My first year of law school flew by and I have trouble remembering all of the things that happened. During my externship in the D.C. area, one of our assignments was to write a few sentences every day to tell what we did so that we would have a record of our accomplishments. Overachiever that I am, I went beyond that assignment and created a digital scrapbook of the experience that I turned into a book. I am so thankful for the assignment and also really happy to have that physical reminder of that experience.

Wanting to keep that tradition, I decided to document this semester with the 1 Second Every Day app. Basically, you film a one second clip every day or use photos or video shot for other purposes. At the end of the month (or any time period), the app mashes them into a video clip that you can save and share.

For today’s Video Per Day Experiment, I give you January 2020:

This makes the month seem much more exciting than shots of me studying every day…

I hope that you find ways to document your lives and accomplishments. It is really important to have something tangible to look back to that will tell our story.

See more on the Video Per Day Experiment in my introductory post.

Today’s clip for the Video Per Day Experiment shares something I needed help to overcome. Take a look and then scroll down for a deeper dive.

My problem with soda first began in high school really, but it really made itself known when we moved to Japan. I was isolated and alone with two young kids in a place where I had no support system. My husband was away for months at a time (Navy). Occasional trips to the vending machine down the block became a daily treat. Somehow, I associated the soda with feeling happier. (Of course, getting out of the house was likely a part of that feeling but a big kick of sugar and caffeine were contributors). Within a few months, my early loneliness was gone because I had found work and friends. However, the soda drinking remained and increased with each move.

All that soda caught up to me and I found myself overweight and unhappy with that version of myself. I was beginning to realize that soda was a problem, and I resolved to give it up. Every day of that year was a struggle because I wanted something to drink that tasted good and water was filling that need. One thing that did help was an app designed for recovering alcoholics to track their days of being sober; that app helped a lot because it showed how far I had come and I didn’t want to lose that progress.

After more than a year without soda, I ran a marathon. I had not realized that Coca-Cola was a sponsor, and I made the mistake of taking the can they handed out at the end of the race. Thinking that it would be fine, I popped that tab and down that slippery slope I slid.

This past March, I decided to get things in hand once more. Recalling how difficult it had been previously, I considered my options. I had heard of hypnosis being used for other things like helping smokers quit smoking. Being frugal, I decided to see if there were any hypnosis videos available on YouTube. I found one that didn’t look too bad so cautiously watched it. (We have all heard of hypnotized people doing silly things). I honestly don’t know if it was the video or not, but this time, breaking the habit has been much easier. I am ten months in and so far I have not struggled at all. I must admit that it does help that there are more flavored water options now.

I know what many of you may be thinking. “That is dumb-she should have just stopped drinking soda.” But let me challenge you. How many cups of coffee do you drink a day? How many days can you go without that coffee? or sweet tea? or energy drink? Is there something that will change your mood if you eat or drink it? Has the occasional after work drink morphed into several drinks every day?

Why do I share this story? Our society places a shameful connotation on addictions. Even worse, depression and mental health issues are considered weaknesses. I want people to realize that there is nothing wrong with getting help. That help comes in many forms and is out there waiting for you. Don’t be afraid to use the resources when you need them.

Now does anyone have help for a Twitter addiction?

See more on the Video Per Day Experiment in my introductory post.

In today’s Video Per Day Experiment clip, you get to see into my closet.

Even after living in Virginia for the past 15 years, I have never fully committed to cold weather. I have resisted owning winter coats because I don’t like to wear them. Add to that my dislike of shopping and the pickings were slim when I looked for winter gear in my closet. Recently, a number of circumstances occurred which led to several items being added to my winter coat wardrobe. So, it was quite surprising to realize that the selection now filled greater than one third of the space. Looking at my closet and seeing all of the winter paraphernalia made me laugh. Everyone who spends much time around me knows that I am a warm weather gal. My favorite place is a beach with the sun beating down while I collect shells.  My name means shell island so it is no stretch to understand that Sanibel Island in Florida is my favorite place.

A law school friend was just passed over for a position that they really wanted. They were so desirous of the position that they had even flown their whole family to the location and gone house hunting. Unfortunately, the employer wasn’t as convinced. As we discussed options, it became clear that in their mind, no other position would work. They were not open to discussing options on interim jobs that would work “for now” and  make them ultimately more suited for the desired position. Sadly, they have turned down several offers due to this thinking. This seems to be a fairly common phenomenon for my classmates. Many have one idea in mind and are not open to considering anything else.

As a military spouse, frequent moves meant that there were jobs along the way that were not my top choice. However, they filled a need at the time. Ultimately, all of those experiences make me fairly well rounded and adaptable. In my last government position, I joked that they created the job just for me and my weird assortment of skills. I encourage everyone to take a longer view when that “perfect job” doesn’t work out. Think through these questions and open your eyes to other positions:

  • What can the job provide that I can use in the future?
  • Is there anything about the job that I like?
  • Can I build a skill in a weak area by doing this job?
  • Will the experience help me to get the “dream” job?

Sometimes, it may seem that the only positive is a paycheck. Looking back though, I can see that I gained something from each job and left better than I was previously. All of these experiences combine to make me what I am today.

Back at my closet looking at those coats, I reflected on the path that brought me to Michigan. If choosing a school based on weather preferences, Michigan would have been toward the bottom of the list. However, I chose a school based on many other factors. Variations of the questions above led me to make the decision.

And just like the jobs in the past gave me skills, the decision to go to school in Michigan gave me a great wardrobe of coats.

See more on the Video Per Day Experiment in my introductory post.

I titled this post early influences because today’s video for the video per day experiment addresses things that have influenced me while I have been in school. Thus, I consider them early influences for my future legal career.

Without a doubt, participating in the social media contest here at Michigan State College of Law has changed the trajectory of my future career. I am excited that the school continues to hold it each year, and am looking forward to participating again.

While listening to the presentation by an alumna today, I was struck with the realization that hearing stories from alumni has also been very beneficial to me. Some of the most powerful experiences have been those where alumni have come back to share their stories. It is one thing to hear something in class, but to see how that information is applied and put to use every day has a great impact. More importantly, seeing the different career paths and roles has expanded my knowledge of possibilities. The role of alumni has not been relegated to presentations alone though. I regularly communicate with alumni on Twitter who have been extremely generous with their time.

I look forward to joining this network in the future and I will do my best to uphold this wonderful legacy.

See more on the Video Per Day Experiment in my introductory post.

In today’s world of sharing on social media, we sometimes forget that what we see online is often carefully curated. If we are not cautious, we can end up comparing ourselves to these unrealistic snapshots. Back when my kids were little and playing team sports, parents were assigned to bring snacks on a rotating basis. There were always a few parents that competed to bring the most nutritious or the most beautiful snacks. I, on the other hand, never quite measured up to their standards. In today’s video per day experiment, I share  what I learned from that period of life and how I applied it to a situation this weekend.

 

See more on the Video Per Day Experiment in my introductory post.

For the video on day 22 of the #vpdexperiment, I make a recommendation for a movie and then I add additional thoughts below.

The summer before our first year of law school, students in my class were asked to read the book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. It is this book upon which the movie is based. Although it is a compelling story on its own, it was made more so for me because I was familiar with the town described within its pages. You see, I spent my summers working at my grandparents’ home about 30 miles southeast of Monroeville outside the small village of Castleberry. By comparison, Monroeville was a “big town” and we often ventured there to sell cows at the stock yard or buy jeans at the Vanity Fair outlet. I am sure that I must have read newspaper accounts of the murder at the time.

Small town Alabama was not a hotbed of progressive ideas in the ’80s. Unfortunately, I witnessed the racism portrayed in the movie and described in the book first hand. If anything, the book and movie gloss over how deeply ingrained those beliefs truly were. For anyone living in the area, times were tough. For those outside of the “good old boys” club, they must have been truly horrific. The book delves into this more and is worth reading even after seeing the movie.

Lest you think that this story ends a long time ago and “things surely have changed,” Sheriff Tate left office in 2019.

See more on the Video Per Day Experiment in my introductory post.

You may have picked up that I like to write. What may not be so obvious is that I like to write about what I want to write about. This can be a problem with school assignments. Not wanting to do homework is not so unusual; when it presents itself as a complete writer’s block, it can become a problem though. When I find that happening I use the techniques I discuss in the video below. With distractions removed, I sit at my desk and pound out everything that comes into my head. Quite often, that will help and I will be able to keep writing. For the times it has not broken through the block, at least I was left with something to sift through for any nuggets worth keeping.

As I mentioned in the video, using a timer to focus attention on a task is now known as the Pomodoro technique, although I am sure mothers have been using it for eons. I can just picture a mom in a cave saying “sit still until that beetle gets to the other side of the fire pit” or “you can go play with Dino after you pick the bugs out of your sister’s hair.”

Finding ways to concentrate may not have changed that much, but the distractions sure have. Has anybody seen a timer with a lockbox for my phone?

See more on the Video Per Day Experiment in my introductory post.

Only time will tell whether it was prudent for President Trump to authorize the killing of Qassim Soleimani. But we don’t need to wait to recognize that the constitutional design for the executive branch has failed us. As I have observed before before, no person should possess the sole power to make these kinds of decisions.

While the constitutional framers believed that the country would be better served by a single executive, they misjudged the differences between single decision makers and multiple decision makers. There is much truth to the maxim that two heads are better than one. Over the past two hun­dred years, our understanding of decision making has evolved. Stud­ies by economists, psychologists, and other researchers demonstrate that shared decision making works well and indeed better than uni­lateral decision making. As the example of George W. Bush waging war against Iraq illustrates, a single decision maker can make very poor choices.

We have never been able to solve the problem of presidential power by changing our presidents. Even the best presidents make mistakes that reflect the inevitable limitations of seeing issues from one’s own perspective. We will only fix the presidency by redesigning it. Switzerland provides an impressive model with its executive branch. The Swiss require the major parties to share the executive power and make decisions by consensus. That ensures better decisions. It also provides fairer representation for the public in its government.

While political commentary has emphasized the septuagenarian status of leading presidential candidates, it has done so in a troubling way. Rather than worry that Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, or Joe Biden may be the oldest person to become president, we should celebrate that fact. It’s a wonderful reflection of advances in health that people can continue to serve our country for longer periods of time. Moreover, focusing on candidate age reinforces society’s unhealthy biases against our elder citizens. Ageist views are widespread and cause serious harm.

When one looks carefully at the question of age, it turns out that the arguments are mostly misguided. For example, some suggest that we need a new generation of leaders to take us in a different direction, a “fresh start,” according to Pete Buttigieg. In fact, there is no connection between candidate age and candidate desire for a new direction. The candidates who want to change things the most include Sanders and Warren in their 70’s and Andrew Yang in his 40’s. The candidates whose proposals are more incremental and conventional include Biden in his 70’s, Amy Klobuchar in her 50’s, and Buttigieg in his 30’s. Among young voters, the most popular candidate is the oldest candidate, Sanders, precisely because of his proposals for major change.

Concerns about candidate age also neglect the many advantages that older leaders bring. Stepping into the Oval Office comes with a very steep learning curve. Better to have a president with the judgment and wisdom that comes with experience. It is for good reason that we speak of the folly of youth.

Of course, we need to ensure that presidential candidates are healthy enough to serve. And the evidence provides reassurance for all of the Democratic contenders. The persistent focus on candidate age has been far more pernicious than helpful.

Last November, I ran into Kevin O’Keefe, CEO of LexBlog, while between classes at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. I met Kevin in 2018 at an event at the law school called “Building and Creating Your Brand With Social Media.” Since then, his company has helped me build my blog, Legal Building Blocks.

Kevin invited me to sit down and talk about my experiences with legal blogging and studying innovation in legal services as a law student. We spoke about how I became interested in legal innovation. We also discussed some of the people and organizations that have influenced my journey. I’m grateful for their guidance and support!

View our conversation in the video below: