Worst Testing Conditions Ever!

In November, Elysa had to go to Richmond to take the MPRE- the national ethics exam for attorneys. The scores ranges from 50 to 150, with 100 being the mean of all exam takers. In most states the hurdle you have to clear is around 75, so the standard is pretty low. But that doesn't mean you can waltz in there and take it with your eyes closed, one hand tied behind your back.

In the UVA Law Weekly (The Law School student paper), we read about an example of one person's misperception of the average MPRE test question:

While at the local strip club, Larry Lawyer kills Clarence Client while drunk and hazed on Angel Dust. This behavior can best be described as...

A) Good
B) Bad
C) None of the Above
D) Fraggle Rock

The actually test is very technical in procedural rules. So you do need to study.

We drove to Richmond the night before, spent the night and got Elysa to the testing site by 8:00 AM. We should have know things were bad when, a few days before, Elysa was notified that her original testing site at the Marriott Conference Center had been moved to the Comfort Inn Conference. If you didn't just groan, then either you have stayed in too many Comfort Inns or too few Marriotts.

It turns out, the ethics test was bumped because the state GOP decided to hold a last minute fund raiser that weekend before the election. Personally, if you want to know why the GOP lost the Senate, I think you can blame a few hundred law students that asked God to curse the GOP for the following experience.

Elysa was dropped off at the Comfort Inn and noticed that the lobby is freezing. Richmond, the night before, had seen the thermometer drop below 20° F. It turned out that the hotel's heat had been broken for three days. Yet, the testing officials couldn't do anything about it, so the students were taking a three-hour test in, what I can only estimate, had to be somewhere around 50° F.

Testing officials led the students to the testing halls, where, it was discovered, there was less seating available than there were students. So they scrounged up some other chairs and crammed everyone onto the tables. Elysa had to straddle one of the table legs the entire time.

As the test began (the timed test, mind you), students pointed out that there was no visible time keeping device, something they were promised. Resigned to the fact that this was not their day, test administrators said they couldn't do anything about it.

And to top off the event, about half way into the test, in the conference hall adjoining the ad hoc testing center, "Fire for Christ" starts a 30 minute revival/prayer meeting. As you can deduce from their name, "Fire for Christ" didn't exactly choose the most reverent music to worship.

Aside from all that, Elysa received the score back from the test. She scored impressively high.

They Call Her "Killer"

That is Elysa's new nickname: Killer. She was renamed that by the Commonwealth Attorneys over in Waynesboro were she has been spending two days a week during the past semester. She is part of the prosecution clinic at UVA Law, a class that farms out students to the state and federal prosecuting offices in the area. And she has had some amazing experiences.

The vast majority of the class is to actually be trying real cases for the duration of the school year. She is handling cases in general district court as well as the Juvenile and Family Court, from DWIs to Assault and Battery, Drug Possession and Distribution to Sexual Predators.

From what I can gather, Elysa got the name for a couple of reasons. First, she cowboy'ed up and went with a few of the officers to the new shooting range and unloaded a few clips. I wish I had been there to see it, but she fired a Glock, a Tommy Gun, an automatic Shotgun and a M-4 rifle. I think she wants an NRA membership for Christmas.

The other reason they call her killer is that she is sharp in court and is putting away the bad guys (and gals) left and right. She has even turned on a few witnesses for committing perjury. I guess they didn't call her "Shark" because James Woods and CBS might have a trademark on the title.

Still, you don't mess with "Killer." I could have told them that after 3 1/2 years of marriage.

"I Am My Ideal" -Miles Glorious

Sorry it has been a while since we have up dated this. Let’s see if we can get you caught up.

In August, before we moved back to Charlottesville, Lake began commuting down from DC to start attending rehearsals for “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” There was an allusion or two to it in the last posting (see if you can find it!).

Rehearsals were held for eight weeks before opening for a 3-week, 10-show run.

Lake was cast as the pompous and vain Roman Captain, Miles Glorious. Some might say he was type-cast; Lake responds by citing his incredible good looks can sometimes be a curse. Sigh.

Two awards were won by the supporting cast. First, the “Most Performances Attended by a Spouse” award went to Elysa M. Dishman, who, of the ten performances (plus a preview night) saw seven of them. For opening night’s curtain call, she held up a bright neon yellow sign that read, “I ♥ Miles.” The second award went to Paul and Beth Lynn Dishman of Provo, Utah, winning the “Most Distance Traveled to See a Performance” Award. Actually, the Dishmans tied with themselves as they saw two shows.