My First Day and Lesson at Law School

Nervous conversation sporadically surfaced amongst the 90+ 1Ls – that’s the term for first year law students - in a lineup that snaked up and down Ludlow Hall’s stairwells. While waiting in line for our schedules, and other orientation information, our photographs were taken to compile a class composite which staff and professors could consult to know who’s who in class. Being the sweaty mess I was, I opted for a retake at a future point in time though not entirely certain there would be one. There was, fortunately!

In the basement of Ludlow Hall, I collected a bag of swag from the Law Student Society and a t-shirt in my size to wear on the Friday night. The white t-shirt simply read “Pub Crawl” and was intended to be graffitied by upper year students. Two thoughts came to mind. Firstly, that the last time I participated in anything resembling a pub crawl was in the nineties during Mac undergrad. Secondly, how can I jazz up a boxy, white tee? Cripes.

Next up was a welcome lunch sponsored by an Atlantic Canadian law firm: Stewart McKelvey. Sponsored functions were common during orientation week, particularly by Atlantic Canadian firms keen to recruit from UNB, one of only three Maritime law schools (Halifax's Dalhousie University and Universite de Moncton the other two). The calibre of these sponsored events varied. Some were formal affairs at the local art gallery (swanky!). Others were more modest.

At the lunch, we sat among members of our peer mentor groups which were given to us as part of our orientation packages. The purpose of the group: matching a few 1Ls with upper year students to provide advice and tips. I was immediately impressed by the members of my group. It was an eye opener. It is known that one’s strengths shine brighter amidst mediocrity and having worked for years, there is always someone at the office whose competence is questioned and who makes the rest of us look better. My first impressions of my fellow peer mentor group members signalled that I am among bright people. The rigour of law school admissions seemed to be working. They appeared educated, well versed, socially aware, inquisitive and confident. As conversation ensued before the afternoon’s program began, I could feel myself sitting up straighter, a physical reaction to a feeling of uncertainty I belonged.

The first speaker to welcome the ILs was Will Russell, the Law Students Society president. Equal parts well-dressed and well-spoken, Will welcomed the group, summarized the events of orientation week, introduced the faculty and offered some direct insights and advice.

          Something which is important is the sense of community at Ludlow. It is a small school. There are 92 of you. It is small and close knit. It will become even smaller when you are split into your sections and realize you will be spending most of your time with 41 other individuals over the next eight months. Take responsibility for your education here. The pressures of law school are real. The pressures of the job hunt are real. Your classmates are your colleagues, not your competition. When you leave here, these will be your best references. These will be the people you rely on when you have problems and when you find work. Be generous. Be courteous. Be kind. 

          There will be a lot of pressure here. There are some sleepless nights but there will be opportunities to sleep. At Christmas break. Law school is not impossible but it’s easier if you can rely on your classmates beside you. Support each other. Get each other through.

          You were admitted to UNB because of your accomplishments but also because of your personality and who you are. Remember that. Always be yourself. There isn’t one mold of what a lawyer should be.

Next, Clarence Bennett, a partner at Stewart McKelvey’s Fredericton office and UNB Law alumnus gave sponsor greetings. Among his humorous comments:

          I enjoyed my time at Ludlow. My first couple days where you are now, I looked around and thought man there are a lot of geeks here! I discovered that by finding myself asking one too many people where they are from and where they did their undergrad and getting into a conversation I didn’t really care about. 

          As time went on, the people I got to know at UNB proved that size does matter at UNB because you can get to know everyone, and I encourage everyone to get to know their classmates, it was a valuable part of my learning as a human being. If nothing else I could split the reading with people. 

          If I had any advice, I’d say take your studies seriously but don’t take yourself too seriously. It’s kind of like real estate, there is already a lot of lawyers doing that.

            Next, Will introduced Justice Kathleen Quigg of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal who spoke about law school and community service. Highlights of Justice Quigg’s remarks included:

          It’s a privilege to be accepted to any law school and it should not be taken for granted. The practice of law enables us to make a living but the practice of law provides us any opportunity to serve others. It is this tradition of service that ensures that the legal profession is truly a profession. It our duty as members of this profession to ensure that everyone who requires justice whether or not that are financially able can access the justice the system. 

          I believe you should keep your options open. You might over these three years change your minds completely. Not everyone has to practice in a big firm in a big city. People in every community, large or small, need your assistance.
Be true to yourself, wherever the profession of law takes you, please remember to give back. You will be rewarded with the satisfaction of helping people obtain justice while you make a living.

         The luncheon of wraps wrapped and then we schlepped from the Wu Conference centre back down to Ludlow Hall. During the walk downhill, I noted the campus’s attractiveness, from the architecture to well-manicured lawns and gardens. At Ludlow, Dean John Williamson offered an official welcome to Ludlow Hall. Among his thoughtful address, the dean remarked:

          UNB law school can provide a unique learning experience and that’s due largely to its small size. As a result of that small size, Ludlow is a very close knit community and a very supportive community. 

          You will meet the staff and faculty but this week will be about meeting your classmates. It is important to know that it is in fact a case that the people that you will meet today and over your next three years at Ludlow Hall will become not just your classmates but your colleagues over the course of your career and many will become lifelong friends. 

          I want to give a few words of advice and this is general advice. Firstly, this is a legal education and you want to distinguish a legal education from the practice of law; there are many other options and I raise this now…some of you may be wondering if you made the right decision to come to law school. Coming to law school is not a decision to practice law, you will have time to discover the law over the next three years and discover what you really want to do with your legal education. There is opportunity for you to decide what you want to do and take the time to discover those options. 

          Secondly, Law school will require some adjustments. The study of law is somewhat different than what you experienced in other disciplines. Be patient and give yourself time to make those adjustments. 

          Balance. While I strongly suggest you focus on your academics, there is much more to being in law school than just academics. Balance life beyond academics and become involved in the non-academic life of law school. 

          Lastly, First year of law is not impossible. You may question that at times, but law school is not impossible. If you hear that from an upper year student say “well, law school cannot be impossible because he or she is a second or third year student.” 

          It does require some adjustments but can be very exciting and very rewarding so take the opportunity to enjoy the experience. 

Justice Richard Bell of the New Brunswick court of appeal spoke next. Though His scripted remarks were delivered with confidence and persuasion.

          In less than ten minutes, I plan to talk a bit about your brain, the law and professionalism. It is my hope that some of what I saw will you prepare for a better understand the profession in which you are about to embark.

          In law, your brain is your most important asset. The brain is constantly changes and the good news is that those changes can be for the better. The best ways to rejuvenate your brain…are the following three: physical exercise, getting out into nature and challenging mental activities. I am certain your professors will provide you with lots of opportunities for the last way of rejuvenating your brain. It is up to you to tend to the first two. 

           I want to say a word about your reputation and the profession. You will soon join the profession of law. You will probably get called to the bar. Your profession, as you will learn, is self-regulated. It behooves each of you to always conduct yourself with integrity and professionalism. Be civil to one another. Be civil to opposing parties. And be civil to the judges before whom you appear. It might come as a surprise to you that not everyone is civil to judges before whom they appear. Integrity, professionalism and civility are the building blocks of your reputation. And yes, reputation counts. Make it your goal to have a reputation that is not measured by the size of your bank account but by your commitment to the trinity of integrity, professionalism and civility. 

           And now, a word about lawyer jokes. It happens to be a pet peeve of mine. You have heard them all. Well maybe not all. You may have had siblings or parents tell a few lawyer jokes upon learning you were entering law school. You certainly have had friends tell a few. And you have heard late night talk show hosts produce a litany of them. 

          My response is lawyer jokes are no joke. Who does one call when their marriage is unravelling? A lawyer. Who does one call when their son or daughter is the victim of a drunk driver, after the doctor or the hospital? A lawyer. Who does the drunk driver call knowing that he might never work again or might spend a few years in jail or both? A lawyer. Who do heartbroken parents call when their newborn dies because of hospital medical negligence? A lawyer. I could continue for the sake of brevity I will not. I hope you get the point. Lawyers are integral to our society as we know it. You have chosen an honourable and much-valued profession. Do not let others desecrate it. Most importantly, don’t be tempted to join the crowd by telling a few lawyer jokes of your own. 

           I expect you will hear more about these and other themes over the next three years. I thank you for choosing the law and I close with this. Wherever your career takes you whether in private practice, crown counsel or in house counsel, law teaching, the diplomatic core, or elsewhere, as you gain experience in life and your profession you will realize that perhaps you didn’t really choose the law, it chose you. I look forward to seeing some of you at the Court of Appeal. Wherever you end up, good luck and god speed over the next three years of your life’s journey.

          John Malone, president of the New Brunswick law society spoke next about the work of the law society and commitments members make upon joining. As a former UNB Law student, his opening remarks were particularly poignant.

          When I first heard that the president of the law society spoke to the first year law school student, I experienced feelings of excitement and one of being proud and yet dumbfounded. I was excited because it’s a privilege to speak to a people as accomplished and driven as you guys. I was proud because I was sitting at that very desk 26 years ago and to come back to the very school that taught me the law makes me proud. And I was dumbfounded because I thought “how did I get here?” 

           When I look back to when I sat in those seats in the first days of law school I had the same feelings. I was excited. I was proud. But I also questioned whether I belonged in law school and whether I could do this law thing. And I could probably throw one more feeling in there and that was being nervous. You could even categorize that as being scared. The difference today is I’m probably a little nervous giving this speech but I’m not scared to be here.

            After these and a few other speeches, I was jacked. Few conference keynotes had me as inspired about the studies I was soon to embark on and profession I will eventually enter. My poli sci and journalism degrees never kicked off in this way. The speakers reaffirmed my choice in law and primed me to open a can of whoop ass on my classes.

            Leaving my seat, I made eye contact with a fellow class mate as we approached the door at the end of the lecture hall. “Ugh, that was lame,” she said. I paused for a moment. “Ya, totally,” I responded. The insincere words tumbled from my mouth like a reflex. My first lesson in law school: seems my age, experience and “wisdom” do not make me immune to peer pressure.