Continuing in Fields of “Law” in Uncertain Times
This post from a law student stopped me in my tracks.
It took me a while to consider.
Here is how I responded:
Dear Mary,
You put into words what so many law students—and honestly, so many lawyers—are questioning right now:
▪️ How do we work toward finals or pursue a job in the field of “law,” when the very rule of law underlying that “law” seems to be crumbling before us in real time?
You poignantly captured the uneasy tension of it all and painted such a raw, vivid picture of what it’s like to be a law student at this unprecedented time in history.
It’s taken me a while to find the right words.
I do hope that something here helps:
🔷 You are not alone.
I see you. I hear you. I ache for you and every other law student in this country. Finals are stressful in a normal year—I can’t fathom what it’s like with everything happening now.
If you’re feeling anxious, distracted, or even a little hopeless, please know that’s a normal response to an abnormal time. You’re not alone in feeling this way.
We are all in this together.
🔷 You’re at ground zero of a historic moment.
Someday, people will ask what it was like to be a law student in this era. Take notes—on what you’re experiencing, what you’re feeling, and what you’re learning (in and out of class).
That perspective will matter, both to you and to others, for years to come.
🔷 Try to reframe your work.
Maybe don’t think of the next few weeks as just “studying for exams.”
Instead, see it as a chance to build the tools and skills that will let you navigate—and maybe help repair—this moment in history.
Every outline you build, every doctrine you master, every analytical, philosophical, and rhetorical tool you sharpen is an investment in you:
Your ability to think critically
Your ability to write clearly
Your ability to argue persuasively
These are the skills that will matter, no matter where our legal system lands.
➡️ So please: throw yourself into learning and growing as much as you can.
The world needs thoughtful, resilient people in the legal industry.
Frankly, it’s law students like you who give the rest of us hope.
And please keep questioning.
Please keep debating your values.
Please keep asking “should we?” alongside “is it legal?”
You are not just studying for exams.
You are studying to become someone who can help fight for and save our system.
We need you.
So do give it your absolute very best shot.
Always,
💌 Amanda
#Dear1L
P.S. I will link Mary’s original post in a comment for you.