My Student Animal Legal Defense Fund Chapter hosted “National Justice for Animals Week” a few weeks ago. I put together an adorable board filled with our state’s laws on animal abuse and how to report animal abuse. Animal Legal Defense Fund also sent us a box of stickers, temporary tattoos, pens, pamphlets on animal law, and other tableting material. I also had a few fun facts about animal law on the board. Additionally, I had vegan brownies and fruit for everyone who came to our table. Lastly, my mom bought me a plush whale basket around Valentine’s Day. I had the idea that we could have people “feed the whale” (put their name , number and email address on a sheet of paper and put it into the whale) and enter for a chance to win a basket filled with vegan snacks, candy, and a vegan cookbook.
The week started off kind of rough. A lot of people think that my chapter is ridiculous. They don’t believe that animals deserve protection. Many people came to the table just to “fuss” and criticize. A lot of people focused more on the fact that the brownies were vegan than animal law, and wanted to make jokes, etc. I advised them that ALDF requires us to provide vegan food (which is totally ok with me) because be cannot be for animal rights and support animal suffering by eating animal products. We are not hypocrites! I gently redirected their attention to animal law. I think people are just uneducated about the suffering… As the week went on, so many people came to the table and said that they are vegan and were just scared to say anything for fear of being criticized. Lots of people came by to learn about animal law, even professors came by to show support! So many people signed up for the “feed the whale” giveaway and the person who won the basket was the perfect winner. She is a person who wanted more information on going vegan. She said her boyfriend was vegan and wanted to look into becoming vegan herself. I was so happy that she was our winner. She is a lovely person and I am so happy our chapter could help her on her journey. Overall, the event was turned out to be a huge success.
Next, the MPRE was the weekend after “National Justice for Animals Week”. The MPRE is the test that no one talks about. When someone says “law school” people usually know about the LSAT to get into law school and the Bar to practice law. However, no one knows anything about the MPRE. It is so important though. If you don’t pass the MPRE you cannot be admitted to practice law in whichever state that you are going to. The MPRE is the Multistate Professional Responsibility Test. It is basically a test on the law of lawyering, the law that lawyers have to follow with respect to practicing law.
I studied for months for the test; however, I do not think that I did that well. I did an online prep class, took multiple practice tests, and studied the law; however, when I got to the test, it was not really like what I had studied… Sometimes the examiner changes the test… maybe that’s what happened here… I’m pretty sure that I will have to take it again. Most law students have to take it multiple times. I will get my score in a few weeks, which is so irritating when I am just dying to know what I scored! I just want to know now. I got nervous in the test.
The actual test was administered just like the LSAT. We were allowed a ziplock bag with the essentials: keys, ID, tissues, and pencils. That’s it. Before the test began, I was talking to a girl that had already graduated from the school that I currently attend. She failed the bar and the MPRE multiple times. I got nervous about my future at that point. My head flooded with a million “what-if’s”. I tried to remind myself that her journey was her own and my journey is mine. In law school we compare ourselves so much to each other. Our heads fill with all kinds of questions: Am I doing it right?, Am I good enough?, Am I better than my classmates?, and on and on. Ultimately, none of it matters. I know I should not engage my mind in that kind of thinking because I’m the same kid that graduated high school with a bunch of D’s and was told by my eleventh grade english teacher that I would never make anything of myself. I hope I get a chance to run into her one day before I move and let her know that in spite of whatever she thought of me, I did make something of myself…
During the last day of our animal law event, one of my old professors came by and was checking out our table and began asking if I needed help obtaining an internship. I promptly told him that I didn’t need any help. He looked shocked for a minute and then asked how I was making contacts and getting internships. I began to tell him that I have been preparing for my legal career since the summer before law school. I told him how I had sent e-mails to every animal lawyer in the U.S. (and some in Canada) that I could find. I told him that I go to the animal law CLE’s to network with animal lawyers and to learn about animal laws. I told him about the spreadsheet that I keep of everyone that I have met and networked with. After all that, he looked at me and said “WOW, would you like to be part of a student panel this Saturday to speak about your law school experience and accomplishments?” I let him know that I couldn’t because I was taking the MPRE on Saturday. He then informed me that the panel discussion would take place in the afternoon. So, after I finished the MPRE, I headed home to put on a suit and headed over to my school to be part of the student panel! I am so honored to have been picked to speak to prospective law students. All these students were undergraduate students from colleges around the state. It was so strange to me to be sitting on the other side. I remember sitting in the crowd not that long ago listening to law students talk of their accomplishments and now it was my time to shine. I still can’t believe I was picked. They were so hopeful and filled with questions. It was refreshing to see them.
Anyway, the weekend after the MPRE was Barrister’s Ball!!!!! Now, I have dreamed of going to law school for as long as I can remember so that I could go to Barrister’s Ball and I finally got to go. Last year, I bought a ticket and couldn’t wait to go; however, I got the flu and was so sick that I had to miss it. This year I did get to go and be legal Cinderella for the night. I searched for dress in stores and online and couldn’t find anything that I liked and if I did find something that I liked, it was way out of my price range. Finally, a few days before the ball, just as I was getting anxious about not having a dress, I decided to make one last attempt at finding one. I headed over to Ross, go figure, and I found one! My dress was a dark purple lace with a nude underlay. It was so pretty. While there I also got a regular t-shirt dress to wear to school and a nice striped dress to wear to court.
The evening of the ball was nothing short of magical! Once I was all ready and heading out, I felt all tingly with excitement! When I arrived at the venue, I was in awe at how beautiful everything was. There were twinkle lights everywhere and the whole place was set up like a fairy tale. We were ushered in on a red carpet (the theme was the Oscars). There was thick, pearl white curtains over the windows and icey white tablecloths with gold accents over the tables. On the tables there were pretty little cakes and place settings for us all. After saying hello to my professors and friends, we all settled in at the tables and waited for the ceremony to start. Once the ceremony started, awards were given out and dinner was served. After dinner it was time for drinks and dancing. I chose not to drink that night because I had to drive home and I did have homework to do once I got home safely. However, I hung around with friends and took in the night! I even wandered into another room and found a pretty, black piano which I played a tune on. I kept thinking to myself, “You finally made it to Barrister’s Ball!”
After a while, the crowd began to thin out and I figured that my magical night, away from the stress of law school, was coming to an end. I said my goodbyes and headed home. I got home at about midnight and ended up staying up until 4:00 a.m. completing an assignment for my Criminal Procedure class. Even though I was a princess earlier, I was still a law student and the work still had to be done.
So, all that jazz (and the jillion writing assignments that I have had this semester) has been keeping me super busy. I did mention in the last blog post that I had gotten tickets to Wanderlust Festival so keep an eye out for that blog which will be posted shortly after this blog goes up. Until next time.
XOXO
Stay Fabulous,
LawGirl.