Brief update for those who don't know what's going on

So, finals finals finals -- and then, the Caribbean! I feel like I've told everyone, but I'm sure some have missed the news that I am going on Hofstra's winter break study abroad to Curacao where I will take two classes earning four credits in three weeks, studying international and comparative law, but mostly I will just lounge on a Caribbean beach.

First, though, I have to get through Law School Finals V: What, This Again? Here's a summary of how the studying is going:

1. Patent Law -- This is my first exam, today, the 8th. I am totally interested in the subject matter and the philosophy behind it. Unfortunately, I fell behind in the reading for this class back before I came to my senses and dropped from 17 credits down to 14, and I never totally recovered. I have a really good grasp of what I know, but I have this sneaking suspicion I've missed things over the course of the semester that I don't know I've missed. This makes the final, essentially, a crapshoot. We shall see.

2. Lawyers' Ethics -- Tomorrow, the 9th. This class is interesting and the professor, who I swear is Elisabeth Hasselbeck's doppelganger, is pretty straightforward. I feel prepared and I don't really mind getting two finals out of the way two days in a row. But, this class is (retardedly) subject to Hofstra's (retarded) curve, meaning the average grade has to be a B. So, let's say out of the 26 students, 5 got 90 out of 100, 5 got 92 out of 100, 10 got 94 out of 100, 5 got 98 out of 100, and one person got 100%. They couldn't all get As. The prof would basically make 93 into a B, and the 92s would find themselves with B-minuses, the 90s with Cs, and only that 100% would actually get to keep his A+. I am simplifying this a lot, but basically I'm just saying the mandatory curve is stupid. This year they decided to exempt classes with fewer than 25 students. Did I mention Ethics has 26 students? Moving along...

3. International Criminal Law -- Also curved. (I think Patent Law is my only test not curved.) This exam is already started, really, as it is a take-home exam. Don't think that means it's a breeze. It has five questions, suggested length 18 pages. It's due Wednesday the 10th, the day after I have these two exams in a row. I definitely have a lot on my plate right now. I've decided I don't care for take-home exams in the slightest. (I didn't think I would.) I'd rather take it in one three-hour ordeal. Rip off the Band-Aid.

4. Criminal Procedure -- I have a few days off in between my initial triple threat and my last two exams, which are next week. I've done the reading for this class all semester, I totally "get" my professor (Alafair Burke, who is awesome, by the way. She also writes mystery novels), and with the few days to study it shouldn't be too bad. That's a huge class, so the curve isn't quite as evil (although it's still retarded). Just as with Criminal Law first year, a similar subject matter, I find myself entirely more interested in the class than I ever thought I would be. It's weird because I haven't got the slightest desire to work in the criminal justice system (where, as we all know, the people are represented by two separate and equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute...) But it makes sense to me, and is interesting, unlike, say, civil procedure.

5. Trademarks -- Also of ridiculous if random interest to me. This class, taught by Russell Crowe's doppelganger, seems to also mesh with my brain. Last year in Entertainment Law I got a brief glimpse of Trademarks and immediately knew I wanted more. I generally talk about some trademark issue or other a few times a week to Brian or anyone else I can make listen.

My sixth class, Legal Decision Making for Children and Incompetent Adults, has no final. It was a small group class where we were graded on short papers, in-class exercises, and other projects. We actually finished up our last class meeting a couple days before Thanksgiving. I've practically forgotten all about it by now! (ha)

So, wish me luck!