Daily Archives: November 18, 2011

Arizona Supreme Court Reinstates Redistricting Chair

The Arizona Supreme Court has reinstated Colleen Mathis, the chairwoman of the Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC), who Governor Jan Brewer had impeached earlier this month for “gross misconduct in office.”

Yesterday the Court heard arguments from the IRC’s attorneys challenging Mathis’ removal, and afterward determined that the Governor had failed to demonstrate the “substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office or inability to discharge the duties of office” required by the Arizona Constitution to remove a public official from office.  Read the Court’s order for Mathis’ reinstatement here.

In a statement, Brewer said, “With its reinstatement of the IRC Chairwoman, the Supreme Court has averted its eyes from the Commission’s misdeeds. The Chairwoman’s actions to meet in secret, arrange critical votes in advance of meetings and twist the words and spirit of the Constitution have been forgiven – if not endorsed outright.”  She called the ruling “misguided.”

Staying Motivated Through Final Exams

There are 26 long days between today and the last day of exams.  To help you get through them, the Law School Academic Support Blog has compiled some steps you can take in the weeks leading up to exams to keep yourself motivated:

  • Do all of your reading for the last week of classes during Thanksgiving break, and then just review before each class for about 30 minutes to refresh your memory.  Not having to read for those last few classes will give you extra exam review time.
  • For each class, make a list of topics and subtopics you need to learn before the exam.   The list will seem long, but subtopics can be covered in short amounts of time, and crossing things off a list always feels good.
  • Read each outline cover to cover every week until exams.  This will help you keep info fresh no matter how long ago you made your outline or did any intense subject review, and something is guaranteed to stick with you even during the most stressful of tests.
  • Take strategic study breaks.  Sprinkle 5-minute breaks into your 3-4 hour study sessions.  After longer sessions, take a break to eat a meal, spend time with your kids and/or significant other, or exercise.  Use the breaks as a reward for sticking with your task until completion.
  • Surround yourself with encouragers.  Stay away from your overly stressed classmates, find a study group with an upbeat outlook, and regularly check-in with friends and family who will cheer you on.
  • Plan fun events for winter break.  Take a day trip (Sedona is lovely), have a picnic (and revel in the fact Arizona is really the only place can you enjoy a picnic in January), go to the movies, or finally hike Camelback (the view at the top is worth the trek).  Having things to look forward to makes the hard work more bearable, and provides a light at the end of the tunnel.