Be prepared.

As I get ready for the first day of my 3L year and contemplate the work that lies ahead, I'm reminded that the habits I develop now will likely dictate what kind of lawyer I will be. Everyone says this is the year they'll bore me to death, but I'm like a giddy little school girl with excitement to get this semester underway. The goal I've sought for more than a decade now seems within reach!



At the top of my list of tools gleaned from this summer's experience is preparation. There was one attorney I observed with utter disbelief. On more than one occasion he came to the table completely unprepared. I realize I am in no position to criticize those who are out there doing this difficult work day in and day out, but it forced me to think about the ramifications. It made me cringe at what a miserable dread I would have if I went to court that way.



Let's face it: during 1L year most of us read for class out of fear. We neither wanted to look like an idiot in front of 80 of our newest friends, nor to lose whatever discretionary points might be up for grabs from our professors. I've heard that many people stop reading during 2L year, partly because they're so busy with extracurricular activities and partly because the Socratic pressure is far less intense. Personally, I never stopped reading, almost entirely because I hated the feeling of being unprepared.



(As an aside, I'm also the person who was waiting at the side door of Robertson Hall for the light to turn green at 7:00 every morning 1L year, and I'm generally the first person seated in every class. Admittedly, this is part of my OCD nature.)



After watching that unprepared attorney this summer--the angst he exuded and the disdain he received from judges--I don't ever want to feel that way in court. Even worse than drawing the ire of the judge, I can't imagine failing in that way when my client's liberty is on the line. I know there will be a steep learning curve as a new attorney, but preparation is one thing that is completely within my control.



I remember during LARW being frustrated at the quantity of time I was stuck in the library doing those research exercises right before 1L fall finals. As I was begrudgingly trudging around the library, I was smacked with this thought: "The work you're doing now will bless your future clients." Boy, did that put things into perspective! So when the temptation to take short cuts creeps in, I will [sadly] think of that really bad attorney and of my future clients, because there are few things I desire more than to be a blessing to them.