M.S.E.L. Students Blog

Today is the coldest it has been since I have moved up here. The temperature was –10 degrees at my house when I woke up this morning and that was without the wind chill. The weatherman said it could feel like –30 degrees in some areas with the wind chill. In case you are not from up north I can tell you that temperatures like that make you want to crawl back into bed and go back to sleep.
But, it is not all bad news up in Vermont. The other day I found out that I got officially accepted in to the JD program for next fall! I am really happy about that, but at the same time I wonder if I am a bit crazy to want to subject myself to 3 more years of HARD work, stress, and little sleep. I guess that means that I really want to be a lawyer.

I guess that also means I better start getting use to all the lawyers are the scum of the earth jokes. I guess there are lawyers who sold their soul. Those are the lawyers that chase ambulances and have commercials all the time trying to get you to call a 1–800 number in some state to get compensation for “you or someone you love that has suffered from XYZ.” I just don’t see the people who graduate from VLS becoming one of those lawyers.
Sometimes I sit in class and wonder what type of lawyer I will become. Will I become a lawyer like those in the cases that I read for class? Who knows? All I know is that I will pursue a career that I can be proud of, and not because I am making a lot of money, although I hope to, but because I am fighting for the good guy.
What I have also learned is that who the good guy is can be subjective. Sometimes in class we do role-playing or hypothetical exercises, and about half the time you get assigned to a side you wouldn’t ordinarily argue for. What I have found is that in those situations, it is very easy to turn the bad guy into the good guy, just because (1) you want to do well on the class assignment and (2) you don’t want to loose the argument. It can be a bit freaky to see how easy it is to argue for something you completely disagree with.
All I know is that I hope not to get turned around in my professional career and represent a side I completely disagree with. I have told my friends and family that if they ever see me becoming one of “those” lawyers, they have my permission to kick me in the butt and ask me what the hell do I think I am doing. Hopefully it will never come down to that.

It is January. The fall semester flew by fast. Near the end it was just a whirl of exams, papers, and course outlines. All in all I faired well last semester. I did well in all my classes, which is good because that is what admissions will use to determine if I will be accepted in the JD program next year. That’s right, I am a glutton for punishment. I actually want to do this for three more years.
I am taking 5 classes this semester, so I am sure this semester will be a butt kicker as well. The first week was a little rough – adding courses, dropping courses, trying to get a seat in Watersheds, which, by the way, is still packed. Today there were 5 students sitting in chairs borrowed from another classroom taking notes on their laps. Today is the last day for drop/add and there were students in that class that were still on the waiting list.
The best part of starting a new semester is that I had three weeks of break prior. I had the best time. My husband and I stayed here over the break because he had to work. I on the other hand had nothing to do. I was one lazy person. I slept in, drank too much, and watch crap on TV. I also finally had a chance to get the house cleaned up and make a real dinner every night. No more cereal for dinner!! My brain and my body really needed the chance to rejuvenate.
Now that classes have started back, winter has finally decided to show up. It is damn cold today. I woke up this morning and it was –5 degrees. I still think the temperature is right around zero. I called my friends back home (in the warm south) to tell them and they just laughed. At least there is snow on the ground so I don’t mind the cold that much. I just hate it when it is cold and there is no snow.
Happy New Year everyone!

Well, I hope that everyone had a nice holiday. I’ve been extremely busy since Thanksgiving, embarking on what I’m calling Todd’s speaking tour. In my last blog, I told you about my presentation to the land conservation group and the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts. Well, I followed-up those meetings with a trip to Marquette, Michigan on Wednesday, to speak to the Michigan Forest Products Council. I was there to promote our forest carbon sequestration pilot program, which is now up and running in Michigan. We are enrolling a select group of landowners with working forestlands so we can calculate the extent of carbon sequestration on these lands, generate carbon offset credits, and sell those credits on behalf of the landowner on the Chicago Climate Exchange. In short, I’m doing everything that I discussed in my Marsh fellowship paper at VLS.

Anyway, I spent the better part of 2 hours answering questions about the program. At first, the questions were very specific.. But after a while, the questions became more academic and more policy oriented. For example, how can an offset credit generated from a working forest be beneficial when there are no guarentees that the landowner will maintain the land in forests for perperuity? The ringleader of all the tough questions was Dr. Dan Keathly, the Dean of the Forestry Dept at MSU (and the man who taught me everything that I know about Forestry)! Now, I’m all for tough questions and I’m glad the Dr. Keathly asked them. But, I really felt like I was defending a dissertation! Ugh. It was a tough meeting. And, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that I got pummelled! But you know what, VLS prepared me for that. After you’ve sat in the front row for two semester of Prof. Firestone or been randomly called on by Prof. Parenteau to answer a question on standing, you can handle anything the professional world throws at you.

The other day, I was thinking about the past year and a half. I left my good, secure job at the Senate because I wanted a challenge. I was bored and uninspired at the Senate – I wanted to do more with my life. I wanted to be a part of something bigger and more exciting. My three months with the Delta Institute have certainly provided all that and then some. I’m juggling two pilot projects and (what amounts to) a small environmental consulting business. I work 50 hour weeks, cold call companies, answer questions from landowners, and wonder how I’m ever going to get my hands around all the work and my head around all the information. Despite feeling completely overwhelmed, I don’t regret a thing. I got exactly what I wanted – a challenge. Although my job is difficult and exhausting, I feel better knowing that I’m working toward something grand.. I feel better knowing that I am pushing myself, taking chances, and developing my mind, rather than settling for the safe, predictable and comfortable route.

So, here’s my advice for JD’s, MSEL or any potential VLS student. Stop sitting in the back of the room – move to the front and start participating. Start taking risks by answering the tough questions. The only thing that you learn from the back of the room is how to play it safe. The best attorney’s, the best advocates, the best professionals are those who willingly put themselves in vulnerable situations for the sake of knowledge. The intangible skills that I learned at VLS are the ones that rely on everyday – maintaining composure under pressure, preparing for meetings, simplifying complex issues into everyday language. These are the skills you learn when you sit up front. These are the skills you will use everyday in your career.. Practice now or face humility later. Trust me.. I speak from experience.