| J's profileWithin the margin of err...PhotosBlogLists |  Tools  Help |
|
July 16 cali sunMeng and i took an 8-hr drive to berkeley this wkend. the drive itself was probably more fun than the stay. being in the car and driving towards the sun is just feels so cool. i myself am not a big road trip person b/c of all the retarded drivers out there (i could dedicate an entire entry to that), but i can see now why ppl r into it. there's something about taking a lonely drive through the desert, into the sun, passing miles and miles of sand, then wide open corn fields, railroads, through the mountains and up the hills, and then finally down into the bay area. it's a bit dangerous because you never know how much longer you have to drive to hit the next spot of civilization. it's romantic because you feel like there is just you and him in this whole wide world. it is exciting because you don't know what you will discover around the next corner or over the next hill. it's a journey, an adventure, a conquest.
berkeley is a beautiful city. half the houses are built into the mountain. it reminded me of switzerland. and with the ocean right outside the window, there just doesn't seem to be a better place in the world. i understand why Meng would choose berkeley over michigan. i took so many pictures that my camera went outa batteries. photos will be uploaded soon.
the climate there is unimpressive, however. during the day when the sun hits, the streets are burning, no, boiling. unlike vegas heat, which is dry, california heat is muggy and wet and makes you feel nasty and sticky. then, when the sun goes down, you find yourself in the midst of a winter night. the law school is equally unimpressive. after getting used to the sheer beauty of michigan law school, boat hall's puny grey building that looks more like an undergrad dorm than a law school just feels inferior. i sarcastically told Meng that i really hope he can get a good education here, but boalt hall is ranked equal to michigan, so we're not worried about that.
on our way back we stopped on top of some mountain, in a small town, to have dinner. the real property price there is so low. i jokingly said i wanted to build a vacation home out here when i start making money. Meng and i both dreamed about riding a horse up the mountains. personally, i'm more of a beach person than a mountain person. if i have to go wireless for days i'd rather be in the water than in the woods. but i appreciated the quietness and the silently beautiful views. it makes u feel that u're on top of the world, unapproachable and invincible.
then we drove and drove, and by the time we got back it was dark. i spotted vegas miles and miles away, with its glamorous ccasinos and hotels, and its dazzling, no, blinding lights extending further than your vision. i suddenly felt at home here, in this city full of sins.
and later that night, as i lay in my bed i made up my firm mind that this is where my future lies. the extravagance of this city, with its mysterious and rotten shadows lurking in every corner, with its starts that shine brighter than any stars in the sky, with its residence who live the dream and live larger than life, this is going to be my home. and some day, i too, will live my dream and live larger than life. and i will own a cottage up in the mountains where i go on weekends to ride my horse. and i will own a cottage down by california beach, where i go on other weekends to surf and just to sit by the window and watch the sunset. that has always been my dream, and it is closer to me than it has ever been before. if i can only extend my arm, if i can only extend my arm. . . July 13 on the road to feminismhere are 2 articles i enjoyed reading: http://ms-jd.org/reflections-glass-ceilings http://ms-jd.org/my-stay-home-father dear diarywe just lost a 20 million trial. what struck me, though, was that the husband of the defendant sat behind the defendant for the entire over-a-week long trial. i don't think it takes a lot to care about people, but what differentiates real caring from what i call casual caring is the consistency and the investment of time and energy. that is also, i think, the best thing about being married - you have, or at least you're supposed to have, someone who genuinely cares about you and is always there for you. time and time again i see these people that are fortunate enough to be and remain happily married, yet there is always a question mark in the back of my head. we all refer to divorce rates when we talk about marriage, and it's getting old, but it makes sense. if marriage is such a good thing, why do so many people want to get out of it? furthermore, being a lawyer is not gonna make marriage any easier. most partners or lawyers i know are on their second and third wives. it has something to do with the competitiveness and the aggression that comes with this profession. it's hard to not take that home. when i said yesterday that the best thing about work is the separation of private life and work, i was partially wrong. there are things you can't separation, or at least, you have to make a conscious effort to separate them. that's just part of the price u pay. today i'm driving to cali w/ Meng to take a look at berkeley. it should be fun. i hope to take lots of pictures. i realized that i've been in vegas for almost 2 months now and have not had the chance to really catch the scenery on picture. i'll make it up. starting w/ cali. my 2 centsthe downside to legal representation: while everyone is entitled to legal representation, not everyone is entitled to the same quality of legal representation. rarely does a person represent himself. the whole rationale for having legal representation is that counsels have legal expertise, and they can represent you in court better than you can yourself. most counsels do try, especially when a client signing big checks is involved. but think about it, the majority of us citizens are lower to middle-class people w/ modest income who nonetheless run into trouble and require an attorney every once in a while. not to be stigmatizing, but i think it's a good guess to say that crimes are associated with low income and education. in cases where a criminal is in need of representation but cannot afford to hire an attorney, the court will appoint one. where a plaintiff seeks legal representation, he can go out and try to find lawyers doing pro bono work or legal aid or whatnot. suffice to say, his options are few, him being both a defendant and a plaintiff in need of representation. out of those few options, who is to guarantee the quality of representation that you will get? lawyers have an ethical obligation to zealously represent their clients. but when you forgo your 500 or 1000 dollar per hour to represent some unsophisticated client in some petty little trial, it just doesn't seem worth it. on the pov of the client, however, what he's getting is an unwilling representation who really doesn't care for him. what's the justice in that? this brings me to my 2nd. pt. all attorneys are ambulance chasers ppl don't like lawyers. they hate us for representing ppl that are, to them, obviously guilty. what they don't understand is everyone gets their day in court, and everyone has the right to representation, that's just how this legal system works. and someone has to represent them. as lawyers, we're simply trying to do our job. on the downside, or the upside to me, we get paid pretty well to do our job, and yes, we don't always get innocent clients, and we don't mind. to me, that's part of the beauty of the job. it sets me apart from others, and i really don't mind care what they think about me. that said, most lawyers are nice ppl that deserve respect. i hate law school but i <3 working as a lawyer best part 'bout work is the separation b/w making money and your private life. occasionally i take work home, but it's not like school work, where there's always more to do and u never sit at home peacefully thinking, i can do anything i wan't w/o feelin' guilty. yeah, being in school sucks, but being a lawyer makes everything worth it. dear diarytransformer was awesome! that was a great break. |
|
|
