Hi, I'm Lag Liv and this is my blog. I started it in November of 2006, when I was a 2L at the University of Chicago law school and it quickly became a central part of my limited free time. In the throes of new motherhood (and 3L year), it was my place to vent, record milestones, and get advice. In a dark time, it was my place to find support. And now, as a full-time attorney and mom of three, it's my platform to share this life that I love so much- and also to memorialize all the things my kids do so I can one day go back and fill in their baby books.
My husband is James. We both swam for UT in college and met by getting kicked out of a bar at the same time on my first night of college. Four years and two college degrees later, we got
married in 2005, and two days after that, we drove up to Chicago so I could start law school. As soon as I graduated, we drove back to Texas with our 1-year-old in tow so he could start business school at UT. Now we've got an MBA, a JD, and 3 delightful children. James owns a swim school and
swim products company and is an amazing husband and father and the most supportive, loving
partner I could ask for.
Our cast of kiddos starts with Landon:
He was
born 5 weeks early in July of 2007, the summer after my 2L year. He gave us a rather difficult time as a baby, but has more than made up for it with his generous nature and easy-going disposition. He spends his time swimming, studying, playing video games, and loving the cats.
Claire (aka Clairebear and
Biscuit) is #2:
She was
born in June of 2010, near the end of my 2nd year at the firm, and was as easy a baby as her brother was hard. She loves music, Sephora, and is a beloved babysitter in the neighborhood.
Cora is our finale:
Born in November 2013 during my 2nd year at the government, she was immediately made mascot of our pack. She loves soccer, swimming, and running, and spends her free time reading, watching animal documentaries, and petting all the dogs.
And that's our family! I graduated from
law school in 2008, spent 4 years as a litigator at a big firm in Austin, moved to Fort Worth to work as an enforcement attorney for a federal agency, and am now back in BigLaw, now as a partner in Dallas. I have a passion for cookies, books, french fries, shoes, school supplies, margaritas, organizing things, yoga, and
traveling with my crew. I love my job, love my family, and hope you enjoy reading my story.
Here's to hoping I can get to your state of happiness some day! I have a 4 1/2 month old cherub in the middle of double Social Science and Laws degree and commencing part-time work in 3 weeks. I'm terrified half the time but your story gives encouragement! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWow! Great to see that you can be a successful lawyer AND have a family ! I hope I can stay balanced and put family first when I graduate from law school!
ReplyDeleteAlex B.H.
Scribere Est Agere
You're such an inspiration. I wish I had a way to contact you but I am interested in your opinion. I am a pregnant 2L who will be a summer associate at a top V5 firm in NYC -- the firm isn't as up tight as some of the rest but I'm concerned about being pregnant there. Opinions? Oh, I'm also not married (which im sure is an important part)
ReplyDeletehow old were you when you entered law school?
ReplyDelete22. I went straight through from undergrad.
DeleteHi LL,
ReplyDeleteI'm 25 years old, married with a 8 month old daughter (and one on the way- complete accident!) and I still have a dream of going to law school. It was in the original plans but then I thought if I wanted a family before I was 28 (I have a 10 year difference with my husband) maybe I should get my Master's in early childhood edu and be a teacher instead. I started it, but got pregnant mid way. Despite it being a high risk pregnancy, I finished my classes (5 shy from a Master's) with honors. I still have my heart on going to law school. From what I Read from your blog, it sounds like my daughter is like your son- a bit tough to deal with at times.:-) I have 2 questions for you. First, with two kids in the house (and a husband who is a restaurant owner-meaning he's rarely home) is it even possible to study for LSATS let alone go to law school? and secondly, say I study at night while their both sleeping and get into law school, how can I learn to be a law student that 1st important year with an infant and a toddler?
Your blog gave me some hope, yet I am still quite pessimistic. Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Jana
Hi Jana! I wrote a longer response to this question generally here, and I think the comments from others are as helpful (or maybe even more helpful) than the original post. Basically, I think anything is possible if you want it badly enough, but you'd have to want it REALLY badly. Like you couldn't be happy doing anything else and that knowledge alone will get you through what is going to be a hell of a 1L year. I had Landon right before my 3L year when I already had a job lined up and my grades were pretty much irrelevant (and I had a great relationship built with my professors and classmates which ended up being incredibly important when I had to miss so much class for Landon's various hospital stays). I couldn't have done it 1L year or 2L year and I definitely couldn't have done it without an available and involved husband; I don't know that having nights/evenings available after the kids go down would be enough time to get all the reading and studying done. It wouldn't have been for me. Is part time an option? That might help. Though again, it's hard to recommend that when the job marked for lawyers is so incredibly tight and competitive and your options will be limited with those programs depending on what you want to do after graduation.
DeleteI don't know how much help that is. Basically, it would be really hard. Really, really hard. If it's all you want to do and have ever wanted to do, then do it anyway. If there's anything else that would make you happy and fulfilled, I don't think I'd go down the law school path (ever, but much less with 2 young kids). Regardless of what you choose, I wish you the best of luck!
I have read your blog for a long time and really look up to you as both a mother and lawyer. I recently had a child and have not been able to establish breastfeeding. I have noticed that you bottle feed your children. I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing your reasoning for this. I feel tremendous pressure to continue breastfeeding though it is not working out for us. I know this is very personal so it completely understand of you would rather not address this topic.
ReplyDeleteHey DA! Email me at lagliv@gmail.com and I'll be happy to chat with you about it. I've found that convo topic is best left to personal conversations :).
DeleteDear Lag Liv! I just discovered your blog. I'm a fourth year PhD student in literature considering leaving the academy for law school. My main concern is that if I apply this coming year, I won't start until I am 30. As a woman, without kids, but with a stable partner, is 30 too late to start law school? I know I'd want to litigate, possible working at a firm like you did first, and then moving to the government. Any advice for someone thinking about starting over a few years off track?
ReplyDeleteHello LL,
ReplyDeleteI am very happy I stumbled on your blog and was wondering if you could give me some advice. I am a 3L1 and will be graduating in December. I think I may be pregnant and I want to know my options in case I am. If I were pregnant now, my baby (hopefully) would come sometime in the middle of the semester. I do not plan on taking any time off. I am not so much worried about school being that it will be my last semester and I can take online courses or "gpa boosting" courses that may not require so much time. However I am concerned about my job. I am currenttly clerking at s firm. I am afraid that they might now hire me once they find out I'm pregnant, being that I will need to take some time off.
What are your thoughts?
Hi there! I'm happy to help, but I'm not sure I understood the question- it sounded like you'd be due mid-semester and weren't planning to take any time off, but then you said you would need to take time off from your firm? Do you mean to delay your start date? I knew many people who did that for many reasons (world travel, being a big one) and firms never cared, but I'm sure it could vary. Is this a BigLaw firm? Small practice that is eagerly anticipating their new associate? In general, if it's a big firm I wouldn't be worried about it at all. Lawyers have babies and now they don't have to pay for your maternity leave. If it's a small practice that's short staffed and looking forward to your start date, it may be a bit tougher, but even then, pushing back a start date usually isn't too big of a deal. Best of luck to you!
DeleteDo you think Fort Worth would be a good place for a weekend getaway for 2 moms and 2 babies? I want to meet up with my friend somewhere that would require approximately the same amount of travel for my friend and I. I'm coming from Salt Lake City and she's coming from Indianapolis. We can both fly non-stop to Dallas, so it occurred to me that Ft Worth might be a good place for a weekend reunion. We'd probably rent a house/condo on Airbnb and we'd just want to do some shopping, some tasty casual restaurants, and then just sitting around while our babies (1 year old and 8 months old) nap. Is there an area you can recommend?
ReplyDeleteFort Worth could definitely be good for that! Austin would also be really fun, if you can get direct flights there. The one downside to Fort Worth is you have to rent a car, as there is really no public transportation to get here from the airport and then you need it to get around within the city. For neighborhoods, anything near Magnolia Ave. would be great b/c that has all my favorite restaurants. W. 7th is also a really popular area and it has more shopping. Anything near TCU is also great b/c the restaurants and shopping are both nearby and there's a bunch of parks. Mostly though Fort Worth is really small, so anything in 76109, 76104, and 76107 will be great!
DeleteAlso, just in case I haven't played up the Fort enough as a tourist destination, it is super fun. Sundance Square downtown, the Stockyards with its twice daily (free!) cattle drive, there's a lot of lovely parks and places to sit and chat and let babies play, and even more delicious restaurants.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete