- Scott Turow is a stress bunny who thrives on competition. I'm not.
- Legal education has come a long way in the three decades since this book was written.
Given these two things, One L was not nearly as frightening as everyone says. In fact, I think it sounded like a fairly accurate description of what 1L is like. Turow writes about being frustrated with an overly abstract professor and relieved when another professor gives concrete answers to questions -- but halfway through the semester, he realizes that there are no easy answers and he's getting more out of the confusing class. He writes about the excitement of understanding how contracts really work, and the drudgery of memorizing the various types of estates. He writes about his determination to work hard and do well, and about how sometimes he's so exhausted that he's ready to throw in the towel. In short, the contents of this book reminded me a lot of all the 1L blogs I've read.
For me, one of the most interesting parts of the book was the account of Moot Court. By then, Turow is so burnt out that he gives up. He writes a crappy brief and gives a poor performance. He just can't bring himself to care, and is ashamed afterwards when his student advisor is disappointed in him. I took that as a cautionary tale -- I can see myself doing the same thing. Later, Turow says that he worked himself too hard without taking breaks. After that he makes an effort to spend more time with his wife and take time for himself away from school.
So why does everyone complain about One L?
First of all, Turow portrays some of his professors -- one in particular -- as cold, inaccessible, and arrogant. Here's where #2 comes in. I don't think a professor who constantly humiliates students would be tolerated in today's more student-friendly law school environments. But even this isn't quite as bad as I expected; Turow expresses admiration for this professor and confesses that, although he's angry with the way the students are treated, the professor is a good teacher and his theatrics often make the class more interesting.
Second -- and this is the big one -- Turow is dismayed to find himself growing more and more competitive. He paints a picture of classmates who are consumed with anxiety, obsessed with grades, and gunning for Law Review. However, see #1. Turow takes school extremely seriously, takes few breaks (to his detriment, he admits), and stays up nights worrying about exams. He burns himself out. And he surrounds himself with people who are similarly stressed. In the prologue, Turow writes that this is an account of his experience of his first year of law school, and that each one of his classmates would have written a different book. When he mentions the people outside of his small circle, we get a glimpse of their lives -- a mother of young children who makes time to be at home, two guys who genuinely love the law and have excited intellectual discussions in the hallway, a few people who spend their free time exploring the city. Even through the prism of Turow's experience, law school is not all stress and sabotage.
I'm glad I read One L. I would recommend it -- it's well-written, detailed, and interesting. After reading this, Introduction to the Study and Practice of Law, and Law School Confidential, I think that's it for my pre-law reading list.
