A Casual Update - Of Sorts, August 30, 2007

With guns-a-blazing, I walked into my criminal law professor's office. I was ready to take on the world. My soliloquy was rehearsed, my verbalizations were profound and professional. I was in the zone.

It turns out that there was perhaps a message in her thrashing of me yesterday. She relayed that message so well that the professor's office has been packed with students worried about how they brief cases.

When I gave across my rationale for my briefing of facts, her response was "I never said you were wrong, my point was that you have to know ALL the facts of a case. Every detail is important, even if it isn't important to the outcome. In law school we expect a higher comprehension of reading." All I could say was: "Will do."

I was shut down.

I attempted to give her my views on the issues, holding and ultimate ruling of the court in the case, with my rationalization and intuition. With my pride at stake, yet again, I waited with high intensity. I needed validation. All the professor could do was nod her head and say: "We are not done with the case. We will see in class if you are correct."

The woman is the devil. And, it seems, I have made friends with the devil. She assured me that it was just a fluke that she called on me first. She told me not to worry, that it would be a while before I would be called on again. I cut the professor short and said, "Now that is a shame. I now know what you want. I am prepared." Her response was, "Mr. 'H', there are 130 students in class. I need to get to others." I said, "Yes, but how many of them WANT to be called on? I challenge you to call on me." The professor smiled and said, "Well, then raise your hand." I said, "Look for my hand, cause it will be there. I await my next chance on the spot." With that, she changed the subject.

I know that I procure a bit of brown on my nose every once in a while. It worked as an undergraduate student. There is nothing better than having a professor on your side. When a professor wants to see you do well, you usually do well. Why not use a little of that in law school? Michelle makes fun of me, but I told her that she could ride my coat-tails when the payoff comes in for me.

I research my professors. I want to know them before I go into class. If the professor is a Mets fan, as one of mine is, I make sure he knows I am a Dodgers fan, and I start a friendly rivalry. I was asked to go to his office hours. I am sure it is to rub in the fact that the Mets won 2 of 3 against the Dodgers last week.

Anyways, my criminal law professor wrote a somewhat famous article on Mens Rea and the Anatomy of a Rape. I have wanted to start the men's peer education group at Hofstra equal to that of the one I was in at USC. I need an adviser.

The professor loved the idea. In fact, the words used were "necessary and brilliant". She has already started to do some of the foot work for it on the committee on which she sits at Hofstra. Imagine that, a professor doing some work for me.

She is poignantly brilliant, engaging and very approachable. This class is something I look forward to on many levels. I was scared that, like so many attorneys I know, 1L criminal law would scare me away from the field. As luck would have it, I get along with the professor.

Never mind my incredible luck of literally getting picked out randomly on a roll-call list.

I guess I am that good. Perhaps that, and because of Hess Gas, people see my name, and never forget it.

More later. I look forward to class in two hours.

The time has come! Analysis is my game. Redemption will be mine.