This post is neither a homage to Judge Richard Posner and the Law and Economics movement nor a critique of it. That will come this summer – I’ve purchased two books (one for, one against the movement) to read and provide comment. So, sorry.
Wherever I come down philosophically on the law and economics movement, I can say that the first-year evening law school student – any 1L, really - does rely on a scare resource the allocation of which also, in part, animates that movement. The resource is time and the lack of it often dictates that efficiency and urgency trump substance and reflection (money, clearly, is another). This is not a complaint post (I pulled my hair out on that last week). Rather, I’m simply pointing out that time is expended in areas where one wouldn’t, prior to starting school, think it would be spent.
The general rule I’ve found, so far: time allocation does not necessarily increase for a class that is worth more credits. Say what?
Continue reading ‘Law and Economics For The 1L: Time Allocation’
Last night was one of those nights for me. If you’re a law student - or have ever been one - you know what I’m talking about…
a paper due in a week that you have no idea how to write (or research)…
50 pages of case reading staring you down…
just received below average grades (in your estimation) in two classes (thankfully, just mid-terms, but still)…
It seems like there’s no time. If you’re not careful, it’s easy to back yourself into thinking it can’t humanly be done - or, more dangerously, that YOU can’t get it done. At least that’s what I can feel like - nearly arriving at your wit’s end, wanting to throw in the towel.
And then it kind of dawns on you (even if you don’t want to believe it): somehow you’re going to make this happen and you’re going to get through it. To get to this epiphany though you need patience. Sometimes the supply of that precious commodity is more plentiful than others. Incidentally, I’m not suggesting law school is unique in this way or perhaps even worth this kind of heartburn.
What do you do when you just never get to that point, though?
Continue reading ‘Gut Check Time’
