Topsy-Turvy

Sometimes I don't believe what the world is coming to. I have to concur with Su that reality-tv just warps our perspective on life and turns us into immature, imbecilic creatures that depend on mindless television to motivate us into action. Sometimes I'm embarassed by the way I can get caught up with it too - yesterday I sat for almost an hour watching "Scott Baio is 45 and Single." I'm certain that many of my brain cells strolled to their coffins.

It was quite scary to watch footage of that pipe explosion in the city the other day. It was so eerily reminiscent of 9/11 that I had to change the channel.

Yesterday I was fortunate to reunite with my friend from college, Laura, who is starting her final year at Villanova Law. Laura and I and my former roommate Erika, whom I met Laura through, had a slight obsession with Law and Order:SVU. Many Tuesday nights were devoted to our "Chung Fiestas"; the "Chung" refers to the clanking of the jail cells heard throughout each episode. Actually, its "chung chung" because its really a double-clank. [The nerd I am, I know I know.] ANYWAY, it was so good to catch up with her on life and how its changed since law school. We had dinner at this place called "Tria." Its sort of like a Panera: famous for its breads as well as its cheeses. It was quite delicious.

Before coming to law school, I was pretty set on what fields I was disinterested in, one of which was family law. Having taken a class in Family Law however has changed my mind. Its been really fascinating to learn about all the different tensions that arise between judges and families and husbands and wives and parents and children and all the constitutional issues that erupt from those tensions. I thought it would be too raw and emotional to handle; it is, but somehow I don't think (as I had thought before) it would be impossible for me to separate myself from those emotional disputes. I think the class has also allowed me to think about Alternate Dispute Resolution, or mediation as an alternative to traditional lawyering. If only people would communicate better - baby steps! - so many issues could be resolved and stay out of the hands of a "neutral" judge that has no clue about one's life except what her lawyer's put to paper.

I'm so looking to be put this first year to rest. 1L begone! August couldn't come soon enough.