ndmckinney|net

For the rest of this week, I’ll be at Stetson University in Tampa, Florida for the 11th Annual Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition. I’ll post updates as the week progresses.

~ Nick

FROM: Nick McKinney
TO: All law students taking the MPRE this Saturday

You’re Welcome.

Sincerely,
Nick

I received email confirmation today that my application to Erasmus University Rotterdam has been accepted (save for a minor glitch in my request for accommodations, which has been corrected). Once I receive my insurance application, I should have everything ready to go for my journey.

Next step: my flight there. I’m looking at British Airways flights 216/434 to Amsterdam and then the train from there. If anyone has a better (or cheaper) suggestion, I’m all about it.

I am currently in the process of setting up an foreign exchange program to allow me to study at Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands. I would be the first student from the University of Baltimore to study there. The program seems to revolve around economics and European law. Since my goals as a lawyer will touch on at least one if not both of these areas, this would be the ideal location to study.

I would be leaving in Mid-January and would return in late May or early June. It really is amazing how many people need to be involved in the process of sending one student overseas. Right now, I’m working with four people from the University of Baltimore and one from Erasmus. As time goes on, I’ll need to work with more people from Erasmus to set up the little details of the trip, like housing, visas, travel and so on.

More details to come soon.

I’ve become obsessed with these pocket-sized law books lately. These small books make for a great reference library in my courier bag, and I use these things all the time.

Right now, I have:

• Westlaw: U.S. Constitution
• LexisNexis: Federal Rules of Evidence
• United Nations: Charter of the United Nations and Statue of the ICJ

If anyone has a lead on where to get other books, please let me know. In particular, I’d love to see a copy of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. So far, these have been free; I’d like that trend to continue.

Regarding Judicial Review:

The United States Constitution is largely silent on the workings of the federal courts. The concept of judicial review is not outlined anywhere in Article III. It was created in Marbury v. Madison as a necessary function of the court.

So where do strict constructionists derive their authority for judicial review?

Law classes resume for me today. My schedule below:

International Business Transactions: M/W 15:00 – 16:15
Commercial Law: T/R – 08:30 – 10:20
International Law: T/R – 15:25 – 16:40
Cyberlaw Seminar: T – 16:45 – 19:30
Advanced Legal Research: Independent Study

If you’re interested in keeping tabs on me, you can access my calendar here [iCal format]. I’ll add information about my other law school events here, too. Keep in mind that my commute is about 1.5 hours each way (via train, subway, and bus), so if you need me, make sure to add a transit buffer to my schedule.

Curious how many people who go to Harvard Law stay at Harvard Law? Check out Brandon Ross’s posting about how many people stay at the top.

Here’s a hint: if you’re accepted to law school at any of the “top 15″ law schools, go ahead and start booking relatives for your graduation.