The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • ASU Law Awesome Awards

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    Ruth Carter

    I have been lucky to have some amazing professors during my time at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.  With graduation approaching, I polled my classmates and asked them which professors deserved awards for their excellence in teaching or dedication to students.  These are the results:

    Arizona State University logo
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    Best In-class Quotes: Andy Hessick
    I took a class from him two years ago, and I still remember, “When someone cuts off your face, you don’t get your face back. You get money. It’s a substitute.”

    Best Open Door Policy: Chad Noreuil
    I don’t know how many times I popped by his office hours to vent, get advice, and re-gain some perspective on life.  He always said that he was there for his students, and you knew he meant it.

    Best Comedian: Doug Sylvester
    He explained concepts brilliantly and he always did it in a way that made me laugh.

    Best Heart-to-Heart Talks: Judy Stinson
    She is the best person to talk when you need a conversation about law school or life without the professor-student relationship getting in the way of her awesome advice.

    Best Rants: Michael Berch
    You never knew what he would say next.  Every class was a jaw-dropping performance.

    Best Professor for Showing Students the Big Picture: Bob Clinton
    Taking his classes hurts your head because you have to understand the historical and social issues that correspond to the legal issues in each case.  It makes his classes challenging, but you get more out of them.

    Most Dedicated to the Student Experience: Shelli Soto
    She is devoted to helping students make the best of their experience at law school & celebrates the student perspective.

    Most Knowledgeable: Tom Williams
    The man knows everything about everything from policies to professors.  He’s also the best person to sit next to at an event because he knows Berman’s speeches so he’ll know when they’ll be over.

    Biggest Heart: Charles Calleros
    It only takes one conversation with him to know how dedicated he is to his students.

    Awesome Adjuncts: Larry Cohen, Troy Foster, Andy Halaby, Bill Richards, & Anne Tiffen
    These professors are known for their incredible knowledge base and for providing a valuable real-world element to their courses.

    Most Dedicated to Helping Students Achieve their Dreams: Michael Bossone
    When I was a 1L, his entire job was helping students achieve their dreams.  Even after he left the law school, he was always there when we needed his encouragement or guidance.

    Honorable Mentions: John Becker, Marianne Alcorn, Chuck Dallyn, Amy Langenfeld, & Mary Sigler

    Thank you all for you energy and dedication to the graduating class of 2011!

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  • Hello? Did you really not know this was my doing?

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    Ruth Carter

    Photo by Adam Almaraz

    I love these types of flyers.  They always make me smile.  I am trying to add as much joy to my last days of law school as possible.  I’m so excited to be done.

    Improv Arizona got its hands on this Lionel Richie flyer a few weeks ago and hung some up around the Mill Avenue area of Tempe.  I decided to bring the Lionel Richie love to the law school on Tuesday morning.  I hung two of these up on bulletin boards in classrooms in the law school on Tuesday morning.  I didn’t see anyone reacting to it while I was in class, but later the responses to my friend’s picture of the flyer on his Facebook page showed that people enjoyed it.

    I was a little bummed that both flyers were gone by Wednesday morning.  I guess professors and future lawyers, as a whole, don’t have much of a sense of humor.  Thankfully I found one of them in a recycling bin and put it back up.

    If you want the Lionel Richie flyer, Improv Arizona has a linked to it on their blog.

  • The Marathon of Bar Prep

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    Ruth Carter

    I’m graduating from law school in 30 days, and I’m tired.

    Usually around this time of the semester, I’m gearing up for the sprint to the end of the semester.  There are many late nights of studying and writing papers and excessive caffeination.  Once finals are done, I’m exhausted, and usually get to collapse for a few days if not a few weeks.

    At the end of my first semester of law school, I went to my parents’ house for Christmas and I literally did nothing but sit on the couch for two days.  One day, I literally watched courtroom dramas (People’s Court, Judge Judy, Divorce Court, etc.) from 9am until 5pm, with the exception of one hour.  At the end of my third semester of law school, I drove for over 12 hours to my parents’ house and I was so exhausted that I have no memory of the trip.

    I don’t have the luxury of burning myself out at the end of this semester.  Three days after I graduate I will start BarBri, the class that teaches you how to pass the Bar Exam.  For this semester, once I finish the sprint to finish finals, I have to turn around and line up for the marathon of studying for the Bar.

    From what I’ve heard from other lawyers, all I have to do is follow the BarBri program and study schedule and I’ll pass the Bar.  My classmate looked at our study schedule and reported that we’re expected to study and/or go to class 8 hours a day, 7 days a week.  I did the math and considering study time, sleep, and everyday activities, I’m going to have maybe 4 hours a day for myself.  I suspect that my life is going to get really simple.

    My friends and I have been formulating our plan of attack.  We will have a focused study group in the morning followed by class in the afternoon.  Everyone will be banned from my house unless a specific invitation is extended.  All stressful people, places, and events will be avoided at all costs.  I contemplated having someone change my Facebook and Twitter passwords, but I decided I needed the ability to see what’s going on the real world on occasion.  My phone is usually on or near my person; however, when I’m studying, it will be in a place where I can’t see or hear it except when I’m not studying.

    I will still have scheduled relaxation and fun.  There are select fun events on my calendar during the weeks leading up to the Bar.  I’m hoping to keep a regular workout schedule – walking, hiking, biking, and/or yoga – to maintain my health and sanity.  I have great friends who will remind me how normal people live.  They are also on notice that when I finish the Bar Exam, one of them better be waiting outside the testing center with a strawberry milkshake and a hug.

    There’s a saying in the Carter family: “You can do anything for 6 months.”  I only have to make it through the next 105 days.

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