Law in Contemporary Society

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Rodell's Pursuance of Happiness

-- By ChihIFang - 17 Apr 2010

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Pursuit of Happiness Over Tangible Rewards

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<		Yet even as I am writing this essay I cannot help but think this is all talk. It is easy to say that one can disregard real world constraints and pursue some lofty societal aim. Which brings me back to my original condition of absurdity – why am I in law school? Other professions (i.e. plumbing) can produce equally lucrative tangible rewards, at least in monetary terms. The fulfillment in practicing law can only stem from the work-product itself. The pursuit of happiness as a lawyer, for me, would then be the removal of a societal absurdity.
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>		Yet even as I am writing this essay I cannot help but think this is all talk. It is easy to say that one can disregard real world constraints and pursue some lofty societal aim. Which brings me back to my original condition of absurdity – why am I in law school? Other professions (i.e. plumbing) can produce equally lucrative tangible rewards, at least in monetary terms. The fulfillment in practicing law can only stem from the work-product itself. The pursuit of happiness as a lawyer, for me, would then be the removal of a societal absurdity.
 The legal institution and its representative members did not embrace Rodell's personal philosophy--after all, he did refer to the law as "a fat man walking down the street in a high hat." In a dedication to Rodell's life, his student Charles Allan Wright described Rodell as someone who was "more interested in pursuing happiness than tangible rewards." That, I think, sums up where our legal education should guide us.

Revision 6r6 - 13 Jan 2012 - 23:34:14 - IanSullivan
Revision 5r5 - 08 Jul 2010 - 04:16:22 - ChihIFang
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