Comments on: For Whom Do Law Schools Exist?

by: seth

Sun, 18 May 2008 13:08:21 +0000

If there is a way to become a lawyer without going to law school, I’m unaware of it. Of course, law school is unlike jail in dozens of ways; I thought that was obvious. The similarities — and the way professors have trouble seeing them — are what’s interesting.

It will cost you dearly if you flunk out of Yale Law School. A friend of mine got into Yale but for irrelevant reasons went to a much less prestigious law school. Huge mistake, she now says. She didn’t realize that where she went to law school would affect how she was treated for her entire professional life.

by: Andrew Gelman

Sun, 18 May 2008 00:48:08 +0000

Hmmm . . . I don’t know that anyone is being forced to go to law school! Elementary school, sure, but law school?? Nobody’s stopping these kids from cutting classes and flunking out. Heck, if they really want, they could commit some crimes and go to jail, saving themselves all that tuition in the process!

by: seth

Sat, 17 May 2008 20:03:59 +0000

Yes, jail. Many students would not be in college if they had any choice in the matter. They feel forced to be there. Before Dean Levmore decided to ban surfing in classrooms, I’m pretty sure he didn’t consult any students, which is an indication of how little power they have — like prisoners. John Taylor Gatto has often compared school to prison.

by: Andrew Gelman

Sat, 17 May 2008 19:19:58 +0000

Seth,

I’ve never been to jail but this comparison seems like a stretch to me! I’m not saying that I enjoyed college, but . . . jail?? Ya gotta be kidding.

by: seth

Sat, 17 May 2008 02:40:52 +0000

Universities are a peculiar “working environment”. In certain ways they resemble jails — that professors have trouble seeing this is interesting, especially because they were once students. Given that law is about equity, it is especially interesting that law professors have trouble seeing this.

by: Andrew Gelman

Sat, 17 May 2008 02:26:31 +0000

Seth,

I think this is a more general issue, not specific to universities. People in a system who have some control over their working environment will seek to make themselves more comfortable.

Getting to the specifics–yeah, I don’t want my students emailing or surfing the web during my classes. It distracts them from thinking about the course materials, distracts other students too, also I think it sets a mood in which students don’t take the course seriously. That’s one reason I do classroom activities in pairs, to keep the students involved.

by: Stephen M (Ethesis)

Thu, 15 May 2008 02:35:42 +0000

Seth, you hit one what used to be an interest of mine.

http://adrr.com/law0/ is material I wrote in the early to mid 90s (around the time period of the events in http://adrr.com/living) in response to a request from a friend who was doing a project.

I’ve not done much to edit or update it since I started being able to think again, but you’ve hit a very sharp point indeed.