Of Lawyers

Of Lawyers

The training of lawyers

Courtesy of   http://blog.legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.com/large-law/possible-sale-profit-company-calls-law-school-identity-question/       

Four to five years of tears and hard work and of falling and resurgence—these described the life of a student of law.

Law schools are replete with stories of students braving the atmosphere of intimidation and subjugation. Examinations and recitations prepare students to cope up with extreme emotional, psychological, and physical pressures by forcing them to get mature with dispatch and become ready to deal with difficult human concerns.

A lawyer is both an adviser and advocate. As such, his training gives priority to advocacy skills and deep understanding of human affairs. Law school curricula are so designed so that students will acquire theoretical and practical knowledge needed to solve legal disputes, advocate client’s cause, advise people, and uphold law and order.

The theoretical aspect of their training falls into the public and private laws columns and the substantive and procedural laws matrices. Public law includes Constitution law, administrative law, election law, international law, criminal law, human rights and similar courses. On the other hand, private law includes family law, contracts, property, succession, torts and damages, commercial laws, and conflict of laws. The substantive matrix provides concerns both public and private laws while the procedural matrix focuses on civil procedure and criminal procedure, the law of evidence and jurisdiction.

Complementing these theoretical foundations are practical skills such as legal research, writing, and counseling that students need in their future practice of law. In addition, the law program is guided by courses on legal ethics aimed at training students to become gentlemen and fine ladies of the court.

The study of cases serve a two-fold purpose. First, it teaches student about the meaning of the law as the Supreme Court interprets it. And second, it educates them about justice as the cases show them how legal principles are used by the court to resolve legal disputes and vindicate the claims of the oppressed. This implied education on justice receives varied contexts through the teacher’s inputs and questions on social, political, and moral conjunctures that affected the decisions.

Courtesy of http://rreece.github.io/outline-of-counter-apologetics/socratic-method-on-faith.html

The methodology of teaching law makes the law program distinct from other academic fields. The case-based Socratic method was first introduced by Christopher Langdell in Harvard Law School in 1870. The Socratic inquiry is a lively discourse between students and the professor who quiz them orally about the cases and principles assigned for the day. Of course, the relationship between the professor and his students is asymmetrical. Most of the time, the discourse is a one way street—with students being tested everyday by the professor who is expected to draw out whatever they learn from reading the assigned.

Law students are trained to be good writers. As such, they write a lot.

Courtesy of https://www.theguardian.com/law/2015/jul/03/why-law-students-should-consider-writing-a-dissertation

Good law schools train students to be proficient writers. They inculcate in them the value of clear, succinct, and effective writing styles. They discourage intellectual dishonesty and pomposity in written and oral discourses. They are devoted to train future advocates to be sentinels of truth and justice.

Courtesy of Delish.com

Law graduates are expected to exhibit diligence, persistence, open mindedness, and moral uprightness when they leave the campus. As such, law schools operate like training camps that test students by fire and turn them into shining swords and shields of justice.

The persistence of lawyers

Lawyers are known to be persistent.

They say that only those who are psychologically fit will survive law school as hose who do not have what it takes to be a lawyer will either stray away or find themselves in mental institutions. Law school is like a ninja school where candidates are forced to walk on live wires and shoot arrows while falling from a tree. This may be the reason why some lawyers earn the labels “mercenaries” or “guns for hire”: they use ninja skills to collect astronomical fees or gain power for themselves like assassins portrayed in the movies.

                                                                                          Courtesy of https://www.pinterest.com/lbehrenreich/ally-mcbeal/

Persistence runs through the veins of a “Prize-fighter” advocate. He is a less calculating advocate who loves to challenge veteran practitioners. In the eyes of the less tolerant, he is born with the natural talent for annoying the rest of the world. He files motions for the sake of filing them. He moves mountains to have the last say in court. He drives points to their absurdity. He is a pain in the neck for some people, but not to his clients who see his stunts as qualities of a champion. He is my favorite hero, sometimes.

Courtesy of http://www.ranker.com/list/legal-drama-tv-shows-and-series/reference

The cool dude of the court is the “Be Calmed”advocate. He personifies coolness under pressure. He does not panic even when his clients are at the point of imminent annihilation. He is a persistent fighter who rarely shows passionate burst in court. He is seen as “domesticated” by other more talkative lawyers. He rarely engages in open court debates but when he does, he always hit the jugular vein. His training in law school may have nothing to do with his disposition. He may have learned this posture from an older idol in the legal profession. He opens his mouth less but when he does so, he earns more respect than any other advocates in court. His persistence is shown in his efficient use of court and legal processes. He keeps his ideas to himself most of the time but do not mistake his silence with his ability and trial skills. In reality, he is a silent killer–a terrorist cell in the middle of the crowd.  He is also my favorite hero, sometimes.

Courtesy of http://www.ranker.com/list/legal-drama-tv-shows-and-series/reference

The cool in the outside but revolting in the inside advocate is the “Incredible Hulk” of the legal profession. He is uncanny: he looks less stable but a truly persistent advocate. You would not like him when he’s angry. He appears timid, but when pissed off, he’ll give his adversaries a knock-out punch in their in-between. He loves to use exclamation points. He does not use linking verbs or prepositions. He knows only interjections. Never mess with him. He is more driven than prize-fighters and deeply contemplated than cool dudes. He is another of my favorite hero, sometimes.

Courtesy of http://www.heyuguys.com/six-best-courtroom-scenes/courtroom-a-few-good-men-1/

Whatever the types, persistent advocates are trained to fight for your causes. They are trained to speak for you. They are expected to forget about their own shame just to vindicate yours. They put their names in the line and persist in spite of the absurdity of your cause. They are your best chances.