Associate's Mind

  When I was an uchi-deshi, there were special classes reserved for senior students called kenshu (“sword sharpening”). During these classes, I would sit in seiza (“proper sitting”) for 30 minutes or so, listening to the instructor lecture on a multitude of topics. History, art, subtle points of techniques, themes, etc. If you haven’t come [...]

  “Inside baseball” refers to using jargon, specialized knowledge, acronyms, first names instead of full names, or other such things when speaking and writing. Using shorthand of this sort is simply more efficient when among friends, colleagues, or other “insiders.” But there’s a larger reason for inside references: They subtly increase the bond between the [...]

Via Learning Fundamentals

  Remember that party from college? That crazy time where we went and picked up the security guard from our apartment complex on the Strip at 2 am? And instead of picking him up, we ended up going out with him and walking down the Strip barefoot. Then the sorority! And what about when the [...]

  A reader recently asked: You mentioned in your review of Point Made that there are a number of legal writing blogs you follow: what legal writing blogs do you follow? I thought I’d put it up for everyone to see. Note, I follow a number of writing blogs that are about writing well generally, [...]

In the wake of yesterday’s post How to Juggle a Family and Law School (or a Law Firm), someone asked me on Twitter: re: juggling law school/family. Any suggestions for the spouses of law students? To which I replied, I wasn’t sure but I would ask my wife when I got home and report back. So I [...]

  I’m rather passionate about legal writing. In particular, I’m looking for ways to improve my own. I think my writing is pretty good (I was number one in legal writing in my class for what it’s worth), but I know I have a long way to go to get it to “great.” As such, [...]

So I guess the Department of Education has their own SWAT Teams now? They can issue their own search warrants and subpoenas? The U.S. Department of Education issued the search and called in S.W.A.T for his wife’s defaulted student loans. “They busted down my door for this,” Wright said. “It wasn’t even me.” Wednesday morning, [...]

Note: This is Part 2 in a series on the traditional Japanese educational (master/apprentice) framework, Shu Ha Ri, and it’s correlation with the study/practice of law. Part I can be found here. Ha Wikipedia describes it as “detach”, “digress” — breaking with tradition — detachment from the illusions of Self. Which is part of it. [...]