Law

There are only three weeks left in the semester which means that finals are around the corner. The sense of dread that started last month has been replaced with a study plan and things just might be okay.

The clocktower at Georgetown Law School.

Taking the MPRE

Finals may be around the corner, but I already took a major test last week — the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE).

Texas and most other states require a passing MPRE score in addition to the bar exam. Most people take the MPRE before the bar, but I’m doing things out of order apparently.

The MPRE wasn’t offered at Georgetown, so I took it at American University Law School. The school must have finished a major construction project recently — the buildings are brand new and look as if they were designed by Ikea.

Taking the MPRE at American University Law School.

I’ll find out my score in a couple of weeks (e.g. in the middle of finals.) If I pass, I’ll be officially licensed in Texas. I’ll probably wave into the D.C. bar (and perhaps Virginia) next semester.

Hopefully I won’t have to retake it. 🤞

Gunter – our Chiweenie who is not here for the Calmz Anxiety Relief System.

Fall in Washington D.C.

One of the most annoying things about finals in Minnesota was the cold and darkness. It gets dark pretty early in D.C. too, but we don’t have snow yet. 

It’s also way colder than Dallas, but nothing approaching Minnesota-levels.

The Korean War Memorial in on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

Fall decorations at Washington D.C.’s CityCenter.

The World War II Memorial in Washington D.C.

Then again, it’s another three weeks until finals actually start, so there’s plenty of time for the snow and darkness to arrive just in time to ruin my test-taking mood. Hopefully everything will be fine.

The week flew by — I finished LL.M. orientation at Georgetown University Law Center, got acclimated to my new apartment, and even managed to get some sightseeing in.

Being back in school isn’t as weird as I thought it would be. Georgetown University Law Center has a standalone campus in the heart of Washington D.C. and the facilities are definitely an upgrade from the University of Minnesota, where I earned my J.D.

GULC is significantly bigger than U Minnesota — about three times larger. The Georgetown LL.M. class alone is about the size of the Minnesota J.D. class.

The size of the LL.M. program means that it has a lot of dedicated resources — significantly, a five-person career center staff who emailed extremely helpful information and guides throughout the summer.

Another thing that impressed me is that the vast majority of LL.M. professors are adjuncts and local practitioners. This means that GULC has a significant presence in the D.C. tax community and there’s always someone around to answer questions about a particular firm or agency.