Osler's Razor

Este nuevo ritmo produce un auge, tanto en el nacimiento de estudios de grabación y compañías, como en la búsqueda de nuevos talentos que llenarán las necesidades del creciente público. Duke "The Trojan" Reid, Clement, Sir "Coxsone" Dodd y Vincet "King" Edwards fueron piezas clave en la evolución del "Sound System" jamaiquino de los Cincuentas (50's).
 

No, really, it hasn't been as bad as I expected.
 

PC is going about as I expected it. I'm super busy but glad our double sessions of class every day are over with.

Despite the workload, I hope most of us are feeling like PC is doable. At least I am.

But I have been misled in a few things: While the PC professors are very demanding and mete out punishment with exactness, they have not yet breathed fire; also, I haven't had to read one hundred cases in one night . . . yet.

I'm starting to think former PC students are masters of the art of exageration. I'm just praying I'm not wrong.
 

I agree with Mr. Pankratz for the most part; it's a ton of work, but it can be done. I've actually learned a lot about structuring my time working and been surprised at how much work I can handle. Biggest problem? I find it difficult to find the time to adequately look back over things we've covered already to study for the weekly quizzes, and am very disappointed with my performance on them so far. I need to get better at that.
 

The workload is doable - very difficult but doable.

However, I agree with Trevor - I don't have any time to review what I have learned so far. I feel like I am doing just enough to keep me from sinking but when finals get here I am going to go down like the Titanic...

Overall, not as bad as I heard it would be - but the week is still very young.
 

As a former PC student, I openly admit to exaggerating the difficulty to PC. We like to brag about our horror stories--make people believe that we had it worse than anyone else. I am forever grateful, though, that I never had to fear the Mul-dot. The thought of it gives me shudders.

I don't miss the work load, but I would gradly trade facing Powell's criticism after a mini-trial for explaining to my client what he needs to bring with him to jail to check in for 30 days after a poaching trial. (Notice that I am still trying to show that my horror stories are worse then other horror stories. It's a habit I picked up in PC and haven't been able to kick.)
 

AZ-- Remember that one time when you forgot your trial notebook, and I chased you around with that compound bow from the exhibit table, and then you were hit by that car when you ran into the parking lot? Good times.
 

It is making me organize. I wonder, though-- is practice really like this? If so, how can lawyers ever have kids?
 

Former PC students are not masters of exaggeration... we were (for the most part) - practitioners of the art of Underwood.


It's like trying to compare apples to someone cramming oranges up your arse.
 

Lawyers don't have a problem finding time to have kids, it's finding time to raise them and enjoy them.
 

I have to admit I'm intrigued and a bit horrified by Craig's description of professors who "mete out punishment with exactness." And that y'all are grateful for it because it could be worse!

I can't really imagine what kind of pedagogy that is, teaching as meting out of punishments to everybody fairly. Are you serious? What kind of punishments do you mean?

Not that the teaching in my grad English program was terribly kind, either--maybe just more passive-agressive than in law school. But I mean, reading a hundred cases in one night? Surely not.
 

And let me add, I can't imagine Osler--or really any serious teacher at that level-- as a meting-out-of-punishments kind of person. I'm just intrigued that y'all see it that way . . .
 

Man, that chase was soooo great! I still have a limp from being hit by that car [insert high "5"]. Bates was so mad that I dented his beamer with my head. One good thing came of it--I now have the best sound system in Kingman, AZ (not that it means much) because my lawyer proved that Bates was headbanging to the Beetles when he it me and was able to settle the case out of court for Bates' mega-stereo.
 

Ahhh, punishments.
Scene: aka PC II
Setting: unprepared student.
Prof issues stern lecture:

"In practice, you don't pay the price for your lack of preparation - an innocent party, your client - pays. Of course, here, you will [inserts long ardurous memo assignment] . . . [long pause - sharply turns head from dead center to far left and up] . . Miss 'M' - same assignment. Mr. X - someone else always pays the price for your incompetance."
 

PC...it is what it is...
 

I'm with Craig and Trevor. That's as accurate an assessment as I think can be.
 

12:29- I was there with you that day and it was classic. I remember thinking "at least he only took down one other student." Of course, later, there were the class memos and the row memos. What I liked about the row memos was that he didn't confine them just to one section, but hit everyone in that row on the side sections, too. Boy were they surprised. Good stuff. Good times.
 

[Caveat: the opinions expressed in this comment should be read as limited to the experience of one student in Prof. Underwood's crucible of Texas Civil Procedure and trial practice.]

Yes. PC stories probably tend to exaggerate your typical day, to some extent. But, I think they accurately capture the tone based on the *duration* of the crucible. Over time, PC will wear most down.

Personally, I got to the point where I found the workload impossible to complete. You must prioritize.

Priority #1 (for class): tab every case and number the the tabs with a Sharpie pen (ink won't do) AND write a corresponding number next to every case name in you syllabus--for *quick access*.

Priority #2: do not neglect to include Lexis case briefs and headnotes with your printed cases--review and highlight these first prior to attempting (what I eventually came to beleive) the impossible task of reading every word of every case and statutory note/comment.

Priority #3: avoid being called upon by the professor. How? In my experience, asking a question or volunteering to answer a question periodically (every week or two) seemed to fill this prescription. My pure guess as to the reason behind this efficacious (admittedly anecdotal--no epidemiological evidence that I know of) tactic includes the following:
1) There are many students to remember. When your face becomes familiar enough to the professor (when scanning for prey) that he's not worried your "missing out" on an opportunity to "share," you may be passed for fresh meat; 2) But sometimes prof. wants to thin the herd of weak prey--you aren't tagged as "weak," per se, because you volunteered and (hopefully) didn't sound *too* dumb (back to this point shortly); 3) Unlike most of the zombies you are engaged in the lectures and the last hope that some morale remains--prof. won't want to destroy that; and, eventually, 4) prof. thinks of the student who voluntarily stands every week or two, "this student is either: a) a little dumb, or b) masochistic"--a. accrues to your advantage when prof. is looking for the right answer to move class along (you *do not* want to become this perennial go-to student--even the best will fall); and b. too may be of some benefit because, though weak, this student may be a little unstable and unpredictable, why take the risk.

I feel I should reemphasize the counter-intuitive (and perhaps, to a Baylor Law student, unnatural) importance of not appearing too smart or too prepared. Just as you will hear in Bar-Bri, that every point beyond passing that you earn on the Bar was a wasted point, doing better than avoiding-a-memo is wasted effort (that may lead to a memorable moment). Appear to be working hard--sincerely trying to get it. Certainly, Baylor has its savants, but I think it really aims to turn out sincere professionals--regardless of native IQ. Be a sincere professional.

Enjoy PC. It was the only part of law school that made be think, "being a lawyer might actually have some potential to be fun." You will never have a formal educational experience like this again. And the informal trial experiences in practice are, generally, becoming fewer and farther between.

You may look back and blame Baylor Law for your slowly healing PTSD. But hopefully, like me, you will also look back with gratitude for the individuals and the institution that required you to be more.