Law School - The Beginning

The first week was unbelievable. I had (mistakenly) hoped to get a jump start on some of my reading. I figured the first week is orientation and since I didn’t have to work I could be a keener and get ahead. Orientation for law school is nothing like orientation for first year university. The first time we met our profs, they said, “the reading for the first class is pages blah to blah. The syllabus will be on PAWS, and I would suggest you make sure you get your text books soon if you haven’t got them already. Oh, and here are a few extra books you might want to read if you get a chance that would be really helpful. They aren’t required reading, but you may find them interesting. It was nice to meet you all. See you soon.”

Wha? Homework before we even start class? Oh, my. Toto, I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore. But this isn’t a dream. It’s the beginning of a nightmare!

Throughout the whole process every prof was extra nice and encouraging and tried to point out that we were all smart and had already successfully navigated the hardest part of law school - getting in. And what they all knew is that really I am sitting there like a deer caught in some headlights waiting to be run over.

One of the ways I described the beginning of my law school career - it felt like being thrown in the middle of the ocean and told, “Don’t worry. We all know you can swim and you will find land eventually. We are pretty sure you won’t drown,” while all I can see is a vast expanse of water and no land in sight.

Another analogy a prof gave was a series of picture. They were great. They began with seeing a mountain in the distance and thinking, “I am going to climb that mountain!” While you are driving up to it, it looks so beautiful and it is kind of amazing that you are really going to do this.

Orientation week is kind of like getting to base camp. The reality of how big the mountain really is looms in front of you. There are tons of people you don’t really know. And it is COLD! What have I gotten myself into? But it’s going to be great, right? There is still some of that excitement.

Then you begin climbing. At some points on your way to the top of the mountain, all you see around you - ahead, behind, and both sides - is a huge wall of ice to climb. Ice, ice and more ice. Does this ever end? Oh, but sometimes you may look to the side and see a mountain goat climbing as though this is the easiest thing in the world to do. (Those mountain goats should be glad we didn’t get any guns when we started this climb!)

But eventually we will reach the top and feel the exhilaration of having accomplished something. And the scenery will be beautiful and the trip totally worth the work. Until we have to come down the mountain when we are exhausted.

That was supposed to take us to Christmas. I am still waiting to see the top of the mountain.