Voting, Pro Bono and Public Transit
// Week of Nov. 1 //
I’ve been busy lately! If you know a law student, give them a hug– we’re getting busy.
While school ramps up in the inevitable lead up to finals, I’ve still been making time to learn about my community and be more involved. Here’s what I’ve been up to lately!
I’m a Texas Voter
On Tuesday, I voted in my first Texas election! I shared a bit about the experience on our Instagram stories, but I’ll expand on it more here.
One significant difference between voting in Minnesota and Texas is the registration process– specifically, when you can register. A high school acquaintance that I still follow on Instagram also recently moved to Texas. She posted on Tuesday that while Minnesota had same-day voting registration, Texas requires voters to register several weeks before election day.
I was fortunate that a student organization at the law school provided the resources to register to vote on the last day to register for this week’s election. I truthfully wouldn’t have known that I needed to register to vote a few weeks ago without that. But I’m mindful that it was a privilege to have this information and resources so accessible to me.
On the ballot this year were two city propositions and eight amendments to the Texas Constitution. Prop A would have “superfunded” the police; it did not pass. Prop B was about park land; it did pass. The eight constitutional amendments were about various Covid-19 measures and other issues.
Volunteering through Pro Bono Work
I am just loving getting involved in pro bono work at the law school. I’ve written about this previously, but I’ve tried out even more pro bono projects since my last article in October.
Perhaps the most rewarding was the Small Business Wellness Project. Through this clinic, a partner and I worked with a local Austin LLC to review their business practices and responsibilities as a business owner under Texas Law. It was an awesome experience learning about how small businesses operate and some of the challenges that they face– you can learn more about my experience here.
Taking the Bus… Less 🙁
I mentioned that I’ve been getting busier lately. That’s largely due to preparing for finals, more pro bono work, and more opportunities for on-campus events as Covid-19 case numbers decline.
As I’ve gotten busier, taking the bus to school has gotten less convenient for me. Walking to the bus stop, taking the bus, and walking to the law school takes about 45 minutes each way. Round trip, it’s an hour and a half or more each day. Not only does driving to school take less time, it’s also just easier–I can leave home or school whenever I want to, I can keep things in my car during the day, and I get to be alone on my commute.
All of that is to say that I’ve been driving to school more often over the past two weeks. Part of me feels disappointed in myself that I’m using gas to drive myself to school rather than taking more environmentally-friendly public transit. Part of me knows that driving is sometimes necessary– like when I have an event at the law school until 9pm– and is often just better for my mental health as I get busier.
I’m not sure what my bussing v. driving breakdown will look like going forward. I’m not getting less busy– my time is only getting more limited. I would love to take the bus everyday, but the walking and time involved can be pretty tiring.
Mostly, I’m mindful that being able to drive to school is a privilege. For all of its upsides, taking public transit is usually more time-consuming and less convenient than private transport.
That’s all for this week! Be sure to follow Novel Hand on Instagram for more frequent updates.
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