Getting Through Law School: An Outsider's View
Posted: October 8th, 2007
By: Dan Mandelbaum
Category: Law Firms, Law School, Opinion Corner

Every six months, it happens – it’s inevitable.  For a block of 3 weeks in May and in December, I get lonely and upset.  Why, you ask?  Because of Law School final exams.  They are a tough and trying time for me, and I get through it by staying strong, remaining hopeful, and getting ready to celebrate when the exams are finally over with.  Oh, and by the way…I’m not even in law school.

Having a good portion of friends and acquaintances that are in law school has always put me in a weird position.  They discuss torts, and talk about their professors.  They talk about proximate cause and fraud deterrence, and I stand there and observe and have no idea what they are talking about.  And then when finals time comes, they disappear.  Whether they lock themselves in their bedrooms for days at a time, or pull consecutive all nighters at the Law library, you can guarantee that contact with them is limited at best.  And when you do get a few minutes to say hi and attempt to catch up a bit, you can hear the stress, exhaustion, and desperation in their voices (even in their emails!).  You begin to feel bad for them, until you realize of course that while they are keeping busy with their studies, it is you who is lonely and companionless, not them! 

So how do you cope?  Well for one thing, it is important to be supportive and accessible to them.  Offer to meet them for a cup of coffee or a beer, to help break up their studies a bit.  And don’t save it for the weekend either (as during finals, law students often cannot distinguish the week from the weekends.)  Bring them dinner one night to give them a little human contact (even during finals, these students need to eat).  Plan a post-finals outing or party for them to give them something to look forward to.  These three things will surely help get them through finals, but perhaps more importantly, it will help you overcome your loneliness.  After all, you are the victim here remember. 

So the next time that finals time is upon us, we can be prepared for the hopelessness, loneliness, and suffering that comes with not having to take final exams.  In some instances, it might even be wise of us to read up a little bit on what your friends are studying.  That way, the next time they decide to discuss ownership statutes and alternative dispute resolution, you can jump right into the conversation.   Now, wouldn’t that be nice?

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Comments
I agree with your sentiment but would extend and multiply your thoughts to July and February, for people sitting for a Bar Exam. -tom
Comment By: Tom Glick - October 8, 2007

I can't agree more with this, I have a roomate in Law School and I might as well live alone in December/May.
Comment By: John Basedow - November 11, 2007