Welcome back to the law school and the start of our Spring Semester!  Congratulations to the 1Ls for finishing that challenging first semester; it's smooth sailing from here on out.  On the opposite end, graduating students are entering our last semester here at school.  For many of us, this may be the last time that we'll be full-time students.  We should make sure to enjoy it while it lasts, before we've got to enter the real world.  And although the weather doesn't really feel like spring yet, there's a lot planned this semester to keep ourselves busy until the Cherry Blossoms and the warmer temperatures come in March and April.

We'll get things kicked off this weekend with the annual SBA Ski Trip.  Over 150 students will head out to Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend to enjoy three days of snow, shredding, and socializing.  It's always a great time and this year is sure not to disappoint.  After our first three day weekend of the semester, the Super Bowl will signal the beginning of February and we'll already be in the second month of our semester.

In February, the Law Review bands will once again play DC9 on February 11 and the Law Review will put on another hilarious and excellent show later that month.  The month will fly by as we have another three-day weekend in mid-February coinciding with Valentine's Day.  Guys, don't procrastinate too long before you order those lucky ladies some flowers!  As we get into the second half of February, we've got the SBA Elections to look forward to.  Positions open include President and Executive Vice President as well as a number of seats for Senator.  A little local politics to get people excited for the national elections that will take place later in 2010.

As February draws to a close, we get to look forward to a week vacation and our Spring Break.  For 1Ls, this also means the Journal Competition that takes place over the first weekend of Spring Break.  If you decide to participate in the competition, a little word of advice: work hard during the competition, but when it's done, take a few days off and take your mind off law school.  You'll come back feeling refreshed and ready to hit the final stretch.

Later in March we'll have our annual Barristers Ball here in Washington, DC.  This event is always a crowd pleaser as law students get to have their own prom and can dress up in fancy clothes and act sophisticated.  More details on the date and location of this can't-miss event are coming in the next few weeks.  As March comes to a close, take the time and one of DC's most unique experiences when the Cherry Blossoms bloom.  Run the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler, go see the parade, or have a picnic at the Tidal Basin under the Cherry Blossoms.

As the calendar turns to April, we'll have the SBA Law Games for students to take a break from their studies.  This three-day event includes Deans Jeans Day where we'll have games on the Quad and faculty serving lunch as well as a competition among the classes for the Friedenthal Cup!  Unfortunately, April also means Finals time and the last two weeks of the month will be spent with study guides and outlines.  But as the calendar turns to May 1, we say goodbye to the Spring Semester and hello to the start of our summers.

For those graduating students we've got two whole weeks to kill before our friends and families come to DC to watch us all pick up that hard-earned diploma.  So what the heck are you going to do during these two weeks?  You can jump in the car and go on a road trip, fly across the pond and spend 7 days in Europe, or just spend some leisurely time in DC finally seeing all the Smithsonian Museums and getting up to the Zoo to see the pandas.  Whatever you choose to do, make sure you're back in DC for the week before graduation, affectionately dubbed Senior Week.  The SBA will have a lot of events planned that week including a Nationals game, a party bus, some happy hours, a day of outdoor activities and a lot of other fun things.  All this leads up to our actual graduation on Sunday May 16th and the realization that we've as now lawyers and we can now use Esquire at the end of our name, and we must now move on.

But this isn't all you have to look forward to this semester.  The SBA is working hard to bring more events and opportunities to meet your classmates and enjoy your time here at GW Law.  So keep scanning the fliers as you walk to and from class, keep an eye on the SBA Website, and as always, keep reading those informative and engaging emails I send out.  The SBA is here and happy to help whether you have a concern or a question and can be reached at sba@law.gwu.edu.  I will have my office hours again this year on Mondays from 12-2 in the SBA Office at 2008 G Street so feel free to stop by any time.  Good luck this semester and I'm looking forward to a great start to 2010!