Gladiators v Knights, and other ramblings.

Yesterday in trial advocacy we watched a clip of Gladiator. It was the scene in which Proximo was talking to Maximus about them finally going to Rome. Proximo was telling Maximus to not kill too quickly...win the crowd.....

All of us kinda laughed because it is kind of an intense moment to just be thrown into. ANYWAY, our professor went on to describe that this clip relates to many old lawyers. Trial Lawyers are Gladiators. Most lawyers see this scene as an old lawyer trying to teach a young lawyer.

I found this analogy interesting, but in the end false.

I always thought of Lawyers as Knights. We are exclusive and adversarial and very much apart of the aristocracy, but we are not the top. We don't fight unless a lord tells us too. (Business and or individual). Without a fight and without a battle we are nothing but suits...or suits of armor.

Gladiators though they win the crowd are slaves that have no part in the running of anything. Though an argument could be made that we are indeed slaves that just means we are slaves to law firms (other Gladiators) which may make the Gladiator quote that much more accurate. Whatever.

I guess we can be classified as both, but I like the Knight Analogy...As for the Knights.

In my criminal defense clinic we arrange the tables in the room to a square. Close to the door 4 professors sit at the head of the square. 1 older and distinguished lawyer who has seen it all, an older lawyer who is almost bitter and refuses to change much, a younger male lawyer who is smaller in stature and firey, and a tall attractive (but not smokin hot) women who dresses well. Then there is the rest of us filling up the sides of the tables.

Over and Over we are taught in the clinic that the first impression of us is bad. Criminal Defense lawyers...we wear the black armor. I always kinda laugh at this because we are more like knights anyway. I can't help but think when I am daydreaming and bored that this room of 30 people is like the dark den of knights. The things we laugh about and the way we plot to win cases would shock most people, but there we are. I describe the professors in a way that you can see the demographic. It just seems like a recipe for some dark knight school.

What a weird post.....

Tech is my Omega...Again

So this last saturday I was watching college football when I decided that I should use my own ticket and actually ATTEND a game. The longhorns were playing Texas Tech. So when I finished watching the Ags lose another game, I walked over to DKR.

I was sober, dressed in a burnt orange long sleave button up shirt with a Texas hat and aviator sunglasses boots and jeans. I was also alone because most of my law school friends had started to lock themselves in their study rooms for finals.

So I shuffled my way into the stadium and up to my seat. I've posted this before, but frat guys tend to look more intently at me because I kinda look like them and they think they should probably know me. I also get half smiles and glances from the sorority girls for the same reason. Too bad they don't know me. ANYWAY.

I make the climb to my half way decent seat and begin to watch the game. It then dawned on me....This was my last college game a student....Again....

My first last college game as a student came in 2004 against the one and only Texas Tech. This was also the only time A&M beat Tech in my 4 years at Texas A&M. The tailgate lasted for 6 hours before the game and we were 3sheets to the wind. I sat there after the game with my roomates and may friends at the time to soak it in. Our last college game. I knew I was probably headed to a law school in Houston that didn't have a Football team. (If you didn't know which one I went to, you do now). A deep breath was taken, a final look at the scoreboard through my drunken haze, and out of the stadium I went.

So my first year of law school I attended a school with no football team. Though I did attend many games that fall it is just not the same when you are not a student.

Then in the summer after my 1L year, I got the letter that would forever change my life. I got into UTLaw as a transfer. (I will before my blogging is done write an epic post about the transfer subject, but I've yet to find the time). So with the help of stilletos and levis I was quickly outfitted in Burnt Orange. I made a few UT games that year, but I didn't have the student season tickets.

This season I did have the student season tickets. So I went to a few, including the last Tech game, and this brings me back to my point.

So Im standing in DKR with the sun setting painting the sky burnt orange. The tower can just be seen on the right, the capitol on the left with the Frost Bank building a little behind that. The breeze was just slightly blowing the Texas Flag. Texas scored again, and I sang Texas Fight while throwing a Hook'Em.

As the next possession took place and the crowd quited down I laughed to myself. Not 3 years ago I was drunk off my ass wearing Maroon, yelling and whooping, with many friends that hoped to beat Texas Tech. Now, Im alone, sober, wearing Burnt Orange with the tower and Capitol in the background watching my last football game as a student hoping that we don't lose to Tech.

So, when the last whistle blew and UT lit the tower and sang The Eyes of Texas I walked home, with one more smile from the red headed sorority girl.

The last 3 years have been an interesting road.

It all ends with Tech.

Bye Bye Fran

Well it looks as if Texas A&M is finally giving up on the Fran Plan. Rumors and alot of smoke have reported that Fran has or is close to settling on a 2 million dollar buyout and the end of the season. This is 6 million less due to the fact he broke a few secondary NCAA infractions with secret emails he was selling to boosters.

This is an end of an era. An era that began with such optimism and ended in such bitter cynacism. Fran gave countless laughs and entertainment to the Big XII and the nation at large. Hell, Texas fans had to start a support group because a few of their ranks could not get enough "Aggy Misery".

Fran took a somewhat rising program (overall) and sunk it into obscurity.

I do take comfort in the fact that I was there when RC was still the coach.

Perhaps this will ignite my passion for Aggie football again. I lost after the Tech loss in 2006 and then Dr. Gates leaving to be the secretary of state.

They Got My Name Wrong.....

So there is a board in the Atrium of the Law School that has the names of all the students clerking for judges. It of course is a big deal because clerking is cool. Anyway, I go up there to see if they have added my name.......

They added my last name correctly but put a completely different first name.

I thought it was funny because that pretty much sums up my time here at UTLaw, which basically leads to this question...

"So, who are you?"