What Scott Turow Forgot to Mention

A generation of would-be law students turned to one book for insight into their then upcoming 1L year. The memoir foretold of days consumed with interpreting frustrating inconsistencies in judicial dogma, obfuscated sources of law, and cryptic professors. These daily activities (chores?) mirrored the difficulty in surviving sectional drama, study group formation (and subsequent dissolution), and the occasional pining for the life left behind.

I stood amongst those readers, convinced I would reread Scott Turow's One L as a prediction of my experiences to come, rather than a recounting of another man's exploit. Much of those prognostications became reality; as I write this, the intricacies of Criminal Procedure and my own inability to perfectly grasp the issues gives me more than a few moments pause. Then again, a sense of calm, alien to Turow's story, keeps my feet firmly on the ground as my mind swirls.

I, gratefully (and deservedly), have an advantage to the Scott Turow of the story. I am not a "One L".

As this year's classes begin , the 1Ls seem especially ill-prepared for their current undertaking. They are all exceptionally intelligent, each having been at or near (or possessing the ability to be in, had they injected some effort into their studies) the top of their class at their respective universities. All (a caveat for engineers) have outgoing personalities. Many have advanced degrees, and "know" they can tackle these problems as they have before in alternate academic arenas. And, yet, every single one possesses none of the skills necessary to be a lawyer.

Law school, like medical school, requires a tool set unique to itself. Prior experiences, even working within the legal field, fail in preparing hopeful candidates for the rigors of obtaining a J.D. As a result, each of the 1Ls will mentally struggle in ways they could not have dreamed up even had put their best, and most conniving, effort forth. And yet, they will end this academic year more capable than when they began. I know this to be a fact because I can see such strengths in the 2Ls in my classes. (The 3Ls have the ability, but none of the drive. As they say, "Your 1L, they scare you to death. Your 2L, they work you to death. And, your 3L, they bore you to death.")

So, to the 1Ls of this year (despite not reading this) I say good luck. You will need it.

To the 2Ls, congratulations and a question: can you think of anything more satisfying than not being a 1L? I am sure Turow, the Fall of his 2L year, could not have.