Hi, it’s me again! I have officially given up on blogging during law school. I promise it isn’t forever, and I have good reasons! It’s just until after I graduate and have balance back in my life. Fortunately, it is officially summer break, and I am totally thriving 🙂
So what have been up to in my long absence? School and my health have taken up about 99% of my energy, and that is about as boring as my life has become at this point. Some highlights have definitely been traveling to Italy, Israel, and Palestine. I even took a local trip to Monterey and Carmel around Labor Day. I promise blog posts about all of these places are coming. They will be posted embarrassingly late, but I want to include them here because my trips have most certainly been the highlight of law school. However, I can break down the past two years like this:
1L Year
1L was full of disillusionment. I came to San Francisco hopeful that I would enjoy this next chapter of my life, and even find my new home. I left LA in a weird place that I’m sure many recent grads can relate to, and the pandemic definitely did not help with that. I was wide eyed and bushy tailed when I got to San Francisco. I was hopeful that the highly educated and free spirited Bay Area culture would make SF feel life home…oh how wrong I was. I very quickly learned that San Francisco is an extremely broken city that is only going further and further downhill. The general population is extremely cranky and judgmental, and the social cliques of law school make me feel like I’m back in high school. This toxic culture of law school meant that I spent my entire first year completely alone. I had no friends because I couldn’t find anyone I felt comfortable being myself around without judgment and criticism.
1L Summer
I knew I needed to leave the city for the summer, so I decided to spend the summer with my parents in Texas. I never thought I would voluntarily spend another semi-long-term stint in Texas after quarantine during the pandemic, but I knew it was the right move. Living with my parents was the best way to recharge my batteries. It felt good to let my guard down, knowing that there was someone to take care of me a little bit. After not taking care of myself during my first year of law school (I did my best…), it was the perfect way to give me back my spark. I really did not notice how much I needed to heal until I finally started feeling better, both physically and emotionally. However, I also got amazing legal experience in Texas while I was there for the summer. I spent a summer in construction law working for a general contractor in Dallas and doing a bit of appellate law remotely on the side under an amazing attorney. I am incredibly grateful for my mentors for not only confirming my law school experience, but also for giving me a look at what it is like to work as a practicing attorney after I graduate.
2L Year
2L was already off to a much better start. I was feeling like myself again, and I had only one goal: graduate. My amazing summer experiences made me realize that I chose the right career, but I will just have to grit my teeth and bear law school until it’s over. I absolutely loved working over the summer and being able to have some work-life balance that law school has absolutely no respect for. It showed me that if I can just power through law school and make it to graduation, that my life as an attorney will be so much better than my life as a law student. Even better, I made some amazing friends during 2L! One of my besties from college grew up about 30 minutes from the city, and a lot of his friends came back to the Bay Area after college. They adopted me into their group of friends, and I can single-handedly thank them for making me feel less lonely. I know for a fact that I have found some life long friends <3
However, 2L wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. I was more jaded than ever, and incredibly envious of all the 3Ls graduating. 2L moved incredibly slow, and I didn’t think it would end. I knew 1L was rough, but I didn’t expect to be even sadder and more exhausted during 2L. Most of my feelings were rooted in good reasons though:
(1) I am sick of paying to work. I want a paycheck for all the crap that I do. I feel too old and too educated to be paying to work.
(2) Aside from my new friends, I still hate living in the Bay Area. I’m just a Southern California girl through and through. I miss being able to go about my business and express my opinions without being scared that someone is going to eviscerate me. I took a few trips to LA over the school year, and it showed me how homesick I really am. I miss being able to run errands easily and just throw things in the car and have warm, sunny weather. I knew I was lucky growing up but living elsewhere for law school has made me extra appreciative of home.
(3) I miss my family. I see my parents pretty frequently given the distance, but I haven’t seen my extended family since before I started law school. I miss seeing my little cousins grow up, having wine with my aunt and uncle, and going to Thanksgiving dinner.
So what’s next?
I’m spending my summer in LA as a law clerk for a fantastic firm! I am so excited to be able to work in the law firm environment and learn more about how to be a litigator. I never thought I would want to be a litigator. I always thought I would do transactional law, but it turns out I like crafting an argument and really sinking my teeth into a case. Even doc review is a great sorting exercise or scavenger hunt. Coming back to LA was my top priority for the summer because I plan on moving back after I graduate. I just finished my first week of work, and I absolutely love my office and the amazing attorneys I’ve been able to learn from. I have so much more energy again now that I’m happy. I am excited to work, go to the gym, cook, and enjoy the balance I have back in my life. I by the end of the summer, I hope to maybe shoot some new workwear content for the blog! I am always so much happier and more motivated in LA, and it feels absolutely amazing to be my old self again.
Stay tuned for more posts!
xx
Emily
