Fight The Hypo

I can’t imagine a law school blog that does movie reviews without including one on The Paper Chase.

Having watching it recently, I’ve been thinking about it a lot. And there’s probably not much I could say about the classic movie The Paper Chase beyond what’s already been well-said.

It’s the story about Hart a 1L at Harvard Law School, his adjustment to law school, and his obsession with impressing his Contracts professor, the legendary Professor Kingsfield. The setting is your stereotypical law school - professor calling on students, giving far too little time to answer questions, students competing to have the smartest answer in class, students crumbling under pressure, some figuring out how to manage it all.

Here’s a taste of it from the movie’s opening scene:
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So, I won’t bore you with a plug for the movie. Instead, I’ll bore you with how I thought the movie captured a side of law school that has really struck me as its essence. That is: law school messes with your head.

I have not had a Professor as utterly old-school as Kingsfield. I’m certain several of my profs are as brilliant as Kingsfield is made out to be, though they are much more humane, infinitely more approachable, and far more eager to help. Hart’s passion was ignited by this obsession with impressing Kingsfield, with unlocking his secret to brilliance and somehow turning it into a greater understanding of the law and why he was studying it. In doing so, he realized what was really important and why he was going to law school - in addition to realizing that he could do it.

But it’s my guess that this is what law school is all about. At least it is for me. Law school kind of dares you to obsess about it - to spend every waking hour in search of understanding. Perhaps it’s just me, but at times I envision the law as a mocking opponent, taunting me, calling me names, insulting my mom, disparaging my character. Daring me to step up and try to understand why things are the way they are, find the answer to why I’m studying law, to challenge my assumptions about life and society, and to really figure out what it means to work for justice, truth, and fairness (the values I hope embody whatever I do with my degree be it continuing in my present job or beyond).

I suppose that’s overly dramatic.

The point is that The Paper Chase captures, for me, the idea that law school challenges how you think and who you are. To anyone with a competitive side - and I venture each law student has one in his or her own way - this idea eats at their pride and drives them to survive and succeed (perhaps drives them crazy too).

I do wonder whether I see it this way because I didn’t go to law school right after undergrad and I’m more set in my ways as a result. Thoughts on that idea???

In the end, Hart realizes that grades aren’t the most important thing and he tears them up. There’s a certain romance to that idea. I can sympathize with this idea. But it’s still ridiculous. Sure, a law student cares about truly learning quite apart from grades. But you gotta know your grades, right?