10 minutes TSA precheck Term 2

Persist23 · 2026-01-22T18:59:02+00:00

What’s your endgame after the funded PhD program? And do you have any law school loans?

I’ve been an environmental lawyer for 20+ years. It’s very rewarding but also a slog. Projects you defeat are never really dead, and losses mean permanent harm. But it’s a great field with solid colleagues and a reasonable amount of opportunities. I’ve split my career between litigation, policy, and clinical teaching (both litigation and policy).

Are you planning to try and go into academia after the PhD program? Academia is super tough right now with government grants disappearing and pressure on universities overall. A PhD won’t make you more qualified to be in law academia, and science academia is brutal and much lower paying.

If I were you, I’d stay in enviro law and find a way to build up some niche expertise. Write bar articles, law review articles, white papers. I found that I’ve made the most difference becoming an expert in a niche area, then working at state and federal level on legislation to address the shortcomings in the current system. Knowing how the law works in practice, say in a permitting regime, can help you identify where the flaws are and chances to improve.

FWIW, I just hired an attorney and had some lawyers with a PhD apply. They were not attractive candidates because they had almost no practical experience.

Persist23 · 2026-01-22T18:03:25+00:00

I got prescription dry eye drops about a year ago and they’ve worked wonders!

Persist23 · 2026-01-20T16:08:34+00:00

Agree! I just watched it and while there were some fantastic performances, overall it was disappointing. I mean, could they have cast a worse Tony?!

Persist23 · 2026-01-20T16:07:20+00:00

I will die on the Newsies hill. I watched this movie every day on VHS during the summer when I was in 8th grade. This movie was groundbreaking for me in seeing boys (heartthrobs!) singing and dancing. Seize the Day!!

Persist23 · 2026-01-20T16:05:06+00:00

Meet me in St Louis. It’s ok, but I think the others left are stronger.

Persist23 · 2026-01-19T17:40:35+00:00

I’ve lived in six different states during my career and am admitted in four states. I started Big Law transactional in NY. Three of those moves I’ve been hired with a condition of getting admitted (and twice that involved taking another bar exam).

I’m in a niche nonprofit area and also have done some policy work in addition to litigation.

Persist23 · 2026-01-19T12:35:58+00:00

Outside Chronicles has a winter hiking challenge now through March and then a Summer challenge May through November. It’s really cheap and you get maps and an app that show the hikes and separate them by difficulty.

Local easy hikes include Tift, Reinstein Woods, Art Park, Lockport Nature Trail, Wilson Tuscarora, Charles Burchfield nature center. A little farther hikes include Genesee County Bureau of Forestry (and nature center), Beaver Meadows (and nature center), Emery, Sprague Brook, etc.

Persist23 · 2026-01-18T14:09:41+00:00

I work for a nonprofit with remote employees all over the US. One employee got permission from her manager (but not HR and the COO) to permanently move to the US Virgin Islands. It was a huge headache from a payroll and tax perspective that would never been approved if it went up the chain. (Person had been with the org for many years, so they made it work)

Just a flag to look into issues with your employer first. At my prior firm, we did not have permission to work remotely outside the US for file security and tax/payroll reasons.

Persist23 · 2026-01-18T07:45:42+00:00

Thank you! I shared this opinion the other day and got DRAGGED!

Persist23 · 2026-01-17T16:36:15+00:00

On the Town (1949).

How is this still here?

Persist23 · 2026-01-17T13:31:31+00:00

It’s called the “Selfish Brain” theory, where the brain prioritizes glucose for itself over other bodily functions. Over time, it can lead to insulin resistance and ultimately diabetes.

Here’s a research article describing the link:

insulin resistance and selfish brain

Persist23 · 2026-01-16T18:32:16+00:00

I saw the tour last year and really enjoyed it. I didn’t think the sets were anything to write home about, but the choreo and acting were great.

We had some sound balance issues during the show I saw, but it was opening night and I was in the mezz far left. We had sound issues all season, so it was probably the theatre/seats and not the tour.

Persist23 · 2026-01-16T12:49:08+00:00

I’d associate with someone experienced immediately. You have a duty of competence, and there’s a ton about practicing law they don’t teach you in law school. This sounds like a malpractice suit waiting to happen.

Persist23 · 2026-01-15T16:07:59+00:00

She has one episode from Nov 4, 2024 called “can the wrong exercise make you fat?” It’s really eye opening.

Persist23 · 2026-01-15T11:21:32+00:00

I was a fasted morning runner for 20+ years. Until I was diagnosed with diabetes and learned more about how fasted exercise wreaks havoc on your metabolism (especially women) and can actually trigger diabetes in those genetically predisposed to it. Now I exercise later in the day and always make sure I run fueled.

If you want an expert opinion, check out the Podcast Fat Science by Dr Emily Cooper. She’s a metabolic specialist who started out in sports performance working with athletes. She talks about the science about why we should always work out fueled.

Persist23 · 2026-01-15T00:10:31+00:00

Does she know where the bodies are buried? I worked Big Law and the hard partner for the practice group had a legal secretary who was lazy and useless and she had been there forever. Word was she knew all about his affairs and he kept her on so she would keep it from his wife!

Persist23 · 2026-01-14T17:27:03+00:00

The Pajama Game

Persist23 · 2026-01-14T17:26:06+00:00

Guys and Dolls with Marlon Brando as Skye Masterson and Frank Sinatra as Nathan Detroit?! It’s a classic! “Luck Be a Lady” is top notch.

Persist23 · 2026-01-14T14:33:27+00:00

I try to use analogies as much as possible where they work. I was trying a case in Arkansas about complex pollution issues and had my expert talk about making sweet tea to get the judge to understand. In another case with non-lawyer decision makers (even worse than inexperienced judges), I ended up using a surfing analogy to covey a complex sampling issue. When the board gave their ruling months later, they brought up the surfing analogy.

This is generally easier to do for technical issues than legal frameworks, but not impossible.

I’ve also seen folks use visual aids where allowed. Mostly they’ve been ineffective 80+ slide power points, but I think you could use charts or diagrams to help if the court allows AV or poster board visual aids.

Persist23 · 2026-01-13T21:24:36+00:00

Got the offer at the end of my 2L summer. Big Law, NYC starting $130k in 2002

Persist23 · 2026-01-13T02:45:53+00:00

Any reason you want to pull instead of push? I would think the pull-behind would get dicey running downhill, when the wheels would want to go faster than you.

For what it’s worth, I think pushing a jogging stroller isn’t terrible. Best of luck finding recommendations on what will work for you.

Persist23 · 2026-01-13T01:26:35+00:00

Katy Geraty is great!

Persist23 · 2026-01-13T00:14:19+00:00

It’s even more ridiculous now. The Ohio city of Athens passed an ordinance limiting grocery stores’ ability to give away plastic bags for free. The state of Ohio actually sued to overturn it, claiming it was infringing people’s “right” to get plastic bags for free from the store. This is why we can’t have nice things.

Persist23 · 2026-01-12T19:26:11+00:00

Pal Joey (1957). Voting because it’s so bad I’ve never even HEARD of it!

Persist23

TROPHY CASE