The End of an Era

It's that time again.  Finals.  But this time it has a whole new feel to it.  On May 15th I will officially no longer be a law student.  The last paper turned in, the last exam taken, the last oral argument made, and for the last time, I will be briefly reflecting on the journey taken before looking to the future.  

I am a spreader.  I am also highly independent.  Some would say to a fault.  So the following information should not be terribly surprising for those that know me well.  I turned to a classmate on Thursday night after my last law school class and said, "No one can tell me what to do ever again."  I was being funny but after 7 long years of education, learning what the professor wants, and battling against the status quo, it holds more truth than I had at first admitted.  In short, it's my turn now.  My turn to take that hard work and go with it.  As best as I can say how I feel, I am a caged animal who sees the cage is finally being left open.  

 

So you may not find it surprising that at this moment, as seen in the pic above, I know the road ahead is hard and full of uncertainty, but when ISN'T a good time to enjoy a Yoohoo.  Strangely, getting on a new diet full of nutrients and minerals (like Yoohoo!) will be one of the hardest changes. 

But I digress.  I am a spreader.  Just like the papers strewn about my workspace, I am already spreading in planning my future.  I prefer to call it diversification.  I had two academic goals when I decided to come to CUNY here in NY.  I wanted to write about my law school experience and suggest ways to make it better for others, focusing on curriculum.  It didn't take too long for me to get set up with two professors that want me to write a book and will be assisting me starting May 16th.  Why waste time?  

The second goal was to have a "product" by the end of law school that I could feel proud of and that gave me more fulfillment than grades and exams.  I found that this semester in my health law class.  I had read an article about an illegal immigrant who had been privately deported by a Florida Hospital after it decided it could no longer afford him.  They are now the example of what not to do and are facing a lawsuit.  I decided to write about the issue in my Health Law course and, although it has resulted in more work than I have ever had in law school, it has reaped deep rewards.  

The issue is loaded with inequities on all sides and institutional failure as well as compassion and ethical dilemmas.  I will be working with my professor this summer to get the paper published in law and health journals  but the most exciting news is that I spoke with the attorney while writing the paper and am now planning to go down to Florida to cover the trial and conduct interviews.  If I am lucky, I will get access with the NY Times.  This would of course be more than a culmination of my law school experience, it would be a dream come true.  The case is about Luis Jimenez, seen below.  I'll keep you updated.  And as surreal as the last couple weeks of law school has been, I can't help but feeling excited to get back to the real world.