I Wish I Was a Messenger and All the News Was Good

Congratulations to Mr. Peter Pope for correctly naming "Babylon" by David Gray as the Monday Song of the Day. It should be noted, though, that even if Peter's answer had been wildly incorrect, I probably still would have given him credit, because let's be honest, when you're in P.C. at Baylor Law, you need all the encouragement you can get.


Now, on to the next part of my continuing conversation with Luke Reeves

Part VII: (Luke's Response)

Now more on the nature of balance- are there things (causes, ideas, etc.) about which one should be extreme?

It seems that "balance" could be part of the answer to many of life's questions. But is extremism ever the best/right/reasonable answer? A religious person might answer that one ought to be extreme in their devotion to that religion. A political person might might answer similarly in regards to politics. And so let the conversation begin: the virtue of extremism. Go.

Don't Wanna See No Blood, Don't Be a Macho Man

I'm sure the BLS powers-that-be will eventually have this piece of hilarity erased from the interwebs, but this, my friends, is just one of the many reasons that I love Wikipedia:

(From the Wikipedia article for Baylor Law School)

Nationally Ranked Advocacy Program

Taught by the Devil himself, the bedrock of Baylor’s nationally ranked advocacy program is the third-year Practice Court Program, a six-month course required for all third-year students.

Procedure, evidence, and advocacy are the tools of the trial lawyer, and the Practice Court Program is an over-intensive study of these essentials. So essential that Baylor Law is the only school in the country with this program.

Students try multiple lawsuits from beginning to end, ensuring that when they graduate, if they ever make it through this hellish program, they are able to hit the ground running.

My friends, this is what happens in a world where Wikipedia is accessible to a disgruntled current (or former) P.C. student.

I, for one, think such a world is quite enjoyable.

Did I Forget to Mention Memphis? Home of Elvis and the Ancient Greeks

Since some readers are apparently a bit "sensitive" to my comparison of certain quarterbacks with SEC lineage and impending global pandemics, let's switch topics, my friends.

In the first, and possibly only, edition of "How Law School has ruined my ability to enjoy certain movies, TV shows, and books", I'm going to focus on everyone's favorite cross-examination of the early 90's, Lt. Daniel Kaffee versus Col. Nathan Jessup.

All throughout P.C., Prof. P.C. I, Prof. Evid, and Prof. CivPro constantly reminded us of the perils of asking open-ended questions on cross. If there's anything worse than asking a question you don't already know the answer to, it's probably asking a question which gives the adverse witness an opportunity to get his or her side of the story across to the judge and/or jury.

Well, let's just say that based on the open-ended questions asked by Lt. Kaffee at :11 and :19, he was probably just asking for the diatribe that he received from 1:42 to 2:52. Sure, he somehow against (almost) all odds broke down a Marine Colonel who did multiple combat tours in Vietnam and caused him to admit his guilt to a shocked courtroom, but that's what we call playing with fire, my friends.

Everyone out there, please feel free to share the movies, TV shows, and books that law school has ruined for you.

Note: Many thanks to Tim Goines and Ryan Gregerson for the discussion that sparked this post.

Oh, The Days The Rain Would Fall Your Way

I'm a bit late on this (and trust me, it's not from some sense of extraordinary scholastic achievement), but the P.C. III grades came out yesterday, and I would like to include a brief word from our sponsors, Rare Earth, once again:

That's right, folks, our long national Practice Court-related nightmare is now officially over. Well, for my class at least.

All of the other saps who are currently in P.C. and those who will have to endure the law school edition of the Bataan Death March at some point the future?

They'll just have to find their own way to survive.

Current Reading

To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever: A Thoroughly Obsessive, Intermittently Uplifiting, and Occasionally Unbiased Account of the Duke-North Carolina Basketball Rivlary by Will Blythe

I knew this book was going to be right up my alley (whatever that really means) when I read the following quote on the book's jacket:

It is a basketball rivalry that simply has no equal. Duke vs. North Carolina is Ali vs. Frazier, the Giants vs. the Dodgers, the Red Sox vs. the Yankees. Hell, it's bigger than that. This is the Democrats vs. the Republicans, the Yankees vs. the Confederates, capitalism vs. communism. All right, okay, the Life Force vs. the Death Instinct, Eros vs. Thanatos. Is that big enough?

Waging Wars to Shake the Poet and the Beat

I would try to give you my thoughts on today's status as the final day of Practice Court, but I'm handing this one over to Rare Earth.

Gentlemen, take it away...

Current Reading

American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham

P.S. Many thanks to Mr. Stephen Olson for the American Lion recommendation.

Tonight My Bag is Packed, Tomorrow I'll Walk These Tracks

Congratulations to Ms. Stacey Villescas for correctly naming "Time" by Hootie and the Blowfish as the Tuesday Song of the Day.

There's not much to report on the life/school front but work, work, work, though today was an interesting day.

As part of P.C., we lucky few must go out into the real world to observe actual practitioners at their craft, and if one of the attorneys that you observe refers to himself as the "Golden Boy", well, you know it's going to be exciting on all fronts.

Silly me, I always thought that title belonged to this guy.

I Put Your World Into My Veins

Yesterday, during my time as a witness in a mini-trial, Prof. CivPro presented the definitive quote regarding the Practice Court experience at Baylor Law:
"You gotta get out there and swim in the deep water. You can't be afraid of drowning. In the real world, you might drown. Here, you can't actually drown. Here, this is just waterboarding."