Monday, November 3, 2014
While sifting through a batch of unsolicited emails this morning, I came across one that made me laugh. A law student wrote me, telling me that one of his professors caught him cheating. The professor gave him a sanction. He would have to write a paper on ethics. The paper challenged him, he said. But after reading my work, the guy said that he was inspired to write me and ask for assistance. I’m wrapped with quite a few writing projects right now, so I didn’t want to spend too much time with the guy. I asked how he thought I could help. He wrote me back saying that he wanted to pay me to write the paper on his behalf. Just to be clear, I wrote him back. “You mean you got caught for cheating in law school. And your professor is sanctioning you to write a paper on ethics. Rather than write it yourself, you want me to write the paper for you. Is that right?” He offered to pay me, saying that I understood him correctly. I didn’t accept the assignment. It puzzled me why he would be going to law school if he couldn’t even write a paper on ethics. I didn’t ask. Maybe he’ll read this entry and write me back. Whether the student writes me back or not, I think he is pursuing the wrong career. A law career sounds as if it’s the worst possible choice for him.
On the other hand, I had an interaction with my friend Shon Hopwood today. Shon is an inspiration to me. He graduated from the University of Washington Law School this past spring. Now he is a clerk for a federal appellate judge in Washington DC. Shon has a brilliant career ahead of him. I think that Shon anticipates building a career in public-interest law, but in the end, he may choose to practice criminal law. Whatever he chooses, I expect that he’ll achieve a high level of success. Those who would like to learn more about Shon should read his book Law Man, which describes how he went from robbing banks, to prison, to lawyer. His story that an individual can become more than past bad decisions. The path to success isn’t through cheating, but through discipline and hard work.
Days since my release from prison: 448
Miles that I ran today: 13.3
Miles that I ran so far this week: 26.1
Miles that I’ve run during the month of November: 26.1
Miles that I ran so far in 2014: 2,076.24
Miles that I need to run in order to reach my annual goal of 2,400 miles: 323.76
Miles I’m ahead of schedule to reach my 2,400-mile goal by the end of 2014: 52.68
My weight for today: 168