I bought one of those automated breadmakers recently. They're amazingly easy to use. It came with a recipe book, which included all kinds of recipes for different breads- rye, oat brand, pesto bread and a bunch of other fancy breads. The first time I used it, I was a bit hesitant. I loaded in the ingredients, exactly according to the recipe (the order of ingredients is important) set the program and pushed the start button. There is a little window that allows you to check the progress of the bread.
I watched it work and thought that there was no way I would actually end up with a loaf of bread. It mixed and kneaded, then kneaded and mixed. Then, it would just sit there for a while, as the yeast worked its magic. Eventually, I got tired of watching nothing and left the kitchen. But every once in a while I would peek in, just to see if anything dramatic had happened. The entire cycle took about two hours. Since it was late, however, I finally just went to bed.
The next morning, when I woke up, I walked into the kitchen to check on the bread machine's progress. To my amazement, a full, beautiful, browned loaf of bread was in the place, where the night before a bunch of flour and other ingredients sat in what appeared to be a useless state. While it worked, I couldn't see much happening. But lo and behold, eventually I ended up with incredibly fresh and tastybread.
Your legal education is like that. If you are familiar with the John Jay Osborne book and movie, "The Paper Chase," you probably know the line. On the first day of class, Professor Kingsfield tells the class that their brains are mush. But he also promises to turn them into lawyers. Their intellects will be honed. Their minds will become razor-sharp. It's the law school process.
At times, you might not think that much is going on. You may worry that you aren't learning anything, or worse, not getting it. But you are learning much. You are learning a new way to think. You are learning the art (and science) of argument. You are learning to identify assumptions contained within those arguments. Your skills of analysis and logic are growing in a way unlike anything you have ever done, other than perhaps when you went from a babbling infant to a thinking and speaking being. Your mind is growing at an incredible rate and your thinking skills, so necessary to effective law practice are improving dramatically.
It may not seem like it right now. But you are learning to "think like a lawyer." And you are gaining skills that you will likely use for the rest of your career, whether you always practice law, become a CEO or simply serve your fellow man.
I wish you the best in your legal education.
I watched it work and thought that there was no way I would actually end up with a loaf of bread. It mixed and kneaded, then kneaded and mixed. Then, it would just sit there for a while, as the yeast worked its magic. Eventually, I got tired of watching nothing and left the kitchen. But every once in a while I would peek in, just to see if anything dramatic had happened. The entire cycle took about two hours. Since it was late, however, I finally just went to bed.
The next morning, when I woke up, I walked into the kitchen to check on the bread machine's progress. To my amazement, a full, beautiful, browned loaf of bread was in the place, where the night before a bunch of flour and other ingredients sat in what appeared to be a useless state. While it worked, I couldn't see much happening. But lo and behold, eventually I ended up with incredibly fresh and tastybread.
Your legal education is like that. If you are familiar with the John Jay Osborne book and movie, "The Paper Chase," you probably know the line. On the first day of class, Professor Kingsfield tells the class that their brains are mush. But he also promises to turn them into lawyers. Their intellects will be honed. Their minds will become razor-sharp. It's the law school process.
At times, you might not think that much is going on. You may worry that you aren't learning anything, or worse, not getting it. But you are learning much. You are learning a new way to think. You are learning the art (and science) of argument. You are learning to identify assumptions contained within those arguments. Your skills of analysis and logic are growing in a way unlike anything you have ever done, other than perhaps when you went from a babbling infant to a thinking and speaking being. Your mind is growing at an incredible rate and your thinking skills, so necessary to effective law practice are improving dramatically.
It may not seem like it right now. But you are learning to "think like a lawyer." And you are gaining skills that you will likely use for the rest of your career, whether you always practice law, become a CEO or simply serve your fellow man.
I wish you the best in your legal education.
