January 12 already? and Miscellaneous News

I don't how this happens, but somehow it's January 12 already, and I'm getting ready for a new semester to start (next Tuesday, January 20). I kind of dread going back, as always, but this time I'm going to do what I can to change that attitude. I have some ideas up my sleeve...

So it's been awhile since I've blogged about anything substantial, other than re-posting a news story. I figured it's time for an update on me. Me, me, me, me, me! ;) I'm guessing not a lot of people read my blog anymore, since there hasn't been much to read, and I'm also guessing that most of you know what's up with me, so a lot of this will be obvious, but just to get it out there...

Me and 1 1/2 years' worth of law books

I'm officially halfway done with my J.D. Law school is 3 years long, I have done a year and a half, so I have a year and a half to go. I'm "half a lawyer." Some things about it have been exactly as I expected, whereas other things have been completely different. I expected it to be competitive; it has been. I expected it to be difficult and overwhelming; it has been. But I also kind of thought I would just somehow really excel and end up with my dream job by the beginning of my second year; that has not happened. I came out of the first semester in a pretty competitive position grades-wise, thanks to a surprise A+. But I didn't do as well the second semester. I did a little more average on the whole. At the end of my first year, I was in a pretty good, but not super competitive, position. First year grades are very important, because interviewing for second-year summer jobs happens in August right before the second year starts. So that obviously happened this past August. I did get some of those interviews, but I didn't get a job out of it. In reality, few people in the class will get jobs through that process (called on-campus interviewing - OCI)...but I was hoping I was going to be one of them. The jobs interviewed for in OCI are the most prestigious and highly paid, and they almost always turn into full-time after-graduation positions. I'm not saying that's the type of job I would want for the long term, but it is a way to get great training and get your loans paid off quickly - and then you can go wherever you want from there. Anyway, as I've said, that didn't happen for me. I trust that God has a plan. I don't know what it is yet, but I'm excited for it...but at the same time, I can't help thinking that if I just would have worked harder, I could have gotten one of those jobs...I know there's something wrong with that way of thinking, but I haven't been able to figure out exactly what...just being honest. :)

So I'm currently job-searching. I do need to find a really great job for this summer - preferably one that has potential for after-graduation employment. People usually ask me what area of law I want to practice. I still really don't know. I kind of thought I would be able to cop out if I got one of the "BigLaw" jobs (the ones I mentioned earlier), because they have certain areas of practice, and you just rotate through those groups and figure out what you like best. Now I feel like I have to really figure out what I want to do so that my search can be a little more focused. So, as for my practice interests: constitutional law is really why I went to law school in the first place. I was a political science major as an undergrad, and First Amendment issues really attracted me. However, you can't just get a job at a Minneapolis firm doing "First Amendment work." The kind of stuff that interests me is done by, for example, the Alliance Defense Fund or the American Center for Law and Justice - or for that matter, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), although I'd obviously be fighting them, not working for them. ;) I just don't see myself doing that right out of law school. I'd like to get some law firm experience first (and pay off my loans before I start working for a non-profit!). So I need to find a practice area that private firms do that interests me and that I can get into...and I don't really know what that is. One other area that I know I'm interested in is international trade. There are opportunities for lawyers in international trade both in the U.S. government (e.g. the Department of Commerce) or in private firms...but all of that is done in either D.C. or New York...I don't know 1) if I would be able to get any of those jobs or 2) whether I would be willing to move if I did get one. My immediate action plan on the job searching front is to apply for all of the U.S. government positions that look interesting (it's too late for the private firms that have international trade practice areas) and to also pursue as many opportunities as possible with all of the Minneapolis-based firms that haven't done their hiring yet. I'd really like some direction from God right now, though...

Quick footnote: I don't know that working for a non-profit doing First Amendment work is my ultimate goal - I may never do that full-time. I don't know that I am called to that. It's just an area of interest, just an idea. I think getting some experience will help me figure out where I'm going...and again, I know God will be guiding me. Ultimately, the only thing I want for my life is His will. But I still have to take some concrete steps while I wait for the guidance.

One more thing about last year is that I ended up working over the summer as a law clerk to a solo practitioner...that was great! I was able to get some income (!) and get practical experience. It was a very helpful experience for a first-year law student. However, I am aiming for a bigger firm job for this summer. I also did research for a professor over the summer, which was both a rewarding and difficult experience.

One final thing about law school, since people might be wondering: how did this semester's finals go? Well, it was harder than either of the first 2 sets of finals, because I had finals 3 days in a row (and then the fourth one the next week). It was really quite exhausting - the most exhausting set of finals yet. I thought the first one went the best, the second the next best, and so on in descending order, strangely enough. I've only gotten one of my grades back (for the one I thought I did the best on), and I honestly was not too impressed with it! So I'm hoping I did better than I think on the other ones. Either way, I can't change it now, so I just want to focus on gearing up for this new semester.

OK, I know this post is already getting long, but what can I say? It's all been pent up inside for so long! :) Switching gears from the law school stuff, I wanted to give a brief report on the onething conference.


The focus of the conference was, as Mike Bickle words it, "the coming eschatological revolution," which refers to Jesus coming back to the earth to overthrow all of its governments (every single one!) and setting up His kingdom. So we talked about the book of Revelation. We basically got a broad overview of the sequence of events, went into detail on some of them, and talked about the signs of the times and the church's place in these end-of-the-age events. The point of the conference wasn't to do a comprehensive study of the book (not enough time), but to awaken people's hearts to the reality of what is in this book and get them stirred up to study it. I came away from the conference with two life-changing revelations (no pun intended):

1) We are in the end-times. Jesus said that although no one would know the day or the hour of His return (Matthew 24:36), we would and should KNOW the season (Luke 21:31). We do need to be ready. A lot of people will be offended over Jesus when He comes. I don't want to be one of them. I've had a desire for a long time to understand the times (Jeremiah 23:20; Daniel 1:4; 1 Chronicles 12:32) so that I could equip others, but although I've believed for awhile that we were in the end-times, somehow Revelation and end-time prophecy in general has always seemed foggy and confusing. But the reality is that it's not too confusing, and it's not just for Bible scholars. We can all read it, and we will understand it (Jeremiah 23:20), as the Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and revelation. So I'm excited to study and understand it.

2) The best part of the conference: a renewed passion, zeal, fire for Jesus. A deeper hunger. The realization (again, and in a deeper way) that He is BEAUTIFUL. He is worthy. He is holy. He is the Bridegroom, Judge, and King, and there is no end to His majesty. My words are inadequate to describe it, so I'm going to stop there, but if you've seen Him, you know what I mean...God met me and touched my heart. I didn't have to be at the onething conference for Him to encounter me, but that's where He chose to meet me this time, and as a result, I have a renewed and deeper hunger for Him. So praise Him!

That's all for now.