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JoieLiewFirstEssay 6 - 25 May 2024 - Main.JoieLiew
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What Might it Mean to be Successful in School and Work? (In a Lawyering Context, For Me) | |
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< | -- By JoieLiew - Revised 24 May 2024 | >
> | -- By JoieLiew - Revised 25 May 2024 | | | I see much of what we picture when describing success in life or work as measured by the quantifiable, such as someone’s salary or number of awards. The quantifiable is often paired with the qualitative, including if one went to a recognizable school and if they worked at a particular firm. There is space within this narrative to include if one overcame hardship and struggles – but the “overcome” part is key where there is usually a character arc of definitive growth. Success is often reduced to the tangible that can be presented in a neat manner, void of any failures and countless nights spent wondering if one can be enough or live up to expectations placed on us. I noticed this framing of success is widespread, including within law school. | | | Embracing the spoon theory means that any work as a law student and future lawyer that I want to do will be personally meaningful, as I would not have chosen to use my spoons unless I cared deeply about the what, where, and with whom.
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< | You are entitled to restrict access to your paper if you want to. But we all derive immense benefit from reading one another's work, and I hope you won't feel the need unless the subject matter is personal and its disclosure would be harmful or undesirable.
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JoieLiewFirstEssay 5 - 25 May 2024 - Main.JoieLiew
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< | What Does it Mean to be Successful? (And Can We Ever be Enough?) | >
> | What Might it Mean to be Successful in School and Work? (In a Lawyering Context, For Me) | | | | |
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< | -- By JoieLiew - 22 Feb 2024 | >
> | -- By JoieLiew - Revised 24 May 2024 | | | | |
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< | I have spent a fair amount of time processing this idea and would like to share some of my thoughts inspired by/from our class discussions. I have a feeling this is a concept that has been looming over others too. | >
> | I see much of what we picture when describing success in life or work as measured by the quantifiable, such as someone’s salary or number of awards. The quantifiable is often paired with the qualitative, including if one went to a recognizable school and if they worked at a particular firm. There is space within this narrative to include if one overcame hardship and struggles – but the “overcome” part is key where there is usually a character arc of definitive growth. Success is often reduced to the tangible that can be presented in a neat manner, void of any failures and countless nights spent wondering if one can be enough or live up to expectations placed on us. I noticed this framing of success is widespread, including within law school. | | | | |
<
< | General Conceptions of “Success”
I see much of what we picture when describing “success” as measured by the quantifiable, such as how many awards someone receives and how wealthy someone is. The quantifiable is often paired with the qualitative, including if one went to a recognizable school and if they worked at a particular firm. There is space within this narrative for including if one overcame hardship and struggles - but the “overcome” part is key to this concept of success where there is usually a character arc of definitive growth. | >
> | So what might success as a law student and hopefully a lawyer mean if not primarily defined by quantifiable and qualitative “prestige” or the expectations of others? To address this question, I will consider my current thinking of what kind of lawyer I want to be by explaining what, where, and with whom I can make a practice. Afterward, I will reflect on how this work can and should fit into my life. | | | | |
<
< | I noticed this framing of success is widespread, from the profiles of speakers to the way we are encouraged to speak, write about ourselves. Where we have been, what we have done (in terms of tangible achievements), what we plan to do are meant to show who we are and, at the same time, illustrate an assumed clear path to “success.” A bonus is if this path can be shown on a resume. | >
> | What, Grounded in the Why
In considering what I would want to do, I think back to the reasons why I decided to attend law school. Frankly, for much of my life, I did not picture myself as a lawyer or capable of doing the work lawyers do. I wish I could say I had childhood aspirations, but I – an English as a Second Language student who was behind the standard reading levels – was just trying to catch up to everyone. To ever critically study the law seemed beyond me, especially after secondary school and junior college where I received unfortunate grades (E, S) that fell out of the bounds of any American education system. | | | | |
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< | I put success in quotation marks on purpose because this (admittedly, a rather sweeping summary) is just one conception of success - perhaps even one that is flawed. And, disclaimer, this is not a view that reflects my understanding of what we have been discussing in class. | >
> | But, after years of attempting to move forward and finding my pace, I began to wonder if I could harness what I learned and will learn to fulfill my need to do something about all the questions that evaded me. While working as a personal assistant for senior citizens, I wished I could properly address questions on healthcare law (how to get a necessary treatment covered?) and landlord-tenant disputes (can the apartment evict someone for neighborly conflicts?). While researching Asian American advocacy and speaking with Chinese American activists, questions continually arose on education law (how can we advocate for Ethnic Studies in curriculums?) and hate crimes (would “hate incident” be better since the law does not have adequate categories describing all the hurt?). | | | | |
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< | “Success” in a Law School Context
I found this sweeping view of “success” amplified and echoed within law school. Professor Eben mentioned how the nature of lawyering requires a certain way of measuring success, and I think this measurement begins with the messages we receive as law students and continues into how we choose (or, are molded) to practice the law. Professor Eben expressed it best in describing how law school optimizes people by shaving off uncertain parts until they can fit into a certain kind of high-pay (and long-hours) job and are functionally swindled. | >
> | With this reasoning in the background, I think what I want to do to confront these questions is to work with government agencies. Much of the legal answers to the questions I hope to look into are based on publicly funded endeavors and working in government would enable me to gain first-hand knowledge of what exactly is happening. This may not help with getting an answer that aligns with my moral sense given the limits of what can be done within those established structures, but I would at least know how to navigate around what is already being done. | | | | |
<
< | Once, I was speaking with a mental health professional at school and they expressed horror when I said I would gladly walk with friends between classes. I was equally horrified when they told me I should not because I would not have time for a 30-minute walk during law school, suggesting I must be kept so busy that other less certain parts of life need to be held in suspension. This comment seems to reflect a sense understood and shared by some that law school is meant to be all-consuming. Consuming our time, consuming many people’s dreams, consuming our sense of self until we are that ideal version of “success.” | >
> | However, I would add a caveat that I am still figuring the “what” out. I have not worked in legal contexts before and I hope my summer internship alongside other experiential learning experiences informs what I plan to do. | | | | |
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< | What does success mean to me?
So, if I disagree with the views of success I have been describing, when do I feel “successful”? Sitting with Cupcake (my dog) on the grass and watching the evergreen pine needles sway in the breeze. Submitting applications I tormented myself over, allowing myself relief despite feeling I am inadequate. Sharing notes with classmates/friends, laughing over internet memes together, and sending celebratory text messages on holidays. | >
> | Where
I would like to continue working in New York and serve the local communities I grew up with. My community and the people with questions whom I hope to help are here. But, I am also open to moving elsewhere in the U.S., especially if more practitioners of law are needed there and if my family decides to go there too. | | | | |
<
< | All of these successes won’t fit on a resume or a neat summary of what I’ve supposedly done with my life – which is the same case for everyone else. My concept of success revolves around ones that can’t be listed on one piece of paper. I have received much pushback on this concept. People find it necessary to remind me that there are abstract “doors” out there to open if only I become a specific personality, if only I got a certain grade, if only I went to this school. My response is that I think this only matters if one even desires to enter those doors in the first place. And I, after much contemplation, am realizing I do not. | >
> | With Whom
When I think of the human network that would sustain my practice, I imagine working with colleagues like my classmates. I mean this as the highest compliment, as many of my peers in law school are passionate, brilliant individuals who clearly articulate their ideas in writing and speaking. The heart and determination they have inspires me to find my way to work alongside them, or others like them. Back to my concept of community, I see the foundation for my practice as the people I hope to be a resource for: those with legal questions but unsure of how or where to get help. | | | | |
<
< | Remember I was horrified when told I would not have time for a walk with friends? In that moment, my knee-jerk response was to firmly establish that, if I found myself in such a state, I would have lost part of who I am and those I care about. Instead of “success,” I would rather be able to face myself as I am, as I was, as I will be (future tense is the ultimate goal). Being at peace with oneself and one’s actions is the most successful thing I can think of. | >
> | Fitting this Work with my Life and Ideals of Success
Now that I have thought about the what, where, and with whom, I will reflect on how this work will fit into my life and social, psychological needs. In law school and at work, we all may be busy and some can find an astonishing, very admirable balance between their personal life and professional/academic work. But I, and others, have a different approach to this balance where I must spend my time with careful awareness. For me, this approach is best described by Christine Miserandino’s analogy and spoon theory which, in essence, “illustrates the limited energy resources available to individuals with compromised physical and mental well-being.” “Spoons” represent units of energy where everyone receives a set number of spoons to use on tasks throughout the day. In this metaphor, as someone with chronic physical and mental conditions, I start the day with fewer “spoons” than others may. Tasks may consume more spoons for me, such as how it takes one spoon to board the bus and then another spoon to figure out where to stand to avoid blocking others with my bag. In contrast, this task may cost one spoon or none for others. | | | | |
<
< | How to be enough? (And am I?)
Unfortunately, the answer is “no.” I doubt we can ever be enough if we need to live up to “success.” Professor Eben talked about how to be non-beholden is to have enough, which sounds much better than striving for an unattainable “success” to me.
Contemplating these existential ideas suits quiet moments while overlooking scenery. I invite you to join me: walk down 116th Street to lean against the smooth stone wall bordering Morningside Park, watch the sunrise light up buildings with a neon orange glow while families walk with dogs who sniff at the melting piles of snow, joggers hurry by yet pause to trace the smokestacks with us.
When we stand still like this and reach within, what surfaces? Is it enough to see such sights? Is it enough to come to terms with existence?
This brings me to a rudimentary expression of what I would like to call my theory of social action: to see us as enough. To make space for all the many little or big wonderful things that add up to what is “us.” It’s a rather simple theory that is fundamentally about remembering we are human, we exist, and we are here.
I am not sure if I am enough, or will be. But, I am working on believing it and already believe others are enough. I have this different idea of success, I have my mind, and I have brilliant people around me who support both. And having all this? It’s enough for me.
One way to make this essay better would be to structure it more tightly. A cleaner outline, down to the paragraph level, would help you to see what the sequence of ideas should be, and to keep the next draft from rambling.
Another route to improvement would be to reconsider, rather than repeating, the sign "success." The actual through line of the draft is a contrast between "success" and "happiness," which is neither made explicit nor itself subjected to any extended inquiry. Money and status are contrasted with time outdoors, pets and family, I (in the character of "Professor Eben," which at least has the advantage of not being my name) am rendered as some sort of greeting-card philosopher, because not a word is said about lawyering (the subject of this course), what it might mean to be a lawyer, what success in work might be if it is not a matter of titles and dollars, how we might go about thinking for ourselves about those issues or what creativity (the other actual subject of this course) might mean in the discussion.
It is quite obvious, I am sure, that law school is not, cannot be, and won't be "all-consuming." While I was in law school I was also reading, writing and talking my way through a PhD in History, and simultaneously earning my living at a skilled trade, making software. I shopped and cooked for myself, my brothers and my friends, cleaned my house, plsyed poker one night a week, read fiction, saw movies, listened to music. In the last year I held a full-time job at Cravath, was mostly in California, and started my doctoral dissertation. You and the people around you are equally busy, but you spend way more of your time scrolling a smartassphone through what amounts to a universe of gossip, and attending "mandatory" law school meetings that I would never have been caught dead in. Whoever said you don't have time for a walk, no matter their profession, is a moron.
What you need is to devote some of that time to figuring out what kind of lawyer you want to be, Imagining the work you want to do and how you want to do it Figuring out how that work should fit into your life and why doing that work will fulfill your material, intellectual, moral, social and political needs is difficult. A great professional education not only equips you to formulate initial answers to those questions, but prepares you to reconsider and reframe your choices throughout a long career. That, the ability to work at what fulfills you, and to grow with your experience, is success.
Let's try a draft in which, in a tight and orderly sequence, you explain your current thinking about what you want to do, where and with whom, to make the kind of practice you think you want. Whatever you say now, and whatever practice you wind up having later, coming back to reread that essay in future will be fascinating and valuable to you. I look forward to reading that next draft.
| >
> | Embracing the spoon theory means that any work as a law student and future lawyer that I want to do will be personally meaningful, as I would not have chosen to use my spoons unless I cared deeply about the what, where, and with whom. | | |
You are entitled to restrict access to your paper if you want to. But we all derive immense benefit from reading one another's work, and I hope you won't feel the need unless the subject matter is personal and its disclosure would be harmful or undesirable. |
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JoieLiewFirstEssay 4 - 30 Mar 2024 - Main.EbenMoglen
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| | | I am not sure if I am enough, or will be. But, I am working on believing it and already believe others are enough. I have this different idea of success, I have my mind, and I have brilliant people around me who support both. And having all this? It’s enough for me. | |
>
> |
One way to make this essay better would be to structure it more tightly. A cleaner outline, down to the paragraph level, would help you to see what the sequence of ideas should be, and to keep the next draft from rambling.
Another route to improvement would be to reconsider, rather than repeating, the sign "success." The actual through line of the draft is a contrast between "success" and "happiness," which is neither made explicit nor itself subjected to any extended inquiry. Money and status are contrasted with time outdoors, pets and family, I (in the character of "Professor Eben," which at least has the advantage of not being my name) am rendered as some sort of greeting-card philosopher, because not a word is said about lawyering (the subject of this course), what it might mean to be a lawyer, what success in work might be if it is not a matter of titles and dollars, how we might go about thinking for ourselves about those issues or what creativity (the other actual subject of this course) might mean in the discussion.
It is quite obvious, I am sure, that law school is not, cannot be, and won't be "all-consuming." While I was in law school I was also reading, writing and talking my way through a PhD in History, and simultaneously earning my living at a skilled trade, making software. I shopped and cooked for myself, my brothers and my friends, cleaned my house, plsyed poker one night a week, read fiction, saw movies, listened to music. In the last year I held a full-time job at Cravath, was mostly in California, and started my doctoral dissertation. You and the people around you are equally busy, but you spend way more of your time scrolling a smartassphone through what amounts to a universe of gossip, and attending "mandatory" law school meetings that I would never have been caught dead in. Whoever said you don't have time for a walk, no matter their profession, is a moron.
What you need is to devote some of that time to figuring out what kind of lawyer you want to be, Imagining the work you want to do and how you want to do it Figuring out how that work should fit into your life and why doing that work will fulfill your material, intellectual, moral, social and political needs is difficult. A great professional education not only equips you to formulate initial answers to those questions, but prepares you to reconsider and reframe your choices throughout a long career. That, the ability to work at what fulfills you, and to grow with your experience, is success.
Let's try a draft in which, in a tight and orderly sequence, you explain your current thinking about what you want to do, where and with whom, to make the kind of practice you think you want. Whatever you say now, and whatever practice you wind up having later, coming back to reread that essay in future will be fascinating and valuable to you. I look forward to reading that next draft.
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You are entitled to restrict access to your paper if you want to. But we all derive immense benefit from reading one another's work, and I hope you won't feel the need unless the subject matter is personal and its disclosure would be harmful or undesirable.
To restrict access to your paper simply delete the "#" character on the next two lines: |
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JoieLiewFirstEssay 2 - 23 Feb 2024 - Main.JoieLiew
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| META FILEATTACHMENT | attachment="morningside_sunrise_.jpg" attr="" comment="Photograph of sunrise over cityline, taken by Joie in Oct 2023" date="1708641845" name="morningside_sunrise_.jpg" path="morningside sunrise .jpg" size="2627691" stream="morningside sunrise .jpg" user="Main.JoieLiew" version="1" |
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| META FILEATTACHMENT | attachment="morningside_sunrise_.jpg" attr="" comment="Photograph of sunrise over the skyline, taken by Joie in Oct 2023" date="1708641845" name="morningside_sunrise_.jpg" path="morningside sunrise .jpg" size="2627691" stream="morningside sunrise .jpg" user="Main.JoieLiew" version="1" |
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JoieLiewFirstEssay 1 - 22 Feb 2024 - Main.JoieLiew
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What does it mean to be successful? (And can we ever be enough?)
-- By JoieLiew - 22 Feb 2024
I have spent a fair amount of time processing this idea and would like to share some of my thoughts inspired by/from our class discussions. I have a feeling this is a concept that has been looming over others too.
General Conceptions of “Success”
I see much of what we picture when describing “success” as measured by the quantifiable, such as how many awards someone receives and how wealthy someone is. The quantifiable is often paired with the qualitative, including if one went to a recognizable school and if they worked at a particular firm. There is space within this narrative for including if one overcame hardship and struggles - but the “overcome” part is key to this concept of success where there is usually a character arc of definitive growth.
I noticed this framing of success is widespread, from the profiles of speakers to the way we are encouraged to speak, write about ourselves. Where we have been, what we have done (in terms of tangible achievements), what we plan to do are meant to show who we are and, at the same time, illustrate an assumed clear path to “success.” A bonus is if this path can be shown on a resume.
I put success in quotation marks on purpose because this (admittedly, a rather sweeping summary) is just one conception of success - perhaps even one that is flawed. And, disclaimer, this is not a view that reflects my understanding of what we have been discussing in class.
“Success” in a Law School Context
I found this sweeping view of “success” amplified and echoed within law school. Professor Eben mentioned how the nature of lawyering requires a certain way of measuring success, and I think this measurement begins with the messages we receive as law students and continues into how we choose (or, are molded) to practice the law. Professor Eben expressed it best in describing how law school optimizes people by shaving off uncertain parts until they can fit into a certain kind of high-pay (and long-hours) job and are functionally swindled.
Once, I was speaking with a mental health professional at school and they expressed horror when I said I would gladly walk with friends between classes. I was equally horrified when they told me I should not because I would not have time for a 30-minute walk during law school, suggesting I must be kept so busy that other less certain parts of life need to be held in suspension. This comment seems to reflect a sense understood and shared by some that law school is meant to be all-consuming. Consuming our time, consuming many people’s dreams, consuming our sense of self until we are that ideal version of “success.”
What does success mean to me?
So, if I disagree with the views of success I have been describing, when do I feel “successful”? Sitting with Cupcake (my dog) on the grass and watching the evergreen pine needles sway in the breeze. Submitting applications I tormented myself over, allowing myself relief despite feeling I am inadequate. Sharing notes with classmates/friends, laughing over internet memes together, and sending celebratory text messages on holidays.
All of these successes won’t fit on a resume or a neat summary of what I’ve supposedly done with my life – which is the same case for everyone else. My concept of success revolves around ones that can’t be listed on one piece of paper. I have received much pushback on this concept. People find it necessary to remind me that there are abstract “doors” out there to open if only I become a specific personality, if only I got a certain grade, if only I went to this school. My response is that I think this only matters if one even desires to enter those doors in the first place. And I, after much contemplation, am realizing I do not.
Remember I was horrified when told I would not have time for a walk with friends? In that moment, my knee-jerk response was to firmly establish that, if I found myself in such a state, I would have lost part of who I am and those I care about. Instead of “success,” I would rather be able to face myself as I am, as I was, as I will be (future tense is the ultimate goal). Being at peace with oneself and one’s actions is the most successful thing I can think of.
How to be enough? (And am I?)
Unfortunately, the answer is “no.” I doubt we can ever be enough if we need to live up to “success.” Professor Eben talked about how to be non-beholden is to have enough, which sounds much better than striving for an unattainable “success” to me.
Contemplating these existential ideas suits quiet moments while overlooking scenery. I invite you to join me: walk down 116th Street to lean against the smooth stone wall bordering Morningside Park, watch the sunrise light up buildings with a neon orange glow while families walk with dogs who sniff at the melting piles of snow, joggers hurry by yet pause to trace the smokestacks with us.
When we stand still like this and reach within, what surfaces? Is it enough to see such sights? Is it enough to come to terms with existence?
This brings me to a rudimentary expression of what I would like to call my theory of social action: to see us as enough. To make space for all the many little or big wonderful things that add up to what is “us.” It’s a rather simple theory that is fundamentally about remembering we are human, we exist, and we are here.
I am not sure if I am enough, or will be. But, I am working on believing it and already believe others are enough. I have this different idea of success, I have my mind, and I have brilliant people around me who support both. And having all this? It’s enough for me.
You are entitled to restrict access to your paper if you want to. But we all derive immense benefit from reading one another's work, and I hope you won't feel the need unless the subject matter is personal and its disclosure would be harmful or undesirable.
To restrict access to your paper simply delete the "#" character on the next two lines:
Note: TWiki has strict formatting rules for preference declarations. Make sure you preserve the three spaces, asterisk, and extra space at the beginning of these lines. If you wish to give access to any other users simply add them to the comma separated ALLOWTOPICVIEW list.
| META FILEATTACHMENT | attachment="morningside_sunrise_.jpg" attr="" comment="Photograph of sunrise over cityline, taken by Joie in Oct 2023" date="1708641845" name="morningside_sunrise_.jpg" path="morningside sunrise .jpg" size="2627691" stream="morningside sunrise .jpg" user="Main.JoieLiew" version="1" |
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| Revision 6 | r6 - 25 May 2024 - 18:08:55 - JoieLiew |
| Revision 5 | r5 - 25 May 2024 - 02:39:55 - JoieLiew |
| Revision 4 | r4 - 30 Mar 2024 - 11:55:57 - EbenMoglen |
| Revision 3 | r3 - 24 Feb 2024 - 03:04:07 - JoieLiew |
| Revision 2 | r2 - 23 Feb 2024 - 04:29:02 - JoieLiew |
| Revision 1 | r1 - 22 Feb 2024 - 22:58:09 - JoieLiew |
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