Semester in Practice

Due to the BC Law lottery system, I was selected for Semester in Practice and I'm pretty excited about it. Basically, it's a program that allows me to apply the skills that I learned in the classroom and acquire the skills that are not taught in the classroom. Hopefully, I'll get a placement at a Family Law firm or clerk for Probate judge but nothing is guaranteed. My back up placement is working in a Elderly Law Firm, Margolis & Cohen.

Margolis & Cohen, LLP begins its representation of many clients with a comprehensive estate and long-term care planning evaluation. This evaluation dictates the best planning strategies to pursue in order to meet the estate planning and long-term health care objectives of the client. The attorneys examine all aspects of the client's financial well-being and issue a follow-up letter which summarizes the client's unique situation, reviews the law, and explains our recommendations for the best possible estate plan for the client. The complex and every evolving rules of Medicaid play an increasingly important role with respect to traditional estate planning concerns.

Well, either way, this is going to be a great semester.

p.s.
I mailed over 40 resumes today. Let's pray that I get a few interviews

Bye Bye August

Cheers to August! Thanks for the fond memories!

August 1
August 31

The Beginning of The End

Today was the first day of my last year in law school and it was bittersweet. It was weird to walk around knowing that you are now the top dog on campus. 1Ls and 2Ls will look upon me for advice and the teachers will reminisce about how I was a wide-eyed 1L just minutes ago. However, on the other hand, this is the year that counts. I have to find a job and this is probably the last time I will see some of your classmates. 3L year is definitely bittersweet.

One Crazy Summer

Today is officially the last weekend of the summer for me. Monday is the first day of school and I have Semester in Practice in the morning and Mediation in the late afternoon. Although I'm not looking forward to the end of the summer, I am looking forward to the beginning of the semester. I have a few interviews lined up in September and I'm actually taking classes that will enhance my lawyering skills. Thus, I want to take some time to thank the Lord for blessing me with this great summer and a soon to be great fall! It's Harvest Time!

I leave you with a video of the fireworks finale in Oak Bluffs to truly mark the end of summer.

Bring the Noise

Tisha and I went to our second doctor's appointment today and I everything is fine. The ultrasound is scheduled for Sept 21. Click below to listen to our baby's heartbeat.

Our Baby's Heartbeat.mp3

Do The Right Thing

After hearing so many stories about Spike Lee on the Vineyard, I finally have a Spike Lee story of my own. One morning while I was running, I noticed a short black man in a black Mercedes SUV with New York tags drive past me. It sort of looked like Spike Lee so I cut my run short and turned around in the opposite direction. I noticed that the SUV stopped in the parking lot of Our Market which is the general store in Oak Bluffs (and also the place where I met Henry Louis Gates, Jr 7 years ago). I saw that the man was still in the SUV talking on the phone so I pretended like I was stretching to get a better look. It was indeed Spike Lee. Since he was still sitting in his car, I decided to go in the store and look at the magazines until he entered. However, when I got to the door, I realized that the store was still closed. It was 6:55am and the store didn't open until 7. As I turned away from the door, I noticed that Spike was looking directly at me, while still talking on the phone. I wanted to walk over and introduce myself but I didn't want to be rude so I just gave him a wave. Spike returned the wave with a shake of his fist and a slight head nod. I wish I had my camera on me but its kind of foolish to run 3 to 6 miles with a camera hanging from your arm. However, I may have to reconsider that kind of foolishness if it means taking a picture with people you admire in a place that you love.

Lax on South Beach

This is a video of CJ and I playing catch on South Beach in Martha's Vineyard. Usually, when we go to the beach, we go to the one in Edgartown but this time we went to South Beach (and we were not disappointed). Although the water got pretty choppy towards the end of the week, the beach was shell free. This is also my first video post on YouTube.

Great Trip

I love the Vineyard. Tisha and I had a great time and really got a chance to relax and talk about the upcoming year. We had a couple of good beach days but overall the weather was mild for Aug. I really do love this place and hopefully one day I will be able to afford a home on the island. I also saw a few of my law student friends on island. Click on the pictures to view some Vineyard action.

Summering on the Vineyard

Tisha and I are staying at her family's beach house for a week in Martha's Vineyard. I will try to take lots of pictures and post them when we return. This is a picture from my first trip to MV in 2000.

One Small Step For Bran

Yesterday was a big day for the Brooks Family. After a full day of walking around with a scanning gun, Tisha and I registered at Target and Babies "R" Us and we are pretty happy with our list. However, Tisha constantly checks the list as often as I check my fantasy stock portfolio on facebook. Although the baby isn't due until February, feel free to browse the list and buy a few items if you so desire.

This stroller is my favorite item on the Babies "R" Us registry.

Politics Not As Usual

Over the past few months or so, I've been really thinking about politics and where I stand with the democratic party. My political views have shifted from left to center on a few issues and I'm starting to feel as though the democratic party does not speak to where I am in life right now. I even flirted with the idea of switching to the republican party but after doing a little research and some sole searching, I decided to stay with the Ol' Dems. The two major reasons I decided to stay with the Democrats are: the Kennedy's and the Clinton's. A few weeks ago, Tisha and I watched a 3 hour TV movie about the Kennedy's and once again I felt inspired to get involved with politics. I must mention that Bobby Kennedy will always be my favorite Kennedy because of his dedication to social justice and his tenure as the U.S. Attorney General against organize crime. The Kennedy's was a prime example of what it means to be a democratic and I was proud to be associated with the political party of such strong men and women who closely hold on to their conviction of justice and service to the least of among us. The second and more important reason why I still consider myself a democratic is the example and legacy of Bill Clinton. Clinton considered himself a New Democrat, and as of today, I consider myself a New Democrat. The New Democrats were created after the 1984 election of Ronald Regan. The founders of the Democrat Leadership Council (DLC) believed the United States Democratic Party needed to shift to the right of center to remain viable during the Reagan era. A New Democrat basically identifies with a center-right view on social/cultural issues and favors a fiscal conservatism on economic issues but still holds a sense of accountability to the people. Andrew Jackson said it best when he proclaimed,

Equal opportunity for all, special privilege for none.

The DLC also notes that at the heart of a New Democrat are three principles:

Promoting opportunity for all; demanding responsibility from everyone; and fostering a new sense of community.

So there you have it. I will continue to vote democratic and possible run as a democrat some day because of this unique approach to solving America's problems. As a country, we have to move beyond liberal or conservative views of where we should go and try to find a moderate view of critical possibilities of where we could go for the benefits of the generations to come.

Above you will see a picture of myself with Delaware's Senator Thomas Carper. Click on the picture to learn more about the Senator. I have a great story to tell about Delaware's other senator and presidential hopeful Joe Biden but I will save that for another time.

Bonds Hits 756

Click here to read a report from ESPN.