WHAT LAW SCHOOL COULD BE

 

                    I knew what success was or at least, what it should be. Law School success meant the same in my different legal studies across three continents but when I arrived in America, specifically in the JD program, success looked like it was taking a totally different turn. While success is highly based on respective perceptions, there are common baselines that could apply to the average person. For example, good grades would always mean success, but “good grades” are subjective. For a person who had an average or above-average background, with good schools and educated parents, good grades may mean the really top of the class. On the other hand, for a person from a below-average background and first-generation, good grades could mean just being better than where they used to be.

                    First, a well-rounded success should be the goal of every law school. This would mean that more than academic excellence, we also worry about personality, ideologies, relationships, and gaining a deeper understanding. While individuality should be encouraged, the excess of it should be questioned. Relationships could become less transactional, or like we would call it “networking.’’ I read an interesting article recently that framed the relentless pursuit of success as people choosing being “special” over being happy. The author notes that, in pursuit of success, we may choose to sacrifice our relationships or even our own well-being. Despite such sacrifice, we do not feel sated . . . and soon enough, we are chasing the next success high. (Arthur C. Brooks, ‘Success Addicts’ Choose Being Special Over Being Happy, The Atlantic (July 30, 2020). I constantly feel like from the beginning of a semester, I am being prepared for the final exams and then to be better prepared than the person sitting next to me. I look forward to a semester where I feel like I am being groomed to be better than who I used to be, and for real-world practice.

                    Second, Professors and the general staff play a vital role in the ambiance of law school. In my first year, and with being a foreign student, I was struggling. One major incident was a time when I needed to travel to Atlanta to renew my passport. With the fear of being out of status, focusing on class, and the fact that COVID delays at the embassy were not helping, I became very distracted. I was also working 20 hours a week because I had to. Despite having good grades in my first semester, most professors would infer that I was just a bad student who takes nothing seriously. However, my Constitutional Law Professor literally changed my life. He noticed this slack, reached out, and listened. He then took active steps in directing me to the right resource, with him being one of those resources. He became a model for what I wanted to be, and what law school could be. Being a professor should be more than just a career path, it should be a pledge to play vital roles in student lives.

                    Third, if I could, I would tell every law student before and during their time in law school to choose what they wanted to be and become their own definition of it. I would tell “us” that there is life after law school - a long, long life. Law school could help with the “choosing” process, but it should not become the yardstick of measurement. Classmates could become lifelong friends and business associates. Professors could become friends and career mentors. Nothing should be taken personally if your mind is healthy.

                    In conclusion, real changes are slow but with little bits here and there, it could become one concrete change that stays.