The Next Chapter

Five years ago, I packed up my belongings, finished what few classes I had remaining at MSU, and moved to Chicago.  At the time, it wasn’t exactly an easy move.  I was starting a graduate program in the city, but I was leaving behind my family, my friends and my girlfriend for a place I hadn’t spent more that about a week and a half total in my previous 22 years.

In hindsight, it ended up being a pretty good call.  While in school, I started to get involved in online advertising.  Eventually I wound up doing agency work in the city, despite flirtations with a few opportunities in Colorado.  I was fortunate to get involved with a lot of interesting work, and I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of great clients.

But last year, I got the feeling that there was something more I wanted to do.  I began to think about going to law school.  For those of you know have known me for a while, this isn’t entirely a surprise.  It’s something I had considered at various times throughout my life.  But this was the first time that the puzzle pieces really seemed to fall into place.

I’ve loved doing the internet marketing work.  I’ve been able to learn some of the more technical aspects of how the internet works, and it provided an analytical challenge in going through the data to find answers to the questions we were coming up with.  And, frankly, I’ve found it fun.

Along the way, I started to see that there are a lot of legal ramifications when we’re talking about doing business online.  And considering the rate that technology changes, these legal issues aren’t getting any simpler.  They’re only going to get more complex.  There’s going to be a need for sound advice when it comes to what you can and cannot do on the internet – that’s something I think I can provide.

Hence, law school.  Like I said, it’s something I’ve thought about for a very long time.  And last fall, when I started to think about it more seriously, I came to the realization that there was never going to be a better time for me to do this.  At some point I’m going to meet a girl, get married, have kids, have a house payment, a car payment…it’s tough to see law school fitting into that life.

I'll be starting law school at MSU this fall.

So on August 1^st I’ll be moving back to East Lansing to attend law school at Michigan State University College of Law.  It’s a move that makes sense a lot of different levels.  Obviously it’s a place that I’m very comfortable with.  I won’t have the issue of getting used to a new place in my first semester of law school – getting settled in will take days, not weeks.  Also, MSU has a very strong intellectual property law program that is led by a scholar who is well-versed in online legal issues.  I really felt like the extracurricular options MSU Law would give me a great opportunity to get involved in cyberlaw issues while I am in school.

No doubt, it’s tough to leave Chicago.  I don’t know if I ever would have imagined getting so accustomed to living the urban lifestyle.  I’ve met a lot of great people in my five years.  I’ve had a lot of fantastic experiences.  Still, there are things I’m looking forward to back in Michigan.  Seeing my family on a more frequent basis is on of them.  Places to run that isn’t the lake shore trail is another.  And of course, opening the next chapter of my life – new experiences, new people and new challenges.

I think this time, I’ve tried to make a concerted effort to appreciate what it means to go through the academic process.  Studying for the LSAT, organizing the materials for applications, taking visits – I’ve really tried to enjoy these things.   I this time I have a much clearer picture of what I’m looking for on the other end.  When running the race, it helps to know where the finish line is.

I’ll be finishing my work by mid-July, and I’ll be moving out of Chicago and back to East Lansing at the end of the month.  Then I’m taking a trip to Colorado to decompress for a week before starting orientation the third week of August.  It’ll be here before I know it.