What’s On Tap: 2L Spring
Forty eight hours after my triumphant appearance in TAW court, I was back on Zoom and talking about dead people.
Yup.
I have four classes this semester, not five, and only two finals in my future. HALLELUJAH!
TRUSTS & ESTATES
Trusts & Estates is a good “base knowledge” class, especially since I’ll draft wills fairly often as a JAG. It’s also tested on the bar exam, so best to prep now! In a nutshell, this class examines what happens to people’s stuff when they die.
I won’t lie, I put in for this class because I felt like I had to take it. But I think it’ll be way more interesting than anticipated. My professor really puts on a show in class, and he didn’t make us buy a textbook; instead, we’re reading from a draft of his latest edition (that’s his name on the book pictured below!)
Also, our second reading included the following:
“If you are interested in whether a severed head retains feeling and consciousness for a few moments after severance and therefore arguably remains alive for that period, the experiments carried out by French doctors after the invention of the guillotine are instructive…they found that decapitated heads could wink in response to questions, as agreed in advance of decapitation.”
Safe to say, I may learn some fun trivia facts in addition to trusts and estates!
PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW
I took this course because (1) I know FAR too little about the international world and (2) the professor is amazing. She’s Israeli and served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a lawyer before returning to teach at HLS, and her class philosophy is very unique. Instead of asking pointed questions in search of specific answers, she’ll ask more open-ended ones and then push back on whatever is said. She also acknowledges that there ARE wrong answers to some questions, and is not afraid to just say “nope” instead of doing the old “I could see that” or “you’re on the right track” bits. I personally find such a direct approach (which contains no malice!) very refreshing.
Like trusts and estates, this course is just an introduction to international law. The first part sweeps broadly across the sources of international law, the relationship between international law and domestic American law, and the determination of international responsibility and resolution of international disputes. The second part will focus on the use of force and the laws of war, human rights, international criminal law, and international trade law - but given her background, our professor said we’ll focus most on the laws of war. I’m here for it!!
MEDIATION
This class is the exact opposite of trial advocacy…instead of learning to navigate the adversarial courtroom, we bring the warring parties to a solution before court! Mediation is a great option for legal disputes - it’s cheaper, faster, and often reaches more satisfying solutions than a court proceeding. I won’t do formal mediation as a JAG, but I will counsel airmen and commanders daily so these general skills will be useful.
I was also drawn to Mediation because, like TAW, it’s 70% hands-on and 30% classroom discussion. The class meets once a week for three hours, and at least half of each session is devoted to conducting and debriefing a mediation based on actual cases. Plus, for the first time ever, there’s no final research paper - just an ongoing evaluation of our performances, weekly submissions regarding the reading, and a final 1000 words about what we’ve learned. Should be great!
NATIONAL SECURITY LAW
I can’t say too much about this class because it doesn’t start until February 25, but I’m pretty excited about it. NatSec is a one-credit course which focuses on legal and policy issues regarding national security law and technology. According to the syllabus, we’ll discuss everything from intelligence surveillance and lethal targeting to encryption, cyber security, and AI. The class is taught by a former prosecutor, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, and General Counsel for the NSA - aka, a SUPER qualified guy. It should be especially cool because we start right as the Biden Administration gets underway, and the changes in security policy should be fascinating!
ABOUT ZOOM
Unfortunately, we are still completely virtual - fingers crossed for an in-person 3L. I have mixed feelings about facing another semester in the Zoom School of Law. I do think it’s a wise decision, and part of me doesn’t mind conducting class from my living room. It’s a less stressful environment than campus; I like using a computer and monitor for notes; and I can’t complain about wearing actual sweatpants every day. On the other hand, I truly miss the comradery and personal connection with my professors and fellow students. I’m in a perfect situation for quarantined law school (I live with someone, so I’m not completely isolated, but don’t have to worry about kids at home or in school) but look forward to the Return of Free Lunches on campus!
