I'm well into my second semester of law school, and I must say that there has yet to be a morning when I woke up and regretted that I am a student at FSU College of Law.
If the statistics I've been told are correct, there were approximately nine to twelve other applicants vying for the seat that I now hold. I earned this slot through hard work and focus, but I also realize that I am fortunate to be in this position... I was born with enough intelligence to make my hard work pay off; I haven't suffered a disability to impair my talents (such as being in a serious accident or contracting a disease); I was born in a country that provides people the opportunity to improve themselves, regardless of their race or socioeconomic status.
The debt I am accruing to study here is a concern, but on the whole I think the debt is a good trade given the opportunities I should have once I complete my degree. FSU is also more economical to attend than most law schools in the United States, and we have a great academic reputation in Florida and the rest of the country.
Recently, the school produced a video about the assets of Florida State University College of Law. The link is below. If you are considering attending law school, I encourage you to watch the video and see if FSU might be a good match for you.
http://www.law.fsu.edu/prospective_students/VideoViewbook/index.html
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
Monday, March 2, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Mock Trial and Mock Interviews
This past weekend, Florida State College of Law hosted the Southeast Regional of the Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) competition. 22 teams came in for the event, and two advanced to the National Finals in San Antonio- Samford University and Ole Miss.
The Mock Trial team's faculty advisor, Ruth Stone and the team president, Gennifer Powell, both visibly worked hard to make everything run smoothly. I'm sure there were others on the team behind the scenes who also worked to make this a success.
I volunteered for all the rounds and received the opportunity to be a bailiff/timekeeper for most of the competition, including the championship round. The teams' methods were fascinating, and I learned a lot by watching their styles and interaction with the judges.
So, the weekend was extremely busy. I was at the Leon County Courthouse late Friday evening and at 8 am on Saturday and Sunday, working all day.
Then on Monday, FSU College of Law hosted the Board of Visitors. The board consists mainly of prominent College of Law alumni who are actively involved with the law school. As part of the event, I participated in fictional five minute job interviews with the board members. It was a great learning experience, and hopefully I made a good impression.
I dressed in a grey suit with a black dress shirt and red tie for the event. One of the things I learned, however, is that I should always wear a white dress shirt. As one trial lawyer told me, a white dress shirt indicates that you are part of the profession. Once you become known in the community and in the courts, he said, then you can wear a colored shirt- but even then the collar always has to be white.
The lawyer said he did not like this restriction because he thought of himself as a maverick, but he told me that I must always remember that this profession is a conservative one.
A great thing about FSU College of Law is the number of opportunities and experiences relevant to a legal career that are presented to you here- if you are willing to work hard, hustle and prepare yourself when such chances come around.
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
The Mock Trial team's faculty advisor, Ruth Stone and the team president, Gennifer Powell, both visibly worked hard to make everything run smoothly. I'm sure there were others on the team behind the scenes who also worked to make this a success.
I volunteered for all the rounds and received the opportunity to be a bailiff/timekeeper for most of the competition, including the championship round. The teams' methods were fascinating, and I learned a lot by watching their styles and interaction with the judges.
So, the weekend was extremely busy. I was at the Leon County Courthouse late Friday evening and at 8 am on Saturday and Sunday, working all day.
Then on Monday, FSU College of Law hosted the Board of Visitors. The board consists mainly of prominent College of Law alumni who are actively involved with the law school. As part of the event, I participated in fictional five minute job interviews with the board members. It was a great learning experience, and hopefully I made a good impression.
I dressed in a grey suit with a black dress shirt and red tie for the event. One of the things I learned, however, is that I should always wear a white dress shirt. As one trial lawyer told me, a white dress shirt indicates that you are part of the profession. Once you become known in the community and in the courts, he said, then you can wear a colored shirt- but even then the collar always has to be white.
The lawyer said he did not like this restriction because he thought of himself as a maverick, but he told me that I must always remember that this profession is a conservative one.
A great thing about FSU College of Law is the number of opportunities and experiences relevant to a legal career that are presented to you here- if you are willing to work hard, hustle and prepare yourself when such chances come around.
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Adapting Quickly
In October of last year, I wrote a blog about the hardest part of law school. At that time, it was dealing with the massive Internet research engines of LexisNexis and Westlaw.
Last semester I wrote a research assignment hardly using these two networks and instead relied almost entirely on print resources in the law school library.
Over the winter break, I tried to improve my computer skills by completing almost all of the online tutorials for the two search engines.
While the research is still a challenge, the tutorials helped tremendously. I just completed my first major writing project of the semester, and I did almost all of the research online. It was the complete reverse of my approach from last semester. Ironically, some students have told me that they are using print resources more this time around.
Hopefully, my ability to adapt will also lead to higher grade.
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
Last semester I wrote a research assignment hardly using these two networks and instead relied almost entirely on print resources in the law school library.
Over the winter break, I tried to improve my computer skills by completing almost all of the online tutorials for the two search engines.
While the research is still a challenge, the tutorials helped tremendously. I just completed my first major writing project of the semester, and I did almost all of the research online. It was the complete reverse of my approach from last semester. Ironically, some students have told me that they are using print resources more this time around.
Hopefully, my ability to adapt will also lead to higher grade.
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Where the Current Takes Me
... I suppose I have to get back to writing about law school. I won't forget Uncle Ray. But onward with life...
Law school is competitive.
I've said that before, and I will surely say it again.
Making the Mock Trial Team was important in distinguishing myself from the crowd a little. Members of the Mock Trial Team are designated for special training as litigators. The "honeymoon" has been quite nice, with both professors and students congratulating me. It felt really good to be Nathan Marshburn on the night that I got the call. I was out at Potbelly's club enjoying a social with other law school classmates. That call was the single best moment of my law school career thus far. Girls wanted to dance with me. My friends wanted to buy me drinks. It felt good to be "cool" for a while.
And it has started me thinking in a new way about my career. I enjoy all of my law school classes. Contracts is my favorite subject, though Property is a close second. I like the absence of moral judgement in contract law. To paraphrase my professor, contract law recognizes people are greedy, and good contract law is about letting them be greedy but harnessing the greed for economic efficiency.
Something about the purity of that exercise appeals to me.
However, there are a lot of people who like contracts here. I spoke with a girl in my class a few days ago who really wants to do something with contracts in her career. She is quiet in class, but she is also one of the few people who had a higher score than me on the contracts exam last semester. She graduated from her undergraduate institution with a 4.0 GPA.
If people like her want to do contract law- not to mention the legions of lawyers coming out of the top private schools in the country- then I'm in for a challenge in landing a top job doing that.
My conversation with her was illuminating, though. She congratulated me on making the Mock Trial Team, and said that she had no desire to be in the courtroom. She is thinking more along the lines of in-house counsel for a corporation. Of trial lawyers, she said, "I could never be a shark."
Trial law or litigation is where I might be able to carve a niche for myself. One of my professors told me that only 20% of lawyers practice in the courtroom. Many bright students at FSU College of Law want nothing to do with litigation. I think I would be good at it, though. In an ideal world, personal injury litigation is not what I would like to do (and certainly not medical malpractice). But I really think that type of work would be right up my alley.
Law school is so competitive that there is not much room for experimentation. I need to find something I'm good at and then focus on getting better at it. Job interviews are just around the corner. My experience in the Mock Trial tryouts was a positive one. Sure, I made the choice to tryout for the Mock Trial team and sure, I'll have some choice on what type of jobs I seek. The current seems to be nudging me toward litigation, though. At this point and time in my life, I don't feel like fighting the current if it is taking me to a place where I will be competent and successful. We'll see.
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
Law school is competitive.
I've said that before, and I will surely say it again.
Making the Mock Trial Team was important in distinguishing myself from the crowd a little. Members of the Mock Trial Team are designated for special training as litigators. The "honeymoon" has been quite nice, with both professors and students congratulating me. It felt really good to be Nathan Marshburn on the night that I got the call. I was out at Potbelly's club enjoying a social with other law school classmates. That call was the single best moment of my law school career thus far. Girls wanted to dance with me. My friends wanted to buy me drinks. It felt good to be "cool" for a while.
And it has started me thinking in a new way about my career. I enjoy all of my law school classes. Contracts is my favorite subject, though Property is a close second. I like the absence of moral judgement in contract law. To paraphrase my professor, contract law recognizes people are greedy, and good contract law is about letting them be greedy but harnessing the greed for economic efficiency.
Something about the purity of that exercise appeals to me.
However, there are a lot of people who like contracts here. I spoke with a girl in my class a few days ago who really wants to do something with contracts in her career. She is quiet in class, but she is also one of the few people who had a higher score than me on the contracts exam last semester. She graduated from her undergraduate institution with a 4.0 GPA.
If people like her want to do contract law- not to mention the legions of lawyers coming out of the top private schools in the country- then I'm in for a challenge in landing a top job doing that.
My conversation with her was illuminating, though. She congratulated me on making the Mock Trial Team, and said that she had no desire to be in the courtroom. She is thinking more along the lines of in-house counsel for a corporation. Of trial lawyers, she said, "I could never be a shark."
Trial law or litigation is where I might be able to carve a niche for myself. One of my professors told me that only 20% of lawyers practice in the courtroom. Many bright students at FSU College of Law want nothing to do with litigation. I think I would be good at it, though. In an ideal world, personal injury litigation is not what I would like to do (and certainly not medical malpractice). But I really think that type of work would be right up my alley.
Law school is so competitive that there is not much room for experimentation. I need to find something I'm good at and then focus on getting better at it. Job interviews are just around the corner. My experience in the Mock Trial tryouts was a positive one. Sure, I made the choice to tryout for the Mock Trial team and sure, I'll have some choice on what type of jobs I seek. The current seems to be nudging me toward litigation, though. At this point and time in my life, I don't feel like fighting the current if it is taking me to a place where I will be competent and successful. We'll see.
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Uncle Ray
Yesterday, I received a horrible phone call from my brother that my Uncle Ray had died of a heart attack.
Though Uncle Ray was not really overweight and had lived a pretty active lifestyle, he hadn't been feeling well. Doctors set up an appointment for him to undergo a stress test. During the test, he blacked out. Doctors immediately began to work on him and discovered that the main artery to his heart was totally blocked. They revived him for while, and he was able to speak to his wife, my Aunt Margaret. Then he blacked out again, and doctors were unable to revive him this time.
This is shocking news, to say the least.
I have great memories of Uncle Ray. He was a huge Duke Bluedevils fan, and I can't think of Duke athletics without thinking of him. Last night, the men's basketball team lost by their largest margin since 1990 (that was the NCAA championship game against UNLV, a game I watched and talked about with Uncle Ray). The game against Clemson yesterday was ironic in that it happened on the same day that Duke lost one of its biggest fans.
When I was a child, our Christmas gatherings took place at Uncle Ray's house...
One of the very first times that I rode in the front seat of a car was with him driving. I remember being fascinated by the radio controls and the "Buckle Up" sticker on the dash. I thought it was a button that you pushed and the seat belts would fasten around you automatically.
The beach at Emerald Isle, NC is where Uncle Ray and the rest of my mom's side of the family vacationed for years when I was younger. Uncle Ray was always a great conversationalist and had interesting insights in sports.
I never once saw him get angry or exasperated. This past Christmas at our family gathering, I opened a 2-liter bottle that someone had dropped or shaken. It exploded and soda spewed on Uncle Ray, who was standing close by. He smiled with good nature and helped me clean it up off the floor and counter.
Uncle Ray was especially close to Conner, his grandson. Conner is young- not school age yet. He is shy and doesn't say much, but he and Uncle Ray were inseparable. Conner would seek out Uncle Ray at the family gatherings, and Uncle Ray was more than happy to carry him around. I feel so sorry for Conner. His best buddy is gone. It is a painful reality to grasp for someone so new to this world.
This is a blog about law school, but I have to write about Uncle Ray because he is constantly on my mind right now. I'm angry about this, the way I always get angry when god or fate or randomness or whatever you want to call it deals somebody that I love a senseless, cruel blow. A difference between other people and me, I suppose, is that I never get over the anger. The "Anger Denial Acceptance" theory espoused by psychologists is lost on me. I'm not in denial. I accept that Uncle Ray is gone. But I'll be angry about it until the day that I leave this world myself.
I wish I had my law degree now. I could swoop in and help Aunt Margaret and her family by taking a look at their property and insurance situation and making sure everything is in order and on schedule. At this point, though, I just have one semester under my belt and have to stay focused to make it through my classes for this round.
Uncle Ray's death reminds me that no matter what, time is going to run out before I meet all of my goals. I wanted Uncle Ray to live to see Conner and his other grandchild, Sara, grow up. Uncle Ray had some property disputes a couple of years ago. I looked forward to offering him advice about his property and whatever other problems might arise for him in the future, once I had my law degree. But he is gone, now, and it is a sadder world.
Uncle Ray was a great man. Maybe in my next blog I will be more upbeat. But as I feel right now... Well, silence is probably better than expressing my specific thoughts on whoever or whatever is running the show in this universe and existence- if anyone is running the show.
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
Though Uncle Ray was not really overweight and had lived a pretty active lifestyle, he hadn't been feeling well. Doctors set up an appointment for him to undergo a stress test. During the test, he blacked out. Doctors immediately began to work on him and discovered that the main artery to his heart was totally blocked. They revived him for while, and he was able to speak to his wife, my Aunt Margaret. Then he blacked out again, and doctors were unable to revive him this time.
This is shocking news, to say the least.
I have great memories of Uncle Ray. He was a huge Duke Bluedevils fan, and I can't think of Duke athletics without thinking of him. Last night, the men's basketball team lost by their largest margin since 1990 (that was the NCAA championship game against UNLV, a game I watched and talked about with Uncle Ray). The game against Clemson yesterday was ironic in that it happened on the same day that Duke lost one of its biggest fans.
When I was a child, our Christmas gatherings took place at Uncle Ray's house...
One of the very first times that I rode in the front seat of a car was with him driving. I remember being fascinated by the radio controls and the "Buckle Up" sticker on the dash. I thought it was a button that you pushed and the seat belts would fasten around you automatically.
The beach at Emerald Isle, NC is where Uncle Ray and the rest of my mom's side of the family vacationed for years when I was younger. Uncle Ray was always a great conversationalist and had interesting insights in sports.
I never once saw him get angry or exasperated. This past Christmas at our family gathering, I opened a 2-liter bottle that someone had dropped or shaken. It exploded and soda spewed on Uncle Ray, who was standing close by. He smiled with good nature and helped me clean it up off the floor and counter.
Uncle Ray was especially close to Conner, his grandson. Conner is young- not school age yet. He is shy and doesn't say much, but he and Uncle Ray were inseparable. Conner would seek out Uncle Ray at the family gatherings, and Uncle Ray was more than happy to carry him around. I feel so sorry for Conner. His best buddy is gone. It is a painful reality to grasp for someone so new to this world.
This is a blog about law school, but I have to write about Uncle Ray because he is constantly on my mind right now. I'm angry about this, the way I always get angry when god or fate or randomness or whatever you want to call it deals somebody that I love a senseless, cruel blow. A difference between other people and me, I suppose, is that I never get over the anger. The "Anger Denial Acceptance" theory espoused by psychologists is lost on me. I'm not in denial. I accept that Uncle Ray is gone. But I'll be angry about it until the day that I leave this world myself.
I wish I had my law degree now. I could swoop in and help Aunt Margaret and her family by taking a look at their property and insurance situation and making sure everything is in order and on schedule. At this point, though, I just have one semester under my belt and have to stay focused to make it through my classes for this round.
Uncle Ray's death reminds me that no matter what, time is going to run out before I meet all of my goals. I wanted Uncle Ray to live to see Conner and his other grandchild, Sara, grow up. Uncle Ray had some property disputes a couple of years ago. I looked forward to offering him advice about his property and whatever other problems might arise for him in the future, once I had my law degree. But he is gone, now, and it is a sadder world.
Uncle Ray was a great man. Maybe in my next blog I will be more upbeat. But as I feel right now... Well, silence is probably better than expressing my specific thoughts on whoever or whatever is running the show in this universe and existence- if anyone is running the show.
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
Saturday, January 31, 2009
This Feels Good
I made the Mock Trial team!
This is the extra-curricular activity that I wanted more than any other, and it is the high-light of my law school career thus far.
The final round was pretty intense. The courtroom was full for the closing argument, and there were lots of people in the jury box whom I did not know.
I feel so sorry for the people who got cut in this last round. I saw some of them tonight at a social. One guy was standing right beside me when I got the call to say that I was on the team. He never got the call, but he accepted it as good naturedly as one could do it. He is a nice guy, and I wish he had made the team with me.
Mock Trial is my pony, now. I intend to focus on it and my grades to propel me to a nice job.
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
This is the extra-curricular activity that I wanted more than any other, and it is the high-light of my law school career thus far.
The final round was pretty intense. The courtroom was full for the closing argument, and there were lots of people in the jury box whom I did not know.
I feel so sorry for the people who got cut in this last round. I saw some of them tonight at a social. One guy was standing right beside me when I got the call to say that I was on the team. He never got the call, but he accepted it as good naturedly as one could do it. He is a nice guy, and I wish he had made the team with me.
Mock Trial is my pony, now. I intend to focus on it and my grades to propel me to a nice job.
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Importance of Knowledge
Right now I'm in a suit, waiting to resume practicing for the final round of Mock Trial. 88 people initially signed up for the tryouts. They cut us down to 32 last night. I've made the last 32, but we have one more cut to go after tonight. They'll slice us in half again, and the remaining people will be the new Mock Trial class.
I got kicked out of the courtroom where I was practicing for a while so that they could set it up for the competition tonight. We'll see what happens.
As I become further immersed in law school, I'm beginning to understand my role as a lawyer a bit more.
We are facilitators, plain and simple. Life is hard and often messy. A good lawyer can help people out when things don't go the way they are supposed to. Lawyers learn the rules of government and the rules of how members of a civilized society should interact with each other. When a rough patch arises, a good lawyer can show you a few tricks to make things work out in your favor a little better. In our roles as facilitators, it is especially important for us to be civil and courteous our own selves. We will have to set the example and run the negotiation between two disagreeing parties.
The importance of this knowledge was brought home to me earlier this week. On Tuesday, I awoke to find that my apartment was beginning to flood. I quickly ascertained that the water heater had sprung a leak. I called maintenance, and they replaced the water heater that same day.
On Wednesday, however, the water heater stopped working.
I was forced to take a couple of cold showers before the maintenance office opened again. I was also obligated to apologize to my neighbor for the yelps, shouts and bad words that I let fly when I dived under the freezing needles of water on a cold Thursday morning.
She responded by saying, "Yeah, I was wondering what was going on with you."
When I called maintenance, they told me to just flip the circuit breaker off and on. I did this, and the problem was solved.
There are things that I am learning in law school that will solve problems for people just as easily as the hot water problem was solved for me.
I'm trying my best to pay attention in my classes and take it all in.
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
I got kicked out of the courtroom where I was practicing for a while so that they could set it up for the competition tonight. We'll see what happens.
As I become further immersed in law school, I'm beginning to understand my role as a lawyer a bit more.
We are facilitators, plain and simple. Life is hard and often messy. A good lawyer can help people out when things don't go the way they are supposed to. Lawyers learn the rules of government and the rules of how members of a civilized society should interact with each other. When a rough patch arises, a good lawyer can show you a few tricks to make things work out in your favor a little better. In our roles as facilitators, it is especially important for us to be civil and courteous our own selves. We will have to set the example and run the negotiation between two disagreeing parties.
The importance of this knowledge was brought home to me earlier this week. On Tuesday, I awoke to find that my apartment was beginning to flood. I quickly ascertained that the water heater had sprung a leak. I called maintenance, and they replaced the water heater that same day.
On Wednesday, however, the water heater stopped working.
I was forced to take a couple of cold showers before the maintenance office opened again. I was also obligated to apologize to my neighbor for the yelps, shouts and bad words that I let fly when I dived under the freezing needles of water on a cold Thursday morning.
She responded by saying, "Yeah, I was wondering what was going on with you."
When I called maintenance, they told me to just flip the circuit breaker off and on. I did this, and the problem was solved.
There are things that I am learning in law school that will solve problems for people just as easily as the hot water problem was solved for me.
I'm trying my best to pay attention in my classes and take it all in.
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
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