Keeping Busy

The last couple weeks have just flown by – whoosh – and they were gone. I had to submit an outline for the 15,000 word research paper that will be the sole basis of my grade for International Law & Imperialism. I didn’t know what to write about and was in a bit of a panic. Then, just before the outline was due, an idea sort of gelled: a review of how globalization is a kind of legal crossroads between the historical narrative of international law and commercial law. It’s a chance to write about international law – which I have no background in – with a view to commercial law – which I’ve been working with for nearly twenty years. Today Professor Anghie e-mailed an encouraging thumbs up on my outline. Another 14,000 words and I’ll be set.

I also taught my second round of tutorials, this time on legislative interpretation and case analysis. Simple topics to cover in one hour with students who don’t have any prior legal background. I’ve fallen way behind in preparing materials for employment relations – a class I’ll be teaching in November. I’m also supposed to be thinking about four investment & securities law lectures I’ll be giving in a couple months. And I should start reading for my other intensive class (International Commercial Contracts), which starts September 21st. But I’m not complaining: it's all really interesting, I get to study things I want to learn about, the students are (mostly) fun to work with, and my professors are really helpful.

This week came word from my former secretary at the bank that my former manager has been laid off. Integration after a merger usually takes about 18 months, so they’re right on schedule. Unfortunately, it’s 18 months of misery for the people involved, and the reward at the end for a lot of them is a severance package. Could be worse, of course – plenty of people lose jobs without severance. But Steve was there for 20 years, is in his mid-50’s, and has two kids to put through college.

Puts class preparation and research papers into perspective. I am so glad to be out of the corporate world.

Cheers,
Sandie