Live Greatly

“One can live greatly in the law - as elsewhere.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

My new dean, Ken Starr, shared this Holmes quote in welcoming us to the Pepperdine School of Law yesterday. I sure could have used it all the times people told me “we need more preachers than lawyers” over the course of the past year.

Yesterday was an absolute great day. Dean Starr emphasized the word “community,” and it was evident that this is what Pepperdine SOL is in reality: a welcoming community. I had lunch with Professor Goodno (my program advisor) and a couple of new classmates, and she made us feel completely comfortable and welcome. After reading of the horrors of law school, I think all of us were shocked.

A few thoughts from yesterday:
* Law school is going to involve a lot of work. Surprise!
* We were told repeatedly that we are the most academically gifted class in school history. Due to the competitive nature of law school, this brought mixed feelings.
* Professor Doug Kmiec delivered a breathtaking lecture on “Foundations of Law.” I must take Constitutional Law under this man no matter what.

Funny for a former preacher to say, but choosing a Christian law school wasn’t even close to a factor for me (there were two in the eight schools to which I applied). But Pepperdine has already made me glad I’m here for that reason alone. A little bit for the welcoming atmosphere. A little bit because I already speak the language. But mostly because I approach life from that background, and as Professor Kmiec so effectively taught us yesterday, I need to determine over the next three years what will be the foundation of my new professional career.

Big Day

Mom arrived safe and sound yesterday. Above, she and Hillary pose in Heroes Garden on the Graduate Campus at Pepperdine.

Mom came to hang out with Hillary while Jody works and I begin law school. Law school begins today. Big day.

Go Sharks!

I grew up a Falcon. My wife was a Rebel. Erica was a Greyhound, and now Hillary is a Shark.

We’ve untangled the lingo and learned the proper response to where our daughter attends school: “Malibu High” (which just sounds cool, no?). Well, it is cool. It was named one of the Top 100 schools in the country in 2007 by U.S. News & World Report. It has an amazing fine arts program. And when we climbed the stairs to the track/football field, we saw the Pacific Ocean.

In Ocean Springs, Hillary attended one of the top schools in the state of Mississippi. Now, she has matriculated to one of the top schools in the nation. I wonder where this girl will go from here?

Ben & Sara

For the first time since our move, last night felt the least bit normal.

We met Ben & Sara at church last week. Ben is a new law student. He is in his early 30s (though not as OLD as me, still several years older than the typical law student), married with kids, and in my same section. We will share all classes in this grueling first year.

Ben & Sara invited us to their apartment for dinner last night, and we had an absolutely wonderful evening with them. The food was wonderful, topped only by the conversation, and by evening’s end we hugged our goodbyes as friends.

Ben is in law school courtesy of the war on terror. He is a member of the United States Marine Corps who served several tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and an injury provided him with the financial sustenance for law school. But his brother provided him with the motivation.

Ben described Micah as the good brother. The one who lived life nobly. And the one who died in Iraq. Ben is going to law school in the hopes of ending up in the Washington conversations that lead to the deaths of brothers.

We all have our reasons for being here I guess, all 200+ of us that will convene for the first time this week. Jody & I found Ben & Sara’s reasons fascinating. And we’re proud to call them our new friends.

King’s Kamp

Hillary at King’s Kamp (she had a funny picture where she was talking to a can of bug spray, but she said it was too embarrassing for me to put on my blog!)

Three days after arriving in Malibu, Hillary whisked off to church camp in the mountains of Idyllwild, California, with a coupla hundred people she didn’t know. She came back yesterday with stories of fun times, silly songs, and new friends.

Plus, she told us that she felt like she grew closer to God specificially in the area of praise & worship - she teared up as she explained this to us.

Not bad work for an 11-year-old’s first week in her new home 2,000 miles away.

Law School

It has been quite a rush moving to California: selling most of our stuff, making the cross country trip, navigating the system, and seeing the sights. In a few days, however (I’m beginning to realize), I will walk down the sidewalk pictured above, open the door and step inside, and begin the reason that prompted this exhilarating move: law school.

The word “horrors” is often associated with law school, particularly first year. We’re about to find out. Many months ago now, while living in Mississippi, I purchased the book Law School 101, a book that tries to prepare folks like me for what lies ahead. I read it eagerly, intending to read it over and over again prior to our arrival. But I just read it once. I guess pulling off the move took precedence instead.

But a couple of days ago I opened it up again, skipped past the sections on the LSAT and how to get into law school, and honed in on the chapters preparing the readers for First Year. As I read, I started kicking myself a bit:
* Shouldn’t I know what a tort is more than a few days before my first day?
* Shouldn’t I know what it means to “brief a case” before I spend my next three years doing it?
* Did I actually THINK before deciding to go to law school?
* Do I have any idea what I’m in for?

Natural jitters, I suppose. Probably more reality kicking in.

I remember my last semester of college (so long ago, I’m suddenly feeling!). My friend, Kirk, and I were assigned to student teaching in the same school district. As we walked down a sidewalk after our orientation session, he looked at me in all seriousness and said, “Have you thought What if we don’t like teaching?” No, I hadn’t thought about that, though it seemed a rather important thought to think. Then ten years ago, when I made the move to preaching, I remember a long-time preacher telling me I had no idea what awaited me. And he was right.

So I guess these thoughts just come with the territory. Or at least they do with me.

Funny thing: as I read yesterday what it means to “brief a case” and how law school is so different from everything else, I had this crazy serendiptity that law school was designed for me. That the skills required in law school are a near perfect match to the skills I naturally possess.

Now I thought I should blog about this today because I’m sure I won’t feel this way again once I walk through those doors - at least for the entire first year. But maybe, every once in a while when things seem really bad, I’ll stumble back to this morning and remind myself that, for once, I really feel like I belong somewhere. And that will keep me going.

I’m going to be a lawyer.

Announcing…

You are looking at the new Student Services Coordinator in the Career Services Center of Seaver College at Pepperdine University. Sounds impressive, huh? Well, it is. Which makes for a perfect match with my wonderful wife.

Jody has no idea how impressive a person she is to others, and how lucky the students and co-workers are that she will be serving.

But I know. And I am proud.

(New) Home, Sweet Home

A story in pictures of downsizing by one-third.

Our new digs…

The stunning courtyard view from the third floor

What we have to see on the way to check our mail

Living room

Kitchen

Hall

Half of our bedroom

The other half

Half Hillary’s room

The other half

Long Night Behind. Fun Day Ahead.

We’ve moved to Malibu. School hasn’t begun. Hillary is at camp. Jody and I are all alone. So we spend last night together, sitting at the computer, studying the 92-page California Driver’s Handbook. Hopeless romantics, we are.

Television and movies have made California DMV offices legendary. Long lines, great frustration. This is the day we have ahead of us. Along with the driving test, we also plan to register our vehicle. This requires a smog certification, so we must begin by trying to get that accomplished.

So if all goes well, by day’s end we will both have California driver’s licenses and California plates and much less money. If all doesn’t go well, we may be featured on an episode of COPS (we’ll be the angry people with Road Rage).

Wish us luck!

First Time In

Today was the day. Though I’ve been here since Thursday, today was the first day I ventured across the street and into the Law School. Funny to think of how familiar it will become to me soon - my home away from home. I’m sure at some point it will become old hat, but today it was fresh and new and exciting.

It’s huge. Three floors worth of library, classrooms, study holes, offices, and courtrooms. Colleen, my wonderful tour guide, insisted that I get my picture made in the judge’s chair. The Law School complex is more than just a place to learn, study, and work. It has a massive atrium, a lounge complete with large screen televsion, ping pong, and a pool table, and a complete cafeteria.

And a view. My, what a view. Click on the photo below to get the full effect, including the hawk circling the breathtaking campus below.

Oh, and there’s a full bookstore, too. Lots and lots of cool items and apparel that say PEPPERDINE LAW (when you insist on sending gifts, this would be the place!), and lots and lots of thick books. I spent a lot of money on my first law school books today, and though that is a bit disconcerting for a stingy person such as myself, it’s pretty exciting, too.

Today is the day when the whole law school idea began to seem real.