In Chicago and Waiting

So I'm sitting in my hotel's lobby on a super-comfy sofa enjoying free wi-fi (when you charge $250 a night, charging for wi-fi is in my opinion undignified). Decided to not go out around downtown last night, just ordered in room service which was not as good as the price had hopefully suggested. At least I ordered a lot so I could be picky and choosy instead of starving. Enjoying this brief respite from even thinking about law school, well except for when interviewers ask about it of course. Next week I'll have to start again on appellate advocacy so I am not scrambling before final submissions the first week of November.

You might ask why I am sitting here blogging at 1:18 in the afternoon (12:18 local time)? Because check-out was noon and my interview starts at 1:30 with McDonnell Boehnen a few blocks from here. Better to sit here with free wi-fi than look like a terrorist with my big garment bag just sitting around a corporate office building lobby or showing up to the interview too early. Let's review this crazy interview season...

35 first interviews at Loyola Patent Program and OSU OCI August 3-September 14.
52 unsolicited letters to chicago and texas firms.
8 callback interviews thus far (#6 today, #7 Thursday, #8 Friday).
16 rejection letters from first interviews...and 12 firms have not responded yet amazingly.
1 rejection letter from callback interviews.
0 offers.
I believe this is where Mastercard would say "Priceless."

Fish and Richardson in Dallas TX - (Loyola Patent Program) Callback was 9/1, no response.
Maginot Moore and Beck in Indianapolis IN - (OCI) Callback 9/6, no response.
Brinks Hofer Gilson and Lione in Chicago IL - (Loyola Patent) Callback 9/22, quick rejection letter.
Leydig Voit and Mayer in Chicago IL - (Loyola Patent) Callback 9/29, no response.
Greenebaum Doll in Louisville KY - (OCI) Callback 10/6, no response.
McDonnell Boehnen in Chicago IL - (Letter!) Callback 10/9
Wood Herron Evans in Cincinnati, OH - (OCI) Callback 10/12
Harness Dickey in Detroit, MI - (Loyola Patent) Callback 10/13

Seven fishing lines still in the lake, perhaps there will be more added but hopefully I can catch a fish or two in the next couple weeks. I fully expected to hear from the first three firms on the list this week, but Brinks went above and beyond by letting me know last week they did not want me :-) At the time I was having trouble deciding whether I would take that offer or another top one on my list, so that clears the order up a bit.

The Greenebaum interview impressed me, and I really like Louisville if I choose to settle in a smaller city. South enough to not be awful weather for 6 months, on the Ohio River, nice driving distance to Columbus, Cincy, Indy, Chicago, and Nashville. If I had to make a snap judgment or list of firm preference right now, they would be number 2...but further consideration will be merited if I get multiple offers.

The OSU-BGSU game was one of the more boring contests I've witnessed at Ohio Stadium, and it marked my 30th OSU game overall. On a stretch of 5 straight weekends with the Iowa trip and MSU trip, so looking forward to seeing the Bucks defend their number 1 ranking this month and getting ready long-term for the showdown with Michigan for the Big Ten title and a likely berth in the BCS title game. As last week proved though, undefeateds are falling quickly (13 last week, 4 of them lost so 9 left). OSU has to avoid the upset bug...

I forgot to mention this last week because I was too busy rushing home and finishing the brief for app ad and then going to bowling, but I witnessed a squirrel on Chittenden Wednesday that made me about roll off the sidewalk laughing. This squirrel was going hardcore on a piece of pepperoni pizza left by drunk undergrads in the grass, and I for some reason found this sight so funny. Since when do squirrels go for Papa John's? The way it was tearing into the pizza kind of reminded me of quite a few 1L's and undergrad students I know :-P

So Zach (my brother in law) is home finally this week from the Air Force after being forced out due to a kidney stone. Now he is back spending tons of time with fiancee Sarah in his room at his Mom's house. My father-in-law, grandparents-in-law, mother-in-law, stepfather-in-law, and wife are all supportive but all of them do not seem to completely trust Sarah. I kind of feel the same way, and I am definitely worried Zach will do something dumb now that he's home like get married really soon or have a kid. He needs to continue with his life plan and go to school somewhere...as maturity (which I'm sure he got some in basic training) comes from life in college and depending on yourself and not living at home. Kelley and Bruce (and I) are a little pissed Zach's mom lets them hang out all day in Zach's room until 3 AM alone, whereas Kelley was not allowed to be in her room with guys at all. Well I just hope he makes good decisions, as he is definitely a smart guy and has more computer skills than I ever care to have. The only thing that keeps me from saying stuff to him is that I HATED the crap I got from family about my own wedding, so I don't want to be that guy. Things have seemed to work out great for me, so hopefully the same to him.

I got measured for my tux for Tom and Heather's wedding the other day, which got me to thinking...what the hell am I going to say as the Best Man toast? Tom had his moments when I though his speech would be a disaster, but he pulled it all together and I loved it. I just hope I can do the same...and I am totally looking forward to the honor. Wish we could get out and play tennis before it freezes over, but with all these interviews it probably will not happen till next week. I'll hope for sunshine, even if we have to play in sweats.

Went to Chi Alpha this week, nice to see the old gang and the new people. Pastor Jim just had his second kid, so big news there. Saw Pastor Jeff and grabbed coffee with him randomly earlier that day as well, so that was nice. With Zach coming back and going to contemporary Lutheran services now...we both might be able to influence the worship and music committee or whoever runs this shebang that changes need to be made. You cannot make everyone happy and the contemporary service IS a big improvement over the regular liturgical worship, but the darn service is still confined by liturgy (on the powerpoint slides mind you). If they want to draw in new members and non-Lutherans to see attendance actually grow, they need to change it up a little bit. I'm not saying exactly like Zach's basic training contemporary church service or my Chi Alpha services, but make it a lot more like those and start over instead of basing it strictly on liturgy. I do not know why I should care just like why should I care about who wins elections in Ohio when I'm moving out of state in two years...but something makes me want to stand up to the hardcore Lutherans and tell them to be open-minded. Just like when I "stole" communion from the not open-table Missouri Synod Lutheran church my father attends...but that's another story for another time.

For some reason, after rushing to finish the app ad brief and not revising it at all, I looked it over Thursday morning and was proud of it. I know it will be ripped apart by my adjunct professor, but for a few days I can be proud of my work.

Well it is time to go hail a cab and get on with this interview. More fun on this trip other than having this mid-day wait was having to re-schedule my flight tonight since I thought the interview was in the morning and so I set up the 5:30 flight out of town. It's now the 7:30 flight because there is NO WAY you can have an interview at 1:30 and make it to O'Hare by 4:30. Just impossible. Especially if I bring home Giordano's ;-)

Have a good week, I may be on here more as the week off progresses.