Conceptual Laws

I read an article about how the new Modest Mouse album (which I really like) began as a concept album about sailors dying in every song. I know the new Joel Plaskett Emergency album, Ashtray Rock, is also a concept album about the tribulations of two teenagers in Halifax, but more importantly, Joel previously made a great concept album about doctors on In Need of Medical Attention.

It made me wonder if anyone's attempted "the great lawyer concept album." I assume that San Fran band, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, attempted an expansive Property Law concept album with the song "Lien on Your Dreams" from Baby 81 - but gave up shortly thereafter.

Awesome song aside, I suppose you can only make so many tortured songs about mortgages. (And so many rhymes).

Villa-fied

E fatto! Più meno di cinque mesi!

To translate, I'm excited. We finalized plans and booked a villa right in the centre of Amalfi - and more imporantly - right near the beach. For a week in July, we have a great base to check out several towns along the Amalfi Coast or just relax. And if the relief work done by Google Earth map experts is correct, any sort of travel around these mountains calls for a lot of relaxation.



To be honest, the trip was partly inspired by an episode of Jamie Oliver's show I saw where he went to the Amalfi coast. I liked the idea of being in a villa where you could cook some of your own meals instead of depending on restaurants all the time.

Of course, the place does come stocked with a healthy supply of food: fresh fruit, olives, wine, prosciutto, among other things and my particular favourite - Nutella. European kids are raised on that stuff and it's an oversight in my opinion that the FDA/CFIA hasn't put the product on more breakfast tables in North America.

It wasn't a dealmaker in and of itself - that was left to the stunning views of the mountains and ocean - but it's nice to know you're taken care of. I was reminded of the various things to look for in signing a property agreement.



As if the next few months of law school weren't going to go by slow enough, now I have this on the horizon. And what a horizon it is!

We chase ambulances because we love

Today saw studying on multiple fronts. First, the law library, in the heart of the concrete bunker that is the Curtis Building. One cannot stay there for too long, as the general dreariness begins to eat away at what little resolve you had before going in. I'm not entirely convinced that the shelter-like building isn't a relic from the Western hemisphere's embarrassing fear of constant, imminent nuclear threat. What I do know is that when those nukes fly over our gloriously unprotected skies, I'll be in the library.

Moreover, study space is hard to come by here, as there are many visiting occupants that aren't even studying law. Some past student "cleverly" dubbed them SNAILS, or Students Not Actually In Law School. I, on the other hand, would venture a more telling acronym that I leave to your worthy minds to piece together: Ancillary Students Surreptitiously Hectoring Our Legal Education Studies.

From there, the studying moved once again to the neighbourhood cafe. It was here I attempted to write - but succeeded at failing - a practice Property exam. In an effort to replicate the actual settings of the exam, I put away all of my notes save for the Land Title Act. This is akin to a knight, preparing for battle, removing all of his armour, and in place of a sword, he holds... the Land Title Act. Parry, thrust, interpret! (Speaking of parry and thrust, check out the comments section of the previous entry for an ongoing debate of the musical variety. En garde Thomas!)

This time around, I studied while listening to Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. Morose listening perhaps, but to listen to anything more upbeat with Property would be, in effect, lying about the subject matter itself. Because so much of Property deals with transfers of land, and because many of those transfers come about via wills, it means there is the underlying and overbearing presence of death.

But are we, as potential lawyers, that class of citizen renowned for its compassion and amity, given time to grieve? No. Our orders are just to divvy up the goods and ride outta town. Sniff. May you rest in peace Lord Barnard of Vane v. Lord Barnard... though you did leave your castle in quite a mess for those children you hated.

"Far & Away" anyone?

First off, I understand the plight of modern day farmers, especially in these wintry economic times. However, at the risk of sounding heartless, I seriously do not appreciate the modification of standard time to suit Betsy the Cow, when Ryan the Law Student needs every precious hour he can get to study for his exams. What's wrong with it being dark outside? I prefer illumination of the mind, if you will.

That aside, I spent several hours of our newfound daylight (minus one) in a Starbucks. I devoted the time to Criminal Law, hands down the most interesting subject you take in first year. It is, at once, a vindication that the things you see on Law & Order are indeed based on reality, and also an impressive glimpse into the world of criminal jurisprudence that the media often generalizes. It also is home to the phrase "intoxication akin to automatism," a criminal defence that really rolls off the tongue. I just like saying it.

Anywho, during my time at the 'Bucks, I wrote a "practice" criminal exam, which is notable for its hilarity. It concerned ne'er-do-well Will Templeton, a "small time Vancouver crook." In a Rube Goldberg-like series of events, he was forced to take a hostage to pay off loan shark debts, but then ran into a police officer and, frightened by his past history of police abuse, ran to his apartment, downed a bottle of rum, attempted to burn his hostage-taking mask and bat (described by Will as being a "good idea" at the time) at which point the fire spread and forced an elderly woman to jump from her second story window, breaking her legs. Oh Will.

For the record, he gets off on the attempted hostage taking (lacking the actus reus proving that he went beyond mere preparation of the crime), but is guilty of arson causing bodily harm. Furthermore, at the risk of being disbarred, I would point out that, according to the fact pattern, the offence took place on April 1st, 2001, and thus the accused has the defence of "April Fools!" I haven't looked it up, but I'm sure there's some statutory provision that if an offence should fall before noon on this traditional holiday, the accused is excused and the victim will be forced to laugh in response.

Not to disappoint my musically savvy readers, background music for this caffeinated study session was provided by Broken Social Scene and their indispensable 2002 album, You Forgot it in People. It truly has a distinct Canadian sound. Check out the track "Cause = Time," which is eerily close to the finest Tragically Hip song ever committed to soundwaves, "Escape is at Hand for the Travellin' Man."

Focus turns to Property Law now, which no one in the history of legal study will ever construe as "fun" or even "mildly interesting." It is a detestable subject, made arcane by a litany of meaningless terms and archaic rules. Unlike Criminal Law, it produces gag-inducing phrases, like "bona fide purchaser for value without notice." There is so much red tape associated with acquiring any kind of property. Whatever happened to the days of racing on horseback across a plain, and planting a flag on property to show it's yours... then being shot in defence of that property, but miraculously being brought back to life in the arms of Nicole Kidman?

Any chance Napoleon won that battle?

No sooner do I discover and rave about the band Louis XIV then I find myself in possession of a ticket to a show they're playing. Even better, they're on a bill with two other equally amazing bands, The Futureheads and B.C.'s own Hot Hot Heat. I've managed to unearth Louis XIV's earlier albums and EPs too, and I'm certain they'll put on a good show. Any downloaders out there, check out "Illegal Tender." Tell me if I'm wrong, but there's something positively Gilbert and Sullivan about that song, notwithstanding its ass-kickery. If the band's original name was supposed to be the Pirates of Penzance, it wouldn't surprise me.

As for the British laddies, those who watch the O.C. with the same frequency as I do will recall hearing the Futureheads shamelessly blared over the opening scenes of last week's episode - "Meantime" was the tune. And those who didn't hear Hot Hot Heat's first album might currently be inclined to say they sound like the Killers, when if fact it's the other way around. All in all, it should be great. Or, to quote a friend of mine, it'll be Hot Hot Neat! (Ouais, c'est vrai AM, et si tu veux le réfuter, tu devrais commencer un blog de ton propre!)

Yet tomorrow night, is of course, the Joel Plaskett show. I'm aiming to get a few choice photographs of the Lankster himself. I'll also get some shots of opener Pete Elkas, a musician who I played roadie to for all of 2 minutes a year ago. At Joel's Kingston show, Elkas was also the opener and he asked me to hold his guitar while he put away some equipment. As any roadie would do, I acted like I could care less.

To cap off this amazing trifecta of aural pleasure, it's just over a month till I see U2 and Kings of Leon in town. It's my last night in Vancouver before I head home for the summer. It'll be tough to leave this city even for four months, but it should be a great send off. Here's hoping that they play "Stay."

Elsewhere, it's a four day weekend here, and most people have vacated the premises, heading back home. This leaves me alone with only the Canadian Justices themselves. Really, who can be lonely when you've got loudmouth Denning over there in the corner!

As for studying, two subjects are particularly frightening. Contracts has gotten quite difficult of late, and Property... Property shall be my Waterloo. I think to ease myself into this study-fest occupying the next several weeks, I'll start with the others, Torts, Legal Institutions and Criminal Law. Though, I suppose if I really wanted to study Criminal Law I could just fire up the ol' PS2, pop in some Grand Theft Auto and truly get into the mind of a criminal. That's all kinds of illegal!