That Sam Waterston is so dreamy

It still hasn't hit me yet, but one year is over. In the spirit of my December post, I wanted to compile a further list of my patented Reflections upon a First Year at Law School. As per Nigel Tufnel's advice, I wanted to give it that extra little push over the cliff, so I've now given eleven thoughts.

Before that, I want to give a special thanks to all those in small group Bane for simply being awesome (that means I want you to post comments folks!), and if any non-Bane folk are reading this, well you're cool too. Here's hoping the next two years are just as fun and fast. Without further ado:

1. Maintaining a regular, non-law reading book is critical. A good novel offers a break from cases, which are more like bad stories themselves, where the main character always dies, and the denouement is unmercifully drawn out.

2. After taking Real Property, playing Monopoly has forever changed. Scanning the game's instructions offers no clue as to whether an easement is allowed over your opponent's Park Place property.

3. Lawyer jokes take on an entirely new meaning. Your laugh is now composed of one third humour, one third guilt, and most frighteningly, one third pride.

4. You realize now that on Law & Order, when Jack McCoy says "Smith vee Jones," he's totally doing it wrong. Meanwhile, your love of Jack McCoy has increased ten fold.

5. You are now not only angry when you fail to secure a wireless internet connection in class, but you also begin to wonder who you can sue.

6. You realize that your reliance upon Condensed Annotated Notes was immense, and wonder where the hell they were during your undergraduate years.

7. Wine & cheeses are an excellent opportunity to make useful contacts and develop your networking skills. They also allow you to expand your collection of silver stainless steel law firm coffee thermoses. Seven and counting!

8. You develop a sort of intra-red vision, much like the one seen in the Terminator films. However, instead of being alerted to the presence of John or Sarah Connor, you are alerted to Tortious! or Criminal! conduct.

9. You understand that lawyers' propensity for spending long hours in an office building is inured during your law school years, when students fear to leave the law building for extended periods of time, vulnerable to other campus life.

10. When a friendly conversation with acquaintances turns to law, you secretly begin to think about how much you could be charging this person. But then you reconsider, and get a warm feeling that you're simply doing it pro bono.

11. If nothing else, your law school education has given you plenty of fodder for the sitcom about lawyers that you're writing, and plan to sell to major television networks!