Like a distance runner gradually building up stamina, I'm beginning to get used to the long hours at the firm. Friday, they let me go at 6:30 pm and it felt a little weird- like I didn't know what to do with myself. As long as I get time to go for my jogs, have two meals a day where I'm not rushed to eat, have an hour after work to just unwind, and then get about 7 hours sleep, I'm good to keep going. Some days at the firm, it's pushing my time to have all of that. But most days, I can pull it off on schedule and stay in the groove. The most stress comes when I have an extra personal errand that has to be done during the day. It can throw off my whole schedule. Such details of life are inevitable, though, and I'm trying to get better at dealing with that stress when the situation arises.
Some reading this blog entry might think that this is not the life for them. They may be right. It is not easy. Spending time with a family would be challenging on this schedule. You just have to evaluate what you want out of life and what your value system is.
As for me, I like where I am at and the work that I am doing. The partners, attorneys and staff have all been very generous and supportive. I want to do good work for them and make a legitimate contribution to the firm's success. The founding partner, Mr. Crump, did me a tremendous favor by reaching out and hiring me for the summer. This is a great opportunity. I'm just trying to show my appreciation and that he did not make a mistake in bringing me on board.
When I tell other law school students where I am at and what I am doing for the summer, you can see the wheels turning in their heads and the jealousy in their eyes. They would trade places with me in a second. This firm has a great reputation in the community, and the people here work hard and play hard. I'm in a good place.
Universal Health Care Now,
Nathan Marshburn
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
8 O'Clock Shadow
This week, I started my clerkship at Parks & Crump law firm. Mr. Crump told me that it was going to be "Baptism by Fire," and he wasn't joking. The amount of hours that I am working has escalated significantly compared to the job I just finished as a mentor in the Summer for Undergraduates Program. Now, I get into work between 8 and 8:30 am, and usually don't leave until after 8 and 9 pm. I'll be doing some research for the firm this weekend as well.
I'm not complaining. Mr. Crump was very gracious to give me this opportunity. Most students in between their first and second year of law school right now do not have paid clerkships. And there are many students who are in between their second and third year of school (and even some that have graduated) who do not have paid employment and would gladly trade places with me.
Parks & Crump is giving me the chance to learn a lot about tort law and the operation of a plaintiff's law firm. It is a model that I want to understand very well. This firm was established in 1995 by two graduates of Florida State Law. They didn't have much money to begin a firm, but Parks & Crump's steady climb to become one of the most successful personal injury firms in Florida is truly remarkable. So I'm doing my best to imitate a sponge and soak in everything I see and hear. Working long hours is just an understood necessity for success.
After 8 pm one night earlier this week, I went to the office bathroom to wash my hands and face. I was dressed in a full suit. As I wiped my face with a paper towel and looked in the mirror, I thought, "Man, I need to shave."
In fact, I had shaved that morning before coming to work. I'd never had a problem with 5 o'clock shadow- but I guess 8 o'clock is a different story.
I suppose my facial hair has been growing like this for a while, but it is the first time in my life that I noted it. A quote from Hyman Roth in The Godfather, Part II also flashed through my mind as I looked at myself in the mirror and realized I had been at the office and in a suit for over 12 hours straight... "This is the business we've chosen."
But I'm not working any more than what the partners of the firm did and do. And I've seen the alternatives. There were times in my life when I was carrying mail for 12 hours a day in Washington, DC. Office work is a piece of cake compared to that, and I'm lucky and happy to be at Parks & Crump employed as a law clerk.
Universal Health Care Now,
Nathan Marshburn
I'm not complaining. Mr. Crump was very gracious to give me this opportunity. Most students in between their first and second year of law school right now do not have paid clerkships. And there are many students who are in between their second and third year of school (and even some that have graduated) who do not have paid employment and would gladly trade places with me.
Parks & Crump is giving me the chance to learn a lot about tort law and the operation of a plaintiff's law firm. It is a model that I want to understand very well. This firm was established in 1995 by two graduates of Florida State Law. They didn't have much money to begin a firm, but Parks & Crump's steady climb to become one of the most successful personal injury firms in Florida is truly remarkable. So I'm doing my best to imitate a sponge and soak in everything I see and hear. Working long hours is just an understood necessity for success.
After 8 pm one night earlier this week, I went to the office bathroom to wash my hands and face. I was dressed in a full suit. As I wiped my face with a paper towel and looked in the mirror, I thought, "Man, I need to shave."
In fact, I had shaved that morning before coming to work. I'd never had a problem with 5 o'clock shadow- but I guess 8 o'clock is a different story.
I suppose my facial hair has been growing like this for a while, but it is the first time in my life that I noted it. A quote from Hyman Roth in The Godfather, Part II also flashed through my mind as I looked at myself in the mirror and realized I had been at the office and in a suit for over 12 hours straight... "This is the business we've chosen."
But I'm not working any more than what the partners of the firm did and do. And I've seen the alternatives. There were times in my life when I was carrying mail for 12 hours a day in Washington, DC. Office work is a piece of cake compared to that, and I'm lucky and happy to be at Parks & Crump employed as a law clerk.
Universal Health Care Now,
Nathan Marshburn
Friday, June 12, 2009
The Summer for Undergraduates Program
I write this entry for my 61 new friends who just finished the Summer for Undergraduates Program.
It was great to meet you, and I was impressed with how smart you are, your positive attitudes, and how curious you are about law school and life in general.
This month flew by, and my role as your mentor was one of the best and easiest jobs that I've ever had. You guys made my job easy. I enjoyed being around you, and I hope you can say that the stories of my experiences were useful to you. I also hope that after this program you learned a lot about where you want to go in life- be it law school or not.
If I can ever be of any assistance to you, just let me know. College is often the best years of a person's life. While I wish you all great futures of even more happiness, take time to enjoy how things are now. You made many friends at this law camp. You did things the right way. Remember what made you happy and successful here, and keep living your life that way.
Best Wishes,
Nathan Marshburn
It was great to meet you, and I was impressed with how smart you are, your positive attitudes, and how curious you are about law school and life in general.
This month flew by, and my role as your mentor was one of the best and easiest jobs that I've ever had. You guys made my job easy. I enjoyed being around you, and I hope you can say that the stories of my experiences were useful to you. I also hope that after this program you learned a lot about where you want to go in life- be it law school or not.
If I can ever be of any assistance to you, just let me know. College is often the best years of a person's life. While I wish you all great futures of even more happiness, take time to enjoy how things are now. You made many friends at this law camp. You did things the right way. Remember what made you happy and successful here, and keep living your life that way.
Best Wishes,
Nathan Marshburn
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Tallahassee Sunsets
As I get older, I've learned that one of the secrets to happiness, or at least to my own personal happiness, is to stay busy.
Now that school is out for the summer, I'm not studying and working all the time. That will change on June 15th, when I begin working for a wrongful death firm. But until then, I find that most of my evenings are free.
About five times during this past week, I had the chance to go for an early evening run. After I finished the jogs, I decided to stay busy by hopping on my bike and riding for an hour or so until the sun set.
I go for bike rides in Innovation Park. The Park contains various buildings dedicated to industrial and technological pursuits, such as the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and the FSU/FAMU School of Engineering. Innovation Park is where I ride my bike because there are many open spaces of woods or fields (the FSU golf course flanks one side of the park). Each day, I stopped somewhere to watch the fabulous pinks, purples, oranges and yellows that colored the clouds as the sun went down.
The other things in nature that I come across on my bike rides are also fascinating. One day I saw a red fox lying in the grass, watching me with curiosity. It kept sitting up and laying back down, trying to decide if it should run away. Another day, I saw a fox (perhaps the same one) trot rapidly away from me as I rounded a curve and spotted her. The fox carried one of her pups in her mouth as she slinked away into the woods.
Twice, a red shouldered hawk has flown over me as I rode. The first time, the hawk had a small snake in its talons. The second time, it looked like it had a mouse.
I also startled a Great Blue Heron standing in a creek. It flapped its large wings and took off deeper into the woods.
As the day ends and the sky turns from bright blue to darker shades and then black, bats come out. They curve toward me and then away from me very fast, relying on their built-in sonar. Thousands of frogs start chirping away right as the sun disappears, too.
When the sun goes down, I decide to head back to my apartment. The last half mile is all down hill and I don't have to pedal. I can get up some nice speed, and the evening air hitting my face and hair is one of the best sensations on earth. It brings back memories of summer rides when I was a boy. Freedom.
One night as I finished a run, I heard what sounded like a insane human, laughing at me from up in a tree. I quickly deduced that it was an owl... The owls are great, here, too. I can hear them often at night when I'm lying in bed... Shortly after the laughing stopped, out of the corner of my eye I caught three large owls, one right behind the other like fighter planes in tight formation, swooping across the parking lot and then disappearing into darkness. The only noise they made was the slightest rustling of wind- a noise that I would not have noticed had I not turned my head to look right at them. I'm not sure what kind of owls they were, but their undersides were white.
If the weather is good, I'll go for another bike ride today. It is a great way to spend an hour around sunset in Tallahassee.
Universal Health Care Now,
Nathan Marshburn
Now that school is out for the summer, I'm not studying and working all the time. That will change on June 15th, when I begin working for a wrongful death firm. But until then, I find that most of my evenings are free.
About five times during this past week, I had the chance to go for an early evening run. After I finished the jogs, I decided to stay busy by hopping on my bike and riding for an hour or so until the sun set.
I go for bike rides in Innovation Park. The Park contains various buildings dedicated to industrial and technological pursuits, such as the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and the FSU/FAMU School of Engineering. Innovation Park is where I ride my bike because there are many open spaces of woods or fields (the FSU golf course flanks one side of the park). Each day, I stopped somewhere to watch the fabulous pinks, purples, oranges and yellows that colored the clouds as the sun went down.
The other things in nature that I come across on my bike rides are also fascinating. One day I saw a red fox lying in the grass, watching me with curiosity. It kept sitting up and laying back down, trying to decide if it should run away. Another day, I saw a fox (perhaps the same one) trot rapidly away from me as I rounded a curve and spotted her. The fox carried one of her pups in her mouth as she slinked away into the woods.
Twice, a red shouldered hawk has flown over me as I rode. The first time, the hawk had a small snake in its talons. The second time, it looked like it had a mouse.
I also startled a Great Blue Heron standing in a creek. It flapped its large wings and took off deeper into the woods.
As the day ends and the sky turns from bright blue to darker shades and then black, bats come out. They curve toward me and then away from me very fast, relying on their built-in sonar. Thousands of frogs start chirping away right as the sun disappears, too.
When the sun goes down, I decide to head back to my apartment. The last half mile is all down hill and I don't have to pedal. I can get up some nice speed, and the evening air hitting my face and hair is one of the best sensations on earth. It brings back memories of summer rides when I was a boy. Freedom.
One night as I finished a run, I heard what sounded like a insane human, laughing at me from up in a tree. I quickly deduced that it was an owl... The owls are great, here, too. I can hear them often at night when I'm lying in bed... Shortly after the laughing stopped, out of the corner of my eye I caught three large owls, one right behind the other like fighter planes in tight formation, swooping across the parking lot and then disappearing into darkness. The only noise they made was the slightest rustling of wind- a noise that I would not have noticed had I not turned my head to look right at them. I'm not sure what kind of owls they were, but their undersides were white.
If the weather is good, I'll go for another bike ride today. It is a great way to spend an hour around sunset in Tallahassee.
Universal Health Care Now,
Nathan Marshburn
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Passing the Bar Revisited
In October of last year, I wrote a blog about passing the bar. In that blog, I emphasized how I would concentrate my electives on subjects that are actually tested on the Florida Bar Exam. I also expressed doubts about the bar prep courses such as BarBri and PMBR as a reliable means to pass the bar.
But as a professor here said to me, FSU College of Law does not want to be a law school that teaches you to pass the bar.
Strange as the above statement might sound, I am learning that law schools which only teach students to pass the state bar exam are typically held in lower esteem by those in the profession of law. Without mentioning specific names or schools, I had the opportunity to speak with a Justice on the Florida Supreme Court this week. The Justice criticized certain schools in Florida as not being of the caliber of law schools like FSU, where we learn about the philosophy behind laws rather than simply learning what the law is.
Still, however, I have to figure out a way to pass the bar exam. Now I'm also beginning to realize that the material covered in a specific law course on a bar exam subject may not be the same material on which I am tested on the bar. In Criminal Law, for example, the professor freely admitted that he did not know anything about Florida criminal law. The course was more about the theory behind criminal law.
For those students who just graduated from Florida State Law, many are still coming to class every day as part of the BarBri course to pass the Florida Bar. The bar exam is in July, and they are in this bar prep course most of the day. I see students in the BarBri class who are on Law Review, the Mock Trial Team, the Moot Court Team. Many of the students in that class are some of the smartest students in the school, and yet they still feel the need to take a bar prep course.
It makes the impression on me that I need to enroll in a bar prep course and do the same thing. Even faculty and administration have recommended the bar prep courses.
Coming into law school, I never would have thought that the learning needed to graduate is not necessarily the same learning you need to pass the bar. Perhaps I should become a sales representative for one of the bar prep companies next year. This would give me a discount on the tuition cost for the bar prep course. I wasn't sold on the bar prep courses myself back in August and September, but I think I am sold now.
Universal Health Care Now,
Nathan Marshburn
But as a professor here said to me, FSU College of Law does not want to be a law school that teaches you to pass the bar.
Strange as the above statement might sound, I am learning that law schools which only teach students to pass the state bar exam are typically held in lower esteem by those in the profession of law. Without mentioning specific names or schools, I had the opportunity to speak with a Justice on the Florida Supreme Court this week. The Justice criticized certain schools in Florida as not being of the caliber of law schools like FSU, where we learn about the philosophy behind laws rather than simply learning what the law is.
Still, however, I have to figure out a way to pass the bar exam. Now I'm also beginning to realize that the material covered in a specific law course on a bar exam subject may not be the same material on which I am tested on the bar. In Criminal Law, for example, the professor freely admitted that he did not know anything about Florida criminal law. The course was more about the theory behind criminal law.
For those students who just graduated from Florida State Law, many are still coming to class every day as part of the BarBri course to pass the Florida Bar. The bar exam is in July, and they are in this bar prep course most of the day. I see students in the BarBri class who are on Law Review, the Mock Trial Team, the Moot Court Team. Many of the students in that class are some of the smartest students in the school, and yet they still feel the need to take a bar prep course.
It makes the impression on me that I need to enroll in a bar prep course and do the same thing. Even faculty and administration have recommended the bar prep courses.
Coming into law school, I never would have thought that the learning needed to graduate is not necessarily the same learning you need to pass the bar. Perhaps I should become a sales representative for one of the bar prep companies next year. This would give me a discount on the tuition cost for the bar prep course. I wasn't sold on the bar prep courses myself back in August and September, but I think I am sold now.
Universal Health Care Now,
Nathan Marshburn
The LSAT Revisited
I've written one blog on the LSAT. In it, I briefly described my preparation for that important test and gave my advice.
However, I am currently working as a mentor in the Summer for Undergraduates Program here at Florida State Law. 61 very bright undergraduate students considering law school are here from all over the country. I must say, after listening to how they are preparing for the LSAT and also listening to an LSAT panel made up of some colleagues here at law school, my first blog on the LSAT probably includes some bad advice.
Coming to law school was a quick decision for me, and I did not have time to prepare for the LSAT by taking a prep course such as Kaplan. I also didn't have much faith in how much it would have improved my score.
But according to the undergraduate students and the panel of students already in law school, those courses really help and can significantly raise your score.
So, I wish to amend my previous advice. If you can afford to do an LSAT prep course- be it through some institution like Kaplan or through a qualified private tutor, then I would recommend it... I wonder how much better I might have done on the LSAT if I had taken such a course. Fortunately, my score was good enough to put me here at Florida State Law and set me up with some great opportunities.
Universal Health Care Now,
Nathan Marshburn
However, I am currently working as a mentor in the Summer for Undergraduates Program here at Florida State Law. 61 very bright undergraduate students considering law school are here from all over the country. I must say, after listening to how they are preparing for the LSAT and also listening to an LSAT panel made up of some colleagues here at law school, my first blog on the LSAT probably includes some bad advice.
Coming to law school was a quick decision for me, and I did not have time to prepare for the LSAT by taking a prep course such as Kaplan. I also didn't have much faith in how much it would have improved my score.
But according to the undergraduate students and the panel of students already in law school, those courses really help and can significantly raise your score.
So, I wish to amend my previous advice. If you can afford to do an LSAT prep course- be it through some institution like Kaplan or through a qualified private tutor, then I would recommend it... I wonder how much better I might have done on the LSAT if I had taken such a course. Fortunately, my score was good enough to put me here at Florida State Law and set me up with some great opportunities.
Universal Health Care Now,
Nathan Marshburn
Friday, May 29, 2009
Officially a 2L
Now, I finally feel like a second year law school student. My last remaining grade posted today. Overall, I am pleased with my performance this semester. I tried new strategies toward taking the exams this time around. My performance this semester was better than in the fall, and I should move up a bit in the class rankings. I'm in no danger of failing out of law school and actually just narrowly missed making the Dean's List this semester. Law school is working out so far.
I am also fortunate in the two summer jobs that I have landed. For the first month, I am working as a mentor in the Summer for Undergraduates Program at FSU College of Law. 61 very bright undergrads from all across the country are here for four weeks to learn about law school and Florida State in particular. Being a mentor is easy. I get paid to talk positively about my experiences here- something that I would gladly do anyway. The undergraduate students are also very positive and ask many questions. Prominent attorneys, the Florida Supreme Court Justices, and the Mayor of Tallahassee are among those with whom the students have talked.
After the Summer for Undergraduates job ends in mid June, I begin working for Parks & Crump, a very successful personal injury firm here in Tallahassee. The partner who hired me, Mr. Crump, actually spoke at the Summer for Undergraduates Program a few days ago. He was highly entertaining and the students told me how much they appreciated his stories.
Though I have worked hard to put myself in a good position, I also realize how fortunate I am to have landed a summer job with such a successful and influential law firm, especially in this economic climate. Parks & Crump give a lot back to the community. I hope that I can catch on quickly and be productive for them both in their case activity and their community involvement.
Universal Health Care Now,
Nathan Marshburn
I am also fortunate in the two summer jobs that I have landed. For the first month, I am working as a mentor in the Summer for Undergraduates Program at FSU College of Law. 61 very bright undergrads from all across the country are here for four weeks to learn about law school and Florida State in particular. Being a mentor is easy. I get paid to talk positively about my experiences here- something that I would gladly do anyway. The undergraduate students are also very positive and ask many questions. Prominent attorneys, the Florida Supreme Court Justices, and the Mayor of Tallahassee are among those with whom the students have talked.
After the Summer for Undergraduates job ends in mid June, I begin working for Parks & Crump, a very successful personal injury firm here in Tallahassee. The partner who hired me, Mr. Crump, actually spoke at the Summer for Undergraduates Program a few days ago. He was highly entertaining and the students told me how much they appreciated his stories.
Though I have worked hard to put myself in a good position, I also realize how fortunate I am to have landed a summer job with such a successful and influential law firm, especially in this economic climate. Parks & Crump give a lot back to the community. I hope that I can catch on quickly and be productive for them both in their case activity and their community involvement.
Universal Health Care Now,
Nathan Marshburn
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