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MayurPatelFirstEssay 3 - 20 Feb 2025 - Main.MayurPatel
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| | | Thus, with my law school experience being in direct contrast with what I thought I learned while working at an actual law firm, my idea of what it meant to be a lawyer was destroyed. I, like many others, succumbed to the pressures of law school and did not practice conciseness, collaboration, and curiosity during my fall semester. Instead, I focused more on the skills and values that law school aims for me to develop, such as diligence, legal argumentation, and resilience, thereby changing my conception of what it means to be a lawyer. After taking this time to reflect, I was left with one question: now what?
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< | If there is one concrete lesson that I can take away from the contrast in my experiences, I believe it is the notion that my understanding of what it means to be a lawyer, if rooted in the expectations of my surroundings, will constantly change based on the present circumstances. When I was working as a paralegal, my conception was rooted in the skills and values that the law firm wanted me to have. Since starting law school, my conception has been influenced by the competencies and principles that the university thinks is best for me to cultivate. And I’m sure once I start working, my understanding of what it means to be a lawyer will continue to change based on, among other things, where I’m working and the practice area I choose to specialize in. | >
> | If there is one concrete lesson that I can take away from the contrast in my experiences, I believe it is the notion that my understanding of what it means to be a lawyer, if rooted in the expectations of my surroundings, will constantly change based on the present circumstances. When I was working as a paralegal, my conception was rooted in the skills and values that the law firm wanted me to have. Since starting law school, my conception has been influenced by the competencies and principles that the university thinks are best for me to cultivate. And I’m sure once I start working, my understanding of what it means to be a lawyer will continue to change based on, among other things, where I’m working and the practice area I choose to specialize in. | | | Ultimately, I’ve come to realize that my understanding of what it means to be a lawyer will keep evolving as I meet new people and gain new experiences. And I think there’s an inherent danger in that. After a conversation with Professor Moglen, I realized that without a guiding principle about what it means to be a lawyer, I risk losing my sense of purpose, which can potentially cast doubt on my decision to pursue a legal career. In terms of how to find that “guiding principle,” I do not exactly know how just yet. But, a valuable first step was doing what this essay gave me an opportunity to do: reflect. |
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MayurPatelFirstEssay 2 - 20 Feb 2025 - Main.MayurPatel
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< | It is strongly recommended that you include your outline in the body of your essay by using the outline as section titles. The headings below are there to remind you how section and subsection titles are formatted. | | | | |
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> | A Reflection on My Understanding of Being a Lawyer | | | -- By MayurPatel - 19 Feb 2025 | |
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> | My Expectations | | | | |
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> | Just like many of my classmates, I’m the first in my family to go to law school. Although my decision to pursue a legal career seemed to be well-informed at the time, I truly did not have much of an idea of what I was getting myself into. Consequently, before coming to law school, I tried to resolve that inner problem by working as a paralegal at a corporate law firm. Although the work was mostly deal-based, I learned a few things that seemed like they would generally be relevant for my journey to becoming a lawyer. First, being a successful lawyer requires mastering the skill of conciseness in legal documents, communications with colleagues, and presentations to clients. Second, it is important to be collaborative and open to working in team settings. This was especially apparent to me given that almost every single task I handled was as part of a broader team, and contributed to the group’s collective effort in completing a project. Finally, I learned that curiosity is highly valued, especially in young attorneys who are just starting their careers. That curiosity can be shown in several ways, such as actively asking questions about projects, trying to understand colleagues’ various perspectives, and expressing interest in the “why” behind important decisions. Thus, I naturally came to law school with these ideas in mind; they were my preconceived notions regarding what being a lawyer actually means. I was ready to continue building upon my perspective with what many of the attorneys had described as a “unique and unforgettable three years.” | | | | |
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> | Conflicting Reality | | | | |
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> | However, my experience in law school thus far directly contradicts the lessons I took away from practicing attorneys. First, conciseness, while mildly encouraged, is not rewarded. For example, the structure of final exams creates what is essentially a typing contest. Those who can type the highest number of words in the shortest amount of time are rewarded with a better grade. The law school’s evaluation policies also do not motivate students to be concise in their exam responses. Because most professors will award points for right answers, but not penalize for writing anything that is inherently “wrong,” students are incentivized to write more to increase their chances of securing as many points as possible. | | | | |
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> | Second, there is no real emphasis on collaboration. Beyond the Socratic method, we do not participate in collaborative exercises in the classroom. Even the Socratic method, while intended to promote collaboration by encouraging active participation from the entire class, almost always turns into a one-on-one question-and-answer session between the student and professor. The emphasis is not placed on active engagement with the material, but rather testing whether the particular student completed the assigned reading. As another example, there is a lack of collaboration in Legal Practice Workshop, the pass/fail class that is meant to provide 1L students with real-world experience. Students draft all briefs and memos individually and only receive feedback from the instructor. In a class that claims to prepare you to be a real, practicing attorney, I was surprised at the fact that there is such little collaboration involved. Finally, with the curve-based grading system, students ultimately focus on outperforming peers rather than learning how to work together in any respect. | | | | |
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> | Third, at least in the 1L curriculum, there is very little space to be intellectually curious. With the strong emphasis on grades and securing prestigious summer internships, especially at a school like Columbia, students prioritize “what will be on the exam,” rather than making an attempt to really engage with the material that interests them. The “why” behind the law is often reduced to one, if any, “policy question” on the final exam, which then only marks the beginning of the typing contest. | | | | |
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> | Thus, with my law school experience being in direct contrast with what I thought I learned while working at an actual law firm, my idea of what it meant to be a lawyer was destroyed. I, like many others, succumbed to the pressures of law school and did not practice conciseness, collaboration, and curiosity during my fall semester. Instead, I focused more on the skills and values that law school aims for me to develop, such as diligence, legal argumentation, and resilience, thereby changing my conception of what it means to be a lawyer. After taking this time to reflect, I was left with one question: now what? | | | | |
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> | Looking Ahead
If there is one concrete lesson that I can take away from the contrast in my experiences, I believe it is the notion that my understanding of what it means to be a lawyer, if rooted in the expectations of my surroundings, will constantly change based on the present circumstances. When I was working as a paralegal, my conception was rooted in the skills and values that the law firm wanted me to have. Since starting law school, my conception has been influenced by the competencies and principles that the university thinks is best for me to cultivate. And I’m sure once I start working, my understanding of what it means to be a lawyer will continue to change based on, among other things, where I’m working and the practice area I choose to specialize in. | | | | |
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> | Ultimately, I’ve come to realize that my understanding of what it means to be a lawyer will keep evolving as I meet new people and gain new experiences. And I think there’s an inherent danger in that. After a conversation with Professor Moglen, I realized that without a guiding principle about what it means to be a lawyer, I risk losing my sense of purpose, which can potentially cast doubt on my decision to pursue a legal career. In terms of how to find that “guiding principle,” I do not exactly know how just yet. But, a valuable first step was doing what this essay gave me an opportunity to do: reflect. | | | | |
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< | Section II
Subsection A
Subsection B | | |
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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MayurPatelFirstEssay 1 - 19 Feb 2025 - Main.MayurPatel
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It is strongly recommended that you include your outline in the body of your essay by using the outline as section titles. The headings below are there to remind you how section and subsection titles are formatted.
Paper Title
-- By MayurPatel - 19 Feb 2025
Section I
Subsection A
Subsub 1
Subsection B
Subsub 1
Subsub 2
Section II
Subsection A
Subsection B
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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