Classes and Future of Law School
As of one month from now I will be half way through law school. My schedule was pre-determined for my first two semesters and this semester 4 of 5 classes are dealing with a specific requirement for graduation. Next semester is my first chance to really customize my class load to shape myself into a particular type of lawyer. I was fortunate to be selected for a Wisconsin State Court of Appeals, District 1, clerkship for credit next semester. While only worth 2 credit hours, I'm hoping it will give me great insight into how appellate litigation actually works.
I believe I have settled on a schedule that contains three pure graduation requirements (The Law Governing Lawyers, American Legal History and an Advanced Legal Research course) and four career advancing courses (The Clerkship, Pretrial Practice, Trial Advocacy 1, and The Supreme Court... where we simulate appellate arguments and also assume the role of an appellate judge). Can anyone guess what I am specializing in?
I was surprised, when I reached law school, at how many people desired to be transactional lawyers. Growing up with a trial attorney for a father and watching TV lawyer shows, I guess I assumed that most lawyers wanted to go to court. I have come to realize how much os a specialty niche true trial lawyers are. As a clerk for my prior employer, Jeffrey Hynes & Associates, I knew more about filing pre-trial documents after one visit than did the attorney for whom I was working. He had been out of law school 4 years and this pre-trial report was the closest he had ever been to trial.
Don't get me wrong, he is a nice guy and is not without skill as an attorney, but he wasn't a trial lawyer. Most trial lawyers today deal with criminal matters. That would be acceptable for me, but I am also interested in civil trial work and appellate work (which involves 90% out of court work and the drama filled oral arguments before appellate courts... almost all of which are filled with accomplished judges). Why do I think I want to be a trial attorney? Simply put... I want to win.
I have spent my life playing games for entertainment. Games require an objective and a measure of victory. Due to the adversarial nature of our legal system, there is always a winner and a loser at trial. This is not necessarily so if you are drafting a contract, probating a will, or mediating a dispute. Moreover, I think some of my intangible and innate qualities lend themselves more to face-to-face work than to transactional work.
If I can get into all the classes, I will be taking a large load. However, I hope this preparation makes a me a more desirable acquisition for summer employment. It would be nice to earn some money this summer. :-)
I believe I have settled on a schedule that contains three pure graduation requirements (The Law Governing Lawyers, American Legal History and an Advanced Legal Research course) and four career advancing courses (The Clerkship, Pretrial Practice, Trial Advocacy 1, and The Supreme Court... where we simulate appellate arguments and also assume the role of an appellate judge). Can anyone guess what I am specializing in?
I was surprised, when I reached law school, at how many people desired to be transactional lawyers. Growing up with a trial attorney for a father and watching TV lawyer shows, I guess I assumed that most lawyers wanted to go to court. I have come to realize how much os a specialty niche true trial lawyers are. As a clerk for my prior employer, Jeffrey Hynes & Associates, I knew more about filing pre-trial documents after one visit than did the attorney for whom I was working. He had been out of law school 4 years and this pre-trial report was the closest he had ever been to trial.
Don't get me wrong, he is a nice guy and is not without skill as an attorney, but he wasn't a trial lawyer. Most trial lawyers today deal with criminal matters. That would be acceptable for me, but I am also interested in civil trial work and appellate work (which involves 90% out of court work and the drama filled oral arguments before appellate courts... almost all of which are filled with accomplished judges). Why do I think I want to be a trial attorney? Simply put... I want to win.
I have spent my life playing games for entertainment. Games require an objective and a measure of victory. Due to the adversarial nature of our legal system, there is always a winner and a loser at trial. This is not necessarily so if you are drafting a contract, probating a will, or mediating a dispute. Moreover, I think some of my intangible and innate qualities lend themselves more to face-to-face work than to transactional work.
If I can get into all the classes, I will be taking a large load. However, I hope this preparation makes a me a more desirable acquisition for summer employment. It would be nice to earn some money this summer. :-)