A day in the life of a 2L

Day in the Life is a three-part series following a 1L, 2L and 3L through a typical day of law school. The second installment is written by 2L Andy Stein.

photo of Andy Stein

7:15 a.m.

The soothing tones of Incubus’ “Aqueous Transmission” emanate from my phone and awake me from my always-deep slumber. It’s important to pick a song you don’t mind hearing everyday — multiple times on the rough mornings (snooze) — for your alarm. After a quick get-ready routine, I grab a s’mores-flavored Pop Tart and head out the door to class.

8:10 a.m.

Jurisdiction is first on the menu for my weekly Thursday three-law-course meal. This class has proven helpful in a number of ways. Thanks to Professor Mulligan’s occasional “and which rule of Civil Procedure does this come from?” questions, it’s a great review of some 1L coursework. Secondly, I have gotten a good baseline understanding of such elusive topics as where, when, how, and what to sue and who can do it. The jokes about studying a plaintiff’s standing, even while we are sitting, are great, too.

9:15 a.m.

I stay parked right in the same comfy seat for my next class, Business Associations. I am thankful for this, because the case book, statutory supplement, and Professor Hecker’s notes join forces to form a formidable stack to carry around. Today we go over problems which methodically tease apart the dense statutory language that governs a corporation’s distribution of dividends to various investors. Despite how that description makes the exercise sound, Professor Hecker ensures that the 55 minutes of BA will be a good time for all involved.

10:20 a.m.

I head up to the second floor for my final course of the day: Secured Transactions. Today we discuss some specific provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code regulating competitions among creditors for collateral. After a class period of Professor Ware’s Socratic attack of the material, I leave with a more solid understanding of the previous night’s reading, but not before Professor Ware poses, with a smirk, a familiar open-ended question as to whether a particular law actually makes sense and agrees with our personal compass for justice.

12:45 p.m.

After some lunch, I am now halfway to Topeka for my weekly visit to the U.S. Federal District Court for the District of Kansas to fulfill my duties in the Judicial Clerkship Clinic. Today I spend about an hour observing courtroom proceedings and another three hours working on an order ruling on a motion for summary judgment. This motion is particularly interesting to me because the substance of the suit involves a question of agency law, which I recently covered in Business Associations. Additionally, I know why we are applying another state’s substantive law in a Kansas Federal court thanks to my Jurisdiction class. The immediate practical use of knowledge I pick up in class is something I really enjoy about law school.

5:40 p.m.

I am now back at the law school to finish an editing assignment for Law Review and to read a few cases for tomorrow’s triple-header of classes. Luckily, I was particularly productive yesterday and there isn’t too much for much for me to accomplish. I finish up in just a couple hours.

8:45 p.m.

After running home, changing, and grabbing a quick bite to eat, I arrive at T.G.I.T, the weekly social gathering for law students, sponsored by the Student Bar Association. I don’t always make it to T.G.I.T. because my class schedule is loaded toward the end of the week, so I’m particularly excited to be out and about this Thursday. I hang out for a couple hours, long enough to catch up with everyone and meet a few new people before heading home.

11:30 p.m.

Thursdays are particularly busy for me, and I’m wiped out. I’m excited to get to bed for that reason, but also because tomorrow is Friday, which means I’ll be playing basketball at the student rec center after class and looking forward to the weekend ahead.

Andy Stein, 2L and Student Ambassador