The END of the BEGINNING

Spencer just got back from taking his last final EVER as a law school student!! WOW- and just like that, he's done! Well almost... Graduation is in two weeks and then he takes the bar exam in 11 weeks. Between all that is a LOT of studying! But then he'll be a practicing attorney! Exciting!! Looking back three years ago it seemed like this day would never come. It's flown by though.

When Spencer started law school I remember thinking how weird it would be that by graduation our baby Madi would be almost 3- a walking and talking real little kid! And I was no where in the mind set of thinking that we'd have another one- and almost a year old!

The first year of law school was probably my favorite. I quickly learned that all the horror stories of law school being impossible weren't entirely true in Spencer's case. He's a fast reader, talented writer, has an incredible memory, and had a lot of legal experience before he started law school- all good things needed to survive your first year. Having only one kid and the excitement of getting to know a new area also added to the fun.

Second Year

By the start of second year our hard earned savings were nearly gone and we were getting to experience the real meaning of "starving students." It was a year of cutting back and trying to get by strictly on student loans. We got rid of the TV (cable, and tivo), canceled the home phone, and I got into couponing. In Spencer's opinion, his second year of law school was his favorite. He got to pick most of his classes, got to explore new areas of law, and began to get a real sense for what areas of law he really enjoyed. To top off his second year, Spencer got a summer associate position at Hausfeld LLP!!

Third Year

I'd say third year of law school was the probably the hardest. After finishing up his summer associate program at Hausfeld, he and one other "summer" were given offers to stay on. That included part-time work throughout the school year. So on top of law school, Spencer was working around 20-25 hours per week at the firm. Add to that Spencer's new calling in the Stake Young Men's. Oh, and I can't forget that Elle was born just a few months before Spencer started his third year. Needless, to say Spencer was busy. We all were busy!! But somehow, we made it through.

Three years later, Spencer is done and very ready to graduate. In between all of this, Spencer learned that what seemed like a for sure full-time associate position at Hausfeld was not to be due to a hiring freeze. While the news was initially shocking, it wasn't too much of a surprise in this legal market! A 2011 offer is a possibility, but who knows... Obviously we can't sit around until 2011 rolls around, so Spencer is looking into other opportunities-both here in D.C. and in CA. We're confident that things will work out. Spencer has a strong resume, lots of contacts, and knows what he wants. We're excited to see where the wind blows us! (maybe California...crossing my fingers!!) But for now, we are content in celebrating Spencer's huge accomplishment.