|
MilesGreeneSecondEssay 7 - 10 Jun 2018 - Main.MilesGreene
|
| |
| META TOPICPARENT | name="SecondEssay" |
|---|
A Lawyer's Epitaph | |
<
< | -- By MilesGreene - 23 Apr 2018 [997 words] | >
> | -- By MilesGreene [997 words] | | | | |
<
< | The etching of an epitaph can be considered the final narrative-shaping act of one’s life. It represents an attempt to set in stone an unchangeable epilogue, to steer thoughts and to stir feelings. It is a tangible punctuation mark at the end of the last sentence of life’s story. Roy Cohn’s tombstone, nestled in a private mausoleum in Queens, is engraved with the words “Lawyer and Patriot.” There lies proof that Cohn quite literally went to his grave as an expert propagandist. Yet despite that text, he will be remembered as the chief counsel who carried out the Red Scare, for his role in outing and firing gay men from the government, and for vigorously representing the Trump family after they were accused of employing discriminatory housing practices against black Americans. A more proper inscription might be Martha Tharaud’s quip, "Boy, he hurt a lot of people." | >
> | The etching of an epitaph can be considered the final narrative-shaping act of one’s life. It represents an attempt to set in stone an unchangeable epilogue. It is a tangible punctuation mark at the end of the last sentence of life’s story. Roy Cohn’s tombstone, nestled in a private mausoleum in Queens, is engraved with the words “Lawyer and Patriot.” There lies proof that Cohn quite literally went to his grave as an expert propagandist. Yet despite that text, he will be remembered as the chief counsel who carried out the Red Scare, for his role in outing and firing gay men from the government, and for vigorously representing the Trump family after they were accused of employing discriminatory housing practices against black Americans. A more proper inscription might be Martha Tharaud’s quip, "Boy, he hurt a lot of people." | | | | |
<
< | As a foil, Martha offers the memory of her mentor, Lewis, as someone whose legacy could be summarized as having improved "the living standards of hundreds of thousands of people." The thought of these final phrases was brought to mind when Professor Moglen shared that upon the Justice's retirement, Thurgood Marshall was asked how he wanted to be remembered. His response was a modest yet moving line that could compose the perfect epitaph: as a person "who did what he could with what he had." | >
> | As a foil, Martha offers the memory of her mentor, Lewis. His legacy could be summarized as having improved "the living standards of hundreds of thousands of people." The thought of these final phrases was brought to mind when Professor Moglen shared that upon the Justice's retirement, Thurgood Marshall was asked how he wanted to be remembered. His response was a modest yet moving line that could compose the perfect epitaph: as a person "who did what he could with what he had." | | | | |
<
< | Marshall’s grave in Arlington National Cemetery, however, says even less. It bears nothing more than Marshall’s name, the years of his life, and the seal of the United States Supreme Court. The truth is that his name speaks for itself. Just as Roy Cohn’s does. Just as mine and yours will, too. This demonstrates that we will not be commemorated or remembered for the epitaph etched into the cold marble above our final resting place, but by the impact we had on the people and society that surrounded us. That conclusion is heartening, especially if you’re like me and you’d rather be cremated, ending up in a nice vase and taking up a bit less space on a mantle somewhere. | >
> | Marshall’s grave in Arlington National Cemetery, however, says even less. It bears nothing more than Marshall’s name, the years of his life, and the seal of the U.S. Supreme Court. The truth is that his name speaks for itself. Just as Roy Cohn’s does. Just as mine and yours will, too. This demonstrates that we will not be commemorated or remembered for the epitaph etched into the cold marble above our final resting place, but by the impact we had on the people and society that surrounded us. That conclusion is heartening, especially if you’re like me and you’d rather be cremated, ending up in a nice vase and taking up a bit less space on someone's mantle. | | | What Do I Have? | |
<
< | Guided by Marshall’s powerful phrase, I am still trying to figure out what exactly it is that I have, and what it is that I can do. Stating the obvious, I know that I want to use my career to help people like Marshall and Lewis did, and not to hurt people like Roy Cohn. Two moments that mark the opening and closing days of my first year at CLS have potentially begun to show me how I can use my career to make this a reality. During Legal Methods, thanks to my background as an immigration paralegal, I was able to work with Professor Harcourt on an administrative appeal in support of a SIPA student from Libya who had been unable to re-enter the U.S. due to Trump’s travel ban. Although my role was minimal, it was a valuable chance to be an eye witness to the power that lawyers can wield as advocates for their clients. Next, since May, I have spent countless hours conducting research for another attorney who is serving as pro bono counsel to a pro se plaintiff. She was the victim of pregnancy employment discrimination and has brought a claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Scouring Westlaw for favorable Second Circuit case law would have sounded like a mind-numbingly unwelcome summer activity a year ago, but in the context of fighting for someone’s Title VII discrimination claim, it has been a highlight of my legal experience. I don’t know if that research will result in a bigger settlement or a higher probability of a verdict finding for her, but I know that this work has made me feel alive and has brought me closer to finding the path that I need to be on. | >
> | Guided by Marshall’s powerful phrase, I am still trying to figure out what exactly it is that I have and what I can do. Stating the obvious, I know that I want to use my career to help people like Marshall and Lewis did, and not to hurt people like Cohn. Two moments that mark the opening and closing days of my first year at CLS have begun to show me how I can use my career to make this a reality. Thanks to my background as an immigration paralegal, I was able to work with Professor Harcourt on an administrative appeal in support of a SIPA student from Libya who had been unable to re-enter the U.S. due to Trump’s travel ban. Although my role was minimal, it was a valuable chance to be an eye witness to the power that lawyers can wield as advocates for their clients. Next, since May, I have spent countless hours conducting research for another attorney who is serving as pro bono counsel to a pro se plaintiff. She was the victim of pregnancy-based employment discrimination and has brought a claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Scouring Westlaw for favorable Second Circuit case law would have sounded like a mind-numbingly unwelcome summer activity a year ago, but in the context of fighting for someone’s Title VII discrimination claim, it has been a highlight of my legal experience. I don’t know if that research will result in a loftier settlement or a higher probability of winning verdict, but I know that this work has made me feel alive and has brought me closer to finding the path that I need to be on. | | |
What Can I Do in the Fall? | |
<
< | In the fall, the most important way that I can guide my learning to become the lawyer I want to be is to give myself the opportunity to discover the career path that inspires me. The two experiences mentioned above have provided some clues, but I need to take steps to continue interacting with real legal ecosystems in critical and meaningful ways. I need to continue working with attorneys and professors that have created a practice that is both sustainable and pro-social. Although participating in an experiential class like the Low-Wage Workers Externship with Legal Aid may not provide an immediate eureka moment, it will, at the very least, give me the chance to continue working closely with attorneys who represent clients in need. Next year, my goal will be to pry myself away from being an unmoving intellectual barnacle plastered to the ship of a classroom, and to strive toward being not just an eye witness to the advocacy of lawyers, but a direct participant and asset in that advocacy. | >
> | In the fall, the most important way that I can guide my learning to become the lawyer I want to be is to expose myself to a career path that inspires me. The two experiences mentioned above have provided some clues, but I need to take steps to continue interacting with real legal ecosystems in critical and meaningful ways. I need to continue working with attorneys and professors who have created practices that are both sustainable and pro-social. I need to decide if I want to clerk and for which type of judge. Although participating in an experiential class like the Low-Wage Workers Externship with Legal Aid may not provide an immediate eureka moment, it will, at the very least, give me the chance to continue working closely with attorneys who represent real clients in need. Comparatively, during my 1L year, I was a mere passenger on the metaphorical dinghy of the classroom, blindly accepting its navigation and passively awaiting morsels of legal nourishment (turnips, seawater, and turtle soup, again?). Next year my task will be to abandon ship for rescue, jumping into the legal ocean and swimming toward a place where I will be not just an eye witness to the advocacy of lawyers, but a direct participant and asset in that advocacy. | | | | |
<
< | Looking towards the fall, it is important to observe retrospectively that this elective, taken by 35 students, was one of the only academic spaces where we were encouraged to discuss and examine the state of the nation’s legal system and its concomitant inequality. No other class acknowledged race-based police violence, the visualization of “heaps of dead children” in our streets and schools, the mutated Orangeness of our White House, or asked us to confront the realities of modern discrimination, the opioid epidemic, and the suicide crisis. But just as importantly, this class encouraged us to look inward. We were forced to contemplate where we came from and where we are going. We were able to ask ourselves if we are here because we love justice or hate injustice. I want to carry into the fall a promise to answer those questions, and the lesson that all lawyers are armed with the ability to enter the fight for justice. The way those questions are answered, and the way we carry out that fight will be precisely how we are remembered. | >
> | I'll conclude by observing that this course was likely the only academic space where we were encouraged to discuss and examine the state of the nation’s legal system and its concomitant inequality. No other class acknowledged race-based police violence, the visualization of “heaps of dead children” in our streets and schools, the mutated Orangeness of our White House, or asked us to confront modern misogyny, addiction, and mental illness. But just as importantly, this class challenged us to look inward. We were compelled to contemplate where we came from and where we are going. We were able to ask ourselves what we want out of law school and whether we love justice or hate injustice. The way those questions are answered in the years to come, and the good we do with what we have on the paths those answers lead us to, will be precisely how we are remembered. | | |
|
|
|
MilesGreeneSecondEssay 6 - 09 Jun 2018 - Main.MilesGreene
|
| |
| META TOPICPARENT | name="SecondEssay" |
|---|
A Lawyer's Epitaph
-- By MilesGreene - 23 Apr 2018 [997 words] | |
<
< | On the tombstone of a lawyer like Roy Cohn, you might find the elegantly restrained inscription "Boy, he hurt a lot of people." As a foil, Martha Tharaud offers the memory of her mentor, Lewis, as someone whose legacy could be summarized as having improved "the living standards of hundreds of thousands of people." After a year of law school, it's important to articulate the fact that I want to be the sort of lawyer who spends their career in Lewis's category of lawyers. I want to strive toward using my degree and my life as a lawyer to become someone who is remembered for having helped, and not hurt, people. This notion would have seemed insultingly obvious to me before this year began, but I can see now just how essential it is to verbalize and reaffirm, especially because I still haven't discovered what my practice will consist of or what my career path will be. | >
> | The etching of an epitaph can be considered the final narrative-shaping act of one’s life. It represents an attempt to set in stone an unchangeable epilogue, to steer thoughts and to stir feelings. It is a tangible punctuation mark at the end of the last sentence of life’s story. Roy Cohn’s tombstone, nestled in a private mausoleum in Queens, is engraved with the words “Lawyer and Patriot.” There lies proof that Cohn quite literally went to his grave as an expert propagandist. Yet despite that text, he will be remembered as the chief counsel who carried out the Red Scare, for his role in outing and firing gay men from the government, and for vigorously representing the Trump family after they were accused of employing discriminatory housing practices against black Americans. A more proper inscription might be Martha Tharaud’s quip, "Boy, he hurt a lot of people." | | | | |
<
< | After a year of law school, the truth is that it's easier to identify the type of lawyer I don't want to become. I don't want to become a lawyer that hurts people for a profit or unleashes the violence of the law to serve the ends of injustice. I don't want to become a lawyer that is motivated purely by power, partnership prospects, and the number in my bank account. I don't want to become a lawyer that ignores the billboards addressed to me. Instead, I want to be the sort of lawyer who sees the billboards, avoids the temptation of repressing or denying their messages, and who takes action within my slice of the legal world to produce some positive remedy to the problem. | >
> | As a foil, Martha offers the memory of her mentor, Lewis, as someone whose legacy could be summarized as having improved "the living standards of hundreds of thousands of people." The thought of these final phrases was brought to mind when Professor Moglen shared that upon the Justice's retirement, Thurgood Marshall was asked how he wanted to be remembered. His response was a modest yet moving line that could compose the perfect epitaph: as a person "who did what he could with what he had." | | | | |
<
< | This class has showed me that all lawyers stand somewhere on the battlefield for justice. Whether one advances injustice, passively maintains the status quo, or actively fights for the eradication of inequality, by becoming lawyers we are stepping onto this field armed with the ability to effect change. Law-Contemp-Soc has also demystified the idea of what a legal practice can and ought to be. It has shown me that there is no mandatory path or compulsory time-trading that I am predestined to participate in. Finally, this class has revealed that the most recent brand of American injustice is perpetuated in part by the people from the Roy Cohn category of lawyers and businesspeople that have seized power. I want to be the sort of lawyer that is remembered for using his voice and position to challenge and resist that injustice. | >
> | Marshall’s grave in Arlington National Cemetery, however, says even less. It bears nothing more than Marshall’s name, the years of his life, and the seal of the United States Supreme Court. The truth is that his name speaks for itself. Just as Roy Cohn’s does. Just as mine and yours will, too. This demonstrates that we will not be commemorated or remembered for the epitaph etched into the cold marble above our final resting place, but by the impact we had on the people and society that surrounded us. That conclusion is heartening, especially if you’re like me and you’d rather be cremated, ending up in a nice vase and taking up a bit less space on a mantle somewhere. | | | | |
<
< | Professor Moglen shared that upon the Justice's retirement, Thurgood Marshall was asked how he wanted to be remembered. His response was a modest yet moving epitaph: as a person "who did what he could with what he had." I am still trying to figure out what exactly it is that I have, and what it is that I can do. Until then, my epitaph remains unwritten and my path remains unknown.
Leaving the Room: How can I consciously guide my learning to become that lawyer?
In the Fall, the most important way that I can guide my learning in order to become this lawyer is to uncover the path that inspires me while avoiding becoming an automaton. We have seen that the first year of law school consists primarily of language acquisition. This consistently reminded me of John Searle's Chinese Room Argument, a theoretical experiment that attempts to demonstrate that artificial intelligence cannot ever be truly conscious. Searle posits that AI is merely capable of the simulation of thought. I, and many of my peers, seem to be stuck within an analogous "Room," where we are being trained to merely simulate legal thought by referring to a book of instructions, formulaically decoding input legal language, and producing responses that are unintelligible to our own minds. To guide my learning and discover my path, I need to break out of that Room and begin having real experiences and conversations with the law.
I need to take steps to avoid being a person who regurgitates information through rote habit, unthinking efficiency, and soulless processing of cases and statutes. I need to shake off casebook amnesia by actually interacting with content in critical and meaningful ways. When I return in the Fall, I hope to break out of the four walls of this Room at law school by participating in experiential learning opportunities and working directly with attorneys who represent clients in need. I have been fortunate enough to be placed within the Low-Wage Workers Externship with Legal Aid. This class may grant me a chance to break down the door and leave the Room. My mission will be to discover new tools and mentors, and to experience a real ecosystem of legal advocacy. I will be able to go beyond passing symbols underneath the Room's door, and can observe the direct impact that these legal messages have on the outside world. If I stayed alone in that Room for another year, it would be possible to remain blissfully unconscious of my purpose and of my life's billboards.
Lewis, a figment from the verisimilitude of Lawyerland, found a way to use his specialty of labor law to effect positive change. He and Justice Marshall, now an icon of history, are lawyers that changed the world for the better. But first they had to come back in the Fall and leave the Room. Once I'm outside, I can search for what Frank Putnam called the "Aha Moment," which he defined as a "profound flash of insight that changes everything going forward." Surrounding myself with practicing attorneys, real clients, and diving into legal matters that have consequences will bring me closer to generating that moment and discovering the type of lawyer I need to become.
After a year of law school and especially after a semester of this class, I understand that no "Aha Moment" was ever conjured by remaining in that Room, and no worthy epitaph was ever earned by remaining unconscious of injustice.
This draft feels to me like a good start, clearing the brush. But
"Don't be Evil" isn't really enough of a strategic direction for
either Google or you. The point of the inquiry is to begin locating
the professional destination you do want, not just to rule out
outcomes which, as described, aren't really anyone's preferred
destination.
Motive, it seems to me, you have expressed vividly and well. An
externship, as a solution, is more speculative fantasy than
strategy.
The Searle theme seems to me one that can be left on the
cutting-room floor. The philosophical question the image was
designed to raise isn't really the issue you are pursuing: however
faint-heartedly it may do so, a law school does in fact speak law.
And the language-acquisition phase of your education ended more or
less fully before we met. While I'm glad that the course may have
helped to establish the purpose of creative thinking about your
future practice, I'm less satisfied with the degree of success in
teaching how to do the thinking. If you are inclined to try to do
what you can with what you have, then indeed it is important to
assess your resources—what you have in hand—in order to
form a deliberate plan to get what else you need. Those elements
(things you know how to do, put metaphorically in the license; and
people you know who can help you deliver results and find clients to
whom to deliver them, not so metaphorically described as your
network) are the productive subjects of speculation at this point.
Improving the draft means making them more present in it.
| >
> | What Do I Have?
Guided by Marshall’s powerful phrase, I am still trying to figure out what exactly it is that I have, and what it is that I can do. Stating the obvious, I know that I want to use my career to help people like Marshall and Lewis did, and not to hurt people like Roy Cohn. Two moments that mark the opening and closing days of my first year at CLS have potentially begun to show me how I can use my career to make this a reality. During Legal Methods, thanks to my background as an immigration paralegal, I was able to work with Professor Harcourt on an administrative appeal in support of a SIPA student from Libya who had been unable to re-enter the U.S. due to Trump’s travel ban. Although my role was minimal, it was a valuable chance to be an eye witness to the power that lawyers can wield as advocates for their clients. Next, since May, I have spent countless hours conducting research for another attorney who is serving as pro bono counsel to a pro se plaintiff. She was the victim of pregnancy employment discrimination and has brought a claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Scouring Westlaw for favorable Second Circuit case law would have sounded like a mind-numbingly unwelcome summer activity a year ago, but in the context of fighting for someone’s Title VII discrimination claim, it has been a highlight of my legal experience. I don’t know if that research will result in a bigger settlement or a higher probability of a verdict finding for her, but I know that this work has made me feel alive and has brought me closer to finding the path that I need to be on. | | | | |
>
> | What Can I Do in the Fall?
In the fall, the most important way that I can guide my learning to become the lawyer I want to be is to give myself the opportunity to discover the career path that inspires me. The two experiences mentioned above have provided some clues, but I need to take steps to continue interacting with real legal ecosystems in critical and meaningful ways. I need to continue working with attorneys and professors that have created a practice that is both sustainable and pro-social. Although participating in an experiential class like the Low-Wage Workers Externship with Legal Aid may not provide an immediate eureka moment, it will, at the very least, give me the chance to continue working closely with attorneys who represent clients in need. Next year, my goal will be to pry myself away from being an unmoving intellectual barnacle plastered to the ship of a classroom, and to strive toward being not just an eye witness to the advocacy of lawyers, but a direct participant and asset in that advocacy. | | | | |
>
> | Looking towards the fall, it is important to observe retrospectively that this elective, taken by 35 students, was one of the only academic spaces where we were encouraged to discuss and examine the state of the nation’s legal system and its concomitant inequality. No other class acknowledged race-based police violence, the visualization of “heaps of dead children” in our streets and schools, the mutated Orangeness of our White House, or asked us to confront the realities of modern discrimination, the opioid epidemic, and the suicide crisis. But just as importantly, this class encouraged us to look inward. We were forced to contemplate where we came from and where we are going. We were able to ask ourselves if we are here because we love justice or hate injustice. I want to carry into the fall a promise to answer those questions, and the lesson that all lawyers are armed with the ability to enter the fight for justice. The way those questions are answered, and the way we carry out that fight will be precisely how we are remembered. | | |
|
|
|
MilesGreeneSecondEssay 5 - 28 May 2018 - Main.EbenMoglen
|
| |
| META TOPICPARENT | name="SecondEssay" |
|---|
A Lawyer's Epitaph | | | After a year of law school and especially after a semester of this class, I understand that no "Aha Moment" was ever conjured by remaining in that Room, and no worthy epitaph was ever earned by remaining unconscious of injustice. | |
>
> |
This draft feels to me like a good start, clearing the brush. But
"Don't be Evil" isn't really enough of a strategic direction for
either Google or you. The point of the inquiry is to begin locating
the professional destination you do want, not just to rule out
outcomes which, as described, aren't really anyone's preferred
destination.
Motive, it seems to me, you have expressed vividly and well. An
externship, as a solution, is more speculative fantasy than
strategy.
The Searle theme seems to me one that can be left on the
cutting-room floor. The philosophical question the image was
designed to raise isn't really the issue you are pursuing: however
faint-heartedly it may do so, a law school does in fact speak law.
And the language-acquisition phase of your education ended more or
less fully before we met. While I'm glad that the course may have
helped to establish the purpose of creative thinking about your
future practice, I'm less satisfied with the degree of success in
teaching how to do the thinking. If you are inclined to try to do
what you can with what you have, then indeed it is important to
assess your resources—what you have in hand—in order to
form a deliberate plan to get what else you need. Those elements
(things you know how to do, put metaphorically in the license; and
people you know who can help you deliver results and find clients to
whom to deliver them, not so metaphorically described as your
network) are the productive subjects of speculation at this point.
Improving the draft means making them more present in it.
| | |
\ No newline at end of file |
|
|
MilesGreeneSecondEssay 4 - 27 Apr 2018 - Main.MilesGreene
|
| |
| META TOPICPARENT | name="SecondEssay" |
|---|
A Lawyer's Epitaph | | | I need to take steps to avoid being a person who regurgitates information through rote habit, unthinking efficiency, and soulless processing of cases and statutes. I need to shake off casebook amnesia by actually interacting with content in critical and meaningful ways. When I return in the Fall, I hope to break out of the four walls of this Room at law school by participating in experiential learning opportunities and working directly with attorneys who represent clients in need. I have been fortunate enough to be placed within the Low-Wage Workers Externship with Legal Aid. This class may grant me a chance to break down the door and leave the Room. My mission will be to discover new tools and mentors, and to experience a real ecosystem of legal advocacy. I will be able to go beyond passing symbols underneath the Room's door, and can observe the direct impact that these legal messages have on the outside world. If I stayed alone in that Room for another year, it would be possible to remain blissfully unconscious of my purpose and of my life's billboards. | |
<
< | Lewis, a figment from the verisimilitude of Lawyerland, found a way to use his specialty of labor law to effect positive change. He and Justice Marshall, now an icon of history, are lawyers that changed the world for the better. But first they had to leave the Room. Once I'm outside, I can search for what Frank Putnam called the "Aha Moment," which he defined as a "profound flash of insight that changes everything going forward." Surrounding myself with practicing attorneys, real clients, and diving into legal matters that have consequences will bring me closer to generating that moment and discovering the type of lawyer I need to become. | >
> | Lewis, a figment from the verisimilitude of Lawyerland, found a way to use his specialty of labor law to effect positive change. He and Justice Marshall, now an icon of history, are lawyers that changed the world for the better. But first they had to come back in the Fall and leave the Room. Once I'm outside, I can search for what Frank Putnam called the "Aha Moment," which he defined as a "profound flash of insight that changes everything going forward." Surrounding myself with practicing attorneys, real clients, and diving into legal matters that have consequences will bring me closer to generating that moment and discovering the type of lawyer I need to become. | | | After a year of law school and especially after a semester of this class, I understand that no "Aha Moment" was ever conjured by remaining in that Room, and no worthy epitaph was ever earned by remaining unconscious of injustice. |
|
|
MilesGreeneSecondEssay 3 - 27 Apr 2018 - Main.MilesGreene
|
| |
| META TOPICPARENT | name="SecondEssay" |
|---|
A Lawyer's Epitaph | |
<
< | -- By MilesGreene - 23 Apr 2018 [996 words] | >
> | -- By MilesGreene - 23 Apr 2018 [997 words] | | | | |
<
< | On the tombstone of a lawyer like Roy Cohn, you might find the elegantly restrained inscription "Boy, he hurt a lot of people." As a foil, Martha Tharaud offers the memory of her mentor, Lewis, as someone whose legacy could be summarized as having improved "the living standards of hundreds of thousands of people." After a year of law school, it's important to articulate the fact that I want to be the sort of lawyer who spends their career in Lewis's category of lawyers. I want to strive toward using my degree and my life as a lawyer to become someone who is remembered for having helped, and not hurt, people. This notion would have seemed insultingly obvious to me before this year began, but I can see now just how important it is to verbalize and reaffirm, especially because I still haven't discovered what my practice will consist of or what my career path will be. | >
> | On the tombstone of a lawyer like Roy Cohn, you might find the elegantly restrained inscription "Boy, he hurt a lot of people." As a foil, Martha Tharaud offers the memory of her mentor, Lewis, as someone whose legacy could be summarized as having improved "the living standards of hundreds of thousands of people." After a year of law school, it's important to articulate the fact that I want to be the sort of lawyer who spends their career in Lewis's category of lawyers. I want to strive toward using my degree and my life as a lawyer to become someone who is remembered for having helped, and not hurt, people. This notion would have seemed insultingly obvious to me before this year began, but I can see now just how essential it is to verbalize and reaffirm, especially because I still haven't discovered what my practice will consist of or what my career path will be. | | | After a year of law school, the truth is that it's easier to identify the type of lawyer I don't want to become. I don't want to become a lawyer that hurts people for a profit or unleashes the violence of the law to serve the ends of injustice. I don't want to become a lawyer that is motivated purely by power, partnership prospects, and the number in my bank account. I don't want to become a lawyer that ignores the billboards addressed to me. Instead, I want to be the sort of lawyer who sees the billboards, avoids the temptation of repressing or denying their messages, and who takes action within my slice of the legal world to produce some positive remedy to the problem. | |
<
< | This class has showed me that all lawyers stand somewhere on the battlefield for justice. Whether one advances injustice, passively maintains the status quo, or actively fights for the eradication of inequality, by becoming lawyers we are stepping onto this field and gaining the ability to effect change. Law-Contemp-Soc has also demystified the idea of what a legal practice can and ought to be. It has shown me that there is no mandatory path or compulsory time-trading that I am predestined to participate in. Finally, this class has revealed that the most recent brand of American injustice is perpetuated in part by the people from the Roy Cohn category of lawyers and businesspeople that have seized power. I want to be the sort of lawyer that can use my voice and position to challenge and resist that injustice. | >
> | This class has showed me that all lawyers stand somewhere on the battlefield for justice. Whether one advances injustice, passively maintains the status quo, or actively fights for the eradication of inequality, by becoming lawyers we are stepping onto this field armed with the ability to effect change. Law-Contemp-Soc has also demystified the idea of what a legal practice can and ought to be. It has shown me that there is no mandatory path or compulsory time-trading that I am predestined to participate in. Finally, this class has revealed that the most recent brand of American injustice is perpetuated in part by the people from the Roy Cohn category of lawyers and businesspeople that have seized power. I want to be the sort of lawyer that is remembered for using his voice and position to challenge and resist that injustice. | | | Professor Moglen shared that upon the Justice's retirement, Thurgood Marshall was asked how he wanted to be remembered. His response was a modest yet moving epitaph: as a person "who did what he could with what he had." I am still trying to figure out what exactly it is that I have, and what it is that I can do. Until then, my epitaph remains unwritten and my path remains unknown.
Leaving the Room: How can I consciously guide my learning to become that lawyer? | |
<
< | In the Fall, the most important way that I can guide my learning in order to become this lawyer is to uncover what inspires me while avoiding becoming an automaton. We have seen that the first year of law school consists primarily of language acquisition. This concept consistently reminded me of John Searle's Chinese Room Argument, a theoretical experiment that attempts to demonstrate that artificial intelligence cannot ever be truly conscious. Searle posits that AI is merely capable of the simulation of thought. This is relevant to the present question because I, and many of my peers, seem to be stuck within an analogous "Room," where we are being trained to simulate legal thought by referring to a book of instructions, formulaically decoding input legal language, and producing responses that are unintelligible to our own minds. To guide my learning, I need to break out of that Room and begin having real experiences and conversations with the law. | >
> | In the Fall, the most important way that I can guide my learning in order to become this lawyer is to uncover the path that inspires me while avoiding becoming an automaton. We have seen that the first year of law school consists primarily of language acquisition. This consistently reminded me of John Searle's Chinese Room Argument, a theoretical experiment that attempts to demonstrate that artificial intelligence cannot ever be truly conscious. Searle posits that AI is merely capable of the simulation of thought. I, and many of my peers, seem to be stuck within an analogous "Room," where we are being trained to merely simulate legal thought by referring to a book of instructions, formulaically decoding input legal language, and producing responses that are unintelligible to our own minds. To guide my learning and discover my path, I need to break out of that Room and begin having real experiences and conversations with the law. | | | | |
<
< | I need to take steps to avoid being a person who regurgitates information through rote habit, unthinking efficiency, and soulless processing of cases and statutes. I need to shake off casebook amnesia and actually interact with content in meaningful ways. When I return in the Fall, I hope to break out of the four walls of this Room at law school by participating in experiential learning opportunities and working directly with attorneys who represent clients in need. I've been fortunate enough to be placed within the Low-Wage Workers externship with Legal Aid. This class may grant me the chance to leave the Room, discover new tools and mentors, and experience a real ecosystem of legal advocacy. I will be able to go beyond passing symbols underneath the Room's door, and may see the direct impact that the legal messages have on the outside world. If I stayed alone in that Room for another year, it would be possible to remain blissfully unconscious of all of life's billboards. | >
> | I need to take steps to avoid being a person who regurgitates information through rote habit, unthinking efficiency, and soulless processing of cases and statutes. I need to shake off casebook amnesia by actually interacting with content in critical and meaningful ways. When I return in the Fall, I hope to break out of the four walls of this Room at law school by participating in experiential learning opportunities and working directly with attorneys who represent clients in need. I have been fortunate enough to be placed within the Low-Wage Workers Externship with Legal Aid. This class may grant me a chance to break down the door and leave the Room. My mission will be to discover new tools and mentors, and to experience a real ecosystem of legal advocacy. I will be able to go beyond passing symbols underneath the Room's door, and can observe the direct impact that these legal messages have on the outside world. If I stayed alone in that Room for another year, it would be possible to remain blissfully unconscious of my purpose and of my life's billboards. | | | | |
<
< | Lewis, a figment from the verisimilitude of Lawyerland, found a way to use his specialty of labor law to effect positive change. He and Justice Marshall are lawyers that left the Room and changed the world for the better. They should be remembered and emulated. Once I'm outside of the Room, I can search for what Frank Putnam called the "Aha Moment," which he defined as a "profound flash of insight that changes everything going forward." I believe that putting myself in classes that are outside of my comfort zone and being around practicing attorneys might bring me closer to that moment. Generating that epiphany and discovering my calling within the law would be the best possible way to guide my learning and to move toward becoming the sort of lawyer I need to be. If nothing else, this year has shown me that no "Aha Moment" was ever conjured, and no worthy epitaph was ever earned, by remaining in the Room. | >
> | Lewis, a figment from the verisimilitude of Lawyerland, found a way to use his specialty of labor law to effect positive change. He and Justice Marshall, now an icon of history, are lawyers that changed the world for the better. But first they had to leave the Room. Once I'm outside, I can search for what Frank Putnam called the "Aha Moment," which he defined as a "profound flash of insight that changes everything going forward." Surrounding myself with practicing attorneys, real clients, and diving into legal matters that have consequences will bring me closer to generating that moment and discovering the type of lawyer I need to become.
After a year of law school and especially after a semester of this class, I understand that no "Aha Moment" was ever conjured by remaining in that Room, and no worthy epitaph was ever earned by remaining unconscious of injustice. | | |
|
|
|
MilesGreeneSecondEssay 2 - 25 Apr 2018 - Main.MilesGreene
|
| |
| META TOPICPARENT | name="SecondEssay" |
|---|
| |
>
> | A Lawyer's Epitaph | | | | |
<
< | 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. | >
> | -- By MilesGreene - 23 Apr 2018 [996 words] | | | | |
<
< | Paper Title | >
> | On the tombstone of a lawyer like Roy Cohn, you might find the elegantly restrained inscription "Boy, he hurt a lot of people." As a foil, Martha Tharaud offers the memory of her mentor, Lewis, as someone whose legacy could be summarized as having improved "the living standards of hundreds of thousands of people." After a year of law school, it's important to articulate the fact that I want to be the sort of lawyer who spends their career in Lewis's category of lawyers. I want to strive toward using my degree and my life as a lawyer to become someone who is remembered for having helped, and not hurt, people. This notion would have seemed insultingly obvious to me before this year began, but I can see now just how important it is to verbalize and reaffirm, especially because I still haven't discovered what my practice will consist of or what my career path will be. | | | | |
<
< | -- By MilesGreene - 23 Apr 2018 | >
> | After a year of law school, the truth is that it's easier to identify the type of lawyer I don't want to become. I don't want to become a lawyer that hurts people for a profit or unleashes the violence of the law to serve the ends of injustice. I don't want to become a lawyer that is motivated purely by power, partnership prospects, and the number in my bank account. I don't want to become a lawyer that ignores the billboards addressed to me. Instead, I want to be the sort of lawyer who sees the billboards, avoids the temptation of repressing or denying their messages, and who takes action within my slice of the legal world to produce some positive remedy to the problem. | | | | |
>
> | This class has showed me that all lawyers stand somewhere on the battlefield for justice. Whether one advances injustice, passively maintains the status quo, or actively fights for the eradication of inequality, by becoming lawyers we are stepping onto this field and gaining the ability to effect change. Law-Contemp-Soc has also demystified the idea of what a legal practice can and ought to be. It has shown me that there is no mandatory path or compulsory time-trading that I am predestined to participate in. Finally, this class has revealed that the most recent brand of American injustice is perpetuated in part by the people from the Roy Cohn category of lawyers and businesspeople that have seized power. I want to be the sort of lawyer that can use my voice and position to challenge and resist that injustice. | | | | |
<
< | Section I | >
> | Professor Moglen shared that upon the Justice's retirement, Thurgood Marshall was asked how he wanted to be remembered. His response was a modest yet moving epitaph: as a person "who did what he could with what he had." I am still trying to figure out what exactly it is that I have, and what it is that I can do. Until then, my epitaph remains unwritten and my path remains unknown. | | | | |
<
< | Subsection A | >
> | Leaving the Room: How can I consciously guide my learning to become that lawyer? | | | | |
>
> | In the Fall, the most important way that I can guide my learning in order to become this lawyer is to uncover what inspires me while avoiding becoming an automaton. We have seen that the first year of law school consists primarily of language acquisition. This concept consistently reminded me of John Searle's Chinese Room Argument, a theoretical experiment that attempts to demonstrate that artificial intelligence cannot ever be truly conscious. Searle posits that AI is merely capable of the simulation of thought. This is relevant to the present question because I, and many of my peers, seem to be stuck within an analogous "Room," where we are being trained to simulate legal thought by referring to a book of instructions, formulaically decoding input legal language, and producing responses that are unintelligible to our own minds. To guide my learning, I need to break out of that Room and begin having real experiences and conversations with the law. | | | | |
<
< | Subsub 1
Subsection B
Subsub 1
Subsub 2
Section II
Subsection A
Subsection B | >
> | I need to take steps to avoid being a person who regurgitates information through rote habit, unthinking efficiency, and soulless processing of cases and statutes. I need to shake off casebook amnesia and actually interact with content in meaningful ways. When I return in the Fall, I hope to break out of the four walls of this Room at law school by participating in experiential learning opportunities and working directly with attorneys who represent clients in need. I've been fortunate enough to be placed within the Low-Wage Workers externship with Legal Aid. This class may grant me the chance to leave the Room, discover new tools and mentors, and experience a real ecosystem of legal advocacy. I will be able to go beyond passing symbols underneath the Room's door, and may see the direct impact that the legal messages have on the outside world. If I stayed alone in that Room for another year, it would be possible to remain blissfully unconscious of all of life's billboards. | | | | |
>
> | Lewis, a figment from the verisimilitude of Lawyerland, found a way to use his specialty of labor law to effect positive change. He and Justice Marshall are lawyers that left the Room and changed the world for the better. They should be remembered and emulated. Once I'm outside of the Room, I can search for what Frank Putnam called the "Aha Moment," which he defined as a "profound flash of insight that changes everything going forward." I believe that putting myself in classes that are outside of my comfort zone and being around practicing attorneys might bring me closer to that moment. Generating that epiphany and discovering my calling within the law would be the best possible way to guide my learning and to move toward becoming the sort of lawyer I need to be. If nothing else, this year has shown me that no "Aha Moment" was ever conjured, and no worthy epitaph was ever earned, by remaining in the Room. | | |
| |
<
< | 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. | | | \ No newline at end of file |
|
|
MilesGreeneSecondEssay 1 - 23 Apr 2018 - Main.MilesGreene
|
|
>
> |
| META TOPICPARENT | name="SecondEssay" |
|---|
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 MilesGreene - 23 Apr 2018
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.
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. |
|
|