Women in the Law

I recently became a member of the "Women in the Law" club at BYU law school. As quoted from their website: "The BYU chapter of Women in the Law empowers women to succeed in their legal careers and serve in their communities and homes. WIL is a part of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society."

There was a great panel of four women who came and spoke today. It was great to see the variety in their legal work as well as their family life. I was comforted to know that thee of the four had changed jobs multiple times (so I know that whatever I choose isn't necessarily for life).

Since then, I have had the opportunities to listen to other Women in the Law speak. Each has carved out her own unique path. What I am grateful for is the camaraderie in the journey.

Per the advice of several of these women, I have begun reading the book "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" by Sheryl Sandberg.  So far, my favorite chapters have been "Making Your Partner a Real Partner" and "The Myth of Doing It All."

One thought that has stuck with me from all of this (a concept Sheryl Sandberg brings out in her book) is that just as men undervalue the contribution women can make in the workplace, so too do women undervalue the contribution men can make in the home. "We all need to encourage men to lean in to their families." (p.113)

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

A Laugh a Day Keeps the Troubles Away

At the first devotional of the year:

Sister Samuelson talked about the value of laughter. “The ability to not take one too seriously and use humor in times of mistakes, small and accidental incidents, and stressful situations can help alleviate embarrassment, fear and even discouragement in circumstances."

This devotional was well-timed, given the experience I had later on in the day. I was going to get a new driver's license (since my name changed and all). I figured out where to go, and drove there straight from school as to not waste time. I got there in record time. There was no wait, and I filled out my paperwork quickly. I was feeling quite cheerful for getting all this done in less than a half hour, until I noticed the following sign: "Before you come to the desk, you need: your birth certificate, old driver's license, new social security card, and two proofs of your current address." Since I didn't need to bring my birth certificate to get a social security card, I has assumed that I also didn't need to bring it to get my license. Angry at myself, (as I had thought to bring all the documents that morning but had to decided not to) I had to take an hour long detour through Provo construction to pick up something that would have taken seconds if I had been prepared.

Have you seen the movie Despicable Me 2? There's this great scene where Gru is feeling happy and he skips to work, pausing to play in street band, participate in yoga at the park, throw a wayward frisbee back to its owners, etc. 

Then he finds out some terrible news that ruins his mood and he ends up walking back with storm clouds over his head, kicking instruments from the street band aside, pushing yoga women out of his way, and throwing a wayward frisbee down the gutter drain. 

While I did not do any of those things, I did have to laugh at the similarity of my mood swing with Gru's. And then I remembered the devotional earlier that day. Even though I was annoyed, I couldn't help but see the humor of the situation. 

Everything worked out (as it usually does) and I thankfully did not have to travel across town again for another forgotten item. 

Rhetorically,

Rebekah

Getting into the Groove

Per tradition, I am doing as much as possible, which usually means that it will be almost more than I can handle. 

I decided I wanted to graduate a semester early, which means taking 16 credits (minimum) each semester and getting internship credit during the summer. I'm currently taking 7 classes this semester, including being on the International Law and Management Review (law journal).  

On top of that, I landed a fabulous job as a research assistant at the BYU Law Careers Services Office. This is a shout out for their blog, which is a great but little-known resource: http://byulawcso.blogspot.com/. They have tips for interviews, resumes, work relations, networking, etc.

I am also the president of the "Writer's League," which is a Law School Club dedicated to helping law students pursue their interest in non legal writing (fiction, non fiction, poetry, etc). I also started a blog for that: http://writing-rights.blogspot.com/. I mostly blog about visiting author events and other writing workshops provided locally. I had no idea that Utah Valley offered so much!

Finally, I also signed on to be a Kaplan Bar Review representative. For those of you who don't know, the Bar is a huge test you have to take to become a lawyer. It covers many different topics, and a basic law review course will take 6 weeks to 2 months to complete, and guarantees you passing if you follow the study program. I chose Kaplan because it has a flexible and individualized program.

The ultimate goal is to graduate December 2014 and take the Bar in February 2015. Until then, this is my busy life!

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

The 2nd Year They Work You to Death

There is a saying in Law School that goes something like this: "The first year they scare you to death, the second year they work you to death, and the third year they bore you to death."

In the interest of agency, however, I would probably change the phrase to: "The first year you let the new experience/workload scare you to death, the second year you choose to work to death, and the third year you decide you just don't care anymore because you already have a job set up."

So really, you only have yourself to blame if the saying is true for you. I have to say that the first year was hard, but the most scared I got was actually before law school started. Once I got there, I realized it wasn't as bad as I had imagined (the perks of being a pessimist).

And then my second year rolls around and suddenly there are so many opportunities open to you: picking your own courses, participating in club leadership positions, membership in co-curriculars such as Law Review, Moot Court, and Trial Advocacy. You are allowed to work the second year, which means you can clerk, TA, or be a research assistant. At this point, you leave your section of friends that were in EVERY SINGLE ONE of your classes last year, and you all start blazing your own path.

It's rather intimidating, come to think of it. I mean, the classes and other opportunities you choose shape your resume which ultimately determines your future! You would think that I came to law school with a specific plan of what I wanted to do, but to be honest, I didn't. The law just offers so many options that it's really hard to choose. Think about it: every aspect of your life can in some way or other be related to law. Family, attending school, religious freedoms, work conditions, everything!

So I haven't really decided yet. I'm hoping more job experience and being exposed to more classes will help me figure it all out.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Dreams Do Come True...

In New Orleans! (And Disneyland)
Tips for a great trip to Vegas to Huntington Beach to Disneyland and back again:

I would highly recommend staying in the MGM Signature hotel. It was the best hotel we stayed in the whole trip. It has a great view, a kitchenette (they even wash your dishes for you!), and no casino.

Huntington Beach is a great option because of its proximity to Disneyland. I would recommend parking in town and walking to the beach. I would also recommend going to Ruby's cafe at the end of the pier. (We saw a real dolphin out the window! *Note: this was an extra, unadvertised, and unplanned perk of eating there- dolphins are not always guaranteed)

Disneyland. Always, always, always use this amazing little app. It saved us sooo much time in line, and we were able to go to all but 6 of the rides between both California Adventure and Disneyland!

For Korean Lovers: Wi Spa. Since Matt loves Korea (see past posts about Korean Valentine's Day) we went to a Korean spa. They have a co-ed area called a "jimjilbang" where you can go to different sauna rooms together. My two favorite were the salt room and the ice room.

On the way back home, make sure you have sufficient gasoline to make it through the mojave desert. Because there are only 2 gas stations. And if there is a wreck on the 2 lane highway, you may be stuck there for 4 hours, moving a total distance of 10 miles. And there may be ridiculous lines for gasoline and the bathroom, due to the unprecedented need of dozens of people.

Happy Vacationing!

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

And They Lived Happily

I got married!!! My reception and wedding was everything I dreamed of, thanks to the efforts of my mom, aunts, and other extended family members. 

My mom made my dress and sash:

My aunt Marilyn made my bouquet:

And numerous others helped decorate the mini cupcakes:

Not to mention all those who helped set up and take down decorations, clean up the chapel, etc. We were so blessed. 

THANK YOU ALL!!
Rebekah

Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew

My fiancee and I have started reading the Chronicles of Narnia series together! It was one of my favorites growing up, and I often feel that most of the books are overlooked because everyone focuses on "the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." 

But for anyone with a sense of adventure and a desire to learn more about the background of Narnia, I would highly recommend "the Magician's Nephew."

Just as "the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" contains Christian symbolism (specifically, the atonement of Christ), "the Magician's Nephew" contains symbolism about the Creation. All of the books in the series have children as main characters, which I love because of their perspective, and I think C.S. Lewis nails the dialogue and personalities. It's been great to read aloud.

But you don't have to take my word for it!

Rhetorically,
Rebekah