So many things...

There are so many exciting things happening in my life, in the blogosphere, in the country.  I should write 3 or 4 separate posts, but I'm committed to spending less time on my computer now that I'm done with law school (besides, you wouldn't read 3 or 4 new posts; you'd just read the latest one).

Law School

Law school is DONE.  My last exam was h.a.r.d.  It was in Trusts and Estates and was 4 hours from start to finish (with a 45 minute break between parts 1 and 2).   This course is very, very statute intensive and because the laws are so diverse across the country (common law, former UPC, current UPC, etc.) the myriad details that one needs to know to be able to grasp this area of law is mind-boggling.  The first part was a 2 hour closed book exam -- a combination of multiple choice and true/false.  I knew the general principles in every section he tested.  Was I confident that I knew the specific principle or the application in each hypo?  No way.  I guessed at more than half the questions.  That's the good news; the bad news was that the 2nd part of the exam was a 1 hour essay-type with 3 questions.  It referenced both the case book and the statute book.  So, in 1 hour, you had to look up the referenced case(s) in the case book, note the changes from the hypothetical, find the statute in the statute book, note any changes from the hypothetical and then write an essay discussing the case and the changes effected by the hypo.  It was impossible. My only consolation is that it had to be that hard for most of the class -- and I took the class pass/fail.  So, I'm done.  Law school is behind me. Wow.  This coming Thursday, I graduate.  Pictures to follow.

New Jersey

A red-letter day in New Jersey!  As reported by others (see Jen's posts on Transcending Gender, for example; see also this article for a full story.) New Jersey delivered a powerful one-two punch to knock down discrimination in the Garden State (OK, so I used to be a boxer; forgive the violent metaphor). The state's legislature approved civil unions (as mandated by the Supreme Court of their state) and passed a gender identity non-discrimination bill.  The Governor is expected to sign both bills.

New Jersey is now the 9th state -- and the 3rd largest behind California and Illinois -- to pass a bill prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity.  And, it joins a growing cadre of states who recognize the inequality of granting certain rights, privileges, and responsibilities to opposite-sex couples (I would still quibble with their usage of 'civil unions' as opposed to 'marriage', but I note that they also struck down an amendment that would have defined marriage as exclusively between one man and one woman). See also this press release. Way to go, NJ, and way to go, Garden State Equality! (Check out their Transgender Equality page, including a link to their [perhaps the first ever?] trans-equality television commericial).

Happy Hanukkah!

Last night at sunset also marked the beginning of the Festival of Lights.  Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends and family. 

Happy Birthday, Maria

And yesterday was Maria's birthday.  Have a happy one, Maria!  You are an awesome woman and your blog, Daily Dose of Queer is indispensable.

1st Semester behind her

Congratulations to my youngest daughter (20) who just completed her first semester of grad school!  I couldn't be prouder of her.