Business in the Sun

Ah.... Sunny Florida. Yes, it's tough, having to go to Fort Lauderdale for the weekend for work. ;-) Here are a couple of views from my hotel, looking out over the waterscape here. In one shot you can see downtown Fort Lauderdale in the distance, looking east. (We're not very near the ocean at this hotel.)



Actually, though, it has been a lot of work. My presentation was, of course, the reason I came. And I'm glad to say it went very well, and I received several compliments. My presentation and attending others' presentations has also helped me refocus my topic, which is good seeing as I've decided to stick with this one for potential job talks.

The job talks---that's the part of second interviews (that I hope to get after getting first interviews---not that I'm stressed. Yeah right. I lie.) where you get up in front of all the faculty members at the school that is interviewing you, and you talk about your scholarship. You talk for about twenty minutes, presenting your theories and research, then they ask you questions for about twenty minutes. Whew. Sticking with the topic I have now, which is more pedagogically focused and less traditionally scholarly is a risky move. But discussing my piece that's being published this fall would be even riskier; it tends to create divides among people who don't listen to the true focus of the piece. (Sometimes that gives me doubt, but then I realize that five respected profs at SMU read and approved of it (and said it was good), and then I just move on.) I have two working ideas right now, but it's way too late in the game to switch focus for job talks.

Anyway, that's the wonderful secondary benefit (I hope) of being here. I've been networking my heinie off! I've met a lot of people whose schools are hiring---seriously from all over the country. It's almost dizzying to talk to someone about a spot in Florida then to someone in Georgia and turn around and discuss North Dakota. (UmmHmmm North Dakota. At least it's very sunny there! (300 days of sunshine per year) (even if bitterly cold))

Of course, it's been a delicate dance of asking about a doctrinal spot when I'm here at a legal writing (which is skills, not doctrinal) conference. A few folks are insulted and view me as "jumping ship." Some also, and I cannot blame them, are looking for qualified legal writing profs, and don't like seeing people leave this concentration because of the inequality issues they cannot change. But some know that having former legal writing profs on faculties should only help champion their cause. Further, we're often the people who really focus on and think about our teaching. It can only be good for legal education in genearl to have more of that. So all of those folks, and others, have still been very supportive. We'll see!

As for the conference, we had a nice key note speaker Friday afternoon who talked about all the new things with legal education and where "they" say we should be focusing. (sure, that might happen---in sixty years.) Then we headed down to the intercoastal waterways and had a dinner cruise. It was great! Wonderfully relaxing, nice, and yes, we saw some gorgeous homes. Here are several of us at dinner on the boat.

Today was busy, busy with presentations all day. I learned a lot, loved interacting with these folks who love to teach, and had a good presentation of my own material. I ended the day by joining a friend I'd made several conferences ago (new law teachers' conference) and his wife and several other local folks for dinner next to the sea. Ahhhh..... now that was great.


As for back home, I heard from my neighbor last night, and all is fine with the critters. Howard got a great walk and got to run around their backyard for a while; that yard is bigger and no doubt has all other sorts of great smells.

And so tomorrow, with a late-afternoon flight out, I'm getting up early to head to the airport to rent a car for the day. I just confirmed a late check-out, so I plan to head out early enough to catch some nice views of the beach and Atlantic. For now, I better find the Starbucks that's on the way to the beach!