Comments on: Dear Dean Chemerinsky http://madisonian.net/2007/10/01/dear-dean-chemerinsky/ a blog about law, tech, culture, and related things Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:22:44 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Todd S. http://madisonian.net/2007/10/01/dear-dean-chemerinsky/comment-page-1/#comment-224173 Todd S. Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:12:00 +0000 http://madisonian.net/archives/2007/10/01/dear-dean-chemerinsky/#comment-224173 Mike- I wholeheartedly agree with your perspective about requiring incoming law students to come in with some real world experience. I am currently a 2L, 33 years old, who worked in various capacities prior to attending law school. I cannot emphasize enough how frustrating it is in class to listen to other students hypothesize to no end because they lack real-life experience. The caliber of student is critical to his/her output as an attorney. It's mind-boggling how law schools, law firms, and in turn students think that in a service focused industry, grades and class rank regin supreme. Total joke...I would never even want to contribute my time and energy to a firm with this mentality. This is why burnout is so high in this profession. I can't help but imagine how many of my peers will be asking themselves in five years..."What's it all about?" Mike-

I wholeheartedly agree with your perspective about requiring incoming law students to come in with some real world experience. I am currently a 2L, 33 years old, who worked in various capacities prior to attending law school. I cannot emphasize enough how frustrating it is in class to listen to other students hypothesize to no end because they lack real-life experience. The caliber of student is critical to his/her output as an attorney. It’s mind-boggling how law schools, law firms, and in turn students think that in a service focused industry, grades and class rank regin supreme. Total joke…I would never even want to contribute my time and energy to a firm with this mentality. This is why burnout is so high in this profession. I can’t help but imagine how many of my peers will be asking themselves in five years…”What’s it all about?”

]]> By: Mike Madison http://madisonian.net/2007/10/01/dear-dean-chemerinsky/comment-page-1/#comment-224172 Mike Madison Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:11:37 +0000 http://madisonian.net/archives/2007/10/01/dear-dean-chemerinsky/#comment-224172 JF: No. JS: I've interviewed hundreds and hundred of law students looking for jobs. Interviews don't tell you much. I can tell in three minutes if a candidate is immature. It takes me at least a full summer, and perhaps longer, to tell whether they are mature enough to practice law. Worthless? Re-read the post. I don't suggest two years of *work* experience. I suggest two years of experience *in the world.* Join the Peace Corps. Volunteer in a soup kitchen. Fight forest fires. Dig ditches. I don't think that new law students should be required to work on Wall Street. JF: No.

JS: I’ve interviewed hundreds and hundred of law students looking for jobs. Interviews don’t tell you much. I can tell in three minutes if a candidate is immature. It takes me at least a full summer, and perhaps longer, to tell whether they are mature enough to practice law.

Worthless? Re-read the post. I don’t suggest two years of *work* experience. I suggest two years of experience *in the world.* Join the Peace Corps. Volunteer in a soup kitchen. Fight forest fires. Dig ditches. I don’t think that new law students should be required to work on Wall Street.

]]> By: John Smithering http://madisonian.net/2007/10/01/dear-dean-chemerinsky/comment-page-1/#comment-224171 John Smithering Tue, 02 Oct 2007 23:04:22 +0000 http://madisonian.net/archives/2007/10/01/dear-dean-chemerinsky/#comment-224171 There is no reason to require work experience. Its pretty much worthless. Wouldn't it make more sense to have interviews to judge the prospective student's desire to enter the practice of law and their maturity. Oh, I guess not, its better to make sure they are sheep. Baa!!! There is no reason to require work experience. Its pretty much worthless. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have interviews to judge the prospective student’s desire to enter the practice of law and their maturity.

Oh, I guess not, its better to make sure they are sheep. Baa!!!

]]> By: John Finn http://madisonian.net/2007/10/01/dear-dean-chemerinsky/comment-page-1/#comment-224169 John Finn Tue, 02 Oct 2007 15:48:36 +0000 http://madisonian.net/archives/2007/10/01/dear-dean-chemerinsky/#comment-224169 Professor Madison I applaud your suggestion that law school students experience a couple years of the real world before entering law school. As one of those liberal arts majors who pondered law school just because I had nothing better to do, I am grateful that I went off to the real world instead, sparing the world another unhappy lawyer and enabling me to find another calling. I can't help noting that your c.v. indicates you graduated from college in 1983 and law school in 1987. If you took the usual three years for law school, that leaves you with a whole one year in the real world. Was that enough to make you a more engaged student? John Finn Professor Madison

I applaud your suggestion that law school students experience a couple years of the real world before entering law school. As one of those liberal arts majors who pondered law school just because I had nothing better to do, I am grateful that I went off to the real world instead, sparing the world another unhappy lawyer and enabling me to find another calling. I can’t help noting that your c.v. indicates you graduated from college in 1983 and law school in 1987. If you took the usual three years for law school, that leaves you with a whole one year in the real world. Was that enough to make you a more engaged student?
John Finn

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