1st Week Thoughts

[Ninja1]

My thoughts on the first week of law school:

Civ Pro is the Devil's work. That being said, I see the value in it and the value that comes from knowing it.

I didn't care where in the class I graduated before. I really don't care now.

Honestly, I don't even care if I even finish or not. I'm enjoying myself and whatever happens, happens.

Case briefing is totally overrated.

Outlines are for the weak. I stand by it.

Some law school folks are cool, but even more are socially maladjusted beyond belief.

Law professors are so much better than 99% of your professors from UG. Seriously. All of mine are incredibly intelligent and I hope to be even half as successful and smart as they are.

Law review is an incredibly valuable credential, but only because it's the only chance that you'll have to be hustled the same way most graduate students are.

The workload is heavy, but very manageable.

Much like UG, people will continue to ask incredibly dumb questions about *&^% that should be pretty obvious.

Any class can be good if you have a great professor.

Florida State is, without question, the place for me.

More to follow as I think of it...

[jimmyjohn]

You have a lot figured out. 

Civ Pro is easily the most important class you will ever take in law school.  It actually has practical value. 

Law professors are mostly blowhards who can't handle a career practicing law.  Just like your UG professors, the great majority of them don't understand much about the world that you one day hope to enter. 

You don't care if you finish?  So why did you start?

You might not care about class rank now, but you will when you have loans to pay back. 

How can you draw any conclusions about outlining and case briefing after 1 week?  Wait until you take at least one set of finals and have some grades before deciding whether it is worthwhile for you or not.   

Law review is overrated, I agree.  But again, how could you make a judgment after 1 week? 

Get used to the stupid questions and comments. 

Re-read your post in a year and you will laugh at it. 

[euphrasie]

I'm as lazy as the next guy, but I think you might want to change your views on case briefing and outlining or you're going to be screwed come finals time.

My thoughts on the first week of law school:

Civ Pro is the Devil's work. That being said, I see the value in it and the value that comes from knowing it.

I didn't care where in the class I graduated before. I really don't care now.

Honestly, I don't even care if I even finish or not. I'm enjoying myself and whatever happens, happens.

Case briefing is totally overrated.

Outlines are for the weak. I stand by it.

Some law school folks are cool, but even more are socially maladjusted beyond belief.

Law professors are so much better than 99% of your professors from UG. Seriously. All of mine are incredibly intelligent and I hope to be even half as successful and smart as they are.

Law review is an incredibly valuable credential, but only because it's the only chance that you'll have to be hustled the same way most graduate students are.

The workload is heavy, but very manageable.

Much like UG, people will continue to ask incredibly dumb questions about poo that should be pretty obvious.

Any class can be good if you have a great professor.

Florida State is, without question, the place for me.

More to follow as I think of it...

[Ninja1]

Quick replies, thanks.

In answer, don't get me wrong, I hope to finish well and I intend to do all of my reading, go to class, pay attention, and take notes, but I honestly just don't care. I suppose it's just how I am. I've always had a problem giving much of a *&^% about anything.

I got real hyped up about law school for a while, and then something happened (not sure what), and I just don't care much anymore. I do want to be at law school, I do want to finish, I do want to be an attorney, but I just really don't feel motivated to kill it anymore. Honestly, median is fine. Hell, bottom 10% is fine as far as I'm concerned. I know that I'll be fine. And if not, I'll figure something out or disappear into the bush or something.

Like I said though, this is after the first week. I'm sure I'll tweak my thoughts over time, but right now, this is where I'm at. The way that I'm thinking about it right now, I'll either do fine this first semester and should do fine all subsequent semesters or I'll get straight Ds, drop next semester, and go home to be a teacher/factory worker/janitor/dope mover/some other random *&^%. If I bail after this semester, I'll only have about $35k in debt (counting UG), and that's really not a big deal.

So yeah, that's what's up with me.

[intel]

Law professors are mostly blowhards who can't handle a career practicing law.  Just like your UG professors, the great majority of them don't understand much about the world that you one day hope to enter. 
 

this seems pretty misguided. a post in academia is probably the most competitive job in the profession, maybe with the exceptions of a supreme court clerkship or a spot in the white house's office of legal counsel. therefore, it's pretty stupid to assert that the academy is populated with people who couldn't handle practicing...as if to suggest they fell back on academia.

[bitblaster]

Ugh . . . you're wrong.  Many of them had the grades to go anywhere they wanted in legal practice -- appelate litigation, M&A deals at a top NYC firm, IP in Silicion Valley -- but they chose to go into academia.  That might suggest retreat. 

Choosing the most prestigious option available is not retreat.

[SCK2008]

I think it depends on the perspective of the the person.  Sure the old saying "those who can't, teach" might be true for a few but for other academically-inclined folks, teaching might be very fulfilling. 

And let us not forget that the Marines and other armed forces often use their top dudes as drill instructors- the brightest teachers help produce the best talent  ( I think I have a point in there somewhere).

Who are we to decide what a person is truly passionate about (or the value in someone else's passions)?

The one I'm worried about is Ninja.  You are in law school- do the best you can my existentialist friend!