Got money on my mind

We had a briefing about character and fitness today.

To sum it up – if you have a bill, pay it.

If you are online, don’t be stupid. You have freedom of speech to say just about anything. You don’t have the ability to make them let you take the bar exam.

So, it is time go back through 15 years of web writing and reporting. Did I write anything that could have been considered as advocating the overthrow of the government? No. I have never been arrested either. Good.

Debts. I have an outstanding debt on my credit report. I don’t owe it. I have refused to pay it because I don’t owe it. Obviously, they disagree. It isn’t enough money to justify suing them over and it hasn’t really affected my credit score. But, the question lingers. Should I pay the $400 just to avoid an issue with the Bar, or stick to me guns?

I am truly not sure. I need to talk to someone at the law school about this.

Keep your money on your mind and your mind on your money.

The attorney who defended Casey Anthony was denied admittance to the Bar in Florida for eight years over character issues that included allegations of financial issues.

Baez toughed it out and won a huge case. But with a three-year head start, surely my classmates and I will not have the same issues.

Being a character isn’t the same thing as having character. Character counts.

First law school assignment…

Orientation is underway and I am working on the first assignment: Learning how to read and brief cases. You would think it would be simple.

After all, I’m a smart man. I have worked as a writer, editor and publisher for years.

Not so simple. I just spent two hours reading forty pages after an 14 hour day and four hours of sleep. There was a time when I could run for weeks on four hours of sleep per night.

First lesson: The old man needs more sleep.

Second lesson: Briefing cases isn’t very difficult, but it does require a lot of concentration.

The take away:

Take breaks when you need to and don’t try to force yourself through the pages. Right now, I’m going to get a milkshake before hitting the briefs again.

Mastering OneNote in 36 hours

As a former tech writer, you would think I’d have all my tech tools figured out with less than 36 hours to law school.

I don’t.

I’ve read dozens of books about what to expect and how to handle the pressure, but the fact remains that in 36 hours 135 students at University of Missouri School of Law will be charging out of the starting blocks and down the first straightaway.

Some of them think the task will be no sweat. Some are worrying at the challenge like a small dog with a bone too big for its mouth. Many are rapt with anticipation, like horses at just before the race. And others like me, are realizing the numerous things we forgot to prepare.

My laptop isn’t set up properly yet.

I need to remove Civilizations V (the game is worse than crack) and finalize my perfect system for note taking. I was prepared for dozens of folders strewn across my desktop in an attempt to look organized, but really just representing the piles of papers on my desk.

Then I discovered Microsoft may have finally created a piece of software worth actually using and the irritating thing is it was on my computer the whole time.

I purchased MS Office because my master’s program used files that had to be opened in Word. In office is this program called OneNote.

It is a massively powerful program that unlike many other MS programs actually works well — no wonder they haven’t advertised it. Less than 36 hours and not enough time to read manuals or search the web until I find free tutorials to learn the program, so I turn to my fall back: Lynda.com.

By tomorrow night I will be a competent user of OneNote – with at least 12 hours to spare.

Then the race begins.

G+ and the law student

A group in of coming 1Ls at MU Law School have connected on Facebook and jumped over to create circles on G+. There seem to be some good points about G+. I have been a member for several days and have not yet received a single piece of Zynga spam.

However, for our purposes, there seems to be one glaring ommission: The ability to quickly and easily share a Google Docs collection would make G+ a killer service.

Without that, it is simply a Facebook group for people with techie friends.

Turow, schedules and becoming a 1L

The realization is starting to hit.

I got my schedule. Law school starts in less than two months.

The book list isn’t out because the school is concerned about students spending the summer reading them and developing bad habits. It is a fair concern. I would have started early. I am probably going to start early.

Scott Turow’s 1L is an interesting read. Already people are starting to size up the competition and form associations. Unfortunately, many of the people with whom I have been building relationships are in Section 2 and I am in Section 1.

That’s okay. I’ll see them again next year.

My legal education is going to cost as much as my house. I am forgoing 1.5 times the cost of my house in salary while taking three years off of work for school. It’s a hell of a wager.

I’m betting more than $200,000 that I am smart enough to make it through law school and compete with kids that are younger and probably smarter than me.

Yeah, it’s probably a good thing the book list isn’t out yet.

I’m going to go find it.

Closing, repairs and moving

We closed on the house Monday, May 9.

I am now the proud owner of a duplex in Columbia. Each unit has more than 1,900 sq. ft., four bedrooms, one-and-three-quarter baths and a massive amount of wall space to prep and paint. And a payment to match.

New carpet, new electrical outlets, new paint = empty wallet.

Hopefully, we will be able to rent Unit B for $800 to $900 per month. Once the paint and flooring component of the repairs is complete, we can start moving.

Classmates are starting to introduce themselves via facebook and planned meet-ups. MU Law School students in Columbia are planning a standing meet and greet every Thursday. Should be good.

One decision made

I can’t say exactly what I will do after law school or where I will do it. But I have made one important decision. I intend to form a non-profit organization to provide legal services to veterans or volunteer with such an organization.

Many vets have a myriad of legal issues ranging from divorce to criminal issues to VA issues. Sadly, many of those vets are not in a position to hire the best legal advice they can. I want to make legal services available to the veteran on a fee schedule they can afford — from no charge to whatever the standard rate is — based on the veteran’s ability to pay.

I owe everything I have and everything I have become to my military experience. It made me who I am, despite my personal failings.

Buying a house

I am getting ready to move to Columbia. We hope to close on the new house May 9, and complete the move in May. The first week in June will be spent on the road at my brother-in-law’s wedding.

The definition of stress: Finishing a 70-page paper for my master’s program, while completing an internship and working 45 hours a week. Wedge in house hunting, loan problems, family time and more paperwork issues on the house.

Frankly I can’t wait for law school so I have time to focus on only one job.

The first offer we made on a house fell through — fortunately. We found a 3,700 square foot duplex just 5-6 miles from campus. Each unit has four bedrooms, two baths and I expect we will be able to rent one side for between $750 and $1,000 per month. We’ll probably list it for $800 per month.

However, just when I think we have everything together and ready to go, another bump appears in the road. If I didn’t already have hair turning gray as it flees away from my forehead, I would have by the time this semester is over.

Oh, my paper, left the data at work so tonight is a loss. Must practice better time management when 1L starts. Instead, I get to play pirate captain with my 2-year-old. After he goes to bed, I’ll start seeking out strange new scholarships and apply for them.

Money and time. The scorekeepers of life.

Campus visits are for the uncommitted

Like many of the people applying to law school, I’m kind of a type A person. I applied early admission to University of Missouri School of Law at 12:15 a.m. Sept. 1, 2010.

I was accepted.

A few days ago, I made the trek to Columbia for the reception. These receptions, while they are for all admitted starting students and prospects, are really for the uncommitted. It is the sales pitch. Meet with financial aid, listen to some students and advisors and grab some chow while meeting the profs. It works. It may well have swayed me if I hadn’t already committed to MU.

But ultimately, the profs are there to sell the school to the undecided, the uncommitted. If you haven’t decided, go to the campus meet and greets. If you have, don’t bother. You’ll get the info you need at orientation.