Songs About Law School Part 4

The next installment in the "Songs About Law School" series features Lindsey Myers's submission to the Access Group "One Less Worry" contest. In a lighthearted way, Lindsey touches on most of the basic entering law student concerns - including money, grades, appearances, competition and moral degradation. I think that Lindsey is ahead of the game. As I have stated here before, going into law school understanding what you are about to experience will help you to get through it intact. Law schools typically make much of their mission to "train you to think like a lawyer." This is all well and good and certainly a necessary skill for the practice of law. But it should not be misinterpreted as some higher state of intellectual pursuit. It is, ultimately, occupational training. A law student needs to learn to be able to "think like a lawyer" when lawyering and "think like a person" when not lawyering. Lawyers live in a world of relative truth. "Truth" in law is nothing more than an evaluation of what evidence exists that is more likely than not to prove the existence of the fact. However, when relating to your spouse, children, family, friends, employers or employees and co-workers (in short, everyone who has importance in your life) truth is not and should not be dependent on the existence of evidence. Logical, analytical analysis has its value in its proper place. But so do sympathy,empathy, and irrational emotion.

Thanks to Lindsey for sharing. If you're reading, Lindsey, I have no doubt that your sense of humor and insight will serve you well. And who could't help but admire a cheese-head wearing accordian player?

My Cousin Vinny Gambini for President?

Today I met with my freshman honors class, "Law and Lawyers in Song and Story." Students discussing the movie "My Cousin Vinny" got off on a thread about the value of having a lawyer whom you like and can relate to versus a lawyer who is more sophisticated and authoritative. I couldn't help but make the parallel to the discussion that has been going on since the 2000 Presidential election about Bush garnering votes because he is "the kind of guy you can see yourself sitting down with and having a beer." (see this editorial for example) In 2000, Gore was portrayed as wooden. In 2004, Kerry was cast as an elitist. The McCain campaign has attempted to cast Obama as an elitist as well, choosing Palin for her "you betcha" folksiness as a contrast. The problem is, in theses times of economic crises, we turn to serious people to solve serious problems. Likability is trumped by competence. I think that without realizing it, my students were fleshing out these issues in the context of the law movie. When you are in serious legal trouble, competence probably trumps likability; and the traits are not necessarily mutually exclusive - in lawyers or politicians.

And it all reminded me of one of my favorite movie clips - one that I use when discussing the decision in Texas v. Johnson. This is from The American President. I hope that you enjoy it.

Law Songs For The Law Classroom