It is officially the week we have all been waiting for. It is the last week of law school class. I remember when we started this journey on August 20, 2009, I think we all thought the end of school would be so very far away. Trust me, it was, but we have made it and will graduate in less than one month.

From the very first case we read – Vaughn v. Menlove to the last case I read tonight, U.S. v. O’Hagan, I have read thousands of cases. I am sure that I will continue to read many more as an attorney, but those two will stick in my mind because they were my bookends. The start of and finish of school here at Bowen.

I remember being so nervous when we started. Would I get called on in class? Would I get the facts wrong? The law? Would I feel at times as if I wanted to crawl under my desk and hide or run screaming from the building? Would I feel stupid? Would I worry for weeks if I got something wrong on the final?  Yes, to all of these things and many more. Would I enjoy it? Would I learn more about the world and society? Would it change my point of view on things meaningful to me? Would it make me stronger and more confident? Would it make me a more valuable resource to my employer, my friends, and my family? Yes to all of these things as well.

Here I sit tonight, in my carrel at the law school. This evening is my last late night of class ever. The rest of the week is class only until 7pm, and then no more. It will be back to traffic jams at 5pm for this girl, and it will be back to riding with my Sweetie to work as well.

It has not been easy. It has not been cheap. It has not been as bad as I thought nor as good as I had hoped in my wildest dreams. But, it has been fulfilling. It has been worthwhile. I would do it again if I had the chance. I would not give up this dream because it was hard.

John F. Kennedy once said, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard. . .”.  Like JFK, I too chose to do something not because it was easy, but because it was hard. Law school is not easy. The pressures one is put under can break someone who is not prepared, someone who lets it get to him, or someone who just decides it is not the best thing for him to do. I stuck it out, I stayed the course, and I, like my friends, will graduate in a mere 25 days. Walking across the stage, with all of my friends and family cheering me on, will make the last for years worth every single minute.