Summer of 2006, pt. 5

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.