summer updates

Last week I started my externship at the federal courthouse. First off, I never expected government employees to be so friendly (I better explain myself since my dad is a federal employee and is one of the best (and friendliest!) people I know). But you know somehow, somewhere, something is going in the right direction if the security guards ushering you through the x-ray arches wish you luck with a smile on your first day in the legal workforce). They were also the ones to explain to me that I am an extern (unpaid student worker) as opposed to an intern (paid student worker). Maybe that's why they liked me so much - I'm not impacting their end-of-year bonuses.

As far as I know, I'll be researching and writing for a judge and will also be allowed to watch various judicial proceedings. So far it's been interesting to see how much and how little I know (the muchness comes from the fact that some of the cases I'm working on relate to classes I took during my first year of law school, and the littleness comes from the fact that there is a worldwide web chuck-full of things I can't wrap my brain around...yet). Though I can't talk or write about the cases I'm working on, I will say that I like being an intern a billion times more than being in law school (and that is not an exaggeration). Though it's like law school in that I don't have a clue as to what is going on and there is pressure to quickly climb the steep learning curve, the work itself is not graded on a curve (which happens to be a very beautiful thing). But more importantly, I actually feel like I am doing something worthwhile. And that in and of itself helps my world to go round with a happier spin.

Also, I am taking classes. I think I will perpetually be a summer school student (I have never not taken summer classes during my undergrad/grad career). But I am actually excited and looking forward to most of my classes this summer. While Judicial Writing seems like it will be a beast, I don't have to worry about that until the month of July rolls around. Fortunately, I am enrolled in the best of all law classes: Law and Literature. It's kind of like an English class - we read fun stuff (i.e. short stories, plays, poems), boring stuff (i.e. court opinions), stuff I wished I understood more (i.e. court opinions, literary and legal theory texts), and stuff I'll just call stuff (i.e. court opinions). Basically the class is to see how the law informs literature and how literature informs the law - it's an examination of how law is literature (to some extent) and how understanding the literature can help to enhance understanding of the law, and vice versa. I'm rather excited, mostly because I published an article that falls into this vein of thought shortly after I graduated with my undergrad (that is, if you can call legal analysis of a novel a blending of law and literature). Anyways, I do have to write a twenty(ish) page paper by the end of the summer on a topic of my choice. I'm having a hard time deciding what to write, but I think it would be awesome to play with one of my favorite novels and do some sort of legal analysis on it. We'll see. I'm just excited that I can return to my English roots (since I miss England and real literature).

Other than that, I've had a chance to read a couple of books (Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (I highly recommend it, although it made me cry for a few days), and Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (it's a favorite that I'm rereading - I love her books!)). I probably won't get back to reading non-law/literature related stuff for a few weeks, but I'm excited to have a chance to find new favorites and become reacquainted with old friends. I keep toying with the idea that maybe someday in the far, far, far distant future I will write something of my own, but it is one of the scariest thoughts I've ever had since I feel woefully inadequate for the task. Plus, I have it on good authority (Linda Sue Park, Shannon Hale, and other awesome people) that if one wants to write they must read, and that is something I have neglected as of late. Maybe once I've read a thousand more books I'll be ready to write one of my own (though I sort of doubt that's how it works).

Anyways...that is that.  Huzzah for the summer!

P.S. David knows me way too well and bought me this for Mother's Day:

Let's just say that I am still a ten year-old at heart and kinda sorta wish I could have grown up to be Nancy Drew. But these games are the next best thing.