Welcome to the beginning of my extended trip to the frozen north. At this moment I have a plane to catch in six hours and more packing to do. Seems as good a time as any to take a break and explain why I am flying to Seward’s Folly for these next seven weeks.
The trip is solely a result of being a law student at the Seattle University School of Law. On the cusp of completing my first year, the opportunity arose to spend some time in Alaska taking a course and interning in a legal setting. This was an enticing offer. Getting some school credits out of the way is certainly beneficial, and summer classes have reduced tuition rates. Working with a judge or law firm over the summer is just as useful, filling in that oh-so important résumé with legal underpinnings. Most authorities agree you don’t have to work in a legal setting or take classes in the summer. Many of my law school friends will be at “civilian” jobs over the next few months, helping to pay for this astonishingly expensive program. The only real rule about your 1L-2L summer is that you must do something. Alaska, appealingly enough, offers two somethings.
Just as important is where the Alaska program is located. Namely, Alaska! While I enjoy travel, I’ve never been. In fact, I never studied abroad through college. I know Alaska isn’t precisely “abroad”, but considering where I am academically, it’s the closest I’m going to get. Besides, it’s not exactly a domestic destination either:
I will be spending the majority of my time in Anchorage, the most populous city in the state.
So this blog (my first!) will be a little experiment. Along the way I’ll be posting on the work experience, the class experience, reflections on my first year of law school, daily living in the dorms, food, and anything else that springs to mind. If you would like to read about anything in particular, be sure to drop me a line. In the meantime, I better finish packing!
-Noah
