KU Law Blog

Apple of his eye: On achieving harmony with the iPhone

I wake up before my alarm goes off and lie in bed as the warm air blows gently across me. I stand up and trot over to the blinds to see if the weather corresponds to its forecast. Yes, another sunny day at 65 degrees. Great mornings like these help me start my day off right, even if the day ahead will be full of stress.

Some people say life is hard. That is true. I mean, people die from it. As a law student, the academic rigors only add to that stress. But to counteract the added stress which may shorten my life, I purchased an iPhone. My iPhone is fully stocked with productivity applications to help me organize my student life and enough music for weeks of endless play, so I can strike a balance between school and recreation.

I have a folder dedicated to law school applications. This folder includes Study Blue, Blackboard, LexisAdvance, WestlawNext, the Q&A; Series, and the most notable: Evernote.

Evernote is an amazing application on my phone that syncs wirelessly with my computer. When Professor McKenzie posts assignments for Local Government Law on The West Education Network (TWEN), I use my computer to copy text from cases and insert them into Evernote. I can also import PDF files and the application’s servers will make the text readable, meaning that I can search the imported document for specific terms. This means that when a professor asks a simple “level one” question, I can easily find a quick answer.

If I am unable to read from my phone because the cold winds are blowing, or because I am running to the bus to arrive on time for Professor Kautsch’s Copyright and Digital works class, I can use Evernote to catch my reading on the go. Yes, there is an app for that: the iPhone is Jose compatible! I highlight the text I normally would read, and the iPhone gives me three options: copy, define, or speak.

“Copy” will allow me to place the text in Evernote without the computer. “Define” will solve puzzling terms like “lis pendens” when I see them for the first time. And the speak functionality allows the iPhone to read whatever I select. Sirita, the previously unnamed voice of the iPhone 4, “speaks” them to me. I once taught my dog how to speak; however, I suppose Sirita demanded more than just a hot dog.

Other applications I use daily are the Weather Channel’s hour-by-hour climate predictions, Outlook’s email and calendar (with alerts synced to the iPhone), Maps to determine what time the bus runs by my house, and Flashlight so that Green Hall can win their “Lights Out!” contest.

However, there are times when I “wanna get away,” and indulge in one of my hobbies, music. Airplane mode allows me to preserve my battery while I immerse myself in “Kush and Orange Juice” by Wiz Khalifa, or “Section 80” by Kendrick Lamar, two great albums by artists who recently broke into the mainstream.

I have gigabytes of music ranging from Aesop Rock to Zion-I – there’s no way to fit everything I have on my iPhone. But Google recently came out with Music, an application that mirrors all the songs in your iTunes, and it has saved my music library. Now I can take along Ab-Soul, Atmosphere, A$ap Rocky, Blackalicious, B.O.N.E. Thugs n’ Harmony, Cee Lo, Common, Cyhi da Prince, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, and many more without compromising crucial hard drive space.

I always have a song playing in my head, and I grew up surrounded by rap music. One of my favorite pastimes is to immerse myself in an album, whether it’s from a hip-hop grandfather, like Rakim or a new, unestablished artist. I evaluate the lyrics, analyze the flow, and I can even join the rap community in critiquing new albums within moments of their release on sites like Rapgenius.com. I like to think that my job as a listener is important, not only to reduce my stress levels, but also to help the hip hop industry progress as a whole. My iPhone helps me achieve that goal.

On the other hand, when I’m in airplane mode, I risk missing that important call from “the firm,” a.k.a. my grandma and my mother. Although I enjoy my down time, my duties to my family and my school are more important. Like the legendary rap artist Slug said, “I’m just trying to find a balance,” and the iPhone helps make this possible.

— Jose Ordonez, 2L and Student Ambassador, is an avid consumer of music, but he’s far from a passive listener. On the side, he also makes music with his band, betsy ross, live and in the studio.

You’ve been admitted…is KU Law right for you?

Sunny skies and blooming trees welcomed potential students from near and far to Green Hall for the Admitted Students Open House. Admitted students attended from states across the country, including California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and Texas. If you were one of them, you hopefully have a better feel for what KU Law has to offer. If you were unable to make it, here are the highlights:

The morning kicked off with a Diversity Breakfast. KU Law has a proud tradition of embracing and promoting diversity – the first African-American student graduated in 1887, and the first female in 1891. The law school continues to strive toward providing a diverse learning environment for all students, staff and faculty, with many active student groups that showcase this involvement and dedication. Groups include the Black Law Students Association, Asian Law Students Association, Native American Law Students Association, Hispanic American Law Students Association, OUTLaws and Allies, Women in Law and political and service organizations.

The Diversity Breakfast was followed by a welcome from KU Law Dean Stephen Mazza. Associate Dean Melanie Wilson discussed classes and clinical opportunities (KU Law has 13 clinical opportunities), and Assistant Dean Arturo Thompson outlined the role of Career Services at the law school. Every student at KU Law should have a relationship with the Career Services staff, as they help 1Ls and 2Ls find summer internships and 3Ls and alumni find careers after their time in Green Hall.

Just before lunch, students heard from prominent alumni during a Career Services Alumni Panel, which included Judge Julie Robinson, U.S. district judge for the District of Kansas; Jabari Wamble, assistant U.S. attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas City, Kan.; Anne Emert, Stinson Morrison Hecker, Kansas City, Kan.; and Mark Emert, Fagan Emert & Davis LLC, Lawrence. KU Law alumni practice in large and small firms, for government and non-profit organizations and in many diverse fields, and these alums were good representation of career possibilities.

The afternoon was just as informative. Students were able to tour Green Hall, received information from Financial Aid, and sat in on a mock class taught by Professor Lou Mulligan. They got their tough admissions questions answered in a Q&A; session with Assistant Dean Steve Freedman, and their tough student life questions answered by a panel of current KU Law students.

After a busy, informative day, the event concluded with a reception at a Lawrence hot spot, Pachamama’s, where admitted students could socialize with each other, current students, faculty, and deans. As students enjoyed drinks and appetizers, they were able to discuss any final questions in the casual, trendy atmosphere provided by one of the many great restaurants in downtown Lawrence. It was a wonderfully successful event, and we look forward to seeing many of you in Green Hall this summer and fall!

— Crystal Cook, 2L and Student Ambassador

Shpoonkle: Employment opportunity or ethical dilemma?

Image from Shpoonkle.com

“Just because a lawyer can afford to buy a $10,000 billboard on the highway doesn’t make him a better lawyer,” said Robert Grant Niznik, the founder of an unusual online legal service.

Perhaps even more unusual is the name. Spotlighted in a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article, Shpoonkle allows potential clients to post legal problems, and lawyers from around the country bid to offer the lowest priced service. Since Niznik started the site over a year ago, more than 5,000 members, including 2,100 attorneys, have signed up. The service seems ideal for those who can’t afford the cost of hiring a local lawyer, but who still want qualified legal advice at a reasonable rate. On the other side of the spectrum, recently graduated law students and attorneys hurting for work in the economic downturn have benefited from a growing database of potential clients looking for their services. Lawyers can find out more about a potential case, contact the client, and win a few hours’ wages without ever stepping away from their computer.

Of course, Shpoonkle has generated its fair share of controversy. Many lawyers are skeptical at best, derisive at worst about a service that generally promotes how cheap you’ll work over the quality of that work. Although lawyers on the website can provide information about their experience before the client chooses a bid, money-strapped clients might have a tendency to go with the lowest bidder, regardless of experience. Attorneys who join the site must provide proof of bar membership in order for their registration to be validated, but there’s no guarantee that they’re qualified to meet the needs of a case – the anonymity of the Web isn’t helpful, in this case. All of this can give Shpoonkle the appearance of a legal black market, where clients and lawyers make shady deals with undisclosed amounts of cash and vague promises.

Despite this criticism, Niznik is confident that his site will be successful and writes off negativity as jealousy-driven. The website is free to use – a bonus for anyone tired of a growing array of pay-for services, and he believes that cheap services don’t necessarily equal bad services. So far, the numbers seem to be in his favor.

This brings up an interesting dilemma for law students: Should you be willing to do freelance work and sell your services as cheaply as possible, even in a tough economy? Scott Greenfield, a prominent New York attorney and founder of the blog Simply Justice, doesn’t think so. Shpoonkle, he said in the Chronicle article, “offers lawyers yet another opportunity to assess just how down and dirty we want the profession to go.”

Indeed, most future lawyers probably don’t envision outbidding each other for clients on a startup website upon graduation. It’s not an ideal scenario, and it’s one that must be approached with caution. But whether you can’t find full-time work for a few months or you’re looking for a bit of extra income to supplement your salary, sites like Shpoonkle have their benefits – if used ethically. Really, it’s a form of freelance lawyering, which has become more popular over the last few years as the Web has become more sophisticated. A simple Google search for “freelance lawyer jobs” comes back with dozens of matching websites. There’s even a National Association of Freelance Legal Professionals, boasting an online directory of 145 members, and the ABA Journal devotes a section of its website to Contract Attorneys. For lawyers who want a flexible work environment and more control over the cases they represent, freelancing can be ideal.

But if you’re eager to jump on Shpoonkle, keep a few things in mind. First, make sure that clients are choosing you based on your experience, not based on the amount of money you’re willing to accept. It may be tempting to get in a bidding war with a hot-shot lawyer from Florida, but all clients deserve the best possible representation for their cases, cheap or not so cheap.

Second, make sure that you portray yourself accurately online. It’s easy to fudge a year of work here or a qualification there when you’re essentially anonymous, but it’s doing a disservice to the legal profession and anything you’ve ever learned in law school.

Third, make sure you are licensed to practice in the jurisdiction at issue. Each state has its own bar, and if you are not admitted and dispense advice in or to a client in that state, then you are effectively practicing without a license.

Finally, make sure you know everything about the case before agreeing to take it on. Shpoonkle allows you to correspond with the client before agreeing to the job, so take advantage of it. The last thing you want is to fill your plate with cases if you’re not qualified enough to take them, and since you probably won’t meet any of your clients in person, background research is critical.

From discovering great music to keeping up with your hometown team, the web makes it easy to do just about anything. But easy isn’t always better. If you do choose to use online services like Shpoonkle, a little common sense – and remembering what you learned in Professional Responsibility – goes a long way.

— Sarah Shebek, KU Law

From Pig to Pet: A Tale of Local Lawmaking

The City Commission members were shuffling papers and whispering to each other. The mayor cleared his throat and positioned his microphone; the murmur filling the crowded room drew to a hush as a man dressed in a fedora and tweed suit stepped up to the podium.

“Mr. Mayor,” he said, “Starky is my best friend. Please don’t send me home tonight to tell him that the people of Lawrence don’t want him in the city, because nothing could be further from the truth.”

About a year ago, my friend Ehren Penix acquired a somewhat unusual pet: a potbellied pig. At first it seemed that everyone was in shock at the novelty of having a tiny pet pig. All of our friends constantly asked Ehren to see the pig, and a predictable round of “aww” always ensued. People on the street would stop their cars in amazement and shout: “Is that a PIG?”

But it wasn’t long before the fun ended. Ehren and I returned to his house one day from school to find his roommate waiting with a business card from animal control. To our surprise, we discovered that it was not legal to own a potbellied pig within the Lawrence city limits. As aspiring law students, we checked the laws in preparation for acquiring the pig and found no mention of the word “pig” in the Lawrence City Code. However, the city code does not exhaustively list the animals that are prohibited. Instead, the city lists only those animals that are allowable as pets, and the code excluded them without mentioning them.

As the treasurer and president of the University of Kansas School of Law chapter of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, Ehren and I knew right away that we were the perfect people to confront this issue and do whatever it took to make sure that Starky the pig, now a beloved friend and family member, would not be removed from his home.

As we had learned in law school, one of the best ways to start attacking a problem that is relatively unfamiliar to you is to seek the advice of someone with experience in the field. Katie Bray Barnett, KU Law Class of 2010 and KU SALDF president the previous year, was the obvious choice. Knowing Katie’s unmatched devotion to animals, it came as no surprise that she immediately and enthusiastically responded to my plea for help.

With that, we began the process of petitioning the city to amend the animal ordinance to allow Starky to stay in his home. We collected letters of support from local and national organizations like the Lawrence Humane Society and the National Animal Legal Defense Fund. We emailed the City Commissioners. We went to municipal court and explained our situation to the judge. (We knew we were in good hands when the judge was reading through the docket and cautiously stated: “Ehren Penix. You are accused of … owning a pig?”)

After a few months of working with the city prosecutor and petitioning the City Commission with the help of Katie Bray Barnett, we were finally able to get the issue on the agenda for the weekly City Commission meeting. By this time, word had gotten out around Lawrence about Starky and his fight to stay in his home. Ehren and Starky appeared on the front page of the Lawrence Journal-World, and 6News Lawrence set up an interview for the night before the City Commission meeting.

Ehren and I prepared and submitted a memo on the issue to the City Commission, and we both appeared to voice our support of the proposed change to the ordinance. Ehren was also able to arrange a group of people to come speak to the City Council on Starky’s behalf. Anthony Barnett, Katie Bray Barnett’s husband, represented the Lawrence Humane Society and expressed their belief that Starky was not in danger of being harmed by living in a domestic environment. Ehren’s next-door neighbor brought his daughter and her friend to testify about Starky’s qualities as a great pet and friend.

The City Commission, very much to their credit, approached the proposed change to the law rationally and even-handedly. The mayor stated that the city enacted the list of animals excluded from prohibition to protect the residents of the city without having to predict in advance every new type of dangerous pet that someone may acquire. But, as some will remember in the context of hedgehogs, the city has a policy of being open to requests from residents to add new animals to the list of those allowable within the city. The Commission found in favor of Starky, and the new ordinance was enacted on March 6, 2012.

It was exciting to help create a new local ordinance and very rewarding to see the effects firsthand. In acknowledgment of the dedication and love of animals displayed by my treasurer, I have decided that my time as president of the group has come to a close. Ehren Penix is running for president of the KU SALDF for the 2012-13 school year, and I have great hopes for the future of the group.

— Kevin Sauer, 2L and president, KU Student Animal Legal Defense Fund

I love the smell of KU basketball in the morning

At 5 a.m. my alarm starts beeping. At 5:03 a.m. my cell phone starts chirping. I press the snooze. It’s so cold and dark.

Then I remember these alarms are very important. I leap out from under the covers. Only 20 minutes until I have to be there. I absolutely CAN NOT be late. Everyone is counting on me.

Lawrence is so lonely in the wee hours of the morning. Street lights still flashing red and not even the morning rush hour has begun. The streets are shiny with dew, and the sun is still under her covers.

When I arrive, it’s anything but lonely. There’s a group already gathered outside. Canvas chairs, sleeping bags, thermoses, and KU gear. Urban campers huddled around the entrance to Allen Fieldhouse, anxiously awaiting 6 a.m.

The doors swing open at 5:45 a.m., and I rush to gather my camping necessities: chair, headphones, lots of coffee, not enough breakfast, and too much reading.

I set up my base camp in a location that I’m sure will be judged as weird, if not inappropriate, later in the day by campers who have had more sleep. I frown, realizing there’s no outlet, and think of all the negotiations that will have to occur later when my laptop screen begins to flicker. The group guarding the outlet seems nice enough. Hopefully they’ll take pity on me.

I also hope that Bill Self personally brings me a donut for breakfast. There are rumors the coaches pass out sugary sustenance to devoted campers before big games.

This is certainly a big game. With our (I speak for the Jayhawk Nation here) archenemy Missouri abandoning us/breaking up with us/snubbing us for the SEC, there will be no mercy this Saturday at game time.

Alas, Bill Self must have forgot my donut, and my camping shift is over. Someone has come to relieve me to make sure that our group is represented continuously for the next week. The law school camping group has always been, not surprisingly, significantly well-organized. No one dares abandon their post lest an absentee roll call snatch our awesome seats.

I gather my necessities and head back across the parking lot to Green Hall. My urban camping completed, now all I have to do is patiently wait for my Missouri revenge. Until then, donuts are in order.

— Summer Shiflett, 3L and Student Ambassador

Editor’s Note: KU ended up beating Mizzou by 1 point in an overtime victory that capped a long history of Jayhawk triumph over the Tigers. Kansas leads the Border War series 172-95 as Missouri leaves the Big 12 to join the SEC. Watch the ESPN recap of the thrilling Feb. 25 game.

Father’s advice still rings true: Find your passion in law school

I remember many significant moments from my childhood – moments whose ripples have traversed the years and continue to be felt by me today. Of these, the waves created by my father’s life continue, most of all, to move and direct me. My father grew up farming, a “man of the earth” who left his home to become an airman.

It was through this transposition of roles that he discovered his passion. Flying was something my father said he loved, but his words were not as convincing as the way he carried himself throughout his life, the manifestation of such passion through the simple actions of putting on his uniform and heading off to work. There was no disconnection between what my father did and what he loved. It was my father’s constant yet gentle reminder to me and my brother to do whatever it was that made us happiest, to find and do whatever made us passionate.

The law is inspiring, exciting and challenging. It’s something in which I have found my passion. I must admit that I am not the brightest or most facile law student at Green Hall. But I wake up in the morning truly excited about what I’m learning or, in some cases, what I’m not completely grasping.

I’ve just passed the midpoint of my law school experience, a 2L who has finished three semesters and has three more to go. A twinge of sadness accompanies this reflection, as my time at KU, which has been such a wonderful and profoundly transformative experience, is waning. I’m not the same person I was when I entered. I am more passionate, matured in understanding what the law is – and who I am and can be in relation to it.

Just halfway through law school, I may have very little wisdom to dispense to those thinking about or applying to law school; perhaps even less to those 1Ls who started just a semester ago. But I firmly believe that my father’s advice to me is something we all need to hear and comprehend once in a while.

Find your passion and live it each day. KU Law and its students are passionate about providing opportunities to help you realize who you are and what your passion is. It is a community where you interact and become inspired by students and teachers who will challenge and help you grow. There is much to be concerned about, perhaps even fear, in law school. But such sentiments will distract and divert you from the more important experience of learning to enjoy and become passionate about the law and your life.

Someone once told me this analogy: Imagine yourself in attendance at a grand concert hall, the air permeated with the tones of beautiful music. All at once, you realize you left your car unlocked. The choice is whether to allow that moment of concern to overshadow the great experience of the remaining moments.

Attending three semesters at KU Law has been a fleeting moment, but I have enjoyed every minute.

— Matthew Riley, 2L and Student Ambassador

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