chosen me to at least receive the requisite education. I am proud that I have gotten to attend a first-tier law school, watch the Massachusetts constitutional convention, work to His glory this past summer in Cincinnati, and that I will soon get to have another adventure when I travel to San Antonio. There are countless times when I get lonely in my apartment, or discouraged, or feel like I have let God down somehow, when the Holy Spirit shows up just in time to give me the strength to keep going. I think that this is part of the Sacred Romance, that alluring path which I have managed to stay on these past several years.

Yet I also get this nagging feeling that I could do more. This takes two forms: it is either self-doubt, in which case it comes from my own sinful nature or from the Enemy, and should be discarded, or it is God calling me elsewhere. If it is from God, He either wants me to leave law school behind and pursue another calling, or reorder my priorities at Moritz.

I have come to the conclusion that it is a combination of the former and the latter. I have prayed dozens, scores of times for God's guidance on whether to stay here, and each time, the gut feeling is the same: stay. Don't give up.

And here I stay.

Breaking for Fall

2006-10-11T13:44:00.000-04:00

So it is Fall Break now, and I am back at home in Akron. Some thoughts on the week:

- Despite my best efforts, I have actually managed to get some work done. I have outlined for my First Amendment class, completed part of my optional acc-check for the law journal (won't have to do one in the spring now), and will send out some more cover letters and resumes while I am in town this week. I have had a chance to do some relaxing this week, and catch up on sleep too-no noise from High Street to keep me awake here.

- It is now official: I have booked my flight for the CLS conference next month (Nov. 2-5). I will be flying roundtrip out of Port Columbus to San Antonio, with a layover in Memphis. I have a good flight schedule; I will actually be able to go to my first class, Evidence, on the morning of the 2nd before I have to go to the airport. And I will get into Columbus on Sunday night, in time to go to class the next day.

I will have more about it in a later post.

A Weekend in the Country

2006-10-01T23:32:00.000-04:00

I spent a good bit of this weekend in Licking County, east of Columbus. On Saturday, I went apple picking with some other people from the Christian Grad Student Fellowship at OSU, to a farm nearby. We were supposed to drive right up to the orchard, but the weather did not cooperate. It had rained earlier in the morning, making the paths muddy, and causing lots of cars to get stuck. So we cut our losses, bought some apples by the basket, and went on home.

On Sunday, I got to meet my friend Megan at her church, and afterward, we went out to breakfast and drove around the countryside to check out the foliage. Today was absolutely gorgeous-a perfect, sunny fall day, with a temperature around 60-65 degrees. I got to see quite a bit of the area-we drove as far north as Johnstown, Alexandria, and Sunbury, and as far south as Fairfield County. Not a huge distance, but for taking back roads, it takes a while. But it was worth it-the scenery was wonderful, and I had a good time.

It's going to be a "grindstone" kind of week-our micro draft, or second draft, of the brief is due for Appellate Advocacy on Thursday, and my goal this week is to get as much outlining done as I can going into Fall Break. I don't plan to do a huge amount of work over the break, except for maybe some acc-checking for the law journal, and a few other things.

On another note, both of my teams won this weekend. The #1 Buckeyes of The Ohio State University rolled over the #13 Iowa Hawkeyes 38-17, and the Browns finally got a win too, beating the Raiders 24-21. I was disappointed that I didn't get to witness the victory, though, since the Bengals were on here in Columbus. I will get to watch them next week, though, when they go to Carolina. That will be a tough one-don't expect them to win, but you never know with the Browns. With Ohio State, though, I am glad I will get to go to a game this year-one of my friends is going to sell me a ticket to the Indiana game, so that will be nice.

Welcome "The Mercied"

2006-09-29T02:26:00.000-04:00

I have added to the list of linked sites "The Mercied", a blog maintained by fellow Blackstoner Rebecca Phillips and friends. Check it out if you get a chance, it is definitely a good read.

Reaping the Whirlwind

2006-09-29T01:16:00.000-04:00

So it is September, and things are getting busier all the time. I could go on and on about all the thoughts swimming around in my head right now, and the activities that consume my days, but I will focus on them one at a time.

- Classes/App Ad: App Ad, or Appellate Advocacy for those not enrolled in it, is time-consuming, but probably one of the more practically useful classes I will take here. We just had our conferences this week to go over the first draft of the brief, and I was glad that I didn't have any points taken off the final grade. The next step is to submit our "micro draft", the second of the three drafts, and the last chance we will have to get feedback before we submit the final copy on November 6. The oral arguments will follow about two weeks later.

My classes are interesting-a diverse group of Evidence, Business Associations (Corporations), First Amendment, Federal Courts, and App Ad. They are all supplying valuable knowledge (BA is tough because I don't specifically have a business background) but First Amendment is especially interesting because of my passion for constitutional law. Federal Courts is also a good class, delving into the jurisprudential theory behind sovereign immunity, federal vs. state jurisdiction, and a lot of the procedural constitutional law topics. I am glad I signed up for it, since it will prepare me well for Civil Procedure II in the spring.

- Bowling: I had a bad night at the lanes last night, bowling only a 100 and 95 in the two games (I had a 138 average going into last night). I will definitely have to pick things up starting next week. At least my handicap will be higher next time.

- Fantasy football: I have a pretty good team put together, with Michael Vick as my quarterback, Donte Stallworth and Larry Fitzgerald as two of my receivers, and Tony Gonzalez from the Chiefs as my tight end. My title chances were hurt when Shaun Alexander, my star running back, broke his foot, but I will adjust. I have Warrick Dunn as my backup running back, and I will try and trade for someone else (if I could just figure out how, if I can, to rework my "can't cut" list).

If only I could trade for Ray Lewis and A.J. Hawk on defense, and Ladanian (sp?) Tomlinson as my fill-in running back....I guess we can't always have what we want.

- CLS conference: more to come on this soon, but it looks as though the pieces are falling into place to attend the Christian Legal Society national conference in San Antonio, Texas in November. It is looking like a great event, with Alan Sears as one of the speakers, so I am really looking forward to hearing from him and the other presenters. I am going along with one other person from our chapter, so it will be nice to have someone there representing Ohio State. Plus, it will be fantastic to see some of my Blackstone friends again; I know of about 5-6 people who are planning on going.

This is indicative of a larger desire I have to travel. I thought that maybe I would get some of it out of system after this summer, having been to Cincinnati, Boston and Phoenix, among other places, but all that flying and traversing time zones has made me want to travel even more. I am not sure yet if we will get to sightsee while in San Antonio, but I definitely want to see the Alamo if I get a chance. Next year, I plan to visit Los Angeles when I go to the Blackstone reunion in June-should be a great time. I figure this is the time to travel, while I am young, single, and have the means to get on a plane and go. Other places I want to see include the Mountain West (Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana), Alaska, and Hawaii.

September Swing

2006-09-15T00:11:00.000-04:00

In case you couldn't tell from the dearth of posts, things have been pretty crazy down here in Columbus the last couple of weeks. A lot of my promised posts have fallen by the wayside, including the story about Rev. Boyd up in Minnesota, an update of last week's events, and a bunch of other things. I will do my best to try and keep up.

Overall, it has been a very busy but very rewarding 2L year so far. I just finished writing a 16-page brief for my Appellate Advocacy course, and being a staff member on one of the school's law journals has kept me busy. We have found time for fun too-last night we started bowling, and we did really well. I bowled a 121 and 145 in our two games, which is excellent for me; I switched to a 12-pound ball instead of 13, and it has significantly raised my average.

That old saw about how in "the second year, they work you to death" has a ring of truth to it. Our workload is intense right now, with a combination of journal, App Ad, and a full course load, in addition to the little thing about finding a job for next summer. I am working to try and keep the faith right now, that everything will work out. The important thing is to keep my eyes on God above, and trust Him, and He will lead me where I need to go.

A Running Post

2006-09-04T23:11:00.000-04:00

So I finally got to the last of the dozen posts about my summer. I made a promise that had to be kept, no matter how long it took (even until Labor Day). The fact is, I am swamped right now: a full course load, Appellate Advocacy, Christian Legal Society, Student Bar Association, and a multitude of other things. But I am going to find the time to keep this blog going, to keep up with the news and maintain it as a resource for Christians who are either in law school or considering legal education. Plus, I enjoy it too much.

After being back in Columbus for a few weeks now, I have started to get things somewhat under control. Every day brings its own challenges. Starting this month, I plan to get settled in with a local church again, begin pursuing outside activities to boost my lawyering skills (such as volunteer work and being active in bar associations), and continue looking for a job for next summer.

Most of all, I want to keep my eye in God in the midst of the time storm I am facing right now. It is so easy to lose sight of Him when you have so much to accomplish in one day, so many fires to put out that demand your attention. But this is the time when I need to stay on track (or get on back when I have strayed) in order to keep a sense of perspective and diligence.

This weekend, I will have a post on Legal News. Not sure of the topic right now. This week, I will give a more detailed update on the first few weeks of school, including what I did this Labor Day weekend (I turned 23 yesterday), the upcoming Mentoring Program luncheon, and the Christian Legal Society Bible study.

Stay tuned for more posts.

Summer of 2006, pt. 12

2006-09-04T23:01:00.000-04:00

Now for the final post of the summer (now fall) of 2006:

- It wouldn't do justice to my experiences this summer to describe the changes I have undergone in a single post. I will just talk about them briefly:

1) Social: I know now that I am not alone. One of the biggest problems that we Christians face as law students is social isolation, to varying degrees depending on the school and the kind of environment in which we are placed. One way in which the Blackstone really helped me was to make me see that there are scores, hundreds of other law students out there, across the country, who feel as passionately as I do about the future of this country, and preserving traditional values for our grandchildren. This has given me a renewed sense of strength as I move into my second year.
2) Professional: I intend to try and expand my reading list to include books outside the regular curriculum, such as those by Blackstone, Coke, and others. It will help to sharpen my mind by introducing me to the philosophy behind the law I am studying, and will ultimately make me a more effective advocate.
3) Spiritual: This summer was a time of spiritual revival for me; as I said earlier, it has taken coming to the desert to get me out of the desert in which I had been wandering at times throughout college. I experienced some of the deepest and most meaningful times of worship while in Phoenix, and during Phase II. I intend to keep going what I acquired this summer-an even deeper and more abiding love for the Lord, that will carry over to my law school studies.

These are probably some of the biggest ways the Blackstone affected me. Not an exhaustive list by any means, but a few things to think about.

Summer of 2006, pt. 11

2006-08-19T02:43:00.000-04:00

It has been a long week. I know it has been a long time between posts, but I have been swept up in getting back to Ohio, back in the swing of things, and involved with acc-checking for the law journal. So here are some updates on things from Columbus, and next week I should have things in order enough to start book reviews, legal news, etc. again.

- Most of my time this past week has been spent either on the "acc-check", or accuracy check, for the law journal I am on, or on interviewing with firms for early OCI, or on-campus interviewing. The interviews generally went pretty well. I interviewed with four great law firms, two in Cincinnati and two in Toledo, and hopefully I will hear from them again within a few weeks.

- My last interview was on Wednesday, so most of the week was spent in the law library, and various other places, performing an acc-check on a portion of an article I was assigned. For those of you reading this who are not yet in law school, or in your first year, try to get on a law journal or law review at your school (not that I will be the only one to give you that advice). It's one of the best resume-builders you can have, and it's a learning experience that will help make you a better lawyer after you graduate.

Case in point...the article I acc-checked dealt with a narrow issue in patent law, which is traditionally an area I don't know much about. But I was able to get at least a basic grounding in it just by proofreading an article written by a law professor who knows the subject well. Even if you're not planning to practice in that specialized an area of law, it's a good idea to know as much as you can about any subject, the more the better. To quote one of my first-year professors, "the law is a seamless web," and you would be surprised at how much interrelatedness there is between subjects that would seem to be far apart.

It's true, being on a journal or law review involves a lot of work. I put in a substantial amount of time on the assignment (about as much as a part-time work week). But it's like any other story or rumor you hear-a grain of truth wrapped in a big ball of exaggeration. The truth is, I enjoyed different aspects of the acc-check, such as proofreading the article and checking the accuracy of quotations, because I have always had a good eye for editing. In high school, I worked in my school's Writing Lab, proofreading papers for the freshman and sophomore English Composition students, and it was always fulfilling to me to help people improve their grades by helping them with grammar and style. I enjoyed the acc-check because it took me back to the good old days, if only temporarily. I can tell I am going to enjoy it, and the work is well worth the experience.

- I am going to have one last "summer of 2006" post sometime next week, probably Monday or Tuesday (but no guarantees because of how hectic things are right now), where I will discuss the Blackstone and the Phase III experiences in more detail.

- Other than the journal work and interviews, not much else of note to report this week. Things will start to get back on a normal pace next week, since classes start Tuesday, but at least I have this weekend, one more weekend of freedom before it's back to the classroom.

Summer of 2006, pt. 10

2006-08-07T02:08:00.000-04:00

Now back in Phoenix for Phase III:

- I showed my devotion to country music today. We had a talent show tonight, the Fellowship Follies, that had just about everything. The highlights for me were a tuxedo-clad harmonica player, a performance of the "who's on first" routine by Abbott and Costello, and a hilarious video some of the interns put together about their experience in Dallas, a parody of "The Real World." But first prize goes to my rendition of Toby Keith's "How Do You Like Me Now" that definitely brought down the house.

I sing loudly. I couldn't find the karaoke tape in Phoenix, so I just bought the CD and sang over it. At least one person told me afterwards that they never heard the vocals from the CD. That means I still have it-the booming bass from high school choir and madrigals.

It seems like the older I get, the less I listen to new music. Some of it I like (the exceptions to this rule are Christian and country), but most of it just isn't as good. I started out with Tears For Fears and Modern English from the 80's, and now I listen to classic country, 70's, and Motown. Eventually I am going to be listening to those old hand-cranked record players (Victrollas maybe, but I'm not sure what they're called) and tape recording a bard.

- Reading wise, I just started reading "The Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan yesterday. It might take a week or two to get through it, but I will have a post on it soon. The books in the reading queue now are, in this order: "The Myth of a Christian America" by Rev. Gregory Boyd (not agreeing, but I will read it to address the arguments made by the other side). Ron Chernow's biography on Alexander Hamilton, and then I plan to begin reading Blackstone's "Commentaries." Instead of reviewing Blackstone, I will try to weave summaries into my general posts.

- Journal orientation began today, 1,800 miles from where I am now. I read the style guide today to get caught up on the editing work we will be doing this year, so I know a little more about the gargantuan editing assignment (and gargantuan to-do list) that will be waiting for me when I get back to Columbus.

- We haven't gotten into the lecture portion of Phase III yet, but it's supposed to be fantastic, with many prominent members of the legal community coming in to present for us. Many of the presentations will involve building personal and professional relationships-how to get a clerkship, how to become a Blackstone Fellow, and so on. More as the week unfolds.

Reading: "Alexander Hamilton: American"

2006-08-02T23:21:00.000-04:00

I am going to have to go back on what I said in an earlier post. I originally planned to read Richard Brookhiser’s and Ron Chernow’s biographies and review them in one post. Unfortunately, tonight is my last night in Cincinnati, with my copy of Brookhiser’s book. So I will review them separately.

Brookhiser’s “Alexander Hamilton, American” is a detailed portrait of the Founding Father, bringing together each of the stages of his life-his childhood in St. Croix, his arrival in America and service in the Continental Army, and his political (and often legal) conflicts-in psychological and philosophical terms. Brookhiser has an interesting way of putting the biography together, by linking together the various influences on his life to paint a picture of someone whom one might say was an intellectual more than a politician, and a Platonic philosopher-king more than a general. In this way, I believe that Brookhiser’s biography stands not just as a portrait of Hamilton, but of American society itself at the time. Many of those same ideas, those same patterns of thinking, influence us as much as they did our forefathers over 200 years ago. Some thoughts I had about one specific passage:

“The inspired leader can tell a man something he did not know about himself: that he is brave, that he is willing to die. The flatterer tells him what he has already heard, and wants to hear again. Inspiration stimulates virtue; flattery induces contentment.”(p. 167)

How far you go in life depends on what you say to yourself mentally. Different experts call it different things, but in the end, it’s simply how you view yourself, what you are willing to tell yourself to keep going, and how you relate to others. I believe that what the author says here about the difference between inspiration and flattery is relevant to what’s on your mind, and not just what’s on your ballot. It’s a simple distinction: if you are willing to tell yourself the things you need to hear-that you are strong, that you are confident, etc.-then you are going to get ahead in life, at least of the people who don’t. But if you are a self-flatterer, meaning that you tell yourself what you want to hear just to silence the part of you wanting something else, this will keep you in neutral.

How do you know whether you flatter or inspire yourself through your thoughts? I believe it all depends on how comfortable you are with your assumptions, biases, and preconceived notions. If you run through the “inspiring” things that we say-that we are strong, we can get through this difficulty, we know better than to do what we’re doing-most of them are things we usually don’t want to hear. None of us want to hear that we are strong enough to get through a problem; the sinful, human side wants the mountain to go away, rather than for us to have the strength to climb over it. This is even more true when we act in opposition to what we know is right, or in indulging what we know is wrong. The “inspired” side of you tells you what is on your heart-guard your loved one’s heart with your words, take care of the people around, stay away from that addiction. We can implicitly recognize that there is something affirmatively good about the “inspiring” things of life, even when we don’t understand why.

Inspiration is the conscience, and self-flattery is the enemy of the soul.

I recognize that in the end, all of this is circular. We have traveled from the demise of the Roman Republic (Cato “resisted” the people with inspiration to a higher good, as Hamilton put it, while Caesar destroyed the Republic as he resorted to flattery) to the Founding, to today’s inner battle against darkness, and back to the days of Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates, some of the first men to recognize the moral implications of politics and rhetoric. I made this journey to stress two points that I think Brookhiser touched on succinctly. One, that there is a critical link between what we perceive as just and good, secular and sacred, public and private, because the normative study of political rhetoric is indistinguishable from study of the antithesis, the conflict within the soul. Two, that even though they are linked, they are apart. Our politics and our civil government can bring peace and prosperity, but they can never solve the problem of sin and bridge the gap between God’s holiness and our own depravity. Maybe this is why Jesus told us to render unto Caesar-that even though our role in public life is to externalize God’s redeeming love, that our ultimate focus should be to place ourselves at the foot of the Cross.

Overall, a decent read if you are interested in biographies on the Founders. I may comment some more after I have read another of Hamilton’s biographies, by Ron Chernow.

Summer of 2006, pt. 9

2006-08-01T23:04:00.000-04:00

I need to get better at coming up with titles for these posts...

- I have almost come to the end of my stint in the Queen City. My last day at the office is Thursday, and then I will be heading home to see my family for the first time in about a month.

On Sunday, I visited the Taft Museum of Art, not far from the riverfront and the Great American Ballpark. I will have pictures on here soon-it's a beautiful old house, and each room contains a separate exhibit, and is decorated according to period styles. I wasn't able to take pictures inside, but the decor was amazing-there was a mural painted on the wall in the "historic wing" of the building, complete with Roman-like busts of the two members of the Taft family for whom the museum was named. Also, the collection contained a variety of types of artwork, everything from the Italian Renaissance to more recent English paintings of the nineteenth century. The rooms also had historic furniture, beautifully restored-coffee tables from 1810, sofas from 1815, and others.

The highlights for me were fivefold. First, my favorite area was a room dedicated to works from American history. There was a painting of George Washington, and a collection of small watercolor paintings on what looked like lockets, or watch chains. These were extremely detailed portraits of every president from Washington to Herbert Hoover. Also, it was impressive for me to see a painting by Rembrandt. It was of an everyday subject (a well-dressed gentleman), but looking at it was like listening to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony or reading Shakespeare-you knew you were looking at a work of genius.

My two other favorites were the portrait of President Taft, and the current exhibit at the Taft Museum, art from medieval China (that is, China during the medieval period in Europe). The exhibit on Chinese art was interesting in how it showed the different patterns, and methods of production, used to produce tea bowls, cups, jugs, and other articles. One in particular used a special method of cooling glass, so that the surface of the bowl almost looked as though someone had poured glitter on it, for that "sparkling" texture.

The house itself was beautiful. I got to walk through the garden for a few minutes before I left, although I didn't stay there long on account of the heat. Next door was a nice garden, in Lytle Park-I walked over for a few minutes before I had to go cool off.

- The other aspect of Cincinnati culture I have tried this week is Skyline Chili. It's got a different flavor to it, almost kind of like maple. I have been to LaRosa's a few times, and had their pizza and pasta. I definitely recommend it, and Skyline if you like good chili.

- I hope the heat wave dies down soon. It has been searingly hot outside the last two weeks-today I was driving home from work, at 6:30 in the evening, and the temperature was still 96 degrees outside. And the humidity makes it even worse.

People in Ohio tend to joke about the weather in Arizona, because everyone here thinks it is the most extreme form of heat, like an outdoor oven. I tell them that even though it gets hot in Phoenix (highs of about 110 when I was there in June) Ohio is actually more uncomfortable when the temperature is 85 or 90 with 95% humidity. It's the moisture in the air that makes it miserable, not the number on the thermometer. In Phoenix, you hardly even notice that you're sweating, because your body has the dry air to cool off.

Here in Ohio, when the humidity goes up, it gets much harder to handle. I am actually looking forward to spending a few days in the dry heat; it will be a relief from the heat and humidity here. But you know what they say about Ohio weather-wait 5 minutes and it will change.

On Engaging the Community, pt. 1

2006-07-30T01:38:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while, more than it should really, a case comes up in the media of another Christian, or conservative, deciding not to engage in helping change the culture. It has happened again, this time in Minnesota.

The Rev. Gregory Boyd pastors Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, with a large congregation that, until recently, had as many as 5,000 in attendance every Sunday. According to an article published by Laurie Goodstein of the New York Times, he is pro-life and "believes that homosexuality is not God's ideal." Yet at the same time, he has staked out a position that today's evangelical Christian involvement in politics is too nationalistic, even idolatrous.

Here is the source, from AOL: Laurie Goodstein, "Disowning Conservative Politics Is Costly for Pastor," The New York Times, July 30, 2006. Found at http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/disowning-conservative-politics-is/20060729195809990004?ncid=NWS00010000000001.

According to the article, to illustrate his points, he delivered a series of six sermons before the 2004 presidential election, entitled "The Cross and the Sword." This was a call for the church to disengage from politics and the culture war, particularly in claiming that America is a Christian nation, and in opposition to homosexuality and other forms of sexual immorality expressed in the culture at large. It seems that the Rev. Boyd’s rationale for this is that the church has become too intertwined with patriotism, the Republican Party, and support for the U.S. military.

Before I go any further, I want to be clear about two things. One, though I strongly disagree with what I have read so far, I am not going to refute arguments I have not fully heard. It would not be fair to anyone reading this, or to the Rev. Boyd, for me to denounce his ideas before I have had a chance to first determine how he has chosen to articulate his position. Therefore, I will address what he says after I have done some research, probably posting sometime in the next few weeks.

Two, I will say up front what you can expect from me. I am going to give a passionate demonstration of Truth through what I write here. This means that I am not going to dismiss the arguments of the other side through emotional appeals, but instead question assumptions through the use of Scripture and sound doctrine. It means that I am not going to lash out in anger via the written word, but that I will try my best to speak the truth in love, against the sin and for the sinner. And it means that what you read here will be the best way I can make the case for why Christians can, and should, engage others in public as well as private life.

Finding Creativity Again....Maybe

2006-07-24T21:11:00.000-04:00

Once I get out of law school, I am going to rekindle one of my lost passions-creative writing. This has been a lost art for me for a long time, so I should probably tell you about how the creative juices first got flowing.

Probably my first foray into this began in the fifth grade. I was attending a visual and performing arts school at the time. This was a new school in the Akron public school system that was made to bring in children with talents in drama, visual art, instrumental and vocal music, and dance. In the mornings, we attended what was called the "exploratory wheel", which meant taking each of these classes for about 6 weeks. Then, in the afternoon, we would each go to our "specialty" class, kind of like a fifth-grade version of choosing a college major. A small group of us would then work one-on-one with the drama teacher, learning about acting and the different types of performing arts, such as plays and musicals. Being around other people who were interested in the arts made me decide to try creative writing.

I started out small. Up until about 6th grade, I loved to play with GI Joes. I would draw stories about made-up characters represented by action figures (my favorite was "Powerman", a secret agent with different special abilities, sort of like the X-Men). By the time I had reached sixth and seventh grade, I was writing short stories about Gary Grant, a boy who took time out of his busy junior-high schedule to fight crime. Even though they were cheesy and kind of cliche when I think back on them today, I still smile thinking of all the fun I had drawing them.

By high school, I had read books like the "Chronicles of Narnia" and decided I wanted to write a fantasy story. Other books that had an influence on me growing up were "Redwall" by Brian Jacques, about animals (mostly mice) that fight off rat invaders, and a book called "Goblins in the Castle" by Bruce Colville. By the time I reached high school, about three or four years had passed since I had read them. This was enough time to start formulating ideas in my head about what would make a readable and entertaining fantasy story that would also be a lot of fun to write. I decided I would devote my free time to the project until I had a manuscript in hand.

Then came my sophomore year of high school. From here on, my focus changed to academics and extracurricular activities like choir, plays and musicals. This meant I had less, if any, time to think about creative writing. I gradually shifted to poetry, since it took less time and it was a more efficient way to express my thoughts. I still would work on formulating a story idea and characters every once in a while, but it gradually got pushed aside as I got closer to graduating and moving on to college.

Every once in a while, I think back to those old stories again, and how there weren't that many things I enjoyed quite as much as writing. It was just like reading a good adventure story, like "The Hobbit" or C.S. Lewis-something that really sparked your imagination and balanced out the more left-brained subjects like math or biology. But what kind of story will I write someday (and I will write it someday, even if I have to wait until I retire)? It will be a fantasy/adventure story, like so many others. But it will be my own, and I will find a way to make it unique.

Right now, I have continued to move on to other things, and the creative writing hobby I used to have has faded over time. But it's definitely something I would like to start working on again after I graduate, depending on how much spare time I have. So come 2008, I will be getting out that chapter synopsis again, putting pen to paper, and indulging my creative side once more.

"Pay It Forward" and the Conscience

2006-07-23T23:17:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I watched the movie "Pay It Forward," a drama starring Haley Joel Osment, Helen Hunt, and Kevin Spacey. It involves a young boy (Osment) who is given an unusual assignment by his social studies teacher (Spacey)-come up with an action to change the world. Unlike most of his classmates, he completes the assignment, "paying it forward" by helping out three people in an altruistic way, without payment in return or credit for what he has done. The movie focuses on the people he chooses to help-a drug addict living on the streets (James Caviezel), Spacey, by bringing he and his mother (Hunt) together, and a classmate continually tormented by bullies.

My first impression after watching the movie was, of course, that it has a positive message with which we could all agree. After all, how can you find fault with a desire to help out the people around you, become connected to others, and help make the world a better place? But the more I thought about what I had seen, and the dramatic ending, I wanted it to be something more, something deeper than it actually was. I wanted something beyond the typical melodramatic conclusion and an uplifting feeling that would die down a few minutes after I had changed the channel. I remembered that I had not felt this specific way about a film since after watching "The Matrix" with my friends in high school.

I then began to think about the rationale for this, why these shows evoked such a deep response when all they were meant as was two hours' worth of entertainment. And here it is: they are both an expression of conscience, the law that is written on our hearts.

We can begin to understand that there is a deeper undercurrent of meaning in these expressions of pop culture when we understand the connection between what we feel (we are uplifted when the boy's mother quits drinking and turns her life around, and when Neo realizes he is "The One" and defeats his enemies) and who we are (moral beings created in the image of God). Think back to the stories and legends we share. They reflect the same basic ethic in all times and cultures. Defending the poor against the rich stirs our hearts the same if Robin Hood fights in Sherwood Forest as if it is George Bailey in Bedford Falls. Bravery is celebrated in The Iliad and The Odyssey just as it is thousands of years later in "Glory" and "Hamburger Hill". What people implicitly know is that there is something at our core that makes us want to feel the way we do about these stories, even if we can't name what it is.

Skeptics claim we root for the one wearing the white hat because of "social conditioning" or some long-obsolete instinct handed down from our ancestors. Yet we intuitively know that these explanations are insufficient. For one thing, why even act in the "public interest" when it does not benefit us? The society might say that stealing is wrong, but why shouldn't I steal unless there is a higher law guiding me on how behave? Why should someone fight and die to set others free? Instinct cannot explain our moral intuitions either. For instance, if the instinct is to procreate, and there are no overarching moral laws, why not rape or commit adultery (or why even be monogamous at all)?

A better explanation starts with accepting that the "feelings" we get occur across times and cultures. If the feelings are there, and psychoanalysis can't explain them away, how did they get there? Why are they there? There must be something deeper that explains why we laud Superman and loathe Lex Luthor. It goes by different names-C.S. Lewis called it the Tao in "The Abolition of Man", gunslingers in saloons called it "the law of the West", but there it is-the natural law, expressed through the conscience.

I don't think that "Pay It Forward" is a bad movie, just that it could have been even better. It has a nice message. I just think the problem comes when our culture has come to such a point where objective moral pronouncements are frowned upon at every turn, except when the frowners consent to them. This means that any rationale for doing good is reduced to "I just feel like it", or as Osment's character puts it, "The world is screwed up." This leaves people with a less-than-satisfied feeling at the end of the movie, but more importantly, it denies people a chance to be fully human, not letting them have the freedom to be the morally bound individuals they were always meant to become. Ultimately, denying the conscience and objective moral standards enslaves us all to our emotions. This is why I wanted this movie to be about more-affirming the conscience, maybe even pointing toward the source of the light, rather than just the glow.

This is where we must live out our calling as Christians. Popular movies are never going to do more than express the world's values. They cannot do more than point out the imprint of the Lord we already know. But we can use the intuition people already have to begin to reach out and show them why we have hope.

Summer of 2006, pt. 8

2006-07-23T20:32:00.000-04:00

Two more weeks in Cincinnati, a week in Phoenix, and then back to Columbus:

- I got to do some sight-seeing today, and went to Newport-on-the-Levee on the Kentucky side of the river. It's a nice area, with a shopping mall, all kinds of restaurants and hangout spots, and a huge movie theater. I spent an hour or two just walking through the mall, and especially through the Barnes and Noble that was there. Probably the nicest part of the trip was just sitting on the balcony outside the bookstore, a cup of coffee in hand, watching the Ohio River go by. It was one of those lazy Sunday afternoon kind of moments you wish would last just a little bit longer.

I also went to the Newport Aquarium, which was really nice. I got to see all kinds of fish, including piranhas, jellyfish, and huge sharks. They also had other kinds of animals, including birds, baby alligators, and penguins. At one point, there was an exhibit where you could walk through an aviary with a cup of nectar, and birds would come down and drink right out of your hand. One bird landed on my arm and drank almost the whole cup. There were a lot of bird "accidents" though, including one right on my arm from a bird on a high branch.

Two of the best exhibits were near the end. One room was full of penguins, standing in the dark, probably asleep. The last room was called "Shark Central", and it had a tank where you could pet the sharks and rays that were swimming through, kind of like the exhibit at the Cleveland Zoo we went to a month or two ago. It's amazing how smooth the skin is on sharks, and especially on the ray-the closest thing I would compare it to is probably seaweed.

I also got to do a little bit of sightseeing outside the mall. Two places I got to see in the short time I was there were the birthplace of the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, and the home of Captain Parker. I also got some nice pictures of the Cincinnati skyline from on the other side of the river.

Overall, a very nice trip to take for the afternoon, even though the place (and especially the aquarium) was crowded. I still have two more places to go see before I head for home a week from Thursday: the Cincinnati Zoo and the Taft Museum. Also, if I have time in the fall, I would like to go watch oral arguments at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals here in town.

I will be adding pictures from Newport soon.

- Reading wise, I am going to try and start adding fiction to my reading lists, probably starting with the Chronicles of Narnia coming this fall. Right now, I have almost finished reading "The Truth About Same-Sex Marriage" by Erwin Lutzer, and I also read "The Lamb and the Fuhrer" by Ravi Zacarias, a very thought-provoking book about what a conversation would look like between Jesus and Hitler. Both were very good books, especially Zacarias', because it gives an analysis of not only the magnitude of Hitler's evil, but also shows how we are all capable of the same sins as the most evil man in history-maybe not to where we would commit the same acts, but it shows that we are yet sinners in God's eyes nonetheless.

Next, I plan to read "Alexander Hamilton: American" by Richard Brookhiser. After that, I plan to read "Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow, and then do sort of a double review, comparing both books in a sort of general post about Hamilton and his legacy. This might be my last non-fiction reading post for a while, though-I would like to read different kinds of books, so after that I may try and get to "The Chronicles of Narnia" for something more fun and easy to read.

On the Dog Days of Summer

2006-07-19T22:30:00.000-04:00

It may be hot outside right now (highs in the 90's again here today, and greenhouse-like humidity) but tonight it is warm in my soul.

The title of this post is actually misleading. There's nothing "doggish" about what is going on in my life right now. The truth is, I have enough to thank God for to last in prayer for a solid week. Just to sample things-I made it onto the Ohio State Law Journal for next year, I am working for two solid Christian attorneys here in Cincinnati, learning the ropes from the best, and I am going to have the energy to excel at the huge workload that faces me when I return to Columbus in about a month. And my mom and dad have quit smoking for two weeks now-I can't say enough how proud I am of them.

But this wasn't meant to just praise God and move on, although there is more than enough that is praiseworthy to go around. This is to share some anecdotal evidence about how much the Lord has changed me, just since June 11 when I first set foot in Arizona.

- Watching TV just doesn't have the appeal that it used to. I'm not sure when exactly this happened at some indeterminate point in the past, but a time came when the purpose of watching TV became less for entertainment and enrichment, and more for escapism. Now, I would rather read, unless the show is something educational like Jeopardy.

The less you watch TV, the more you realize the point of why you kept it on so much in the first place. For me, about 80 percent of the time it was background noise-enough to keep me from thinking too much, and falling on my knees in prayer.

If you are a believer, and reading this, you have probably thought the same thing at one time or another. What purpose does keeping your TV on all day really accomplish? Are we really that drawn to UFO shows on the History Channel and reruns of "Yes, Dear" on TBS? Or is there something within us that wants to cry out to Him, but instead we grab the remote control? I'm not writing this to pass judgment on anyone, or swear off TV completely. But I think God has shown me this summer that I was using it to run from the pursuit of some deeper spiritual connection.

- The same thing with video games. I never thought I would be saying this, but it looks as though I may be outgrowing this old hobby of mine, or at least putting it more into perspective.

A few months ago, I was driving down High Street one Saturday, coming from breakfast with an acquaintance from church, when I decided to stop in a video game store. Even then, I could tell that my level of enthusiasm was not as high as it used to be. Not so long ago, I could hardly enter an electronics store, or even a department store like Wal-Mart or Target that has an electronics department, without at least taking a look at games I wish I could own, or would buy if I had the money. This dates back to my childhood, when one of my favorite things to do on the weekend was go to the video store, rent a game for my old 8-bit Nintendo or Super NES, and play to my heart's content, or at least until I had to run it back by 6 PM Sunday.

Now...I'm finally starting to realize the level of distraction that was involved. And again, I'm not condemning video games, and I'm not saying I plan to stop playing completely. But one of the ways in which I think God is working on my heart this summer is to get me to see the importance of how I manage my time. I am starting to realize that decisions on how to balance work and play have important spiritual consequences, that may even spill over into other areas of my life. When I take too much time for myself, when I am selfish with the time God has given me and devote it to idleness, I am not heeding the call to be excellent and stand in the gap for Him. Now, this summer, I am going to repent of this sin and, in His strength, root out this stronghold in my life.

- Putting leisure activities such as TV and video games into perspective goes hand in hand with getting more sleep, another front in the spiritual war.

"But how does how much sleep you get matter?" you may ask.

The truth is, I was asking the same thing until very recently. But like so many things, this summer changed the equation. In Phoenix, our schedule was "early to bed, early to rise," meaning that I was in bed each night by 11 or so, and up every morning by 6:15. It really opened my eyes, both literally and figuratively, to see how much my mental and emotional state improved from getting only 1 or 2 extra hours of sleep a night. Being well-rested made learning, socializing, and even everyday activities like having a conversation much easier. I had almost forgotten what being rested felt like, after spending so many late nights studying and watching TV during the school year.

I read an article not too long ago on christianitytoday.com that talked about the spiritual issue of rest, and how it applies to getting enough sleep at night-for God. I see the point now to what they were saying-getting enough sleep is an act of spiritual discipline. In short, what I have taken away from my Blackstone experience is the importance of simply calling it a night.

Legal News: Victories for Traditional Marriage

2006-07-15T17:03:00.000-04:00

In addition to the New York and Georgia court rulings, other courts have ruled favorably for legislation or constitutional amendments to ban same-sex "marriage." Here are the new rulings, and how they may affect the overall debate:

- The Eighth Circuit has upheld a Nebraska constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, on the grounds that it withstands Equal Protection rational basis review. In Citizens for Equal Protection v. Bruning, the federal appeals court applied the lower standard of scrutiny in considering a challenge to section 29 of the state's constitution. It provides that:

"Only marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in Nebraska. The uniting of two persons of the same sex in a civil union, domestic partnership, or other similar same-sex relationship shall not be valid or recognized in Nebraska."

The crux of the Eighth Circuit's reasoning was to find a "rational relation to a legitimate state interest" which the majority in Romer did not recognize. In Romer, the Supreme Court had cited a denial of equal access to the political process as its rationale for striking down a Colorado constitutional amendment prohibiting the granting of minority or protected status to homosexuals. Any denial to a group of the ability to convince other members of the public that it deserved protected statuts, quota systems, etc. warranted a "compelling" justification. However, in Bruning, the court demonstrated the fallacy in this argument by pointing to a number of other practices commonly outlawed in state constitutions, such as polygamy. No one (at least yet) is claiming that polygamists have a "right" to convince the public that their aberrant lifestyle deserves constitutional protection.

Based on this logic, the court then applied rational basis review to the amendment, upholding it on the grounds that the State of Nebraska has a legitimate state interest in taking the view that protecting traditional marriage, one man and one woman, is the optimal arrangement for raising children.

One thought from Bruning is that it raises serious questions about to what extent Romer can (or should) be applied in other Equal Protection cases. The Eighth Circuit drew its reasoning from Justice Scalia's dissent in that case, but with Justice Kennedy still on the court, along with the liberal wing (Justices Stevens, Ginsburg, Souter, and Breyer) the Romer votes are all still on the Court. What implications could arise if more laws are subjected to strict scrutiny, or even if the courts do not find a rational relation to a legitimate state interest, as was the case in Romer? "Interest groups" such as child rapists, pimps who wish to legally own their prostitutes, and even (as Justice Scalia pointed out in his Romer dissent) polygamists could attempt to strike down laws aimed at the public welfare and reinforcing morality and the natural law, with disastrous consequences.

Applying levels of scrutiny ultimately comes down to a value judgment. Either judges will control what is subject to the regulations of the democratic process, striking down any value judgments society wishes to make through legislation, or traditional values, expressed through laws protecting the nuclear family and criminalizing sexual deviance, will remain in place in the legal system, serving to keep society together. Bruning was a vote for the latter and against the former, and this precedent can only strengthen the cause of protecting traditional values. How it will be applied, however, remains to be seen.

Source: http://www.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/06/07/052604P.pdf

- The Tennessee Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to that state's ban on same-sex marriage, which means it will go on the ballot in November. In ACLU of Tennessee v. Darnell, the state's high court ruled that the ACLU did not have standing to bring the suit. This may have less impact on future jurisprudence than Bruning, which was decided on the merits, but it is still an important victory in passing a marriage amendment in the Volunteer State. It remains to be seen how the Tennessee court would rule on the merits, and I am unacquainted with Tennessee law, but we may find out if opponents bring another lawsuit to challenge the marriage amendment's appearing on the ballot in November.

Sources: http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_89189.asp; http://www.tncourts.gov/OPINIONS/CURRENT/DarnellrcOPN.pdf

Summer of 2006, pt. 7

2006-07-15T14:13:00.000-04:00

So I am back from Boston now. I have to blog from the bookstore across the street, because I cannot access the Internet in my apartment. Some thoughts about the trip:

- Boston is very rich in history. I was only there for a few days, so I didn't have time to really tour the city, but I did get to see a few historical sites the day I left. My favorite was probably Boston Common, which I saw on the way to the Statehouse on Tuesday, walking up Beacon Hill. I also got to walk through Faneuil Hall, the Old North Church, and I saw Paul Revere's house. The north end of Boston is a nice touristy area, full of narrow streets, shops, and restaurants. The Old North Church and the Revere house are in Little Italy-there were scores of Italian restaurants and coffee shops, so I will have to try one or two the next time I am there.

Here is the outside of Faneuil Hall, located right next to Quincy Market and near the old Boston Customs House.

- I am definitely going to visit Boston again. Probably the next chance I will have will be in October, during our fall break. My mom and dad might go with me, or I can try and get some friends together to go. Either way, I would like to consider going beyond Boston, maybe spending a day or two in the city, and then going through scenic areas of Connecticut, or maybe Vermont.

- On a more serious note, the will of the people was thwarted again by certain members of the Massachusetts legislature. By a narrow vote, the state constitutional convention voted to recess until November, thus killing any chance for a vote that would put an amendment on the ballot to define marriage as between a man and a woman. It is important to pray for the situation up there in the Commonwealth, that either the people are motivated to vote the obstructionists out of office, or that the current House and Senate members have a change of heart.

I was there for the convention, spending most of my time inside the Statehouse. I even got to sit in the Gallery for part of the proceedings. The legislature was debating non-same-sex marriage topics like universal health care and the state's rainy day fund, but it was still fascinating to me to see how a legislative session works. Sure, I have watched Congress on C-SPAN before, but like many things, the real experience is being physically present to watch how a session works-how votes are taken, how debate is conducted, and how the process works.

This is the Great Hall inside the Statehouse; on the walls are the flags of every city and town in Massachusetts.

Also, the Statehouse gallery in Boston is absolutely beautifully decorated-I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside, but the wall behind the podium contains a mural of "Milestones on the Road to Freedom in Massachusetts." The events chronicled include the receipt of the city's charter in 1630, Judge Sewall's public apology following the Salem witch trials, and John Hancock's proposal of the Bill of Rights during the 1787 Constitutional Convention.

In the Senate chamber, there is a banner over the podium reading "God Save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts." The room is full of history-you can almost breathe it in when you enter inside. It contains historical artifacts, and busts of famous figures from American and Massachusetts history. The irony was not lost on me as I surveyed the room-surrounded by busts of Lincoln, Washington, and Ben Franklin, these men and women were debating whether to give homosexuals the right to marry. It is the strangest dichotomy-between the Christian Founding Fathers and the rich tapestry of history, and the godless liberalism that has taken over so many people in that state-that it emphasizes the tragedy of so many in our Republic losing their sense of Biblical values and right and wrong.

This obelisk was in the garden on the lawn behind the Statehouse; the eagle's wings represent the answered prayers of the Revolutionary generation.

We need to pray again, so that God will hear us and forgive our country's sin-not just the sins of the people on the "other side", but the lack of love and compassion we Christians have sometimes shown for those who are in the gay lifestyle, and for those who do not know the Lord.

- This is not directly related to Boston, but while I was there, I got some fantastic news-I will be a staff member on the Ohio State Law Journal next year. I'm not sure yet what I want to write my note on, but I plan to decide by next month. Suffice it to say that it will involve constitutional law, and an issue such as religious liberty or the sanctity of life-I am eager to expand my knowledge and scholastic credentials, and get to work.

Summer of 2006, pt. 6

2006-07-09T01:57:00.000-04:00

Dispatches from Columbus, since I am staying at my apartment this weekend:

- Cincinnati is a nice city. I had only been through the city once before this summer, coming home from a trip to Florida, and I didn't get a chance to see it. This past week, I went downtown with the attorney I am working for to observe a deposition, and I got to see the area down by the river. Some of the landmarks I plan to visit: the Taft House and Museum, the Newport Aquarium, the Cincinnati Zoo, and of course go to a Reds game. There is an area on the Kentucky side of the river, called Newport-on-the-Levee, that has stores, restaurants, etc., kind of like Easton here in Columbus.

- I met with my treasurer today to discuss our plans for the Moritz chapter of the Christian Legal Society. We are planning to focus on reaching out and serving-the components of integrating our faith with our work as law students and, soon to come, lawyers.

Every other Thursday night throughout the semester, we will be having a Bible study, that is open to all students. We are still discussing topics, but my goal is to make all parts of Scripture relevant to our lives as Christians, not just as law students. I plan to cover topics that may have seemed “off limits” to Christians in the past. For example, what does the Bible have to say about our use of the Internet and modern technology? What does the Word say about what we should do in our spare time? There are countless ways to relate the Bible to everyday life, and I intend to use them as a way for us to relate to each other as Christians moving with confidence through law school, the trial of our faith.

We will also be looking for ways to serve others. For this, we have to find a way to get out of our comfort zones and address the needs of a world around us that is starving for the Gospel, and for the saving grace of Jesus Christ. More to be announced soon, but suffice it to say that where God leads us, we will follow.

One other point I plan to emphasize this year is that everyone, regardless of denomination, theological or political beliefs, or even whether believers or not, is welcome at Christian Legal Society. I want to emphasize this not to water down the message of Christ, but to show how relevant it is to everyone who walks through the door. Each of us is responsible, in our own way, for putting Christ on the cross, and we all need His forgiveness. My task, as president of the group, is not only to provide leadership and direction for our community of faith, but to create the conditions where the Holy Spirit can work in our hearts, and where everyone knows they are loved and being prayed for.

Look for more updates on Christian Legal Society coming this fall.

- Good news for the Cavs: LeBron James agreed to the contract extension today, which means he will be playing in Cleveland through the 2012-2013 season. This is some of the best news Cleveland sports fans like me can get right now, because I said earlier that as long as the Cavs can sign LeBron long-term, they will have an excellent shot at winning a championship, provided they keep a solid core of talent around him.

Now they need to re-sign Drew Gooden, and settle the situation at guard. The two new draft picks sound like they could be contributors next season, and they will need to find an impact player to replace Flip Murray, who will be leaving through free agency. Ultimately, though, the future looks promising, and I have a feeling the next great rivalry in the Eastern Conference will be between the LeBron-led Cavs and the Dwayne Wade-led Heat.

Boston Common

2006-07-09T00:51:00.000-04:00

So it looks as though I am going to get to go to Boston after all. I wasn’t sure until a couple of days ago, because lodging and transportation is really hard to get up there because of all the tourism. But I leave Monday afternoon, and I am really excited about seeing the city and all the events which will transpire. The attorney I am working for is involved with the battle over same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, and I will be there to observe and do any work needed.

Next Wednesday, the Massachusetts legislature, known as the General Court, will convene in a joint session to consider a proposed constitutional amendment, under which marriage would be defined as one man and one woman. It has come before the legislature in the past, but supporters of same-sex marriage have used procedural tactics to block passage, and it is possible that they will do so again. The marriage amendment did not originate with the legislature, however-it was proposed directly by the people, under the initiative process outlined in article 48 of the state constitution.

Massachusetts is one of the few states, as far as I know, that requires a law proposed by initiative (voters circulating a petition) to be approved by the legislature before it goes on the ballot. Since it is a constitutional amendment being submitted, it needs an affirmative vote from 25% of the members of the General Court to get on the ballot during the next November general election. Since there are 160 members of the House and 40 members of the Senate, at least 50 members must vote for the amendment for the measure to go forward. The operative word here is “vote,” since one of the issues is whether the legislature will give the proposed amendment an up-or-down vote, or adjourn before a vote can be taken, as has been done in the past.

Right now, Massachusetts is the only state in the Union where same-sex marriage is legal. It was established by judicial fiat back in 2003, in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, 798 N.E.2d 941 (Mass. 2003). Vermont and Connecticut allow civil unions, which provide benefits to gay couples without issuing marriage licenses.

Another factor is the recent decision issued out of New York, victories for those of us who want to keep traditional marriage. A separate decision was issued in Georgia, upholding a ban on gay marriage under that state’s ballot initiative laws. But it is unclear how (or if) these cases will impact what happens in Boston next week.

The New York case, actually four cases grouped together, appears to be a model for how the courts should be approaching this subject. I am genuinely shocked to be saying that about the Empire State, given the apparent predominance of so-called “progressives” like Judith Kaye on the court there, but the ruling handed down this week appears to be an exception. In the opinion written by Judge Robert Smith, the New York Court of Appeals found that there is no state constitutional requirement to give homosexual couples the right to marry.

The case dealt with the assertion of forty-four same-sex couples that the state’s Domestic Relations Law, dating back to 1909, which governs marriage in the state of New York, grants the right to marry to two people of the same gender. Even though there is no gender-specific language specifying that a man must marry a woman, and vice versa, the court noted, “that was the universal understanding when Articles 2 and 3 [dealing with marriage] were adopted.” 86-89, p. 2.

It is refreshing to see an opinion particularly coming out of such an influential jurisdiction as New York, that rejects the notion that same-sex marriage is the end product of a long-standing “progression” of civil rights. The prevailing sense of “do-what-you-feel” radical individualism that has taken root in so many places will ultimately not only disrupt and weaken society, but degrade the very people whom it was meant to satisfy.

The Court of Appeal’s decision is also a shining example of judicial restraint, a concept that sorely needs to be revived in order to honor the will of the people on this issue. Judge Smith, writing for a 4-2 majority, reasoned that (quoting from foxnews.com): “we do not predict what people will think generations from now, but we believe the present generation should have a chance to decide the issue through its elected representatives.”

Any opposition to letting the people decide seems to be rooted in this fear that the desired outcome-a radical change in social policy-will not be forthcoming. But the basic idea behind representative government, and our Republic, is that the people have a say in their own individual and collective destinies. If this includes a belief that certain institutions, such as traditional marriage, are sacred and transcend some court order, then that point of view deserves respect.

It deserves its day in court.

Sources: http://www.courts.state.ny.us/ctapps/decisions/jul06/86-89opn06.pdf; http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,202339,00.html

Reading: "Original Intent"

2006-07-03T15:05:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, I finished reading "Original Intent: The Courts, the Constitution, and Religion" by David Barton. It is based on a simple question, backed up by an incredible amount of historical and primary source material-what were the attitudes of the Founders toward religion, and more specifically, its expressions in public life that are so controversial today?

Barton’s thesis is that based on their public and private writings, the Founders wished to encourage, and not discourage, religious expression in the public square. Rather than being deists, agnostics, or atheists, nearly all were members of some Christian denomination. These men viewed religion, especially Christianity, as a force for good and vital to a free and prosperous society.

To help demonstrate where the Founders stood, and address some popularly held views on the subject, Barton has assembled a tremendous amount of data. Here are some thoughts I had after reading:

One of the reasons I highly recommend this book is for its use of primary sources. Each of the 18 chapters is packed with hundreds of quotes from the Founding Fathers’ statements, letters, public proclamations, judicial opinions, and other sources. “Original Intent,” in my opinion, really stands out as a historical work because of this attention to the original sources. Barton clearly lets the Founders speak for themselves, and does not devote excessive time to his own analysis. It allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions.

Not only is the primary source material top-notch (the only change is to modernize spellings to make materials easier to read), this book will also serve as a way to learn about many of the Founders who are not included in your average public school curriculum today. Just to name a few:

(Also, note that any quotes or material used in this post comes from David Barton’s “Original Intent,” and its citations. The full citation, if you want to find it at the library, is: Barton, David. Original Intent: The Courts, the Constitution, & Religion. Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 2000.)

1) Justice Joseph Story: referred to as one of the “Fathers of American Jurisprudence” along with Chancellor James Kent; founded Harvard Law School and authored 286 opinions in his 34 years on the Supreme Court. “Where can the purest principles of morality be learned so clearly or so perfectly as from the New Testament?” Vidal v. Girard’s Executors, 43 U.S. 126, 200 (1844).
2) James Wilson: one of only six men who signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He was one of the six original Supreme Court Justices, appointed by President Washington, and along with Thomas McKean, co-authored the first “Commentaries on the Constitution” in 1792. “Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.” Elliot’s Debates, Vol. II, p. 413, July 26, 1788.
3) Chancellor James Kent: wrote the four-volume Commentaries on American Law, which became the standard for lawyers-in-training in America throughout the nineteenth century. “[E]very citizen might freely speak, write, and print, on any subject, [but is] responsible for the abuse of that liberty.” Commentaries on American Law (New York: O. Halsted, 1827), Vol. II, pp. 17-18, Lecture XXIV. “Of the Rights of Persons,” quoting the Louisiana constitution, Article VI, §21.

There are scores, maybe hundreds of individuals, and thousands of quotations such as those above, to which the author cites, and he could probably have cited more. At the back of the book, he gives a complete list of biographies of all the individuals discussed in preceding chapters. For purposes of study, on page 8, he defines a “Founding Father” as “one who exerted significant influence in, provided prominent leadership for, or had a substantial impact upon the birth, development, and establishment of America as an independent, self-governing nation.” According to Barton, this encompasses a) the signers of the Declaration of Independence; b) Presidents of Congress during the Revolution; c) prominent Revolutionary generals; d) delegates to the Constitutional Convention; e) early state governors who played a role in the ratification and adoption process; f) members of the First Congress, Supreme Court, and early Executive Branch.

I think that the magnitude of the impact this is likely to have on one’s intellectual approach to that time period underscores how narrow our view of the Founders has become over time. With television, Internet, and our hectic schedules, it is easy to take a quote or two out of context, or gather secondary or even tertiary material, and make a generalization as to the group who wrote the Constitution. I am guilty of this thought pattern to some extent-before I read this, and heard Mr. Barton speak at Phase I of the Blackstone, I believed that the Founders were divided between secularist and more traditionally Christian attitudes on matters of religion. Now, even though I am still forming my own opinions, it appears as though they spoke with a more unified voice than I realized, one that sounds radically different from those calling for “separation of church and state” today.

One other feature of this book to check out is the last three chapters, or any other part of the book that deals with many of the misconceptions people hold about what the Founders believed. One chapter, entitled “Revisionism: A Willing Accomplice,” deals not only with the historical inaccuracies that are out there regarding the Founding generation (i.e. Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists meant to assure them that the federal government would not interfere with their free exercise rights, not that it must intervene to prevent them in public), but with personal attacks designed to discredit them in their role in history (i.e. the slavery issue is discussed at some length). This is a strong resource for re-examining much of the “conventional wisdom” and historical knowledge that is in the public arena today.

Overall…a very fulfilling read, and well worth your time if you have an interest in law, particularly constitutional law, American history, and its implications for public policy issues. It may take about 10-12 hours to read, since it is about 350 pages plus appendices. I recommend it to help get the historical context for the culture war being waged in our country today.

Summer of 2006, pt. 5

2006-07-03T00:02:00.000-04:00

I’m back home now, after a busy two weeks.

On the 23rd, I flew back from Phase I. A lot of us had a layover in Memphis on the way to our Phase II destination, so I got to see the Mississippi River from the air. Not much time after landing, though-we got delayed in Phoenix, so I had to rush from one gate to another to take the flight home.

Last week was my first week at work in Cincinnati. It has been a great experience so far- my first job at a private law firm, after a couple of legal internships with UA’s Office of General Counsel and the local prosecutor’s office during my undergraduate years. I have only been on the job a few days so far, but the time spent is valuable because I am learning directly from the attorneys, who live the law day in and day out. There is no better way to learn “how to be a lawyer,” even with all the theory and substantive knowledge that textbooks can offer.

This is not to diminish the classroom, because law school in general, and the first year in particular, is where you get the “skeleton” of the law, and I have had some outstanding professors to guide me through the transition. But there is nothing like the satisfaction I get from an honest day’s work. No matter where I work, and no matter how my talents are employed next summer, and in 2008, I know that I labor for God.

Plus, I like knowing that learning through working, and through observation, is still part of the rite of passage of becoming a lawyer, and it feels good to be a part of that. It gives you a rush to know that when you learn on the job, by researching or observing, you are following in the footsteps of Coke, Blackstone, Jefferson, Marshall, Story, and you are becoming a part of America’s legal system. Every time I get frustrated with what I don’t yet understand, concerned with the vast amount which I do not know, I remember that even with as brilliant as they were, each of those jurists had to start somewhere.

With my Phase II placement in Cincinnati, I was able to drive home for the weekend. On Saturday, I got to sleep in, and then go play miniature golf with my brother and his wife, and my friend Rachel. Not much happening today-the rain put most of our plans on hold. I was supposed to go fishing with my dad and brother this morning, but we put it off until tomorrow because of a thunderstorm. Same thing with fireworks-a strong storm blew through the area about 9:00, so we will have to go tomorrow.

The Reading List

2006-06-29T16:54:00.000-04:00

Now that I have attended Phase I of the Blackstone, I plan to greatly increase my extracurricular reading, either for learning or entertainment. Right now, I am reading David Barton's "Original Intent: The Courts, the Constitution, & Religion," about the Founding Fathers and their attitudes on the role of Christianity and religious principles as applied to the First Amendment and civic government. I am about 60% of the way through it, and will have a post about it soon.

Also, any new posts about "Reading" will just have the name of the book, instead of "part 3," "part 4," and so on. This is so I can balance my learning between history, law, Christian apologetics, fiction, and other related fields.

It is difficult to keep up with all of the books I want to read, particularly those that were recommended to us during Phase I. It seemed as though after every speaker gave his or her presentation, I had about 3 or 4 new books to add to the list. But even if it takes the rest of law school, I plan to read them all. For now, though, here are some of the books I plan to make a priority to read before the end of the year:

Blackstone's "Commentaries."

"Christianity and the American Commonwealth" by Charles Galloway.

"Christianity and Culture" by J. Gresham Machen.

"Rhetoric" by Aristotle.

"Prince Caspian" and any other entries in the "Narnia" series, by C.S. Lewis.

Summer of 2006, pt. 4

2006-06-19T01:06:00.000-04:00

As I write tonight, my soul is at rest in the midst of a storm.

I am sitting by the pool in Phoenix. It is 10:00 at night here, and about 95 degrees and humid. It's not the heat that surprises me, it's the humidity. This is about the driest place on earth this side of the Sahara.

But regardless of the weather, I feel as though I have finally reached the intersection of my faith in the Lord and my decision to become a lawyer. I have been at Phase I of the Blackstone Fellowship for about a week now, and I have realized simply that this is where I was always meant to be-surrounded by fellowship with fellow Christians who care about God, who want to serve God, and who realize how much all of us, believers or not, are loved by God.

Take today. We had a church service this morning in the meeting room of the hotel. A pastor from the Alliance Defense Fund came in to speak, and two of the interns stepped up and did the music. It was so pure, such an expression of our love for God and God's enduring love for us. One intern played the piano, and one led the singing. We stumbled on the words, and probably the only song we did perfectly was "Amazing Grace." But my heart was in it, and I realized what it means when two or three are gathered in His name.

At the end, we sang a simple song-"Jesus Loves Me." It drove directly to the heart of the Gospel-regardless of our sins, regardless of what I got this semester in Constitutional Law or Property or Legislation, God will love me the same. Just realizing the enormity of what this means could take a lifetime. If you realize this truth, why worry about anything else?

This message could not have been more timely. After God had been working on my heart all week, helping me crack the exterior of selfishness, pride, and what I thought was self-sufficiency, Satan counter-attacked yesterday, blasting me to feel "concern" over my academic report from this past semester. "You can't control things anymore, Brian," he hissed at me. "If you come back with even one bad grade, in a 4-credit class like Property, it will shut the door on your success." Anxiety gripped my heart like a hand around my throat.

But I will have faith, and with God's help will fight off the Enemy's deception.

I cannot do a single thing to either affect my first-year grades, or to get onto a law journal next year. I will work with what I have, and do the best I can with the time and resources available to me.

But do you know what? It's not about me anymore.

It's not about landing the "right" job in some far-off metropolis where I drag in a big, fat paycheck to come home to some empty apartment and see my family twice a year. It's not about spending all these tears and treasure in school so that I make myself into a mercenary to build my own kingdom. So let the grades fall where they may. Because I have realized a simple but earth-shattering truth this week: God is not limited by my grades or achievements. He is only limited by my faith. And if God wants to open a door for me, no power of this world, or of Hell, can keep it closed. I do not say this out of arrogance, just a simple realization and acceptance that He is in control of my life-not myself.

Another example of my soul being at rest is tonight. I am writing this at a table on a patio overlooking the pool. Fellow believers are singing songs of praise in the background as we enjoy each other's company. Tonight I recognize and worship my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for bringing me to this place. He is the One who made this opportunity possible, that got me safely here, by airplane, van, and car, and is watching over the steps of my very existence. Why be afraid anymore? All I need is to stay this connected forever.

My soul is at rest just realizing the impact the last seven days have had upon me. It is mind-boggling. I realize that I can never return to the way things were before, even if I wanted them to. I was a prideful, self-righteous young man who was scared of having to keep up with his own expectations, and the myth of his own self-sufficiency. But I have realized I do not have to live that way anymore.

Most of my spiritual life, beginning not long after I accepted Christ, has been a game of trying to "escape" the life and the personal ministry to which I have been called, all out of laziness, shame, or another selfish motive. Instead of reading my Bible, I would eat another sandwich; instead of thinking about the calling He had placed upon my heart, I would immerse myself in Halo to the point of zombification.

Lord, let me hold tight to You forever. No more games. I will always run the race, but let me conquer my sinful hesitance to pursue Your Truth. I have just begun to do that; it took coming to the desert to get me to stop wandering in the desert. In this, in You, I will find my rest.

Summer of 2006, pt. 3

2006-06-14T00:08:00.000-04:00

As I write this, I am in Phoenix, Arizona for the Blackstone Fellowship. I got in on Sunday, flying from Cleveland, and getting to the hotel around noon. Some dispatches about the experience so far:

1) In a nutshell, it has been fantastic, and everything that I had hoped it would be. Each day, we have about 2-3 speakers on various topics, usually one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Today, we had a professor come in and speak on America's Christian history, and the beliefs the Founding Fathers had about the Constitution, religion, and all the issues we deal with today. It was incredibly insightful-I learned things today that had not been revealed in 17 years of school, and I minored in history in college.

2) Phoenix is hot. Right now, it is about 9:10 P.M. here, and it is still probably over 90 degrees outside. The humidity is extremely low, less than 10% usually, so it is hot and dry. I guess I'm just not used to it yet, since I've only been here since Sunday. There is a shopping center across the street from the hotel, and even walking a block or so gives you some exercise and makes you sweaty from the heat. Tomorrow, the high is expected to be 113, and sunny.

3) It is truly amazing how God has brought all of us together for this internship. So far, I have only met 2-3 people from Ohio; we are from all over the country here. My roommate is from Maine, and my smaller group (we are divided into teams of about 10 interns each) has people from Hawaii, Georgia, Iowa, and other places. It is really a testament to God that He made this happen, and He made us get here safe so we could participate in what we are doing here.

4) I have not felt closer to God since high school in the time I have been here. It is a challenge at night to set aside a time for prayer and Bible study, since I am usually exhausted by 10:00 or so (we have to get up at 5:30 AM), but I try to at least read the Bible a little bit each night. Last night, I started on Acts, and then I will read Romans.

That's all I have for now. I will try and post some more as time (and Internet access) allows.

Summer of 2006, pt. 2

2006-06-06T02:11:00.000-04:00

Keeping each one short:

- I have really enjoyed the last two weeks or so. The only time when things have gotten dull was when I wasn't home; I drove down to the apartment over the weekend to go to dinner with some friends and have a meeting for CLS.

So far during this break, we have done a lot; went to the Cleveland Zoo (my favorite animal is the lion), went to the Aeros game (the Akron Aeros are the Indians' AA team, and we're going again Thursday), and have had plenty of time to go swimming at my brother's house. It has really been a fantastic break, and I am alternating my time between relaxing and studying for the Blackstone.

- It doesn't look like the Indians are going anywhere, unless they can get another winning streak going like they did last year. The offense is decent, but they need more than two pitchers (Sabathia and Wickman) to step up and carry the load. Plus, the Central Division just keeps getting tougher, since now Detroit seems like a legitimate contender. If they don't start winning soon, it will all be over by the All-Star Break, winning streak or not.

- Despite what my friend Aaron (the Steelers fan) says, I have high hopes for the Browns this year. I think Savage, the GM, seems to know what he's doing, by bringing together what looks like the beginning of a solid offensive line. Ultimately, it all comes down to Charlie Frye. If he has a breakout year, and he has a chance to with Winslow and Braylon Edwards back, you just might see the Browns in the playoffs.

- I was disappointed that the Cavs couldn't knock off Detroit in the playoffs, but they'll be back next year. If they can sign LeBron James long term, I think he will lead them to a championship, assuming they keep a solid team around him. Here are my predictions: LeBron will sign another five-year deal to stay in Cleveland, the Cavs will trade Z, possibly for an elite point guard and scorer (I heard Allen Iverson, but that's unlikely), and the Cavs will win 50-55 games next year. I'm not going to make a prediction on the playoffs, though-anything can happen.

- I am going to have some pictures on here when I post while in Phoenix, so stay tuned for more posts.

Summer of 2006, pt.1

2006-05-29T00:47:00.000-04:00

Now that I have been done with exams for a couple of weeks, and finished the journal competition last week, it is a good feeling to reclaim things which I had put on hold around when things got busy down in Columbus. I am at home in Akron now, and it is great to see my family and friends again. I will have a couple weeks off to talk about things besides exams, papers, and all of the trappings of school, even though I know everyone will miss those kind of posts.

Yesterday, I went to a carnival up in Chagrin Falls, near Cleveland, with a couple of friends from Akron U. Most of the things there were geared toward kids, but we got to watch a concert by a really good band that covered the Beatles. They played basically any song you can think of, ending on "Hey Jude." It was really crowded, though-wall to wall people, and at some times the crowd was so big that you couldn't even turn around or go in another direction. I think the entire town was there, at one point or another.

It was a beautiful night, though-hot, but sunny, and we sat in the shade, since the concert was held under a big tent. I walked down the fairway for a while, and I was hungry enough to get a sausage sandwich or piece of pizza, but I didn't want to pay $6, so I ended up with peanuts and water at the gas station later. I guess cutting down on eating kind of got forced upon me. I did have some corn on the cob, though-I can't pass up good corn.

I thought it was funny to go by the tents where all the political candidates were camped out-we went by the Republican Party tent and got "Blackwell for Governor" stickers. I noticed that there was a huge crowd near the Republican tent, but no one was even sitting in the Democrats' booth. I wonder if that means anything about whether we'll be talking about Governor Ted Strickland or Senator Sherrod Brown (that's a whole other post and a lot of angry comments).

By the way, Chagrin Falls is a nice little town. I had never been there before yesterday, and it was the kind of place I hope to settle down in someday, maybe after I retire. I'll go wherever my work leads me, but I have always been a small-town kind of person.

After we left, I went over to my friend Kristin's house and watched "Walk the Line", the movie about the life of Johnny Cash, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, and then drove home.

So it sounds like a pretty normal day, except for the first time probably since I moved to Columbus, I didn't even think about law school. Not for one minute, for several hours. I am thinking a lot about the Blackstone these days-I have a feeling this summer is going to change, shape, and redefine the focus and direction of my life for many years to come. No, for once I stopped thinking about the pressure I have been under, whether I am going to get on to the Ohio State Law Journal, whether I am going to have the grades for on-campus interviewing in the fall, and all the other things I need to learn to let go of and trust God on.

And it was a great feeling.

I have two weeks left before I pack my suitcase and travel to Phoenix for Phase I of the Blackstone Fellowship. I will be posting throughout the summer, as always, but it may get sporadic after the 11th, depending on Internet access and time constraints while I am gone. For the next two weeks, I plan to get my assigned reading done, go swimming at my brother's house, get a sun tan, and basically relax for what will probably be the last time until after I take the bar exam about 26 months from now. I say, bring it on.

On Engaging

2006-05-16T00:08:00.000-04:00

This is the third post in which I will discuss my goals for 2006. Here, I will cover my two main social goals for this year, to get in better physical shape and better balance my law school activities to have more social interaction with others.

1) Getting in better shape will improve my life from a number of angles. First, losing some weight will give me more endurance for studying. I will be able to put in longer days and have more stamina for late-night study sessions and the demanding schedule with which I will be faced in the fall. Second, the extent to which I am in shape has spiritual consequences. If I work out frequently, I will sleep better, have more energy, and be better prepared for my labors, and for everyday ministry on the Lord's behalf.

How have I been doing in working towards this goal? I am in better shape than at the beginning of the semester, and have lost some weight, but there is still a long way to go. I am optimistic that this summer will give me the opportunity to get in even better shape for the challenges facing me this fall. When I get back to school in August, I plan to do a better job of getting to the gym regularly to exercise, hopefully with some classmates.

2) The most important way to have more social interaction with others is to get more active and plugged into a church community. I have been attending a young adult service at a local church on Sunday nights, and found a small group to attend on Friday nights, but I plan to really get active in the church community in the fall.

In addition to the volunteer work I started this semester at a local legal clinic, I would like to find a way to volunteer through a church activity at least once a week (maybe in a non law-related activity such as a soup kitchen). I need to do this to keep a sense of perspective about the world and interact with people outside of a law school or law-related setting. Ultimately volunteering will make me a better person and a more mature Christian, by reminding me who is the Source of life and opportunity.

On Drawing Nearer to God

2006-05-11T22:51:00.000-04:00

Tonight, I will write about my spiritual goals for 2006, and my connection with God now that the first year of law school is drawing to a close. The second post was delayed due to exams.

I have had three fundamental spiritual goals this year: get more involved with church and serving others, increase my daily communication with God, and work on godliness.

1) Probably the best thing I can do to help increase my involvement with church is to do a better job of scheduling. In the fall, I plan to try and attend church, or Bible study, twice a week-the regular Sunday service, and then I would like to find a small group where I can become a regular and get to know other Christians my age with whom I can grow and have fellowship.

As of now, I am planning to continue with a small group at Central Vineyard, a local church I discovered recently. I have only been able to go once so far because of exams, but I am looking forward to getting to know everyone.

Actually, my church attendance is tied into one of my professional goals-doing a better job of staying up to date on my outlines throughout the semester. If I can do this, I will have more time available for Sunday church and Bible study in November, when final exams and the App Ad oral argument are closing in.

I also plan to find more time to serve others, law-related or not. This may include using my knowledge as a law student to serve through a legal clinic, or I may volunteer through the Salvation Army or a local church or organization. I am going to continue what I am doing now, and work to do even more.

2) I have made progress on my prayer life, but want to continue improving. The main thing I want to focus on for the rest of the year is being more diligent about praying in the morning. I need to make it a habit-get up, then pray before breakfast. Even better, if I can establish this as a matter of course each morning, I can start having my devotional time in the morning instead of evening, which will make it easier to remember and apply to my daily activities. Right now, I only manage morning prayer about once or twice a week.

For the rest of the year, I am going to try reading through one or two books of the Bible a month-not necessarily in order, but all of them eventually. A few days ago, I started off by reading the first chapter of Mark. After I finish Mark, I will read Jeremiah.

3) The last goal encompasses a series of changes I need to make, and continue to make, to draw closer to the Lord. Here are a few:

Better stress management: I am going to start enjoying law school, and not let fear and anxiety get the best of me anymore. In general, be more proactive, since "the righteous are bold as a lion" (Proverbs 28:1 KJV).

Develop hobbies and interests: pursue things like Civil War history, singing, and writing poetry. This will give me a more positive attitude generally, and make connections with others.

More wisdom and shrewdness: one mistake I made this year was getting wrapped up in a lot of religious/political debates I should have, in retrospect, avoided. I hope I can reconcile with the people I have treated wrongly, and help make up for some of the mistakes I made this year. From now on, I plan to be much more discerning in what I say and how I act.

These are some of the spiritual goals I intend to pursue this year. I will write again soon, on my social goals for 2006, and what I intend to improve on and accomplish.

The Battle of Gettysburg

2006-05-10T22:52:00.000-04:00

Tonight, I had the chance to watch the movie "Gettysburg" for the first time in a few years. It tells the complete story of the battle, based on Michael Shaara's "The Killer Angels." Great movie-it stars Martin Sheen (Robert E. Lee), Tom Berenger (Gen. Longstreet), and Sam Elliott (Gen. Buford, the Union cavalry commander). I first saw it at the theater when it came out, back in 1993. All I can remember was watching the part towards the center of the movie, the engagement at Little Round Top with Col. Joshua Chamberlain (played by Jeff Daniels), and the screen went dark. We thought it was over, until we saw the word "Intermission" on the screen.

I am going to be a Civil War reenactor after I graduate law school. I have always been a history buff, ever since I can remember. The first time I saw a reenactment, I was at Hale Farm, near Akron. I was little, maybe about 8 or 9, but I was taken by the uniforms, the lines of troops, and the loud artillery. I knew when I got older that this was going to be something I could really sink my teeth into, where I could find a hobby that I could do the rest of my life.

I have been to some websites on reenacting, and read up on it, and it seems like if you want to be a reenactor, you can choose to be as committed or as part-time as you like. It all depends on the unit you join. After I graduate, I plan to start by going to a couple of events, to observe, maybe talk to some reenactors, and learn how everything is done. The nice thing is that they will probably be able to use me. I plan to be a Union soldier, and from what I hear, most reenactors want to be Confederates.

After that, I plan to either find a unit to join, or sign up for events as my schedule allows, depending on how it is done and how much commitment is required. Realistically I will probably look to go to events a couple of times a year, and being a litigator, my schedule will vary depending on the demands with which I am faced under the litigation process. So signing up ahead of time will be difficult, but I will see what happens.

On a related note, I hope to visit some more battlefields soon. A few summers ago, I took a trip down to Virginia, and visited Fredericksburg. I stood on Marye's Heights, where the Confederate army was dug in against the Union advance. Looking down at the Rappahannock River, you can see why the Union army got slaughtered. It's a steep hill, and at the time there was almost no tree cover-the bluecoats were like sitting ducks. Today it's a busy downtown area with trees and buildings everywhere, but the trenches and stone wall are still there. And there is a house near the wall that is still standing-and riddled with bullet holes from guns fired in 1862.

I also got to visit Chancellorsville, the Wilderness battlefield, and New Market in the Shenandoah Valley. The saddest thing I saw was the modern encroachment. I realize that not every square inch can be preserved, but we ate at a McDonald's at Chancellorsville where some Union or Confederate soldier might have been shot or bayoneted 130 years ago. It's inspiring to me, as someone who loves history, to walk fields where men fought and died to keep this country together. I hope we can keep at least some of these battlefields preserved, so my children's children can see them unspoiled, and remember what happened all those years ago. I know if I ever hold office, there will be no one who supports preservation more.

And I am planning on going back to Gettysburg. Watching the movie makes me want to see it all again, and I am planning on getting over there sometime, maybe after I graduate.

Exams: In-Class or Take-Home?

2006-05-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

Either way, not an easy time.

This past week, we had finals in two of our classes, Constitutional Law on Monday, and Legislation on Thursday. For both classes, we went to pick up the exam at 9:00-9:30 in the morning, and it was due about 24 hours later. This was my first time dealing with the take-home format in law school, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. Before the first exam, I thought we would have time for a reasonable schedule-finish the exam by 11 P.M. or so, in time to get a decent night's sleep and proofread in the morning before turning in.

It did not work that way. The Con Law exam was more of a challenge than Legislation, but both were round-the-clock commitments. For a take-home, you have to spend more time making sure all sources were used, all arguments were made perfectly, and the answers were pared down to fit a specified word limit. Most of us in the class took a few breaks during the day, and I came to regret it. Even hour-long breaks for lunch and dinner led to a marathon session of typing and proofreading, interspersed with 5-10 minute spurts of hand-wringing over whether I was going to get the whole thing done on time.

Legislation was not quite 24 hours-I got a decent night's sleep before getting up an hour early to proofread before turning in. Contrary to what I expected, the Con Law exam actually took longer to write, even though the Legislation exam had longer essays and a higher word limit. I think ultimately, the time spent on a take-home depends on the number of parts, or questions (3 for Con Law, 2 for Legislation). This means less time spent issue-spotting and plotting out the answer, incidental to how much time is actually spent writing.

It was one of those sessions where you simultaneously wonder what in the world you're doing in law school, wish you could do more to show how much you know, and yet feel a real sense of pride in knowing you're one step closer to being a lawyer. As tough as pulling an all-nighter is, and as tired as I was the next day, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Easy is boring.

We have one exam left, Property on Tuesday morning. Back to the in-class format. I like the amount of time we could spend proofreading and sharpening our answers for the take-home exams, but it will be nice to finish in only two and a half hours.

Two frantic, "ohmygoshwhatistheanswerIneedtohurryandwrite" hours.

It wouldn't be law school without them.

New Look

2006-05-06T23:22:00.000-04:00

I am making a few changes to the blog to help make posts easier to access, and provide more information for visitors, in addition to the new look.

From now on, I will try to categorize posts by title:
- "Legal News": any posts having to do with law-related stories or topics that are not directly related to classes.
- "On (topic)": any posts relating to the Christian life and law school.
- "Reading: (book title)": book reviews.

These are the only categories right now, unless I need to add others. Also, I added some links to sites of interest (and importance to me), such as the Alliance Defense Fund and the Christian Legal Society. I will be interning as part of the Blackstone Legal Fellowship with the ADF this summer, and I will be president of the Christian Legal Society at the Moritz College of Law for the 2006-2007 year. The last link is to a list of law student blogs, which includes this one.

Check back soon for more posts.

Legal News: the Bible and Georgia Public Schools

2006-04-30T22:29:00.001-04:00

Georgia might be the first state to offer Bible classes in its public schools. Last week, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed a bill into law that allows Georgia public school districts to offer elective courses on the Bible. Some thoughts on this:

I haven't had the opportunity to read the legislation, but it sounds as though what the legislature and governor are trying to do is shore up local school districts in the state, some of whom already have Bible classes incorporated into the curriculum. The practical effect of the law will be, first and foremost, to have a uniform curriculum for all elective Bible courses in the state; the legislation gives the state Education Department until next February to draw up the curricular guidelines. Local school districts would then have the option of whether to offer the courses.

Two other reasons stand out for why the state legislature would pass legislation for Bible courses. One possibility is that they are trying to appeal to the conservative base of the Republican Party in an election year. The other is legal, and strategically sound. Getting the state involved in the Bible controversy will allow the state to use its legal resources to defend the practice once the inevitable challenge comes from the ACLU or Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Otherwise, the anti-religion groups would be free to attack local school districts piecemeal, leaving each of them unable to engage in a protracted legal battle or to fight an injunction.

Overall, it makes sense to get the state involved, because there are many legal and constitutional pitfalls with a Bible class, and they are easier to navigate when there is a single, statewide standard for what should be taught, context, etc.

Many people would object to any amount of Scripture being taught in the public schools, claiming that this violates the separation of church and state. But there are two things to keep in mind here. One, this is an elective course that local school districts have the option of offering to their students. Two, the law stipulates that the courses must be taught "in an objective and nondevotional manner with no attempt made to indoctrinate students." Source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,192582,00.html

Critics might say such a goal is impossible. But the Bible has value not just to Christians, but in the context of a history or social studies class as well. As long as it is taught in this way, as a work of history, literature, and in the context of its influence on American law and government, a class on the Bible could have educational value for Georgia high school students. If there is enough demand for a Bible class, I would like to see opponents wait and see how the law is implemented before making up their minds.

On Staying Cool

2006-04-28T00:44:00.000-04:00

The title of this post refers to the advice we received in our Property class today to "stay cool" for the upcoming exam. Our professor told us to look at the example of Justice Alito during his confirmation hearings-his wife sobbed, but he didn't flinch. By referring to us, I'm not sure if he meant Alito or his wife, given the strain we are all under right now.

Today was our last day of class for the first year of law school. It is difficult to look at it with a sense of context right now, because I am right in the thick of studying for my final exams, which begin Monday. But whether or not we realize it, what we have done so far, just getting through the first year of law school, is a huge accomplishment. It has been a long 9 months since I have moved to Columbus, and it has not been an easy experience by any stretch. But I have made it and survived, and have proved to myself that I will not be retreating up I-71 anytime soon.

That being said, there are lessons I have learned from this past year. There are some things I have done right, but other areas where I could use some improvement. The rest of this week, in a three-part series of blog posts, I will talk about what I need to do to stick with my goals for 2006 in three key areas: spiritual, professional, and social. Tonight, I will discuss my professional goals and how I am working towards those goals for this year, and how I can improve.

My professional goals, generally speaking, for 2006 have been to do my best with respect to law school grades, line up strong plans for summer, become more active in politics and networking, use my time productively, and create and maintain a blog, as a resource for fellow Christian law students (and general interest for all readers).

Generally speaking, this is the most successful of the three areas in which I set goals for this year. I am proud to say that one of my goals for the year has already been accomplished-you are reading it right now. I will be participating in the Blackstone Legal Fellowship this summer, so I definitely accomplished what I wanted there. I have had some real and definite successes so far in 2006.

However, there are areas where I need to improve for the remaining 7 months of the year:

1) Grades: my law school grades have been solid so far, but to improve and do even better, in the fall I need to focus on spreading out my workload through the semester. The mistake I made during the first year was to concentrate most, or all, of my outlining during the last couple weeks of class. This has created a very stressful situation, as I am rushing to finish my course outlines before the exam in order to preserve a meaningful amount (2-3 days) of study time before each test. In the fall, I resolve to do a better job of having a quota of outlining to complete every 2-3 weeks. This will make the end of the semester (Appellate Advocacy included) much less stressful.

This, along with other changes I plan to make, will help make me a more effective law student, which ultimately has a spiritual component as well, insofar as what I do as a law student and lawyer reflects my love of the Lord and my willingness to serve Him through my labor.

2) Networking: in general, I plan to attend as many Mentoring Program and other networking and Republican Party events as my schedule will allow. Not much to say here.

3) Time management: probably the most critical skill I need to develop in my life, short of prayer and spiritual disciplines. When I get back from my internship this summer, I will need to take inventory of all my time commitments, and make a comprehensive schedule covering everything from exercising at RPAC to time to cook dinner to reading for Business Associations (one of our second-year courses). I will more fully develop this idea later. This topic is closely related to grades, since I need to do better at managing my workload throughout the semester.

On Rising Above

2006-04-16T22:56:00.000-04:00

Tonight, it is time to reflect on the events of the past month, to look at where I have been, and where I am headed.

As I write this, I am in the last stage of the first year of law school. In two weeks, I will be taking my exams in Property, Constitutional Law, and Legislation, and I will be competing for a spot on one of the law journals for next year. After that, I will have a few weeks off before I head out to Arizona for the first stage of the Blackstone Fellowship, and then beyond that, a fall semester packed with everything except time to rest. The rest of 2006 is going to be extremely busy, and will probably go by fast.

On the surface, this should be one of the best times of my life-I am getting to live out the plans I had made for myself. But recently, especially in the last month or so, I have let myself become consumed with the stress I am under. This has been brought on by a combination of things: a lack of enough sleep, not making it to exercise on a regular basis, but most importantly, I have lacked a regular prayer and devotion time. My communication with Headquarters has, for the most part, been severed by the Enemy's distractions.

Ultimately there is only one way out-finding a way to rise above the situation by growing and meeting my spiritual and student-related challenges.

About a month ago, I wrote about how my problem is that I am focused too much on living to please other people, instead of pleasing God. But what I still need to figure out is what it means to live a life that is pleasing to God. Right now, I think the best way to do this is to rise above the situation by handling adversity. This doesn't mean not making mistakes. But it does mean not curling up in the fetal position and whimpering about how things used to be in high school, when life was simpler and the sun was shining. It means to get tough-to be a good man, not merely a nice guy.

Law school, for me, goes far beyond getting an education. It is a time when I am being put on trial, being tested by the Lord to see what kind of man I am to become. My job is to let it be a crucible, not an incinerator.

Last night, I watched "The Ten Commandments" (the original version, with Charlton Heston), and I am reminded of his journey through the desert. At this point, Moses could not be in a worse situation. He was the prince of Egypt, yet he had lost everything, been stripped of his title, given a day's worth of bread and water, and left to crawl through the desert. Yet as the narrator explains, this was his great time of trial, where he was formed and sharpened for God's great work that lay ahead. It made me think of where I am right now-not that my experience is as difficult as his, but the struggles I face are God's way of preparing me for His purpose in a grand design I cannot see, a part I will play beyond the horizon.

Here's what I am going to start doing to rise to the challenges I face:

1) Restore my communion with God. My goals for this year included praying twice a day, and having a devotion and Bible reading at least daily. There is still plenty of time to get back on track with this, and make it happen. My prayer times lately have been short and ineffective, a "help me in this interview, Lord" or "bless John/Mary, Lord". My time with God has to go beyond this to be effective.

2) Get more sleep. Since I have a huge workload in between now and finals, the temptation is to stay up late and work until I am just short of falling asleep at my desk. This does no good for me or for getting me to the prize.

3) Exercise. Not only to lose weight, but to concentrate better, study more effectively, sleep better, and in general have a better quality of life. When I am at my best, I am at my best for God.

4) Trust God more. My tendency is to wring my hands over every future, hypothetical situation that might pose a threat to the regime I have constructed around myself. Will I find a job after I graduate? Will I get married? Will I have enough money to pay my bills? This is a spiritual shortcoming on my part, that has to be confronted through prayer, faith, and facing the facts.

Finally, the most important thing to remember is that I will get through this. The flames of the fire I face burn hot, but when I emerge from the chaos in my schedule and the turmoil of spiritual and emotional growth, I will be a more effective Christian than in the past. Through the strength of the Holy Spirit, I will be a more powerful person than ever before.

I will be more confident. I will have a deeper and more abiding faith not only in my salvation, but my earthly deliverance from sin and fear. I will have not only the knowledge from being an attorney, but the armor of God equipped for the great adventure that is yet to come.

Scheduling, pt. 2

2006-04-16T22:50:00.000-04:00

I managed to rework my schedule for next year. It wasn't because of the classes or professors, but because I needed to work out time conflicts with the Legislation Clinic. So as of Thursday night, here is my new schedule for 2006-2007.

Fall 2006
Appellate Advocacy (Beazley)
Evidence (Imwinkelreid)
The First Amendment (Goldberger)
Business Associations (Oesterle)
Federal Courts (Caust-Ellenbogen)

Winter 2007
Legislation Clinic (Huefner)
Sem: Evidence and Trial Practice (Sargus)
Civil Procedure II (Greenbaum)
Advanced Constitutional Law (Laughlin)

Scheduling

2006-04-12T21:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I got to schedule my classes for the first time as a law student. A few observations on the whole thing, now that it is behind us for the most part.

Here is my schedule for next year, subject to change:

Autumn 2006
Appellate Advocacy (Beazley)
First Amendment (Goldberger)
Business Associations (Oesterle)
The Federal Courts (Caust-Ellenbogen)
Administrative Law (Shane)

Winter 2007
Legislation Clinic (Huefner)
Evidence (Krivoshey)
Civil Procedure II (Greenbaum)
Advanced Constitutional Law (Laughlin)

Scheduling my classes in college was fun. I went to The University of Akron, and we had online registration there, just like we do at Ohio State. There were several things that made it different from the chaotic stress-fest it is in law school. First of all, there was no limit on the number of credits I could take. I would load up on as many as I could manage within the limits of my time and mental health.

Second, beyond the required classes for my major, and for the Honors Program, I could take what I found interesting. This meant a heavy dose of political science and history, including classes on the Civil War, linguistics, and philosophy. The requirements for my major weren't that bad, since I had tested out of some things in high school. So it was a fantastic opportunity for me to get the most out of college, and study the subjects I wanted.

Judging from yesterday's experience, law school is completely different.

There is very little, if any, time to take classes just because they sound interesting. Everyone who is in law school is preparing for a particular kind of law or job. So if you want to be a prosecutor or defense attorney, you need to get into the classes on criminal procedure, white collar crime, whatever is available. Personally, I am going to become a litigator and want to work in constitutional law, so I took as many procedural and constitutional law-related courses as I could.

Advice to future law students-plan out your schedule before registration. I can't say how it works at all law schools, but ours was like a cyber version of the Oklahoma Land Rush. I sat in the computer lab at 7:59, sweating because the computers and people make the room temperature about 100 degrees. There is no time to look up classes once the online registration window opens-just enter in the numbers as fast as you can.

I kept track of how fast the classes filled up. One that I tried to get was full in 7 minutes. Another was full at 8:05. Things have changed since undergrad. Now, instead of getting into and out of classes without a problem, the people who don't get in get stuck on a "wait list" and have to hope that people in the class drop or cancel. So it's a lot different than undergrad-much more competitive for a small number of classes, and ultimately no one gets everything that they want.

Also, there are some classes that are even more competitive than normal. These include the seminars, practica, and clinics. For these, everyone gets a "first choice request" to try and get the class they want. I used mine to get into the Legislation Clinic, because it only takes 12 people a semester, and is tough to get into.

Bottom line....another situation where stress boils over with a lot of people, but you just have to manage. Another situation where I have to rise above the anxiety and depression that are so easy to embrace right now.

The Law and the War on Terror

2006-03-28T00:05:00.000-05:00

Observations on two important cases in the news:

1) The government's case against 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui got much stronger today. Under oath, he actually admitted that he was planning to fly a fifth plane into the White House as part of the September 11th terror plot. No wonder his lawyers didn't want him to testify. They must have known he would literally hang himself with his own rope.

Maybe he just doesn't realize what he did today. Or maybe he did it deliberately, since he knew he would get the death penalty and be a martyr for the terrorists. Or maybe he just doesn't care anymore and wants to die. In any event, I think the jury will be more than happy to help him along with that. Essentially, his confession today makes the prosecution's case on him being part of a conspiracy, of him knowing about the 9/11 plot ahead of time. He actually admitted that he had prior knowledge, and that he would have taken part in it had he not been captured.

Two observations about the trial...I think the civil libertarians and all the people who insist that these terrorists, or terror suspects, be tried in civilian courts are trying to have it both ways when they try to block people like Moussaoui from testifying on their own behalf. His lawyers did not want him to take the stand, yet the same people who would leap to defend him would also want to prevent him from taking the stand. It just doesn't work that way. You cannot insist on granting terror suspects who are not U.S. citizens constitutional protections, and then manipulate those constitutional protections to get an acquittal. The judge in this case was right to allow Moussaoui to testify. If you have a civilian trial (by the way, I think they should have military tribunals, but that's a whole other post), you have to allow the defendant to take the stand in his or her own defense, if they wish to do so.

Second, I just hope that his testimony won't be called into question by what he said before (he had said before he was to take part in another attack after 9/11, among other things). The defense might try this, but I don't think the jury will buy it. For one thing, they already know this is a terrorist we're dealing with, and the evidence of his culpability, including today's confession, is overwhelming. Also, his actual guilt is not at issue here-the jury's role is to decide whether he gets life in prison without parole, or the death penalty. As long as they are willing to impose it, the weight of the evidence should support aggravating, rather than mitigating, circumstances.

2) On a related note, the Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in the case of Hamdan v. Rumsfeld on Wednesday. This is the case involving Salim Ahmed Hamdan, who served as Osama bin Laden's personal driver and bodyguard. He was captured in Afghanistan four years ago, and has been held at Guantanamo Bay ever since. The Court has to confront a difficult issue here-does it affirm the D.C. Circuit's ruling that President Bush does not have the authority to create special military commissions for Guantanamo detainees, or does it reverse, presumably granting them access to civilian courts?

Here is the story on Fox News, which is my source for the information on this case: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,189268,00.html

Even if the Court reverses the D.C. Circuit, in order for Hamdan to have access to civilian courts to review his habeas petition, the Court would also have to rule that the Detainee Treatment Act, passed by Congress in December 2004, does not apply to petitions filed before the law came into effect. Herein lies the problem-there is no general consensus on where the law applies. Hamdan's side is going to argue for no retroactivity, and that petitions filed before the date are still to be considered. The government will have to lay out the case for retroactivity, under which case a military tribunal would handle Hamdan's case, not the federal courts.

The stakes here cannot be overstated. If the Court sides with the Bush administration, it will uphold the use of military tribunals for the suspects already at Guantanamo, and will be a strong precedent for using tribunals for any suspects that are captured in the future. This would allow the administration to conduct the war on terror with much more secrecy, as most anything that takes place in federal courts is public record. This is absolutely essential when dealing with individuals who would not hesitate to use chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons against our cities if given the chance.

But if the Court sides with Hamdan, it will open the courts up to a wave of habeas petitions from the detainees currently in military custody. It will make the war on terror exponentially more difficult for our military and intelligence services. Every al-Qaeda lowlife that is captured on foreign soil will start demanding a lawyer, demanding rights that belong to American citizens, and generally make it much harder for the government to gather intelligence that might lead to the capture of more of the enemy, or even stop a terrorist attack and save American lives.

The Court must not give our enemies this kind of power, to use our democratic system for their military and propaganda purposes. If the justices grant terrorists access to the federal courts, they will be acting in direct contradiction to the public policy of every conflict fought in the history of this country. There is a reason for this-it will be a Pandora's box of litigation, overly zealous civil libertarians, and paperwork our system was never meant to accomodate in a time of war and national peril.

I will try to elaborate more on my position on this in a future post, possibly when the ruling is handed down this summer. My prediction is a 4-4 tie, with the votes lining up along ideological lines (Alito, Scalia, Thomas, and Kennedy to affirm, and Ginsburg, Souter, Stevens, and Breyer to reverse, with Roberts having to recuse himself since he participated in the D.C. Circuit's decision). A tie would affirm the D.C. Circuit, but could call into question the ruling's precedential value. Because of this, I don't think Hamdan is going to be the last word on the issue.

Reading, pt. 2

2006-03-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I finished the second of two books I have read on my own this semester.

This is compared to 6-8 I would have had time to read during my undergraduate years. One of those expressions people like to repeat is that "the law is a jealous mistress". I definitely understand now what those people were talking about, because my free time to devote to reading and personal enrichment has been about a third of what it used to be. If you are in undergrad and reading this, and thinking about law school, be prepared to work your tail off, because that's what you'll be doing in law school, and in your career as well.

But getting back to reading:

1) The first book I read this semester was Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond. He is a professor at UCLA, officially teaching geology, but has a broad range of knowledge in ornithology and environmental history, among other things. The basic premise of his book was that some societies in the past failed, and others succeeded, because of environmental factors. Some of these factors were induced by the population, and some occurred naturally, but different societies responded either successfully or unsuccessfully, thus "choosing" to fail or succeed.

The book is basically structured as a case study of past and present societies, such as the Greenland Norse and Easter Islanders (past), and China and Australia (present). Before each case study, Diamond included a chapter that listed the factors he would consider for each; these were things such as cultural traditions, the way the society made decisions (passed down from chiefs or decided by individuals), and the amount of contact with other cultures or societies, such as through trade. Then for each case study, he ran through the factors to determine what caused the society to collapse, or succeed and survive to the present day. The Greenland Norse and Easter Islanders died out because they depleted their natural resources and lived in almost total isolation from other societies; Tokugawa Japan succeeded because the shoguns regulated deforestation several hundred years ago, and preserved the country's environment.

The last part of the book talked about environmental conditions today-how companies are adopting new, more environmentally-friendly policies, for example, or factors that will either preserve the environment or destroy it.

When I first got into the book and found out it was all about environmental history, my first impression was that it would be another Silent Spring-type book written by another alarmist professor, talking about the proverbial sky was falling unless we began living like cave people and gave up all luxuries or vestiges of modern life. But Diamond's approach was actually pretty reasonable, and I thought he made some good points. One was that it is actually in many corporations' best interests to adopt environmentally sound policies, since it helps with securing contracts in developed and developing countries. Another was that societies have to have the courage and foresight to adapt their behavior to environmental realities, instead of holding on to their cultural traditions at any cost. For example, one Pacific island thrived after the islanders killed their pigs, which were a status symbol even though they harmed the environment, yet the Greenland Norse held on to cows until the very end, which factored into their collapse by starvation in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Overall....a good read, although it took me a long time to read (about 2 months) because of the dense material, and since I only spent about 10-15 minutes a day on it. I would recommend it if you want to learn more about how environmental conditions affect the course of history. It is also a good companion to one of Diamond's other books, Guns, Germs, and Steel.

2) The other book was 1776 by David McCullough, the Pulitzer-Prize winning historian (I will get around to reading his book John Adams soon). 1776 talks about this pivotal year of the Revolutionary War from the British and American perspectives, starting with the political tumult in England over the war, and covering the siege of Boston, the battle for New York, and finishing with Washington's attack on Trenton and crossing of the Delaware.

Instead of having a specific thesis like Diamond, McCullough's book takes the form of a narrative, focusing on the generals (Washington, Henry Knox, and Nathanael Greene for the Americans and William Howe, Henry Clinton, and Charles Cornwallis for the British) and the "regular people" in both armies. It was a spectacular read and I thought it was very entertaining-I read this one in three days over spring break.

I actually had a few thoughts and reflections on the book, that might apply to the Christian experience, law school, or life in general:

A) If there was ever a lesson on confidence you could get from the history books, look to George Washington. Whatever his other failings were, a lack of leadership was definitely not one of them. Washington was the American Revolution. At one point (p. 43), McCullough quotes the patriot Benjamin Rush as saying that he "has so much martial dignity in his deportment that you would distinguish him to be a general and a soldier from among 10,000 people."

Not that I come from a military background, but this is the kind of confidence I need to project that I lack too many times. Why? Who knows. All I know is that I need to start acting more confident, then maybe I will be more confident. One of the book's recurring themes was that Washington was miserable and down in his spirits about the war, from all the hardships he faced as commander, but he always kept his chin up and inspired respect when the Glorious Cause was in its darkest days. If you need to exude confidence, there is no better example than that.

B) As a Christian, reading 1776, I was impressed by how God used people like Henry Knox and Nathanael Greene to lead the American army, one of the most important causes in all of human history. Neither was born into wealth or an aristocracy. Knox was an overweight bookseller before the war, who became a highly decorated artillery commander. Greene had a limp from a previous accident, and was not even considered fit to drill with a militia company, yet he ended up being Washington's right-hand man and commanding Continental troops in the South later in the war.

The amazing thing is, the world had written these guys off. Who were they next to William Howe and Lord Cornwallis, rich noblemen who were some of the best military minds in the world? But we all know how the story ends. I believe it was God's hand that gave America its independence, and He used these two men, and so many others, so that we could be free today. This is a lesson too-no matter what your circumstances, no matter what you did before, just put your trust in the Lord and He will make a way. "With God, all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26 KJV).

C) No way to prove this, but there were so many miraculous twists and turns in the story of the American Revolution, that I truly believe God had a hand in it all. Just one example: when Washington's army was surrounded by the British on the edge of Long Island in New York, they were severely outnumbered and had to escape. On land, they were surrounded by the British army, and they had their backs to the East River, where the British fleet could come at any time and trap the army, thus the war would be over and the British would have won. Yet amazingly, the wind blew out of the northeast and kept the British fleet at bay, and shifted to blowing out of the southwest just long enough, and at the exact time, to allow the American army to escape across the river. Not only that, but when not all of the troops got across before dawn, a thick fog settled over the area, preventing an all-out British attack. Coincidence? I don't think it was.

I know this has been a long post, but I will be reading more books in the coming weeks, and posting on them again. Collapse and 1776 were both great, and I hope my schedule allows me to read more again soon.

Cincinnati, Ohio

2006-03-20T22:04:00.000-05:00

Before I talk about the reason behind the title, I owe anyone reading this an apology for taking down a post recently. It was about the Blackstone Legal Fellowship, in which I will be participating this summer. It was partly because I had been told that people were ridiculing what I had to say, and partly because I didn't want to seem like I was boasting. This will be the last time that anything is deleted from here because of rumors or hearsay. When you have a blog, you have to be honest with yourself.

The Blackstone Fellowship is offered through the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal defense organization based in Scottsdale, Arizona. It consists of three phases. During Phase I, I will be heading out to Arizona during the latter part of June for education and training, where we will learn about the Judeo-Christian foundations of our legal system. For Phase II, I will be working for an attorney in Cincinnati who works with the ADF on constitutional issues. Finally, for Phase III, I will be going back to Arizona for a week, for further training and education. The program is designed to give Christian law students a solid grounding in God's Truth as it applies to the intellectual foundations and practice of law, and to network with other students and legal professionals as we gain practical experience.

A side note to any entering or current law students-this is a great opportunity if you are interested in serving God through the practice of law. A good place to start is with your school's chapter of the Christian Legal Society. It is a huge blessing to have other Christians with whom I can share the law school experience. And Blackstone interns work all over the country, with various attorneys, policy organizations, etc., so there are lots of opportunities to get involved.

I am really excited about the opportunities coming up this summer, and I am eager to get started with the work that lies ahead. I am not quite sure yet what exactly I will be working on, but one of the lessons I have learned this first year of law school is that the expectancy is sometimes the best part of the journey. One of my spiritual weaknesses has always been that I am overly analytical and try too hard to do everything by the book, instead of by God's book.

As hard as it is to have unanswered questions, as difficult as it is to walk by faith, I am going to reach out more often, because God's will for my life is infinitely beyond anything I could bring to bear or conceive.

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, / Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21 KJV).

On Pleasing God

2006-03-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

Tonight is one of those times where I am overdue for some self-reflection. Once in a while, I need some time to step back and look at where I am going as a Christian, and how I am fulfilling my life's purpose of glorifying God.

Right now, this is timely because in five days, I am sitting down to take the second Contracts exam. It is the major part of the Contracts grade for the year, and is going to make a big difference as far as my overall first-year success, with getting onto a journal, class rank, etc. But before I sit for the exam, I need to address something that is much more pressing, that is on my heart as I write this. I need to figure out who I am trying to please by my life's actions.

I came to law school for one reason-to serve God by becoming a lawyer. Yet at the same time, I struggle with keeping my focus on that, and on Him, instead of the day-to-day worries over grades, what I am going to do next summer, and all of the things that consume us from the time we get up in the morning until we go to bed at night. This daily grind is a major factor in the "culture shock" I have received since I moved down here 7 1/2 months ago. I am not used to not being at the very top when it comes to academic achievement, yet this idea that I would always be the best, always be number one, is now gone forever. I have just now begun to realize that maybe, just maybe, coming here for law school was God's plan all along, to jar me out of my spiritual complacency by taking away what I had hidden behind for all those years.

This was the wound that had to be delivered.

I've just now begun to realize that a lot of my problems and shortcomings come from what amounts to disobeying God by trying to please people. Instead of focusing on God's will for my life, and what the Lord says I should be doing, I focus on what the world says I should be doing. The world says I should be examining myself as a human being according to my first semester's grades and the prism of achievement. The world says I should pursue women until I find someone who will complete me and validate me as a man. And this is what has been making me miserable all this time, when I should be joyful, expecting God's favor, and eager for the blessings He is bringing to bear in my life. For crying out loud, if you had told me I would get into law school at Ohio State, live on my own in Columbus, and receive the Blackstone Fellowship at this time 18 months ago, I would have jumped for joy. But I have let some abstract standard define what will make me happy and fulfilled, instead of really listening to myself.

That ends right now.

I want to add that I am not blaming anyone but myself for this; it is entirely self-inflicted. No one in the law school is forcing me to worry about whether I will get the kind of job I think I "should" have when I graduate; they are good and dedicated people helping us through a difficult three years. None of the people I interact with socially are forcing me to drag myself through the mud every time I start to think that I just might deserve something better than suppressing my self-confidence; they can listen and comfort, but not think for me.

The problem lies within, not without, and unless I open the door to something better, God will not come in. He gives me the free will to be as happy or as miserable as I choose. But now that I recognize what is going on, I can pray for God's help, and work to change. I wrote down what came to mind on this, and here it is, unchanged:

"Just remember, it's not your grades or your accomplishments that make you 'special'-it's the fact that God loves you, and what He has done for you, to save you. All these years, you spent thinking that it was what you did that made you stand out from everybody else-it wasn't. Those things are good and can be used to glorify God, but they are not what makes you the man you are. Who you really are comes from somewhere inside. It comes from your heart, and a soul and spirit that have been cleansed by what Jesus went through for you 2,000 years ago.

"Don't let how you do on this exam, or anything else, put you into a box or a percentile. You are a Christian. Be excellent, do your best, but keep your eyes on Him, and never lose focus of why you are here. That goes for life, not just law school."

Lord, let me never lose sight of You as my true focus. Let what I do as a law student be a prayer to You, as the best I have to offer.

Due Diligence

2006-03-11T01:26:00.000-05:00

I have decided to make more posts on this blog, regardless of the amount of sleep lost, and to try and make them about the Christian law student experience as much as I can.

I made this decision in response to a conversation with a friend this past week. It had to do with professional conduct, and after thinking about what he said, I realize that there are probably ways in which I can enrich my education and learn more for when I am a lawyer, which is in the not-too-distant future. I think one of the ways I can feel better about the progress I have made so far in law school is to update my blog more often, and make it relevant to my life as a law student. I was looking at random law student blogs listed on a law students' website (4LawSchool.com, it has some good information) and I realized that the quality of my own pales in comparison to many of the others, some of which are updated every day.

Yet at the same time, I want this blog to reflect my own experiences, opinions, etc., not those of the "typical" law student. I want it to be more like the kinds of blogs my classmates have, which don't fall into a pattern of just describing the daily grind. Yes, I will post about court decisions, but I would like for this to be a record of this time in my life, so that I will remember 2005-2006, my first year of law school, with all its ups and downs, and good and bad experiences. So this means that I'm not going to rule anything out as a post topic, whether it be Ohio State football or oil prices. Whatever it is that is on my mind, will be on here.

Barrister's Ball

2006-03-03T21:34:00.000-05:00

It's been almost a week now, but the Barrister's Ball (AKA Moritz Prom) was great. Last Saturday, we law students gathered at a really nice ballroom at Confluence Park, down by the arena district, and ate, danced, and had a really good time. One of the best things is that I got some pictures out of the whole thing, which are now on the Facebook. I used one to update that really old picture of me, which was from 2001.

Everything went really well that night. The food was good (I had a steak and mashed potatoes) although it was late getting to us, the ballroom was beautifully decorated, and the window had a spectacular view of the Columbus skyline (it's even better when Nationwide's headquarters has the blue light shining on it). I always like getting dressed up, but when it's going toward having fun, all the better. I think everyone that went had a good time, and I hope we get to hang out again soon.

Reading, pt. 1

2006-03-03T21:23:00.000-05:00

For the past six weeks or so, I've been reading a book called "Collapse" by Jared Diamond. Basically, it talks about a half dozen or so classical societies, including the Greenland Norse, Maya, and inhabitants of Polynesia-and how their societies folded due to environmental factors. I'll talk about it if I ever decide to I finish it. It's taking a long time, because the only time I get to read is for 10-15 minutes when I go to bed.

Not the most interesting book for me. Even though it sort of deals with history, I'm more into military/political/economic history than environmental. The next book I read is going to be something more along the lines of the Civil War, Founding Fathers, etc.

The Good, The Bad, and Justice Scalia

2006-02-22T00:59:00.000-05:00

Observations on the Supreme Court:

1) Tonight I had a chance to catch part of a speech on C-SPAN. Normally, I avoid this channel like it's my job, but this was a speech by Supreme Court Justice Scalia, and it was really entertaining. I was really shocked by two things-Scalia's constant impatience with the crowd (interrupting, refusing to answer questions, etc.) and the rudeness of so many of the people who came to hear him speak. One student made some lame joke about Scalia going duck hunting with Vice President Cheney; another held on to the mic for several minutes, rambling about nothing before it was ripped away from him.

I just have two questions for anyone who acts like a 2-year-old at these events: how did you get invited, and how were you smart enough, and so uncouth, as to get into law school in the first place? I have to admit that it's funny to watch a kid who looks like Napoleon Dynamite get manhandled and thrown out into the hallway, but to treat any guest like that, particularly a Supreme Court justice, is idiotic and way out of line. Sometimes it worries me to think that these people are going to be my colleagues before long.

By the way....I'm a conservative and I tend to agree more with Scalia's point of view on a lot of issues, but I do think that he tends to invite confrontation with his rhetoric. Calling people who believe in a living Constitution "idiots" recently, even at a Federalist Society meeting, almost seems to egg these losers on.

2) The Court has decided to take up partial birth abortion again, in Gonzales v. Carhart. Just as a background, the Court ruled on partial birth abortion back in 2000, in Stenberg v. Carhart, striking down a similar ban for not providing an exception for the mother's health. There had been a ban on partial-birth abortion, and President Bush signed a national ban into law in 2003, but trial judges in New York, Nebraska, and California ruled it unconstitutional. Now the Court is ready to hear the case again, this time with Roberts and Alito in for Rehnquist and O'Connor.

I believe the Court is going to uphold the ban as constitutional. Justice O'Connor was the swing vote last time, and Justice Alito, her successor, is probably not going to rule the same way, if his opinion in Casey v. Planned Parenthood was any indication. Roberts is still a relative unknown, but I think his vote will be an even match for Rehnquist. If everyone else keeps the same vote, this ban is going to stick around in a 5-4 ruling.

My feeling is that pro-choicers are going to take the loss on this one. And I couldn't be more glad to get rid of partial-birth abortion. It's cruel, barbaric, and unnecessary, and there is something seriously wrong with our values when we allow late-term infanticide, but a rapist-killer in California doesn't get executed because he might feel as much pain as a booster shot.

3) Maybe I'm wrong, but is partial-birth abortion not the only issue where a "red herring" comes into the decision-making processes of these judges? Is it a red herring, or does the health of the mother really matter? And I don't mean that judges don't apply the law and legal reasoning, just that sometimes I think all this about "an exception for the mother's health" or "saving the mother's life" just ends up being a proxy for the real cultural divide. And I don't think anyone, not even the Supreme Court, can bring those two sides together right now.

Valentine's Day

2006-02-14T22:31:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day makes me sick. Or at least I used to think so.

When I was in elementary school, every year our school would have a Valentine's Day party. The kids would go buy their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or My Little Pony valentines, write one for everybody in the class (and their teacher), and drop them in little paper bags on everyone's desk. And every year, my mom would go up to the school, pick up my valentine bag, and bring it home to me, because I was sick in bed. In five years of elementary school, this happened four times, plus again in junior high and high school.

The reason I thought it made me sick wasn't because I came down with something every February. Until this year, I thought the whole thing was just another exercise in conspicuous consumption. I thought everyone was struggling to keep up with the popular culture's pressure to spend money on dinner, flowers, jewelry, etc., or stay home and stew over not having a reason to. I would tell everyone who would listen about how Valentine's Day is an ancient Roman custom that has been hijacked by restaurant owners, card companies, and anyone else who wants to make a dollar at our expense.

But this kind of thinking misses the real point. Yes, the popular culture version of it is all red and pink, alcohol and fancy dinners, and diamond bracelets. But instead of focusing on how that conception is wrong, we need to look at what we should do instead.

If we are married, engaged, dating, etc., it should be a time to examine our relationship with the other person-whether we are showing them every day, not just one day, how important they are to us, and how we value them as a friend and a companion. Christians, we should all take the time to look at whether that relationship is glorifying God, and if we are putting Him at the center. He is the Author of every love story.

I'm single, but I'm not going to let Valentine's Day go by without taking a look at myself, and the kind of man God is creating to be a companion to my future wife. If it is His will that I be married one day, am I growing in the Lord, in holiness, so that I can provide what she needs from her husband? I don't bring this up to sound presumptuous, or get ahead of where I should be at this stage of my life, but I believe that just thinking about where I want to be later on will make me a better follower of God now, and a better husband and father when, and if, the time comes.

As individuals, whether Christian or not, we can always examine ourselves to see where our lives are headed, and if what we are doing now points us to that goal. And whether single, married, or otherwise, we can use Valentine's Day as a way to have fun and share a special day with others, but also to look at ourselves. And that's nothing to get sick over.

Motivation

2006-02-02T23:27:00.000-05:00

It's February now, and I can't believe we're four weeks into this semester already. The way the schedule is set up at our school, we had exams in December, then we started class again the second week of January. I wasn't motivated then, and I don't feel motivated now.

I don't know what it is, but this semester has really felt like a drag. I know I said I was going to do things differently in 2006, but so far it feels a lot like 2005. The bottom line is, I just don't have a lot of motivation to do work. I got a lousy grade in one of my classes, and the exam is six weeks away, yet I only have 3 pages of the outline done (which will probably come to 30). I come back to my apartment from class at about 3:00, after our last class, and I sit on my rear end watching TV, playing video games, or doing anything but what I should be doing. It hurts to say this, but I have lost my mojo.

I don't know what I need to do, but I have to get a fire lit under me to work in law school. I do OK, but I need to be exceptional. What really hurts is that I know I am capable of great things if I can just overcome how overwhelmed I feel right now.

Today in class, one of our professors talked about a general principle of the legal profession (which probably applies to a lot of other professions too): the more time you put into being a law student, or being a lawyer, the more success you have. I understand that to be true, yet why do I handicap myself by not doing more? I should be 100% devoted to law school right now, yet I feel torn between spending time with family, recreation, time with God, and a host of other things. I know I am in law school for one reason, and one reason only, and that is to serve the Lord in some capacity. I just wish I knew how to light the fire, or to ask Him to help me get motivated, and I hope it will happen soon.

Introduction

2006-02-02T23:22:00.000-05:00

This is the first post on my blog. I just wanted to make an introductory post to tell a little bit about who I am. My name is Brian, and I am a law student at Ohio State University. I am 22 years old and as a born-again Christian, I am eager to become an attorney so that I can work as a litigator and, eventually, represent Christians and traditional values in the legal system.

Not a whole lot else to say right now. I will fill in the blanks as I make more posts.