Christina Catzoela Is an Awesome Attorney
I had the privilege of meeting her in law school and becoming close friends with her when we worked together.
When she was a junior associate, she tried to help the customer of one of her law firm's clients.
She was rewarded with praise in a letter written by the customer.
Unfortunately, because the remainder of the letter was full of complaints, and it was posted to a complaints board, her name is now associated with a search result link whose title gives the opposite impression. If you read the letter, you will see that despite the author's negative opinions of the remainder of the treatment they received, they had nothing but good things to say about Ms. Catzoela.
This post serves two purposes: (1) to attempt to inject some additional explanation and positive mojo into Ms. Catzoela's Google juice. (2) to observe the effect, if any, a single blog post by me can have on a fairly low-volume search term in Google's results.
Update: Cool! Google apparently just slurps blogger posts straight into the index. Instant gratification!
Showing posts with label law school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label law school. Show all posts
March 30, 2011
July 24, 2009
Bar Exam Takers: Now is the time to Breathe
Just breathe between now and the end of the exam.
I found it helpful to read everything I could about people's actual experience taking the exam to prepare myself for the experience, so if you're interested in doing the same, the link to all my posts is here.
Just breathe between now and the end of the exam.
I found it helpful to read everything I could about people's actual experience taking the exam to prepare myself for the experience, so if you're interested in doing the same, the link to all my posts is here.
August 15, 2007
November 16, 2006
Grumpy McGrumperson on the Economics of Going to Law School
WARNING: EXTREMELY NEGATIVE CONTENT
I got an email from a recruiter today. She was looking to fill a position similar to those I held in my old life, pre-law, and must have found a VERY stale resume.
The email reminded me that I missed out on quite a bit of income to attend law school. In fact, in terms of pay per hour, I'm probably right where I started -- I'll make more as a lawyer, but I'll also work significantly more hours.
Ignore the increased hours, focus on the increased pay, add in the loans, assume I find out that I passed the bar exam tomorrow and continue in my current career, and it will still take me 7-10 years to break even, depending on the time value of money. I don't mind because I'm excited about practicing law -- I like it.
But, I don't think many people do that math before they go to law school.
The reality is, for the average liberal studies major straight out of college, missing out on the income from a $30,000-$40,000 post-undergrad job over three years (not even including raises), plus loans (which, on average, are $80,000) is a sizeable investment. That's at least $170,000. The alternative could be 3 years of a career, with a moderate social life, conservative living, investing, and possibly, a down payment on a home. Not to mention the possible background in a field that may help you land a legal job with connections to that field. If you have a specialized skillset the amount of income you are potentially giving up is even larger.
I think there aren't enough conversations about the reality of the legal market and the actual range of the pay available to people in it as well as the difficulty of finding work. I know many people who got into law for the money, only to realize the money didn't work out to be as great as they thought and they didn't even want to be lawyers. Other people get into it for the money only to realize that they aren't going to ever make the money that they thought.
Oh, and, there's the added bonus of the bar exam and possibly not being able to practice 6 months after you graduate, it might be 12 months, it might be 18 months.
Yeah, I sound like a big fat bummer on the night before California Bar Results come out. I should be more positive. But, I can't help but think that the bar wouldn't have to be such a shitty experience, nor would the pass rates need to be so low, if the people who went to law school in the first place knew what they were getting into and why they were doing it.
If some sort of dedication to the practice of law was required, perhaps a waiver stating that those applying to law school knew the practice could be low-paying and long-houred, but that they still wanted to do it. If something like that was required, there would be much less of us trying to access that stupid server tomorrow night when the verdict comes down, I'm sure of it.
All right. Enough of that. For those of us who already ran the gauntlet, let us toast ourselves. Regardless of the results tomorrow, we finished one major step on the path. And that, my friends, even if you hated every minute of it, is an accomplishment.
WARNING: EXTREMELY NEGATIVE CONTENT
I got an email from a recruiter today. She was looking to fill a position similar to those I held in my old life, pre-law, and must have found a VERY stale resume.
The email reminded me that I missed out on quite a bit of income to attend law school. In fact, in terms of pay per hour, I'm probably right where I started -- I'll make more as a lawyer, but I'll also work significantly more hours.
Ignore the increased hours, focus on the increased pay, add in the loans, assume I find out that I passed the bar exam tomorrow and continue in my current career, and it will still take me 7-10 years to break even, depending on the time value of money. I don't mind because I'm excited about practicing law -- I like it.
But, I don't think many people do that math before they go to law school.
The reality is, for the average liberal studies major straight out of college, missing out on the income from a $30,000-$40,000 post-undergrad job over three years (not even including raises), plus loans (which, on average, are $80,000) is a sizeable investment. That's at least $170,000. The alternative could be 3 years of a career, with a moderate social life, conservative living, investing, and possibly, a down payment on a home. Not to mention the possible background in a field that may help you land a legal job with connections to that field. If you have a specialized skillset the amount of income you are potentially giving up is even larger.
I think there aren't enough conversations about the reality of the legal market and the actual range of the pay available to people in it as well as the difficulty of finding work. I know many people who got into law for the money, only to realize the money didn't work out to be as great as they thought and they didn't even want to be lawyers. Other people get into it for the money only to realize that they aren't going to ever make the money that they thought.
Oh, and, there's the added bonus of the bar exam and possibly not being able to practice 6 months after you graduate, it might be 12 months, it might be 18 months.
Yeah, I sound like a big fat bummer on the night before California Bar Results come out. I should be more positive. But, I can't help but think that the bar wouldn't have to be such a shitty experience, nor would the pass rates need to be so low, if the people who went to law school in the first place knew what they were getting into and why they were doing it.
If some sort of dedication to the practice of law was required, perhaps a waiver stating that those applying to law school knew the practice could be low-paying and long-houred, but that they still wanted to do it. If something like that was required, there would be much less of us trying to access that stupid server tomorrow night when the verdict comes down, I'm sure of it.
All right. Enough of that. For those of us who already ran the gauntlet, let us toast ourselves. Regardless of the results tomorrow, we finished one major step on the path. And that, my friends, even if you hated every minute of it, is an accomplishment.
June 23, 2003
Supreme Court UMich Admissions Decision
Jurist reports that the UMich affirmative action decisions are now available. The Law School Opinion, where the law school's affirmative action policy was ruled constitutional by 5-4 is 95 pages. The Undergraduate School Opinion where the University of Michigan's college of Letters, Arts, and Sciences point-based admissions policy was struck down by a 6-3 vote is 68 pages.
A friend of mine, D, just graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and was one of the authors of the amicus brief that the law school submitted. While she obviously had an opinion, she was receptive to my concerns that the point system was too blatant and seemed somehow unfair. Each time that she and I discussed the issue, we both agreed that it's an ugly problem with no easy answers. Someone is going to be left out. Choosing that someone is never an easy thing. We both believe that people who claim that it's a simple problem with an obvious solution are blind to, ignoring, or just not aware of some of the important points.
I am happy that by the numbers, it appears the the Justices understand the complexity of the problem and didn't find it easy to make a unanimous decision in either case. I think I want to live in a world that allows for moderate preferences based on socio-economic disadvantages. Defining moderate is the problem. The UMich point system seemed to go to far, in my opinion. But, from what I understood about the law school's policy, I'm not certain that it was bad or good policy. I believe that if it's not obviously bad policy (again, difficult to define), we should leave it to the educational systems, employers, etc. to offer moderately preferential treatment to socio-economically disadvantaged people as they chose. In short, I think I'm happy about today's decisions. But, I need to read the opinions in full before I can completely commit to that statement.
Jurist reports that the UMich affirmative action decisions are now available. The Law School Opinion, where the law school's affirmative action policy was ruled constitutional by 5-4 is 95 pages. The Undergraduate School Opinion where the University of Michigan's college of Letters, Arts, and Sciences point-based admissions policy was struck down by a 6-3 vote is 68 pages.
A friend of mine, D, just graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and was one of the authors of the amicus brief that the law school submitted. While she obviously had an opinion, she was receptive to my concerns that the point system was too blatant and seemed somehow unfair. Each time that she and I discussed the issue, we both agreed that it's an ugly problem with no easy answers. Someone is going to be left out. Choosing that someone is never an easy thing. We both believe that people who claim that it's a simple problem with an obvious solution are blind to, ignoring, or just not aware of some of the important points.
I am happy that by the numbers, it appears the the Justices understand the complexity of the problem and didn't find it easy to make a unanimous decision in either case. I think I want to live in a world that allows for moderate preferences based on socio-economic disadvantages. Defining moderate is the problem. The UMich point system seemed to go to far, in my opinion. But, from what I understood about the law school's policy, I'm not certain that it was bad or good policy. I believe that if it's not obviously bad policy (again, difficult to define), we should leave it to the educational systems, employers, etc. to offer moderately preferential treatment to socio-economically disadvantaged people as they chose. In short, I think I'm happy about today's decisions. But, I need to read the opinions in full before I can completely commit to that statement.
May 14, 2003
How it all started
I was laid off from my dot-com in 2001. In hindsight, they did me a favor because I was too lame to quit, but I was pretty sick of it and considering going back to school. Needless to say, getting laid off was not the end of the world.
Of course, they had to do the layoffs on November 15th, 2001 (1st or 15th of the month, Friday, executives in town, all-hands meeting, I can see the warning signs a mile away these days). And, of course, the last day to register for the December 2001 LSAT was November 14th. So, I had to decide between only applying to schools that would accept the February test for the class of 2005, or waiting until Fall of 2002 to apply to the class of 2006. I took the February test, got a new job and
joined the hordes that applied for the class of 2006.
From November of 2002 until mid-february of 2003 I received the usual mixture of letters for an overachiever competing amongst my peers--some fat letters, and some thin ones. Like most people applying this year, I was disappointed.
But, I did get in to one of my "I-will-go-there" schools and will be commencing my studies there in the fall. These days, I read student blawgs, work, try to enjoy the last few months of having a regular paycheck, attempt to revel in my freedom, enjoy my social life, and try very hard to do all of the other things that I am guaranteed to miss horribly.
Back to the point: Lately, my days keep me where lady luck saw fit to place me--she smiled greatly upon me after multiple dot-com failures and I managed to get a position doing some semblance of legal work prior to attending law school. I suppose I have my Engineering background and the fact that I'm only allowed near projects where the gritty technical details outnumber the legal details to thank for that.
I think that covers the basics of how I joined the masses of legal people with digital soapboxes.
From the 1-L blogs I read, I am aware that I shouldn't be looking forward to school with much enthusiasm. But, I can't help it--I wish classes were starting now. I'm certain I will curse this post in the future...
So, now that I've successfully procrastinated, I should finish that which I'm avoiding...making dinner, fixing a friend's website, and deciding whether or not opening a bottle of wine is a good idea (I write this because I imagine that the hilarity of what I consider worth avoiding today will amuse me come August/September).
I was laid off from my dot-com in 2001. In hindsight, they did me a favor because I was too lame to quit, but I was pretty sick of it and considering going back to school. Needless to say, getting laid off was not the end of the world.
Of course, they had to do the layoffs on November 15th, 2001 (1st or 15th of the month, Friday, executives in town, all-hands meeting, I can see the warning signs a mile away these days). And, of course, the last day to register for the December 2001 LSAT was November 14th. So, I had to decide between only applying to schools that would accept the February test for the class of 2005, or waiting until Fall of 2002 to apply to the class of 2006. I took the February test, got a new job and
joined the hordes that applied for the class of 2006.
From November of 2002 until mid-february of 2003 I received the usual mixture of letters for an overachiever competing amongst my peers--some fat letters, and some thin ones. Like most people applying this year, I was disappointed.
But, I did get in to one of my "I-will-go-there" schools and will be commencing my studies there in the fall. These days, I read student blawgs, work, try to enjoy the last few months of having a regular paycheck, attempt to revel in my freedom, enjoy my social life, and try very hard to do all of the other things that I am guaranteed to miss horribly.
Back to the point: Lately, my days keep me where lady luck saw fit to place me--she smiled greatly upon me after multiple dot-com failures and I managed to get a position doing some semblance of legal work prior to attending law school. I suppose I have my Engineering background and the fact that I'm only allowed near projects where the gritty technical details outnumber the legal details to thank for that.
I think that covers the basics of how I joined the masses of legal people with digital soapboxes.
From the 1-L blogs I read, I am aware that I shouldn't be looking forward to school with much enthusiasm. But, I can't help it--I wish classes were starting now. I'm certain I will curse this post in the future...
So, now that I've successfully procrastinated, I should finish that which I'm avoiding...making dinner, fixing a friend's website, and deciding whether or not opening a bottle of wine is a good idea (I write this because I imagine that the hilarity of what I consider worth avoiding today will amuse me come August/September).
It seems fitting that the day SuaSponte is done with her 1L year is the day I should begin my blog.
I've been lurking at her site for quite some time, hungrily gobbling every useful morsel of information that she can offer that will prepare me. In the process, I feel as if I've gotten to know her and I've been inspired to start my own blog. Ostensibly, I'm doing it for the next generation of 1Ls-to-be since I'll be starting my 1L year in August. But really, I'm probably just like all the other blawgers, I love to "hear" myself talk.
I put off starting the blog for several months--mainly because I was busy, but also because I couldn't figure out what level of anonymity I wanted to maintain. I even went so far as to download a few blogging packages to my server. One part of me says, "Just take credit for it. It's not like it's possible to maintain the ruse of anonymity when you start talking about details of your life." Another voice reminds me, "You should try to be slightly anonymous. You aren't certain you want to be outed."
Voice #2 won. There's a choice left if I start annonymous. Besides, as the title of my blog should hint, I'm a known sufferer of foot-in-mouth disease. I pay for it enough in the real world. I think I'll enjoy my freedom here.
The rest of the story will arrive in time.
I've been lurking at her site for quite some time, hungrily gobbling every useful morsel of information that she can offer that will prepare me. In the process, I feel as if I've gotten to know her and I've been inspired to start my own blog. Ostensibly, I'm doing it for the next generation of 1Ls-to-be since I'll be starting my 1L year in August. But really, I'm probably just like all the other blawgers, I love to "hear" myself talk.
I put off starting the blog for several months--mainly because I was busy, but also because I couldn't figure out what level of anonymity I wanted to maintain. I even went so far as to download a few blogging packages to my server. One part of me says, "Just take credit for it. It's not like it's possible to maintain the ruse of anonymity when you start talking about details of your life." Another voice reminds me, "You should try to be slightly anonymous. You aren't certain you want to be outed."
Voice #2 won. There's a choice left if I start annonymous. Besides, as the title of my blog should hint, I'm a known sufferer of foot-in-mouth disease. I pay for it enough in the real world. I think I'll enjoy my freedom here.
The rest of the story will arrive in time.
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