The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Geek Quest

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    Ruth Carter

    I want to find my people in the legal world, and by “my people” I mean my fellow geeks.  As it’s been told to me, getting a job after law school isn’t about what you know, but who you know.  This isn’t new information.  One of my mentors said at the beginning of my professional career that 85% of getting a job is networking.

    I am a geek
    Image by Julia Roy via Flickr

    The second year of law school is the time to make contact with the firm you want to work for after graduation.  Ideally, you work for the firm during your 2L summer and get an offer at the end of the summer for a job after graduation.  I want to work for a firm that does intellectual property (IP) work.  My goal is to meet lawyers who are geeks like me.  I want to meet other geeky IP lawyers who can’t change the fact that they’re geeks and make it work for them as lawyers.  I want to work for a firm where geeks are accepted and applauded.  I sent an email to an IP lawyer in Phoenix asking for his recommendations about who I should meet.

    My IP lawyer friend said he doesn’t know any geeky IP lawyers and that all the geeks he knows are scientists and engineers.  His only advice was most firms give their lawyers “great latitude to do whatever you want outside the office, as long as you do excellent work.”  I was a little sad to hear that an IP lawyer, of all people, didn’t know any geek lawyers.  I refuse to believe that there aren’t any geeks out there…it will just take some effort to find them.

    On a happy note, I was so relieved to meet a lawyer who truly had passion for practicing law, and it wasn’t about getting rich.  He spent over an hour with my fellow interns and me talking about how important it is to not sacrifice your soul, personality, or hobbies for the sake of your career.

    So my quest continues to find my fellow geeks.  I want to meet lawyers who understand the joy of celebrating science holidays, who understand the importance of making the pilgrimage to the future birthplace of Captain Kirk, and who understand why I want to have a koosh ball on my desk instead of a paperweight.

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  • Demanding My Money Back

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    Ruth Carter

     

    Underground entrance of Charles Trumbull Hayde...
    Image via Wikipedia

    I think I’ve established that I expect a high value for my tuition.  This past week, I got to confront the problem head on when a professor was very late to class.  He was apologetic and delivered a shortened version of his usually awesome lecture.  While I was waiting for him to arrive, I started calculating what his tardiness was costing me and I decided to do something about it.  I sent the dean of the law school a letter demanding my money back:

    —-

    Dear Dean Berman:

    The College of Law has committed a substantial breach of our contract.  The letter is to inform you of the expected remedy.

    On January 31, 2008, I received my acceptance letter to ASU Law School.  The school extended me the offer to pay tuition and fees in exchange for the opportunity to attend classes.  The terms of our agreement included adhering to the ABA’s rules of law students and the law school’s honor code, maintaining a minimal GPA, and making biannual payments to the school.  If I completed these requirements, I would be awarded a J.D. degree in May 2011.  I accepted your offer and have performed my requirements diligently since August 2008.

    For spring semester 2010, the school continued our contract by allowing me to continue to take classes in exchange for $10,618.05 in tuition and fees.  Scholarships paid $750 of my financial obligation, leaving me with the $9868.05 balance, which I paid on January 14, 2010 with an electronic check.  This check pre-paid for the classes I am currently taking.

    I am registered for 14 credits this semester, which translates to $704.85 per credit.  My three-credit Intellectual Property course that is scheduled to meet 26 times during the semester, for 85 minutes per session has a value of $2114.58 for the course, $81.33 per class session, or 95.7 cents per minute. 

    Paying $81 for an 85-minute lecture is a significant amount of money, and I demand a high value for my money.  Professor Douglas Sylvester teaches Intellectual Property and usually delivers an $81 value in each class with his dynamic style.  However, on Tuesday, February 16, 2010, he was 37 minutes late for class.  I appreciated his apology for his tardiness, but this does not negate the fact that ASU Law School did not fulfill its obligation to me that day.  Therefore, I am entitled to recoup $35.40 of my spring semester payment….

    Sincerely,
    Ruth Carter, LPC
    Class of 2011

    —-

    I thought it was hilarious to demand my money back.  Thirty-five dollars isn’t much to some people, but that’s months’ worth of ramen to a college kid. 

    I was a little surprised when I got a call from Berman yesterday wanting to talk about my letter.  He basically took my fun away and said I could either (1) have a 37-minute tutorial with Sylvester or (2) file a law suit against ASU, but I wasn’t getting my money back because “it doesn’t work that way.” 

    Even though things didn’t work out the way I hoped, I followed my rule: You can’t bitch about something unless you’re willing to do something about it. 

    Mission accomplished.

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  • Demanding the Maximum Value for my Tuition Buck

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    Ruth Carter

    Quality and value are important to me.  I want the maximum value for my money and I don’t mind paying extra for high quality products and services.  One of the annoying things about being a law student is that every semester, I have to pay tuition twice.  I have graduate school tuition and law school tuition, plus annoying fees like a $255 “Economic Recovery Surcharge.”  In the words of my classmate, “We’re being ripped off.”

    I paid over $9800 in tuition and fees for spring semester this week.  That’s what I owed after my scholarships kicked in.  I know my in-state tuition is nothing compared to what Ivy League students pay, but it’s still a lot of ramen. 

     I am taking 14 credits this semester.  I did the math; my tuition breaks down to $705/credit.  Therefore, my 3-credit Intellectual Property course is costing me $2115 for the semester.  If we meet twice a week for the 15-week term, that’s ~$81 for each 85-minute class, or just under $1/minute.

     I wonder if the professors realize what we’re, or at least what I’m expecting in return for my tuition.

    Rockettes
    Image by skvidal via Flickr

     I don’t go to a lot of shows and concerts because I don’t think I’ll get my money’s worth.  When someone buys a cheap seat for a show, the experience often costs less than $1/minute.  So I want show quality performances from my professors…every day.  I want my money’s worth.

     If I’m paying enough for a show quality presentation, I want a dynamic professor who uses a teaching style that’s compatible with my learning style.  I don’t doubt that law school professors enjoy teaching.  Unfortunately some of them are boring and teach by standing in front of the class and reading the textbook to us.  I’ve already paid $100+ for the book.  I can stay home and read for free.  The solution to boring professors in college is not taking their classes.  My school, and probably many others, only has one professor for certain subjects.  Therefore, if I take those classes, I’m literally paying $1000s to teach myself with minimal additional guidance.

     What I want are professors who are competent, enthusiastic, and entertaining.  Sesame Street had it right when they decided to teach children with songs and puppets.  I want the law school equivalent of singing, dancing, and glitter in every class.       

     I have a personal rule that I can’t bitch about a problem unless I’m willing to do something to resolve it.  I’m not sure what the solution is for professor-student cross-mojination.  Until I figure out the answer, I’m going to continue to show up prepared for class, emailing the professor when I have questions; but in return, I expect to get the full value of every penny I’m paying for this educational experience.

     I’m lucky.  I have in-state tuition.  If I expect glitter, I can’t image what value an out-of-state student should be demanding.