What No One Tells You Before You Go to Law School: You Actually Have to Teach Yourself “The Law”

I have to admit, I was pretty surprised when I showed up to law school and purchased my textbooks. One glance revealed that these were quite different from my undergraduate books. What was up with all of these long cases, followed by a string of questions with no answers? Weren’t these books supposed to teach me “the law”? I definitely wasn’t seeing too many answers!

Here’s a little secret: You basically have to teach yourself “the law” in law school!

How in the World Can You Teach Yourself?

I’ve been thinking a lot about law school pedagogy lately, and reading some books and articles on the topic.

In theory, here’s how law school should work:

Yale Law Study on Gender from the Professors’ Point of View

This is the third post in a series about Yale Law Women’s study, Yale Law School Faculty & Students Speak Up About Gender: Ten Years Later. The second post examined the results of classroom observation. Student volunteers interviewed 54 professors (out of 83 professors contacted). Fourteen were women professors and forty were men professors. Each professor spoke with a student one-on-one for an hour regarding his or her views on gender dynamics inside and outside of the classroom and beyond law school. The interviews revealed significant differences between women and men faculty. Below are the major findings based on the professor interviews.

Yale Law School Faculty & Students Speak Up About Gender: Ten Years Later

In 2002, Yale Law Women (YLW) published Yale Law School Faculty and Students Speak About Gender: A Report on Faculty-Student Relations at Yale Law School. Expanding on several earlier YLS studies of gender dynamics during the 1980s and 1990s, the report noted progress toward gender equality within the law school, identified areas for future improvement, and started a dialogue between faculty and students about these issues.

In 2012, YLW launched Yale Law School Faculty & Students Speak Up About Gender: Ten Years Later, a follow-up report on how gender dynamics have changed at Yale Law School over the last decade. The data collection began in fall 2011 and was released this month.

This latest iteration of the Speak Up report synthesizes findings from three data sources: one-on-one hour-long interviews with 54 faculty members, observations of student participation rates in 113 class sessions in the fall of 2011, and nearly 400 anonymous student survey responses.

YLW found that men continue to participate in class more than women, at an almost 60/40 split. If the 2002-2012 rate of improvement (1.5%) continues, the gender gap in class participation at YLS will not close until 2083.

Introducing the Panelists for Ms. JD's Miss Representation Screening

Ms. JD is pleased to announce the panelists for our discussion of Miss Representation following the screening at O'Melveny & Myers this Friday.  This event is sold out but if you would like to join the waitlist in case someone is unable to attend, please click here.  More importantly, read on about our incredible panelists including Dr. Bernice Sandler "The Godmother of Title IX," Heather Traeger, Partner at O'Melveny & Myers, and Judge Judith Macaluso of the DC Superior Court. 

We are excited to hear reflections from these incredible women on the ideas presented in Miss Representation!  Read more about them below.

 Dr. Bernice Sandler

Dr. Bernice R. Sandler is a Senior Scholar at the Women’s Research and Education Institute in Washington, DC, where she consults with institutions and others about achieving equity for women and is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Drexel University College of Medicine. She formerly wrote a quarterly newsletter, About Women on Campus. She has given over 2500 presentations, has written more than 100 articles and is well-known for her expertise in women’s educational equity in general as well as in sexual harassment, the chilly classroom climate, and her knowledge of policies, programs and strategies concerning women on campus. She also serves as an expert witness in discrimination and sexual harassment cases.

She previously directed the Project on the Status and Education of Women at the Association of American Colleges where she published more that one hundred reports. She has a long list of firsts such as the first reports on campus sexual harassment, gang rape, campus peer harassment, and the chilly climate for women, including the first report on how men and women are treated differently in the classroom. She was the first person appointed to a Congressional committee staff to work specifically on women’s issues and the first person to testify before a Congressional committee about discrimination against women in education. Back in the 1970’s she filed the first charges of sex discrimination against more than 250 institutions at a time when there were no laws prohibiting sex discrimination in education.

She played a major role in the development and passage of Title IX and other laws prohibiting sex discrimination in education, and has been associated with Title IX longer than any other person. The New York Times has referred to her as the “godmother of Title IX.”

Ms. JD San Francisco Event: Young Professionals Mixer with AIF

We're always talking about the importance of expanding your network here at Ms. JD.  On April 19th, we're working with AIF Bay Area to give you an opportunity to meet new people and learn about two great organizations who are working to give students educational opportunities in Uganda and India.  Please join us!  For more information and to RSVP, click here.  To learn more about Ms. JD's Global Education Fund, click here.

Young Lawyers, Young Leaders Conference

The Women's Bar Association of Illinois invites all law students and attorneys to attend our spring law school event on Thursday, April 12, 2012, at Chicago-Kent College of Law. We will be hosting a panel event focused on leadership, and before the panel we are hosting a reception that will promote networking among law students and attorneys in attendance. The goal of this event is to provide law students and young attorneys with practical career advice and networking.

5:30 - 6:30 PM Reception

Cocktail reception is open to law students and attorneys with complimentary food & drinks.

6:30 - 8:30 PM Panel Discussion: Young Lawyers, Young Leaders

Panel discussion will provide law students and young lawyers with advice for achieving excellence in leadership.

RSVP to lwc@law.uchicago.edu. Questions? Contact Co-Chairs Caitlin Groh (cgroh@cyp-law.com).

Montessori 1L: Law School and the Culture of Shiny

As with any new relationship, this one started out with a honeymoon phase.  “So nice!” I assured my parents.  “Really smart and interesting,” I told my friends.  “A little bit intimidating,” I confided to my boyfriend.     

I'm talking, of course, about my classmates.  The first week of law school was like one long networking session.  After dozens of identical conversations, I thought about preparing business cards in lieu of dialogue, listing college attended, undergraduate major, job or fellowship or other post-undergrad feats.  I often felt inadequate: my Ohio State faltered in the face of so many Ivy alumni, my non-profit paralegal job seemed diminutive next to the parade of Marshall Scholars and world travelers.  And yet, after that first week or so, I really liked just about everybody.  This came as something of a shock to me.  I’d expected law students to be pretentious, arrogant, and argumentative.  Plus, I’m picky when it comes to friends.  But everyone was friendly, interesting to talk to, and, with few exceptions, fairly grounded.  It’s a diverse group on many levels—geographically, ethnically, socioeconomically.

Double Entendre

First of all - happy month of celebration, Ms. JD! :)

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What does it mean to be privileged? When I started law school, I would find words in my casebook readings, like “privileged,” that on first glance would jump out to me as my old friends from Women’s and Gender Studies classes in college. But then, ever-so-quickly, these sexy feminist theory meanings would vanish before my eyes, quickly morphing into their law school meanings. As I head into the second part of my second 1L semester, these terms have become first-nature to me. With the fear that I might forget what some of these words once meant to me—and the hope that some Ms. JD’ers (perhaps past alumna of Women’s and Gender Studies programs themselves- anyone?) might find this relevant/amusing as well—I put together this little glossary:

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So You’re a Former Women’s Studies Major/Minor In Law School: An Abridged Glossary 

Privileged -- Women’s and Gender Studies Definition: Power, in a certain society, given to an individual based on their identity rather than earned (male privilege, white privilege) though can be earned (class privilege), resulting in certain benefits and advantages Often referred to in terms of “invisible backpack."

Law School Definition: Civil Procedure. Information that is not discoverable based on FRCP 26(b)(2); includes attorney-client relationship; doctor-patient; spousal privilege; Fifth-Amendment against self-incrimination; may include others under state law; as well as Work Product Privilege (but not final); see Hickman.

Northern Lights: One 3L’s Adventures in Overcoming Law School Doubts

Editors Note: This post was submitted by Alice Shih, a Ms. JD Fellow and 3L at Yale.  The Ms. JD Fellowship is the result of partnership between Ms. JD and the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession.  Fellows, who are rising 3Ls, are paired with an ABA Commissioner or Margaret Brent Award Winner as part of a year long mentorship.  Applications for next year's fellowship will be available in January.

  As part of their fellowship, each Ms. JD fellow writes a post for the blog about an issue of importance to them.  Alice has been and active tutor and is passionate about sharing her experiences to help others.  To learn more about Alice and the other 2011 fellows, click here.

Ms. JD International Scholar Update: Atuhaire Gracious

 Editor's Note:  Atuhaire Gracious is a 2011  Ms. JD International Scholar studying law at Makerere University in Uganda thanks to the Global Eduction Fund. 

Atuhaire Gracious reports:

I am ATUHAIRE GRACIOUS a beneficiary of FSI (MS.JD International Scholar) in my first year pursuing bachelors in law. I humbly appreciate the opportunity of being sponsored for my education. This has helped me to go on with my studies which I had no hope to attain as my mother was not in position to support me due to little income. As for now I no longer worry about tuition and am able to read comfortably. In the long run I have been able to get good results especially in course work results which have been displayed. More to that my brother has also been able to continue with his education which had failed at senior four due to insufficient funds. Am so grateful to God who has given me this sponsorship that has given hope that I can finally achieve my dream career of being a lawyer. This gives me confidence to read harder and I promise to get very good results with your parental support. Thank you.