I came to law school because it was the next logical step. Not because I didn’t know what else to do, or because I had been told I might make a good lawyer someday. But because I saw law as a career, a calling I could truly embrace. Something interesting and challenging that could engage me for many years to come. This made law school the next step. I looked forward to law school on a few different levels. I looked forward to delving into academic topics anchored to real life issues, as well as challenging my writing, even my thoughts. So far everything has been good, but not great. I am generally enjoying the academic and social aspects of life here at Columbia; however, nothing is truly calling to me. We have been told of various paths we may go down after we leave school. Like many others I am kind of standing here, craning my neck, looking down the forks in the road, trying to see where best I fit. Hopefully this class can shed some light on what is to come, or at the very least provide a forum for the discussion of law’s place in society, and possibly our place in law.

I agree with you 100%. I have discovered more and more as this experience has progressed that it is as much about soul searching as it is about studying case law. Some people come to law school with a clear idea of where they want to be 5, 10, or 15 years down the line. It seems like they have already answered the first of Justice Marshall's questions. To be sure, the second is more difficult, but it would be nice to have a start. I suppose the best thing for us to do is to sample the buffet of opportunities that Columbia and the legal profession as a whole provide as often as possible and keep open minds, with the hope that by doing so, things will fall into place. -- JonathanFriedman - 23 Jan 2009