Time Flies

Today one of the Deans of the law school had a really nice bbq at his house to welcome the newly admitted Asian students. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we learned that Deans have really nice houses in Maryland suburbs.

As the incoming students asked me and other current students questions about law school, it felt like yesterday when I was equally excited and nervous about starting my own first year. I remember having their same thoughts-- being worried about finding housing, anxious to see my schedule, intimidated by other incoming students who seemed like they knew so much more.

It's amazing how quickly you climb up the totem pole in law school. Especially after first year, the "hard year," you're usually considered an expert of all things law school. I don't think I know that much about being a lawyer but I have figured out the whole law school world. And I feel like before I know it, I'll be a 3L trying to figure out job stuff. That's scary.

Friday Fun

A random assortment of goodness today in no particular order:

• Knocked Up- go see it, very funny. (And it's even better when you get to use the free movie tickets your mom sent you).
  
• The Supreme Court unexpectedly granting cert in Guantanamo cases, getting kudos from the office lawyers for catching this before the news reporting it, and getting to help write the amicus brief for the case.
• Not crowded Friday metros.
  
• The sangria at Ella's Wood Fire Pizza during Happy Hour. Their pizza is also pretty good, but the sangria is a must.
  
• Surprisingly running into friend who is moving away for a few months and getting to say an official goodbye.
  
• A fresh coat of red nail polish on my toes.
• Office bonding at our lunch social.
  
• Figuring out the very last word in the crossword puzzle the office interns were working on.
• Post-thunderstorm climate that is less humid.
  

Scotomaphobia

Between my vivid imagination and weird phobias (ie: ferns, baby corn), I have this mini-fear of getting kidnapped and being at a severe disadvantage from escaping because my contacts will dry up and I won't be able to see. The closest term I could find for it was scotomaphobia- fear of blindness in visual field.

I just thought of this again because at the luncheon our office was at, we somehow started talking about eye issues and everything eye doctors do to you. The glaucoma eye puff tests (that takes 5x for me because I always flinch), the eye dilations, the black flashy dot test, the metal rod poking your eye to measure pressure, the occassional mean eye doctor that yells at you. And as I went to finally pick up my contacts today after playing phone-tag with the new eye doctor's office for over a week, I thought about all the hassle we have to go through because of our bad vision.

I have decided that the best way to get rid of my weird fear and hassle of contacts/glasses is to get a job with a salary high enough to get lasik surgery, especially since my eyesight will probably be horrible by the time I graduate. And don't ask me why I have less fear of someone shooting a laser in my eye than getting kidnapped and not being able to escape because of my poor eyesight. I know I have illogical phobias.

Dead Man Walking

Working in DC, I've met really interesting and even famous people. Today, I sat by a man who had been on death row. He is also the first man to be released from death row and exonerated thanks to DNA evidence.

That man, Kirk Bloodsworth, came in today to talk to about 15 interns from my organization and some other public interest organizations. A former marine and fisherman with no criminal record, Kirk was sentenced to death for the rape and brutal murder of a little girl even though his hair color, height, and weight didn't match eye witness accounts.

All of us listened in horror as Kirk described how he was assaulted everyday on death row by other inmates because of what they thought he did to a little girl. They would try to flood his cell with sewage from their toilets and throw a bag of batteries at him, cracking his skull.

After eight years on jail, Kirk was exonerated by DNA evidence. Though he was free, a lot of people still thought he was the killer and he received threats and harassment. It wasn't until 2003, 18 years after Kirk was convicted, did they find out that another man did it. In fact, the real killer was housed in the same jail as Kirk for another crime, even lifted weights with Kirk. (A more detailed narrative about everything can be found here.)

I think one of the most amazing things was that after everything that Kirk has been through, he's still passionately trying to fix the system. Most people would probably have no hope or want to move on in their lives. The head of the Justice Project, an organization Kirk works with now, told us that everyone has stories or hears stories. But it's what we do with those stories that matters. Another good lesson over lunch.

Political Activist-ing

In DC
Although I'm not usually the protesting type, I went to a rally today to restore habeas corpus to Guantanamo detainees in front of the Capitol with my office. Some of us debated whether to stand out in the sun at noon on one of the hottest and most humid days in DC, but I figured we could roast for a little bit for people who are in worse conditions at Guantanamo.

Even though it was pretty unbearable outside, there was a great lineup of speakers revving up the crowd of people who go lobby their senators and congress members after the rally. Just a few of the many speakers included members of Congress, to comedian Greg Proops from Whose Line is it Anyway, Reverend Yearwood from the Hip Hop Caucus (he was amazing!), the ACLU and American Conservative Union, a rabbi, a priest, a muslim leader, etc. It almost sounds like the opening of a joke about people walking into a bar.

However, the most powerful speaker at the event was Sister Diana Ortiz, a teacher who was held in captivity in Guatamala without the opportunity to see a lawyer. She spoke about how one of the guards made her strip down, dance with him, burned cigarettes on her breasts, and urinated on her. Intense.

In LA
In other political action, I have also apparently gotten involved in Los Angeles politics unintentionally and unknowingly. Apparently they are trying to recall City Coucilman Jack Weiss. My friend messaged me and mentioned that the Recall Weiss website had a quote made by me on their website. (click below for a bigger image of the screenshot)

I wasn't sure if it was funnier that these people took my 2005 quote off the Daily Bruin webpage or that they just called me "Doan." "UCLA student" would have worked, among many other things, but I guess I can pretend to be someone famous enough to be identified by a single name...like Bono or something.

Bong Hits 4 Jesus: D-Day

While most constitutional scholars/nerds have been waiting for the school segregation, campaign finance, and death penalty cases to come down, I've been waiting for 'Bong Hits 4 Jesus." Today was decision day.

Last December I wrote about the Supreme Court taking this case here. Then this case was the subject of our "write on" competition to get onto law review. I captured my moments of insanity from that experience here, and did a recap of the case here, predicting and hoping that the student holding the 'bong hits 4 Jesus' sign would win.

So, it would only be fitting that I provide some closure and sadly report that the Court ruled 6-3 against the student today, allowing schools to have more control over student speech. (Court Tightens Limits on Student Speech). Although I can't say that I'm surprised, I am bummed. Like I said in a previous post, I don't advocate drugs but I do advocate free speech. I know people on both sides of the aisles that don't agree with this holding, particularly people who poured through 500 pages of material of this case for write-on and know a fair amount of legal background on the issue. Plus any win for former Special Prosecutor Ken Starr (pictured right with a bong) can't be good.

The little little comfort that I have is that Alito's concurrence narrows this ruling only applies to advocacy of illegal drug use. Much to Justice Thomas' sadness, political speech would still be protected in schools, even political messages about drugs.

In a happier verdict, a Court Rules for Cleaners in $54 Million Pants Suit. A ridiculous case about a judge, yes a judge, who sued his drycleaners for $54 million because he claims they lost his pants. Though it is hard to feel any sympathy for a man who wouldn't take the thousands of dollars the dry cleaner's offered in a settlement and instead racked up so much litigation the cleaners thought about moving back to Korea, you know that this judge has serious issues (probably even beyond his divorce, as many people suspect). In the end, I'm still glad that the dry cleaners won and hope that this judge won't be hearing cases anymore.

Summer Favorites

It's funny how I can be living in the same place and have a completely different lifestyle than I had just over a month ago. Even if it is humid, it's amazing how much more pleasant life over on the East Coast is with a little more sun and a whole lot less school work. Here's what I am up to this summer, in threes since I always list things that way.

• Reading: A Thousand Splendid Suns, Newsweek, A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain is on que
  
• Reading Online: Slate & Politico & SCOTUSblog
• News I'm follwing: 2008 Election, Gaza, $54 million pant lawsuit
  
• Watching: Saved by the Bell before work, Top Chef, Food Network Star
• Doing after work: Swimming, Happy Hour'ing, going to my externship class
• Doing on weekends: Going to BBQ Battles, sleeping in as much as I can, pretending to work on my law review stuff
• Wearing: Bright colors, lots of skirts, heels alternating with flip flops
• Eating: Off the vine tomatoes, fuji apples, berries (since fresh produce is finally decent over here during the summer)
• Listening to: new Maroon 5 album, Ace of Base, the mix Chandana made me for my birthday party while I am at the gym