JUDGED
This week Alaska Bar rule 44 kicked in and I appeared before a judge on actual proseedings all by myself.
Finished gasping? Good. All that I did (in all 4 instances) was ask for a continuance. I went before the judge said
"we need more time"
and the judge said "how long?"
and I said "two weeks?"
and he said "ok."
That was, basically, it. But still, pretty fricking cool, eh?!

THE OFFICE
Working in an office is weird. One random example- old people trying to explain technology to me. We have to submit federal motions online. One of the office ladies (who is very smart and good at her job) was walking me through it and it took her FOREVER. Oi! They treat the bits of understanding they have as some sort of mystic secret, not to be analysed or questioned but merely accepted and passed down unchanged. For example, you have to submit all papers in a pdf form. She showed me how to change word perfect files into pdf documents. I was about to do it with my files (written in word, not word perfect) and she got worried. I explained that word files could be converted into pdfs just as easily, but I could tell that she didn't trust it.

Speaking of mystic rituals, filing a motion NOT online (with state court) is twice as bad. You have to make three copies of everything, notarize the affidavits, fax AND mail everything to everybody, stamp all the file copies with a "file copy" stamp, make an animal sacrifice to the law god of bureaucracy, and then place the updated file within a circle of protection to ward off evil spirits.
What I'm trying to say is that I think it's an outdated, silly system. Did that come across?

ALASKAN CULTURE
There is more than nothing to those Northern Exposure stereotypes. To over generalize- it seems as if everybody here is either a hippie-type, a grizzled mountain prospector-type, or a healthy combo of the two. Here in Anchorage we do also get a little of the city type as well, but even they usually have a tint of either hippie or prospector. For example, it is quite the fashion statement here for the well-to-do to have rather ostentatious watches, with the likes of golden ram horns and jutting diamonds around the watch face. Although I've never seen the like before in the lower 48 west, it has a very western feel to it. Definitely something you might picture a rich Klondike gambler to wear circa 1900. On both the hippie and prospect end, you have people with facial hair to no end here. I saw a dude with the longest beard I've ever seen in person. It was past his waist. Even respectable types (lawyers) have beards and mustaches much more so than I encountered in Minnesota. More ponytails too.

FREETIME
Now that I finished my school work, I've a new activity to fill my free time- looking at clerkships for next year. Nothing much on this yet. If any readers have either gone through this, are going through this, or know somebody who has/is, email me. I need direction on what exactly I am to do.

-The Wandering Norseman-