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* 2013
* September 2013 News
* Thoughts on Being a Parent in Law School
Thoughts on Being a Parent in Law School
by Liz Billinger
If you’re planning on going to law school as a parent: think about it.
No really. Think.
Think about where you are now, and where you want to be in 5 years, 10
years, 20 years. Chances are you’ve already had the “what do I want to
do with my life?” discussion with at least three guidance counselors,
parents, friends, roommates, and one or more significant others. You
want to help people. You want to see justice served. You want to ensure
everyone has a voice. You want to make the world a better place for the
next generation. But it’s not just yourself that you have to think
about anymore: you’re a parent.
Think about the lawyering skills you already have just from being a
parent. You know how to survive on very little sleep (2am feedings.
‘Nuff said). You’ve spent significant amounts of time dealing with
people with whom you don’t see eye-to-eye (ever try to feed a
two-year-old vegetables?). And you’re adept at negotiating agreements
under pressure (Skittles are not a breakfast food, contrary to popular
3-year-old belief). Think about what you’ve learned as a parent, and
how this will help your understanding as a law student. Think about the
law school curriculum. You’ll be asked to become an expert on many
different areas of law, from Arbitration to Worker’s Compensation. If
you can master a Children’s Tylenol milliliters-to-weight-and-age
formula, Taxation of Individual Income should be a piece of cake. Each
class requires focus and stamina, skills you already have if you’ve
ever taken a child to the toy store to shop for someone else. Find what
works for you: do you prefer to listen to music as you study, or have
absolute silence? Are you a quick thinker who’s not afraid to be
cold-called, or prefer to volunteer when you’re sure you know the
answer? You’ll be asked “How do you do it?” more times than you can
count. But really, it’s not any harder to make it through law school as
a parent than on your own. The reading doesn’t get more difficult just
because you’re a parent. The papers don’t get any longer. What it
really boils down to is scheduling.
Think about how you will balance homework and home life. You’ll feel
pulled in a million directions: spending time with your family, being
relatively social with your classmates, and, of course, getting the
homework done. The best advice I ever received is this: treat law
school like a job. Arrive and leave at the same time every day, whether
you have class or not. I use down time between classes to do my
reading, which lets me focus on my family in the evenings. I try not to
do homework on Saturdays unless it’s during finals or a paper is due
the following Monday. Yes, there will always be the occasional
extra-long reading assignment or paper that takes longer than
anticipated, but those aren’t as frequent as you’d think. Schedule both
time to study and time to NOT study—then stick to your schedule. Okay,
so you probably won’t get to go to all the PAD events or all the Bar
“Reviews.” You won’t get to watch tv very often (but you’ll be too
broke for cable anyway). And the few times you’ll pull all-nighters
will be because your child is sick rather than because you’re cramming
for finals. But think about all the other things you’ll have to look
forward to.
Think about the experiences you’ll have. You’ll make some of the best
friends you’ve ever had. You’ll take classes with some of the brightest
professors in the field. You’ll have opportunities to intern, clerk,
and practice with some of the top professionals in the state. Then
every step of the way, you’ll remember why you’re doing this. Why you
keep pushing forward through all ninety credit hours. Why you can’t
wait for the day you put on that cap and gown and take goofy pictures
on the steps of the law school holding your little one. And most of
all, showing your son that just like Mommy did, they, too, can achieve
anything.
Just think.
* September 2013 News
* Students Learn about Practicing in Southwest Kansas
* Washburn Law leads its peers in student satisfaction
* Professor Jeff Jackson Presents Interactive Lecture at Kansas
State, with Students "Forming" the Articles of Confederation
* Professor Randall Hodgkinson a Featured Speaker on "Hard 50" Law
* Kate Duncan Butler Wins 2013 Howard C. Schwab Memorial Essay
Contest
* Summer Spotlight: Juan Pablo Gordillo
* Washburn Moot Court Council President Explains Benefits of
Membership
* Professor Martin Publishes Piece in the Huffington Post on Syria
and International Law
* Professors Glashausser and Martin Publish Pieces in the Huffington
Post Regarding Syria
* Professor Boyack's Paper on SSRN's Top 10 Download List
* Professor Kowalski Served as Scholar-in-Residence in India
* Professor Mastrosimone Criticizes Shortened NLRB Union Campaigns
* Professor Reggie Robinson Speaking at KSU to conclude U.S.
Constitution Observance Day
* Professor Jeff Jackson Provides Input on Incoming Appellate Judge
Boundaries
* Mathis discusses summer in the Army JAG Funded Legal Education
Program
* Washburn Law Celebrates "Best Law Teacher" Rory Bahadur
* Washburn Law Clinic: An Opportunity to Gain Real Experience
* Thoughts on Being a Parent in Law School
* Extending the Limits of Armed Conflict
* Extending the Limits of Armed Conflict
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Washburn University School Of Law
1700 SW College Avenue
Topeka, KS 66621
785.670.1060
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Washburn University School of Law prohibits discrimination on the basis
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Director/Title IX Coordinator, Washburn University, 1700 SW College
Ave, Topeka, Kansas 66621, 785.670.1509, eodirector@washburn.edu.