Rambling Without Cause

Married!

2009-11-24T17:01:00.006-05:00

Mr. and Mrs. Lubin, on their wedding day last month.

Admitted!

2009-08-21T10:36:00.002-04:00

At last, a New York lawyer.

Passed!

2008-11-14T14:05:00.001-05:00

*****

NAME: [REDACTED]

Date of Birth: [REDACTED]

The New York State Board of Law Examiners congratulates you on passing the New York State bar examination held on July 29-30, 2008. An official certification notice has been mailed and will contain your Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) scaled score. The notification which has been mailed is a required part of your application for admission to the Bar. In order to allow a reasonable time for the exam results to arrive by mail, requests for duplicate notices will not be accepted until after November 28, 2008. Although there is normally a $10 charge for a duplicate, due to the possibility of loss or damage in a bulk mailing, there will be a grace period with no charge for those requests received prior to December 10, 2008.

*****

Engaged!

2008-07-12T22:43:00.004-04:00

I'd say this counts as news worthy of a return from the blogging dead : )

Taken on the Fourth of July in Wolfeboro, NH about 3 minutes after she said "yes."

So Long, Farewell

2008-06-07T16:56:00.009-04:00

Now that I'm done with law school, I guess I really am a lawyer. It is, indeed, a hard thought to wrap my head around. Rarely have three years gone so fast.

Graduation, which fell on Memorial Day, was just beautiful. It was, at the same time, the most difficult day since I've become motherless. She wanted to live long enough to see me graduate so desperately that we almost went up for commencement a year early, in case she didn't live to attend my own. I regret I didn't push for that trip.

Her absence from this picture weighs on me. But I really did feel like she was there the whole time. I could hear her cheering (and crying). I could see her clapping (and standing in the shade). And, when they called my name to walk across the stage and receive my degree, I could feel her warmth and love. So much of what I've accomplished in life is due to her support and affection. That goes for you too, Dad.

But life, it seems, goes on.

I learned a lot in law school. But I learned even more from my mother. One of her lessons was to "think of the good times." So, I think of her a lot.

With this one by my side now, I know there are still plenty of good times to come.

Much of this blog has been devoted to my experiences as a law student and a son coping with the loss of a mother. Both of which have run, for the most part, their natural course. With that in mind, I now sign off. I'm not saying that I'll never post here again. I am saying that I rarely will.

Thanks for caring enough to check in on me from time to time.

Where's Waldo?

2008-05-24T19:41:00.003-04:00

Yale Law School Class of 2008

That Was Three Years Already?

2008-05-21T15:18:00.000-04:00

I used to be a law student.

The Final Countdown!

2008-05-16T10:36:00.002-04:00

10 days 'til commencement. 1 final to go.

You're all heart, Rock.

I'll Take What I Can Get

2008-05-12T14:05:00.005-04:00

 Women's College Lacrosse. Great sport or greatest sport?

1 Penn                   14- 1- 0    390
1 Northwestern                  17- 1- 0       390       
3 Maryland                      17- 2- 0       348       
3 Virginia                      14- 3- 0       348        
5 Syracuse                      16- 2- 0       321        
6 Georgetown                    12- 6- 0       286        
7 Boston University             17- 2- 0       276       
8 Princeton                     12- 4- 0       268        
9 Vanderbilt                    13- 5- 0       242        
10 Notre Dame                   12- 6- 0       197       

Rankings courtesy of laxpower.com

What Tom Friedman Said

2008-05-11T13:37:00.001-04:00

"So on this Mother’s Day, if you take one thing away from this column, take this: Call your mother. I sure wish I could call mine."

Fiesta Time

2008-05-05T17:23:00.003-04:00

Supervised Analytic Writing
October 17, 2007 - May 5, 2008

It began with this simple statement. It began again with this dejected statement. And it ends here. Today is the first day of my post-law school thesis life.

Home Sweet Home?

2008-05-04T23:04:00.007-04:00

If the coop board passes Girlfriend and me this week, my childhood home will cease serving as my permanent mailing address. Cornwallis Road had a nice run, but its in with the new. After growing up in the city's shadow, we finally drop the 'bridge and tunnel' label.

Anyway, this place comes totally furnished, the rent includes utilities, and the building is steps away from Gramercy Park.

It was kind of depressing, of course, to see NYC real estate prices for ourselves; but we're thrilled with our find. Plus, we managed to avoid going through a broker.

Moving on up, hopefully, the first of June.

That's A First

2008-04-30T21:30:00.002-04:00

You're having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day when you drop your only set of car keys through the one inch opening between the elevator and the floor, down the shaft.

Not Quite Waterboarding, But...

2008-04-23T11:23:00.004-04:00

We just spent over an HOUR talking about a sample MULTIPLE CHOICE exam question. Yale students never cease to amaze me in their ability to take simple exercises and confound them into a philosophical exegesis about the metameaning of life, law, the universe, and everything.

Four Random Observations

2008-04-20T00:18:00.005-04:00

1) Ladder 49 is among the worst movies I've ever seen.

2) No AIM chat name selected during the internet's dial-up days has withstood the test of time more than mine has. I still think 'Lubester' is cool.

3) I have the greatest girlfriend in the world, even if she did pick out Ladder 49 from Blockbuster tonight.

4) The new Yankee Stadium may come bearing gifts, but it won't have Section 39 of the Right Field bleachers.

Red Sox Fan at Yankee Stadium, courtesy of College Humor.

Tilting At Windmills?

2008-04-18T09:40:00.004-04:00

Dear Broker Guy,

My girlfriend and I are looking for a 1 bedroom (or convertible 2) in an elevator, pet friendly building. We're happy to consider doorman and non-doorman buildings alike, but we would prefer that you don't waste our time with anything sketchy and easily accessed. We will not pay more than $X,000 per month and we want at least X00 square feet. We want to live in or near Gramercy Park. Not "Gramercy." We don't want to live East of 3rd Ave, North of 23rd, West of Madison/Broadway, or South of 16th.

If you've anything available, we can be in the city next Friday and Saturday to look.

Thanks for your help.

Pretentious Prestige

2008-04-16T14:45:00.002-04:00

I think people that wear law review clothing, like sweatshirts and zip-ups, are compensating for not getting to wear varsity team clothing in high school. I don't remember people doing this at Stanford. But, I wasn't so jaded a law student two years ago. Maybe I just didn't notice this phenomenon as a 1L. In any case, I think that wearing a resume on your sleeve is too pretentious a behavior to go unmentioned here.

I Award You No Points. And May God Have Mercy On Your Soul.

2008-04-14T08:52:00.002-04:00

To appreciate the humor in this e-mail, assume that (1) I have not done a single page of class reading all semester, (2) I have a Harry Potter IQ of 0, and (3) there are about 100 people in this course. Enjoy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Class:

Attached please find the papers filed with the U.S. District Court in the case of Warner Bros. & Rowling. v. RDR Books (S.D.N.Y.). The case has been fast tracked to combine a hearing on the preliminary injunction motion filed by Rowling and Warner Brothers with a trial on the merits. The trial is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 14, at 9:30 am. in New York City.

We will debate the issues presented herein that same morning during class...

Panelists Lipari, Lopez, and Lubin (F&#*# *@#!!!) will be asked to present arguments for Rowling; Panelists Magaram, Maki, Manohar and Mendozo will argue for RDR Books.

MS

Department of Redundancy Department

2008-04-13T10:08:00.003-04:00

"Americans who believe in the Second Amendment believe it’s a constitutional right." - Hillary Rodham Clinton, First Lady of the United States, Senator of New York.

And this whole time I thought we were arguing about how we should interpret the constitutional right! I wasn't aware that the Second Amendment debate actually turned on whether it was, in fact, a constitutional right. In that case, call me a staunch Second Amendment supporter.

When I Was Your Age

2008-04-12T10:11:00.003-04:00

On my way to this NoHo coffee shop (where I am STILL trying to put this thesis to rest), I overheard a man explain to his daughter how people once used a machine called a "typewriter," before computers existed, to write things on paper by slamming metal keys that left ink.

It wasn't all that shocking, I guess. But, um, I remember learning to type on a typewriter.

When Locals Attack

2008-04-03T18:02:00.001-04:00

To the Members of the Yale Community:

Consistent with federal reporting requirements and in order to increase awareness of personal safety, I write to let you know that today at approximately 1:30 pm, New Haven and Yale Police responded to a report of a man being shot at with a bb gun on Elm Street near High Street. Two teenaged males, 13-16 years of age, shot in the direction of the man walking on Elm Street. They are 5'8" tall; one was wearing a black backpack, and the other, a dark zippered hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. Fortunately, the man, who is not affiliated with the University, was not seriously injured.

Anyone having information about this incident should call the Yale Police immediately. If you should witness suspicious activity, please report it immediately to the Yale Police at 432-4400.

Sincerely,

Chief James A. Perrotti

Why Am I Back In New Haven?

2008-03-31T19:22:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I think it would be great to live out the rest of my life in a small, sun soaked, Spanish speaking beach town. And I don't mean after I retire.

Taken last week at sunset near Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

Cash, Money, Papers

2008-03-12T13:02:00.006-04:00

Ever get the feeling in college that your Teaching Assistant didn't really "teach" or "assist" much of anything? I was hired this week, to the tune of $4200, to read and grade 27 papers written by undergrads in a seminar; a seminar that I didn't even know the title of or what law was relevant until well after signing on. True story.

In case you're actually curious, the undergrad course is on "Intellectual Property in the Digital Age." Incidentally, I'm enrolled right now in a class at the law school titled "Intro to Intellectual Property." This should be good.

My Way

2008-03-06T11:29:00.001-05:00

Finally on YouTube.

Pay no attention to the harsh studio lighting.

A Call To Action

2008-02-15T13:40:00.000-05:00

Two days before my Mom, Barbara Lubin, passed on, I shared a private moment with her. I could tell that we wouldn't get much more time together. She was so uncomfortable and in so much pain that it was impossible for me to stay very composed. But, I did ante up and manage to ask her something; I wanted to hear if there was any advice or any thing, with her deathbed perspective, that she would wish or ask of me.

"Mom," I said with a cracking voice. "Is there anything you'd want from me or like me to do in life?"

"Yeah," Mom replied with a smile. "Get a colonoscopy."

Even then, she kept her sense of humor. But, it surfaced in a message that she repeated again and again. And it's a message that I now pass on you.

Colon cancer is eminently treatable when CAUGHT EARLY (if caught in Stage 1, the five year survival rate is greater than 90%). Mom never forgave herself for waiting until she was 56 years old to get tested. By then, she was already in Stage 4 (where the five year survival rate is less than 5%). To help raise awareness for this disease, I have set a fundraising goal to support Partners in Prevention; I'd encourage you to set up your personal donation page too. Once you do that you can start sending emails to your friends, family and colleagues and invite them to make a donation to help us reach our goal.

Or, in the alternative, just come out and join us for the Remembrance Walk on March 9th! I am joining the Partners in Prevention on March 9, 2008 in Central Park for their 5th Annual New York Colon Cancer Challenge to help bring the message of prevention and hope to the New York community. I'd love to see you there.

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts.

The Wisdom of Markets

2008-02-10T23:17:00.000-05:00

*courtesy of www.intrade.com*

1 Nov 2007 - Obama's chance of winning the Democratic Nomination = 12%

1 Dec 2007 - Obama's chance of winning the Democratic Nomination = 20%

1 Jan 2008 - Obama' s chance of winning the Democratic Nomination = 22%

1 Feb 2008 - Obama's chance of winning the Democratic Nomination = 68%

Just A Day, Just An Ordinary Day

2008-02-09T19:34:00.000-05:00

Given that I scrapped thirty pages of thesis written over the last two months, I think I'm holding up surprisingly well.

Some Crow or Some Humble Pie?

2008-02-05T08:57:00.000-05:00

"I think the biggest question about Eli right now, the one everybody’s asking, and it gets convoluted a little bit in the media, is can he be a leader of men? Can he make these guys play for him when the chips are down...His personality hasn’t been so that he can step up, make a strong statement and have people believe that he’s coming from his heart...Sometimes its almost comical the way he would say things."
- Tiki Barber, August 21, 2007

- Eli Manning, February 3, 2008

A Little Help Here

2008-02-04T19:30:00.000-05:00

Does any of this make sense? After staring at it for an hour, I really could use a fresh pair of eyes here. If that means you, click to enlarge it.

Thank ya kindly.

Meet the Mets

2008-01-29T18:28:00.000-05:00

Johan Santana, a two time Cy Young award winner with a career ERA under 3.20, now gets to pitch in an inferior league and to hitters that have rarely faced him.

That's just not fair.

I Wanna Rock

2008-01-23T18:32:00.001-05:00

Q: Why, pray tell, is Dee Snider ringing the closing bell at the NYSE today?

A: Equity and credit markets aren't gonna take recession talk any more!

Simmer Down Now

2008-01-22T09:04:00.000-05:00

From the Daily News, on last night's CNN debate:

Obama said Clinton was “a corporate lawyer sitting on the board at Wal-Mart” while he was fighting for working-class Americans in Illinois.

C'mon, Barack! Hillary was down in the trenches fighting the good fight to help poorer individuals enjoy Sam's Club every day low prices.

Corporate lawyers are people too.

Mediocre Accountants Needed

2008-01-21T09:21:00.000-05:00

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Section 407(a), Rules Defining "Financial Expert"

The Commission shall issue rules...to require each issuer...to disclose whether or not...the audit committee of that issuer is comprised of at least 1 member who is a financial expert, as such term is defined by the Commission.

I don't know that much about the accounting profession. But, shouldn't every auditor of a large publicly traded corporation be a financial expert?

Felicitationes

2008-01-20T21:08:00.000-05:00

¡Happy Birthday Mama! Miss you.

Don't Mind Me! Just Pandering to Evangelicals

2008-01-19T08:42:00.000-05:00

Mike Huckabee on the confederate flag:

"The President ought not to be involving himself in a state issue that has not one thing to do with being President of the United States."

Mike Huckabee on abortion:

"This is the kind of geographic morality we fought against in the Civil War. If you believe in the sanctity of human life, it applies as much as in Arkansas as in Massachusetts."

Okay. Wow. Flags don't present a federal issue, but a woman's uterus does?

Besides the intellectual inconsistency here in Huck's selective federalism, the Pastor also manages to invoke the virtue of the Civil War to score points on a completely unrelated issue while staying above the flag fray, a Civil War issue. This doesn't even qualify as sophistry. It's pure campaignese gibberish.

All this in back-to-back questions of a single interview, where Shuckabee also preaches that 'full faith and credit' is a clause in the commerce act (?!?), on MSNBC with Scarborough/Brzenszki.

Happy New...whatever

2008-01-16T19:54:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to your regularly scheduled program.

Between wandering around DC, vacationing in Eastern Europe, and taking finals, there hasn't been much down time in the last three weeks. But, I'm back in New Haven now with Girlfriend to work on the graduate-from-law-school thing. 11 credits and thesis, thy will be done...

Anyway, here are a few of my favorite shots from the Eastern Bloc and elsewhere:

Atop Prague Castle
When Polizei Attack (Outside Dresden)Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate.Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
The Nexus of the UniverseWe'll Always Have Paris

Little Things

2007-12-28T14:29:00.000-05:00

I will never get used to the empty seat at our table.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T15:08:00.000-05:00

A cover of 'Love Is All Around," except they changed the word "love" to "Christmas."

"And particularly enjoy the incredible crassness of the moment when [they] try to squeeze an extra syllable into the fourth line."

Love Actually. Best Chick Flick Ever?

One Semester To Rule Them All

2007-12-21T10:13:00.000-05:00

I get a law degree in five months? Incredible.

I played more Guitar Hero and surfed more YouTube this week than studying, paper writing, and attending class combined.

Pastor-In-Chief?

2007-12-18T07:36:00.000-05:00

Is it really that easy to lead in the Iowa primaries? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

Why the need for the subliminal floating cross, Huck? I think the 'birth of Christ' moment flat out pandered to your base just enough.

No, Mike, what really matters is to not elect someone that thinks a policy position is counting the Earth less than 6,000 years old. What also matters is that you're intimately familiar with the Constitution's Sixth Article, wherein the Founders laid down and the People ratified that "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

Fun with Teamwork

2007-12-08T09:39:00.000-05:00

Argh.

Group projects.

Do I stand on principle and whip my teammates into meeting deadlines and towing the line equally? Do I take the hit to my schedule, suck it up, carry the dead weight and turn in an assignment that I'm more happy with?

Argh. $*(#.

Aloha?

2007-12-05T10:43:00.001-05:00

Forgetting that I sunburn on a cloudy day in winter and that the listed salary is a hundred grand less than what biglaw pays, how can I not at least day dream for a moment about taking this recent job posting on the career site?

"The Honorable Joel E. August of the Circuit Court of the Second Circuit, Maui, Hawaii, is currently accepting applications for a law clerk position for the 2008-2009 term. The position is expected to open in early August of 2008 and continue for a period of one year. The Second Circuit Court is a court of general jurisdiction and conducts both felony criminal and civil jury trials, as well as judge trials, and hears related motions."

56th & 3rd will have to do for now.

Sign of the Times?

2007-12-04T11:12:00.000-05:00

When MS Word's failure to count "incentivize" as word correctly spelled irritates you and causes the software writer's intelligence to come into question, you've been in law school for way too long.

The Good Life

2007-12-03T10:13:00.000-05:00

So, I went to a party this weekend that could not have cost less than $125,000 to throw.

It would probably be more accurate to call the night an event or a gala. But what made the soiree so unbelievably decadent is that it wasn't thrown by a campaign or charitable foundation. It wasn't a night marking the union of a couple in holy matrimony. As a "+1" guest of Girlfriend, I tagged along with her to the Bat Mitzvah of the century.

In no particular order (except for maybe the last being the most amazing cost added), I present to you the Top 10 Signs of a Baller Party.

10. A duo of trumpeters, flanking the castle entrance, blares each guest's arrival,
9. Flower petals tossed at the feet of each man, woman, and child stepping into the great hall,
8. Champagne flutes on silver trays immediately ready for the taking,
7. Top shelf open bar manned by half a dozen 'tenders,
6. A ten station tour-of-the-world cocktail hour (including sushi, filet mignon carvery, lamb kebobs, strip steaks, grilled fishes),
5. Freshly handrolled cigars,
4. A play room complete with blow torched glass menagerie, virtual reality roller coaster rides, poker tables, black jack tables, and a karaoke music video machine,
3. Silk napkins (refolded upon stepping away the table), five foot vases of fresh flowers everywhere, ribbons around each dining chair, and a birthday cake that must have required blueprints,
2. The rare sighting of Chilean seabass as a dinner option,

and the number 1 sign of a baller party...

... Cancun style "shot girls" wandering around handing out booze!

Now, go forth and prosper.

Tear Down This Wall

2007-12-02T15:00:00.000-05:00

Going to Prague and Berlin from 12/31 to 1/8. Hooray for the Eastern bloc and frequent flyer miles.

To The Editor

2007-11-20T06:51:00.000-05:00

Really interesting letters to the NYT responding to a recent death penalty article today. The third one is my personal favorite.

I'd like to thank the academy and Professor Bob.

Magic In The Night

2007-11-16T19:12:00.000-05:00

Well, that was easily the best concert that I've ever been treated to in these badlands. The night busted open and the two lanes took Girlfriend and me to Albany last night. While the crowd definitely had a hungry heart for anything written pre-1990, the tunes off of the new LP were magic. Most of the night, every last person was dancing in the dark. But, for one special song, the lights came up giving her the chance to snap a pic of twenty thousand tramps born to run.

I will never miss a Boss concert (within a three hour drive) again as long as I live. It was a flat out great show. It's just hard to describe in words the level of energy brought wire to wire by a guy pushing sixty. He is the Boss. It is that simple.

Bravo.

Springsteen was one of the rare acts that crossed the generation and taste gap between Mom and me. She was definitely there in spirit and spark.

Can't Get No Satisfaction

2007-11-14T13:20:00.000-05:00

In like manner we are told again that, in Spain, when [Julius Caesar] was at leisure and was reading from the history of Alexander, he was lost in thought for a long time, and then burst into tears. His friends were astonished, and asked the reason for his tears. "Do you not think," said he, "it is matter for sorrow that while Alexander, at my age [of 33], was already king of so many peoples, I have as yet achieved no brilliant success?

- Plutarch, Lives

Greatest 80s Cheese..Ever?

2007-11-07T15:19:00.000-05:00

Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin' is the only song from the soul-glo 80s among the Top 100 downloads on iTunes. The small town girl is holding strong at No. 68.

Have the people spoken? Or is there something I'm missing here? I report. You decide.

In any event, how about a little love for the mullet?

They Paved Paradise

2007-11-05T12:58:00.000-05:00

"People have lost sight of the basic truth that housing is not an investment - it's a manufactured good. People forget that there's a lot of inflation over time and, correcting for that, variations in housing prices haven't changed for 350 years until the last decade and a half. It's obviously not a speculative market. People are just starting to wake up to this. What they still don't realize is that it's also the start of a major downtrend and, maybe, a global recession."

- Prof. Robert Shiller, to a lecture full of MBAs and me.

The Warrior Poet

2007-10-31T13:36:00.000-04:00

In the last twelve years I haven't seen one movie that rivals the cinematic perfection, storytelling excellence, or adrenaline drip of action and dialogue of Braveheart. We may never see another like it either. Some films in the genre make the attempt at epic (I'm thinking of Lord of the Rings, recent iterations of Star Wars, Alexander, or 300) and corrupt the effort with distracting use of CGI or bloodsport entirely collateral to the story arc. Others make the equally imporant attempt at a unifying narrative (now I'm thinking of Last Samurai, Gladiator, Batman Begins, or the Kill Bill volumes) and fall well short of being compelling. The film could be rereleased next week, next year, or next generation and still be #1 at the box.

Gibson's a bigoted narcissist. I get that. But, come on, William Wallace is a household name now. It was his ability to deliver a performance for the ages and an enduring classic that we'll always return to that will keep me hoping for a philosophical rebirth of the only anti Semite occupying a place in my heart.

In that vein, think you can top this effort from two years back?

Happy Halloween all!

Are You Kidding Me?

2007-10-30T22:58:00.000-04:00

So, I was thinking to myself how surprisingly substantive tonight's Democratic Primary debate was when Tim Russert asked Rep. Dennis Kucinich a question about whether he believes in UFOs.

I don't know either whether life exists on other planets, but I know it was lacking at the moment in that room.

Little Things

2007-10-22T16:34:00.000-04:00

I've often said that having a preschool teaching girlfriend in my life has been amazingly refreshing. Law school is full of serious types. It's nice to be so often reminded of a time when being lineleader was a status symbol.

With this as background, you can imagine just how important the Investment Company Act seems in the month that she welcomed Maxwell, her nephew, to the world.

Congrats to Mom, Dad, and my adorable aunt.

Anybody See 50+ Pages Of Ramble Here?

2007-10-17T17:14:00.001-04:00

In Chapman v. California, the Supreme Court first held that a federal constitutional trial error within a state criminal proceeding need not cause automatic reversal of a conviction. Should the prosecution demonstrate that the error in question was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt, Chapman declared that the verdict ought to be final and the sentence rendered legal. Yet in concluding that a conviction stained with federal constitutional blunder can still be consistent with federal constitution virtue, the ruling’s inherent paradox opened the door for coming generations to loot, pillage, and plunder the procedural protections won by the past. Much ink has been spilt in the last forty years bearing witness to this phenomenon. Little attention has been paid however to the problems that the harmless error rule and modern iterations of it pose to the wrongfully convicted individual. While adverting to the merits in employing a rule that aids Courts in efficiently dealing with technicalities, this paper attempts to detail and describe how colossal growth in the application of harmless error, substantial misreading of Chapman, and illegitimate judicial consideration of resource constraints all come at the expense of verdict accuracy. In arguing that the judiciary has come to embrace a subversive influence on constitutional values of the criminal justice system and the normative rock at its foundation – that society at large bears the cost of a false acquittal so the individual does not have to tolerate the cost of a false conviction – this paper concludes with some suggested reforms and preferred methods of implementing them.

Employed

2007-10-15T20:19:00.000-04:00

And that's the end of that. I just accepted my first "real" job offer. I'll be starting at Debevoise - business card and all - about a year from now as some sort of corporate law guy.

Say What?

2007-10-09T15:06:00.000-04:00

I was having a conversation about food today (as I very often do) when I mentioned that I'm a big fan of corned beef.

Asked whether that's because my Mom makes one home cooked, I said that it really had nothing to do with it.

Asked whether Mom cooks at all, I said that she used to try.

Asked why she doesn't try to cook any longer, I said that it's because she's tired of us complaining.

I don't know why I didn't say, well, because she died this summer. I suspect it had something to do with the pity party I suppose would have followed (and, apparently, felt like avoiding?). I thought I was coping well with being left with only her lessons and our memories. Now I'm left wondering whether it's healthier to talk and acknowledge her death in everyday contexts or to left turn around bringing the Grim Reaper up when possible.

I laugh and I smile when I think of her, but the tears do still come with some daydreams.

Slave to the Teleprompter

2007-10-08T18:54:00.000-04:00

You ever get the feeling that newsman Brian Williams doesn't give a damn about the stuff he reads?

He seems like a good guy, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the dude is an emotionless robot.

Next Stop: Nursing Home Boom?

2007-10-02T16:56:00.000-04:00

Of all the reasons to support Barack Obama, there is chiefly one that draws me into his camp: he is not a baby boomer.

Every generation gets the chance to shed the skin of the prior one. I'm ready for that renewal. I'm ready for change. He scores points for that before I become comfortable with (or he even clarifies...) his policy positions.

What's so wrong with wanting out with the old?

Will Look Hot For Food

2007-09-22T13:11:00.000-04:00

Ironic that a question about the failure of American education is addressed to one of its victims, no?

At least she qualified her potentially controversial statement "I personally believe that our education in the U.S. should help the U.S." with "personally." It's good to play to a wide audience. Still though, I wonder how in God's name South Africa or "the Iraq" find their way into this response about American students.

Deciding Not To Decide

2007-09-20T10:42:00.000-04:00

I'm not interviewing at any new firms this semester. I'm not interviewing for clerkships either. I had a surprisingly good experience working at my firm over this past summer. And yet, I haven't accepted their offer to return as a full time associate after graduation. Can anyone explain this behavior?

Road Trip

2007-09-14T11:54:00.000-04:00

Some days, you wake up and just feel like driving hundreds of miles and spending hundreds of dollars to witness a Yankee-Red Sox game with a little one.

1 Gringo and 1 Blackberry. To Go.

2007-09-07T13:50:00.000-04:00

I nearly blind sided (soon to be former) Attorney General Alberto Gonzales this morning while scrolling through messages on my cell. For this, I was thrust aside by the Department of Homeland Security and nearly run over by an FBI cruiser.

Holiday Road

2007-09-04T11:10:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since we've last engaged in this medium wherein I ramble and you click-and-peek. Let us resume this song and dance now.

The last few weeks have been, in a word, busy. But, busy in the best of all possible senses. Within the last fourteen days, I have been both to Argentina/Uruguay and moved in to a real life apartment (albeit in New Haven) with Shuli.

As great as wandering the reaches of the world was with her, it's ultimately been the never-boring-down-time of living together that's got me so positive these days. Positive about everything from being back at school to the prospect of living life without the woman that gave me life. On a more mundane level, the girl also puts all the furniture from IKEA together. What more do I possibly need? I mean, just look at those incisors.

Life at Yale and in general is beginning to feel more normal. As outgoing a person as I think I am, it's still nice to be in a place now with familiar faces. The last year of my life, between visiting Long Island and visiting a new law school, was completely surreal and unsettling. And yet, I have no regrets. I miss Mama and I miss Stanford, but life does go on. The sun will rise and set tomorrow.

Forever and a Day

2007-08-12T22:27:00.000-04:00

And now, a musical interlude.

Remembering

2007-08-10T11:57:00.001-04:00

I can actually say that Wednesday, the day of Mom's service and burial, was beautiful.

Despite a lifelong aversion to being the center of attention, it was so nice for so many to turn out for Mom. Literally standing room only, it was truly moving and extraordinarily helpful for me to see as a part of my own coping process. Speaking of her, in front of those people, wasn't easy though.

It was extremely easy.

There was so much material she produced in that amazing, purpose driven life that when I sat down after rambling for ten (?) minutes, I had a handful of stories in reserve that I wished I had retold.

Hearing others share their own stories and memories of her made that day one that I will remember warmly and for good reasons.

But, the hurt is still raw. Flashbacks of laughs shared and love doted give way easily to tears. In her house and growing up under her wings, there was never a time where either seemed to be lacking.

Loose Ends

2007-08-06T17:46:00.000-04:00

For those having inquired:

We will be celebrating her life on Wednesday, August 8th at the Bryant Funeral Home on 411 Old Town Road (Setauket, NY). Visitation will begin at 11:30 with prayer and praise to follow at 12:30. All are welcome. Dad plans to sit shiva at our house (7 Cornwallis Road, Setauket) on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, each beginning at 6:00 pm.

Many, many thanks to all reaching out and to those just taking a moment to remember the woman that she was. I'm sorry for not personally responding to each incoming message, but a lot is wearing on me right now.

Barbara Ann Carroll Lubin

2007-08-05T23:29:00.000-04:00

1.20.49 - 8.5.07

She was quite a woman; generous, kind, and loving. Until her very last breath this afternoon, she was full of courage and concern for others. Never ever one to take pity on herself, my Mom refused to even let us take pity on her.

"This is not a tragedy," she would say. The child with cancer is. The fallen soldier is. "Be happy for me when it happens." So, here we are. I'm trying really hard to be happy. But, it's because of all our beautiful and shared and personal moments that I am continually brought to tears.

The bond between Mother and son is without equal among our species. To break it now is a wound and a scar on my unwritten story.

She won't really be there to see me become a husband, a father, or a career content. Yes, in the ether her spirit and in my heart her love, she will remain. But, that's something the grieving oft tell themselves to help them move on. I can only hope it's true.

What lies ahead for my father, my brother, and me, is the unknown. I've decided to stop working with two weeks left on my stay. I'd like to think the three of us will take some of that time and do something together, something relaxing, and something hundreds of miles away. Not to forget. Not to heal. Rather, to cement the bond among a trio of men that will support each other indefinitely.

She was the formative influence in my life and a true guiding light. Mom's hand, heart, lessons, and advice have played a part in everything I have ever accomplished in this world. But, I'd like to think that the flow of help and of growth went both ways.

During my Braveheart phase, I'd find myself without warning belting out a phrase or dialogue (or multi-person scene...) from the 1995 epic. One favorite exchange of mine took place between Wallace and his second-half-of-movie love interest on the night before his execution. Feeling brave, perhaps even inspired, though his end was at hand, he told the Queen that "every man dies, not every man really lives."

Maybe that rubbed off a bit on Mama. Towards the end, when it got more painful than ever before, she told me that "[she] did it all. The only thing [she'd] wish for is more time." This woman died with no regrets (save not getting earlier detection).

We should all be so lucky.

Goodbye darling Mom. I love you.

Street Justice

2007-08-03T10:41:00.001-04:00

Revenge is a dish best served cold...

...and produced in Nike owned Malaysian sweatshops. (Hat tip: PSS)

Tiocfaidh ar La

2007-07-31T11:59:00.000-04:00

"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." - Mahatma Gandhi

Our day, one with full independence and home rule, will come.

Week 8 Wrap Up

2007-07-30T12:46:00.000-04:00

Celebrity sightings:
1) Former Gov. Cuomo (having lunch a few tables over at Le Cirque).
2) Jack Bauer, Counter-Terrorism Unit (pacing back and forth on Greenwich Ave on his cellphone. I don't think he was talking to Chloe because he wasn't speaking in an extremely loud whisper).

Lunches/Dinners on the firm:
1) Le Cirque (Bloomberg building).

Village Restaurant of the Week: Ono, 13th St & Hudson. It was a scene filled with too many people one stop away from making it rain, but the place had very respectable grilled meats and sushi.

Bar of the Week (to avoid): Sutton Place, 52nd & 2nd. I don't know how I keep ending up here. Maybe it's because I work a couple blocks away or maybe it's because I'm originally from Long Island. As a bridge-and-tunnel survivor, I pray that you believe me when I say that not ALL of us worship at the altar of greasy hair, unbuttoned (sized too small) shirts, and performance enhancing drugs.

Work related revelations:
1) August 17th is starting to seem a bit too far away as a departure date. The stock of August 10th is beginning to (just slightly) rise.
2) I was asked to work yesterday and it didn't even phase me. Bad sign?

Statistic of the week: Excluding drinking, I ate six times on Saturday: a breakfast, a lunch, a snack, a second snack, a dinner, and a third snack, you know, for good measure.

"That costs how much?" moment: $1200 (amount that one of my departing roommates convinced a college-aged banking intern to pay up for a two week sublet).

Quote of the week:
"Jon, you can come for a feel too if you want."
- Shuli's pregnant sister, to me at a moment when her Dad, Mom, husband and dog were all fighting for stomach space.

Aside: I put on a yamacha (sp?) for the first time in years (or whenever, I guess, the last time was I'd been to a Bar Mitzvah). Shuli's family does put on a mean singing-blessing-bread-breaking Friday night dinner.

Remix

2007-07-29T21:57:00.000-04:00

How do I love thee copyright infringement? Let me count the ways.

Assuming that this mixer didn't obtain permission, it seems what we have here is unlawfully derivative of some Japanese anime, Queen's 'Under Pressure,' and Vanilla's 'Ice, Ice Baby,' itself unlawfully derivative of Queen's 'Under Pressure."

Week 7 Wrap Up

2007-07-24T10:30:00.001-04:00

Celebrity sightings: None.

Lunches/Dinners on the firm:
1) Pampano (49th & 3rd).
2) Some kind of Italian/pub grub spread at Bowling night.
3) Gustavino's (59th & 1st).
4) 230 Fifth (guess) .

Village Restaurant of the Week: Alta, 10th & 6th. How did I never hear of this place? This was some of the best Spanish food I've ever had (and I've been to Spain three times).

Village Bar of the Week: Pegu Club, W. Broadway & Houston. Service was god awful, but the scene and drinks were some of the best all summer.

Work related revelations:
1) This summer, despite being the one in which I've never spent more time indoors, is going way too fast.
2) Even with that in mind, I've hit that point where the schedule of school alone makes it seem a phenomenal place to be.

Statistic of the week: 764. (i.e., Square feet in the 1 bedroom apartment that I will be sharing with Brown Eyes in September).

"That costs how much?" moment: $6 for a Black something-or-other cup of Thai tea.

Euphemism of the week:
"So, what do you do?"
"I manage mature content for a company's web page."

Aside: Get well Paul!

Warrior Poets

2007-07-22T18:34:00.000-04:00

(Night falls at Wallace's camp by the waterside. The survivors among William's men tend their wounds. Stephen brings water to Hamish, who offers it to his badly wounded father.)

Campbell: (to his son) I'm dying. Let me be.

Hamish: No, you're going to live.

Campbell: I've lived long enough to live free; proud to see you become the man you are. I'm a happy man.

Slow News Day?

2007-07-20T16:37:00.000-04:00

"There was cleavage on display Wednesday afternoon on C-SPAN2. It belonged to Sen. Hillary Clinton."

No, that's not from the New York Post, the Onion, or PerezHilton.

On what must be a very dispiriting day for the likes of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, you'll find that lede paragraph in today's Washington Post.

For the full article, titled (I swear) "Hillary Clinton's Tentative Dip Into New Neckline Territory," click here.

Week 6 Wrap Up

2007-07-16T16:02:00.000-04:00

Celebrity sightings: None.

Lunches/Dinners on the firm:
1) Angelo's (55th & 2nd)
2) Luau in Long Island City.
3) Dinner at Partner's Apartment (89th & 5th)
4) Pampano (49th & 3rd)
5) Taksim (55th & 2nd)

Village Restaurant of the Week (to avoid): Sumile, 13th & 7th. Long dinners can be enjoyable. But, not when a) it's on account of half the kitchen staff not showing up and b) the floor staff informs diners of this only after ordering and waiting for two hours.

Bar of the Week: Cibar, 17th & Irving. Fun martini lounge.

Work related revelations:
1) A lot of partners work here. A lot of recent law grads too. Not so much in between...
2) My supervising attorney here is one and the same as the Adjunct teaching a class that I'm enrolled in for the Fall.

Statistic of the summer: Over the course of the last six weeks, I've prepared one (1) dinner from scratch.

"That costs how much?" moment: $7 for one bite sized piece of chu-toro, at Sushi Yasuda.

Quote of the week:
"So are you a summer associate too?"
"No, I just made Partner actually."

Aside: How can ostensibly animal-loving people think it alright to keep and own husky sized dogs in this area code?

What I'm Thinking Today

2007-07-12T14:07:00.000-04:00

It's easy to understand that intelligent people ignorant to the lay of the law would suppose both that the questions, "where did you learn the law?" and "where did you go to law school?", would be similarly answered. Not. True.

Whoever it was that first said that you don't learn how to be a lawyer in law school was dead right. By this point in my summer, I've perfected the 'head nod in pensive reflection' move that is vital when receiving a work assignment. It's not lecture notes or textbooks that subsequently get me through each memo or draft. It's the repeated exercise of locating relevant precedent to serve as a model to build new versions of agreements and solve current problems. Law school is a play pen. If more people realized this while still in law school, maybe it wouldn't seem such a high strung race to the moon.

If programs were really trying to train lawyers, law school should be substantially, or even entirely, apprentice based. Just like it was back in Justice Jackson's day. The fact that thousands of people every year fork over three years and layer on an additional 180k of debt for a professional program that fails to provide the skill set of that profession is really startling.

But, not shocking. Young people like to meet others in kind and feel like they are doing something "productive" with their lives. Law schools like money. Law firms want to do as little of the heavy lifting in getting recruits into billing form as possible. Plus, among other reasons, it's quite a boondoggle for a profession to keep their guild exclusive by making hurdles to admission many and lofty.

So goes the cycle and the charade.

Belated Week 5 Wrap Up

2007-07-09T09:41:00.000-04:00

Celebrity sightings: None.

Lunches/Dinners on the firm:
1) Toastie's East (3rd Ave, btw 55th and 56th)
2) Haru (3rd Ave, btw 75th and 76th)
3) Nobu 57 (57th St, btw 5th and 6th)
4) Campbell Apartment (42nd & Vanderbilt)
5) Local open bar event (53rd & 2nd)

Village Restaurant of the Week (to avoid): Risotteria, Bleecker btw 6th and 7th. The place was a hotbox with forgettably small soupy portions.

Village Bar of the Week: Blind Tiger, Bleecker btw 6th and 7th. Amazing beer selection with the most interesting pub grub I've ever seen.

Work related revelations:
1) This job is great when there's less of it.
2) You can never have too many blue shirts. Especially when temperatures are sweltering...and when I still eat as neatly as a five year old.

Numbing statistic of the week: 400 minutes (or 13 innings) of 1 run Yankee baseball. But, at least I was seated in the shade and next to a never ending source of Persian entertainment.

"That costs how much?" moment: $11 for a movie ticket. I know that's a lot, but somehow it just doesn't seem like it any more.

Quote of the week: "We can confirm receipt of the $2.4 billion wire."

Aside: So she and I are squeezing five days in Buenos Aires in between New York and New Haven this August. In the rare event that anybody still reads this and the rarer event that s/he's been to Argentina, please drop me a line with any recommendations.

Ebb and Flow

2007-07-06T13:15:00.000-04:00

On Monday, I received 206 work related e-mails and spent two hours outside 919 Third Avenue.

On Tuesday, the deal closed and I left at 2 in the afternoon.

On Wednesday, I received 3 work related e-mails.

On Thursday, I went out to a 3 hour lunch at Nobu and for scotch at Campbell Apartment.

On Friday, I got my hair cut, shoes shined, and at long last the time to make the weekly open bar happy hour.

There Is No Spoon

2007-07-02T03:08:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I'm working right now. Literally. I am actually in the state of disbelief. This isn't happening. It only seems like I'm on the 45th floor of the office.

Week 4 Wrap Up

2007-06-30T20:03:00.000-04:00

Celebrity sightings: None.

Lunches/Dinners out on the firm:
1) Toastie's East (3rd Ave, btw 55th and 56th)
2) Solo (550 Madison Ave)
3) Darbar (46th St, btw Madison and Park)
4) Eleven Madison Park (guess)
5) Cafe Basil (3rd Ave, btw 48th and 49th)

Village Restaurant of the Week: Babbo, 110 Waverly Place

Village Bar of the Week: I Tre Merli, 183 W. 10th St.

Work related revelations: 1) When a concerned woman from legal recruiting calls to ask about the hours you've been putting in, it might be time to reclaim my weekends. 2) Making decent money is great, but seeing clients bank master-of-the-universe type money is unnerving.

Days left from work before 6:30: 1 (again, very sadly this doesn't include today's Saturday stretch in the office...)

Depressing statistic of the week: Mom hasn't been able to leave the room for over a week.

"That costs how much?" moment: $1500. Dinner for 6 at Eleven Madison.

Quote of the week: "Your call on the wine. But, keep it under $200 if you can." Just your average, run of the mill dinner conversation last night.

Aside: Now celebrating two (where did they go?) years of an amazing relationship with a beautiful girl. Between family and work, she's the only reason I'm able to keep a level head these days. She is a superstar.

Read All About It

2007-06-29T11:32:00.001-04:00

Working on something that made A1 of the WSJ (and somewhere deep within the NYT) is exciting, even if the headlines are that financing arrangements have twice been forced to scale back.

Okay, Now I'm REALLY a 3L

2007-06-25T10:39:00.001-04:00

Please award Jonathan Lubin Substantial Paper Credit for his work in my Spring course on Reading the Constitution.

Thanks,

aa

Week 3 Wrap Up

2007-06-23T14:13:00.000-04:00

Celebrity sightings: Mike Myers (West 4th & Charles, eating at Mary's Fish Camp)

Lunches out on the firm:
1) Sleepy Hollow Country Club (Hastings-on Hudson, N.Y.)
2) Toastie's East (3rd Ave, btw 55th and 56th)
3) Sidecar at P.J. Clarke's (55th St, btw 2nd Ave and 3rd Ave)
4) Lenny's (2nd Ave, btw 54th and 55th).
5) P.J. Clarke's (55th St, btw 2nd Ave and 3rd Ave.

Village Restaurant of the Week: Surya, 302 Bleecker St.

Village Bar of the Week: Employees Only, 510 Hudson St.

Work related revelations:
1) I'd rather be busy all day and work until 8 than have a slow, mindless day and sneak out before 6.
2) "How do you feel about coming in this weekend?" is the verbal analog to being kidney punched.
3) Spending money is very effective therapy to cope with the lingering after effects of putting in too much time at the office.

Days left from work before 6:30: 1 (and this wasn't even on Saturday's stretch in the office...)

Depressing statistic of the week: Mom hasn't been able to leave the house all week.

"That costs how much?" moment: No charge for sunglasses repair.

Random observation: The more you take the subway, the cleaner the system seems.

Aside: I've been invited to hang out separately by law school friends, college friends, and high school friends in Central Park today. How is it that all that can occur on the same day I'm pulled into work on the weekend?

She Speaks

2007-06-19T14:21:00.000-04:00

Laura Bush has an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal today. This marks the first time that I've seen her say or do anything besides stand by her man.

Week 2 Wrap Up

2007-06-16T15:32:00.000-04:00

Celebrity sightings: None

Lunches out on the firm: 1) David Burke & Donatella, 133 E. 61st St. 2) Felidia, again, 243 E. 58th St.

Village Restaurant of the Week: Sevilla, 62 Charles St.

Village Bar of the Week: Waverly Inn, 16 Bank St.

Work related revelations: 1) Yeah, I definitely (or, at least, relatively) prefer corporate law. 2) I still find it awkward to ask my Secretary to do anything for me.

Days left from work before 6:30: 1 (which was very much not on Friday).

Refreshing statistic of the week: 9 (i.e., the number of consecutive wins reeled off by the Yankees).

"That costs how much?" moment: $85 for a vintage Led Zeppelin T-shirt.

Obnoxious eavesdropping: "You don't take your dog for a swim? You must. Trust me when I say 'Dog Run NYC.'"

Weekend Travel: Heading back to LI on Sunday for Father's Day. I haven't left this area code for the last two weeks.

Office Space

2007-06-15T16:47:00.000-04:00

"We're expecting the documents sometime later this evening."
Received at 4:33 pm, Friday afternoon

Thanks, But No Thanks

2007-06-11T13:09:00.000-04:00

Someone just came into my office and asked me if I wanted a shoeshine.

Week 1 Wrap Up

2007-06-09T15:31:00.000-04:00

Celebrity sightings: Tom Brokaw (81st and 3rd), Topher Grace (twice, outside my apartment).

Lunches out on the firm: Felidia, 243 E. 58th St.

Village Restaurant of the Week: Aki, 181 W. 4th St.

Village Bar of the Week: White Horse Tavern, 567 Hudson St.

Work related revelations: 1) Drafting an appellate death penalty brief was still not enough to convince me that litigation is my legal calling. 2) I hate blackberries.

Days left from work before 6:30: 0

Refreshing statistic of the week: 0 (i.e., the number of Starbucks that I pass on the way to work).

"That costs how much?" moment: $6.50 for a bottle of Amstel Light.

Obnoxious eavesdropping: "Honey, when you return for Violet and me, can you bring around the McLaren?"

Relationship Step: Moving in with girlfriend day today.

What The

2007-06-03T17:51:00.000-04:00

Lindsay Lohan, at only 20 years old, has already survived enough "Most Shocking Moments" to fill an HOUR long show on VH1.

Not that I was watching.

It's Over

2007-06-02T08:24:00.000-04:00

As a part of the divorce settlement, Stanford wants full custody of the university e-mail address. Sigh.

"University records indicate that your University affiliation has changed, and your email, AFS home directory, Web site, and other services attached to your SUNet ID may be affected.

Here is the current status of your SUNet ID services:* Full service as student ends after 29-Sep-2007."

Fine. But, I keep the memories and the debt.

Never Say Never

2007-05-26T08:05:00.000-04:00

Dear. Lord.

What self-respecting director would sign on to this project? What competent producer might believe a return possible in this $50 million plus outlay? What semi-conscious writer could believably piece together a narrative interrupted by twenty years?

None. Stallone's quest to maintain relevance in his aging brand is so Quixotic and so desperate to cash in on any good will left remaining with the public that he's taken on nearly every controlling aspect of this project of himself.

Though Rocky VI was actually decently entertaining, I'll probably skip this one. If he can get Demolition Man 2 or Over The Top 2 foisted upon American Cinema however, I might have to eat the charge of admission out of utter bewilderment.

Humanitarian Intervention?

2007-05-25T17:32:00.001-04:00

In the last year or two, I've heard "who cares" and the "Knicks" joined in the same sentence more than the sum total in all of my other years following New York sports combined.

The solution? Hat tip to William Rhoden of the NYT:

"The N.B.A. should act like the World Bank and treat the Knicks like a developing nation. The league needs success in New York and there is only one way to achieve that: The N.B.A. has to forgive the Knicks’ debt.

Last season, the Knicks had a payroll of more than $120 million, the largest by far in the N.B.A. The Knicks are perennially so far over the league’s salary cap that it will be a long time before they can obtain the sort of transcendent player who can lead them to a championship.

The salary cap was installed nearly two decades ago as a way to prevent teams in larger markets from outspending smaller-market teams and buying up the best players. But the cap hasn’t stopped the Knicks from ill-advised spending, from habitually becoming entangled with bad contracts, flawed players and star-crossed coaches.

There is a precedent for this sort of relief. In the summer of 2005, Stern persuaded the owners to include an amnesty clause in the collective-bargaining agreement: a one-time opportunity for teams to waive one player and avoid having him count against the team’s luxury-tax calculation."

Where's Bono when you need him?

Dinner Bells

2007-05-24T15:06:00.000-04:00

Last night at dinner, Waitress warned me that I had ordered a lot of food. This isn't the first (second, or third) time either I've been so admonished. I get that I spend far more on dinners than any other component of my budget, save tuition and rent. But, I don't get the point of waitstaff making remark of it. If I earned my living skimming tips from bills, I'd be pushing the blue plate special and constantly refilling wine glasses. Maybe I'm hungry. Maybe I'm out celebrating. Maybe this is just my style.

I'm not your tender child. I sincerely promise to bulldoze through whatever you bring out here, even if I risk looking ravenous by your more modest standards. This Saturday, it's off to Nobu with Girlfriend, where the people know the look of real indulgence when they see it. She's taking me out to celebrate finishing up the semester this week.

Next time I'm at last night's restaurant, however, and assisted again by that server, I'll be ordering the Sushi-for-Two. For one.

Now Arriving: 3L

2007-05-23T15:47:00.000-04:00

Assuming that my term paper in Advanced Con Law is certified as "substantial" and making it fully through only 7 of 10 questions on a Tax final is considered "passing," I think it's high time to put all things 2L to bed.

Free at last. Until the summer gig starts at least.

And suddenly, I can see the whites of a law degree's eyes. One lap to go...

It's The Final Countdown

2007-05-13T14:10:00.000-04:00

It looks like summer and it feels like summer.

But until I actually study and take these self-scheduled Tax, First Amendment, and International Law exams, it is not summer.

Strange Changes

2007-05-07T17:09:00.000-04:00

Friends, I wish I was writing a different letter. Before it filtered out through the usual Stanford fishbowl, I wanted you to get it straight from me. I won't be returning next year.

The circumstances in my life that brought me back to the East coast still persist. I'm incredibly thankful that my Mom is still around for me. But, with her condition steadily deteriorating over the last days and months, it still feels right for me to hang back and be around for her.

Knowing what the right decision is doesn't make it any easier. I was really looking forward to returning. Worse still, I just feel selfish for wanting that at a time when my family needs me to shoulder some of the burden. I can't even imagine the enormous regret that I'd have by comparison, though, if I acted on that emotion.

So while I have to accept the opportunity to graduate close to home, it feels bittersweet doing so - bittersweet because of all the good times and laughs that were compressed into one nine month period between September 2005 and May 2006.

Anyway, congrats to the 2Ls on clearing "hump" year and the 3Ls on clearing everything. If you're around NY this summer, drop me a line.

All the best,
YLS2L

Decision Time

2007-05-06T21:54:00.000-04:00

"With Vulcan's rage the rising winds conspire,
And near our palace roll the flood with fire.
Haste, my dear father, 'tis no time to wait,
And load my shoulders with a willing freight.
Whatever befalls, your life shall be my care;
One death, or one deliverance, we will share."

Book II (Dryden Translation)

Apple of Discord

2007-05-03T23:08:00.000-04:00

The letter came this week.

The one people told me would come, but that I never expected.

To read it was both amazing and terrifying, discomforting and relieving. I've been invited to stay in these surroundings, shift from "visitor" to "transferor," and graduate here with their imprimatur.

So, what's the problem? Only that Stanford is a better fit for me and that I was really looking forward to a return. Since this turn of things, I've been struggling to figure out what makes sense here. Having spent hours in thought, I've really only gathered the following...

Why Stanford?
1. You'll spend nine beautiful months in Palo Alto with your Persian (before a few years grinding it out in the law firm trenches).
2. You get to work on death penalty and three strikes appeals for the Criminal Defense Clinic.
3. You actually feel like a part of the community and can look forward to some great times with its people.

Why Yale?
1. You get to continue spending time with Mom (and avoid the regret for not jumping at the chance to do so).

Ballot Warriors

2007-05-02T08:53:00.000-04:00

In 1314, the Scots won their freedom at the Battle of Bannockburn.

In 1707, the Scots split the sovereignty atom and crowned up with England.

In 2007, the NYT, reports:

"At the heart of the contest is a battle between the Scottish Labor Party and the Scottish Nationalist Party, once seen as a fringe party but now tipped by many political analysts and pollsters to become the biggest single party in the 129-seat Scottish Assembly. The Scottish Nationalists have promised a referendum among Scotland’s five million people on seeking independence — a move that critics say would inspire economic chaos and constitutional crisis."

...and whose supporters paint their faces blue and proudly cry "freedom" at the drop of a hat...

5/3 EDIT: Did you say constitutional crisis? Is there a Constitutional law scholar in the house?

"Two things, I think, are worth noting:

1. The geostrategic factors that existed in the 1700s, which argued strongly for British unification against the threats from the continent of Europe (especially France) have faded from view given the success of NATO and the EU at preventing intra-European shooting wars (apart from the Balkans) and trade wars

2.The decision to dissolve needs to be made by Britain as a whole, and not just a unilateral part. This was Lincoln's view, I think, and it is also myview, see ACAB first chapter last page or two.

I am delighted you are seeing connections to current events.

all best,

aa"

Quick Question. What Is This "Law" Thing?

2007-05-01T23:35:00.000-04:00

The following exchange took place in a law school class titled "Transnational Law" between a law professor and law student.

Professor: What are the most salient legal justifications when it comes to the preemptive use of force?
Student: Really. What are we doing talking about law here? What's the point?