happy news
March 26, 2007 by thinking girl
some of you might remember me talking about applying to law school and writing the LSAT a few months ago. Well, it turns out that I kicked some LSAT ass (96th percentile, 168, thank you very much), and I’ve been invited to join the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto in the fall. It was my first choice, so I’m pretty excited - and what’s more, they’re offering me enough money to almost completely cover tuition! So, looks like TG will be taking up new digs in TO in a few short months.
Any advice on how to survive law school as a left-wing anti-capitalist feminist would be greatly appreciated. 
Yay me!
Congrats!! Okay, you’ll be a mere 90 minutes away. We really will have to have some pints!
What will you do with a degree in law once you have finished?
That is really fabulous news! Congratulations and good luck! (But I think I’ll leave it to Sylvia for the law school advice.)
Congratulations!!!
Sage - you’re on! Love to!
darkdaughta - welcome to you! I’ve been loving your blog of late - glad to see you here as well.
Thanks for asking. I’m interested in international human rights law, particularly concerning women’s rights in developing countries. The reason I chose U of T is for their specific emphasis on this area of law. I’d love to work with an international NGO of some sort.
petitpoussin - thanks! yes, I’ll have to drop Sylvia a line at some point…
RG - thank you!
Yea! Good luck! Fabulous news!
Congrats!!!!
I hope that you find law school challenging and interesting and that Toronto is a nice change for you!
Thanks for all your support and helpful writing!
My secret non-virtual life involves teaching at a law school, so I can give you all sorts of hints based on my experience of surviving, and then working in, a law school as a fellow left-wing anti-capitalist feminist! The main thing is: don’t let them kill your ability to write! Law school has a habit of destroying peoples’ ability to express themselves - thus preventing them from questioning all the values and underlying assumptions that ‘the law’ would like you to believe are not there at all.
congrats
The only advice I can give is Big Fat Burrito on Augusta avenue.
Hey, congratulations! That’s an awesome score! You should ace the bar as well.
Get used to not having a life for a few years. I got out of law school a few years ago and already it feels like forever. (I started back in 2002). I really enjoyed law school, though, even though by the end, of course, I just wanted to be done. (I worked full time (and then some) and went to school at night). The thing I liked the most was how clear it became that the law was actually (mostly, though not always) based on some pretty solid common sense - something you don’t get the impression of from all the negative stereotypes about the law and lawyers out there.
Enjoy the journey!
And good luck.
Clio - thanks!
Geo - thank you for YOUR support!
I’ve been to Toronto a dozen times, and stayed there for several months a few years back, so at least I know what I’m getting into. It’s a great town, lots to do and see, so I’m sure it’ll be a good change.
Sam - cool… good tip, thanks a lot! At least I’ll always have this blog to keep up the writing chops!
RenEv - thanks!!
Marc Andre - do they have veg?
DBB - thank you! I’m already used to not having a life… going to university as an adult while working has not been an easy experience. I gotta tell you, I’m happy I’m not working right now, it’s been so nice not to have to take every single spare minute to do schoolwork.
All I can think of to say is WOW! I really, really am happy for you. {hugs}
yep!
Being your biggest fan, my advice to you is just to be yourself. A lot of people find their first year intimidating but, don’t let the egos of your profs or cohort deter you from getting what you want out of your experience. Also, International House used to serve cheap international vegan food at lunch using as much organic stuff as they could find. Be sure to save room for the cookies and a tea though!
Here’s hoping we’ll be in Toronto together sometime in the future. Maybe we can start our own NGO. YAYA!
I’m so glad the world will benefit from your amazing talents!
XXOO
Sorry, TG, I should have said I’m so glad the world will continue to benefit from your amazing talents in a new way. All of us that know you and visit your blog are already benefitting…
Congrats. Can’t help with tips on surviving the law faculty, but you might have company on campus. I might be going to U of T in the fall too… (Collaborative MA in IR & History)
Congrats!
My advice: don’t forget your outside interests. Law school, particularly first year, can be all consuming, but if you can keep doing, in some fashion, the stuff you already do, it will help you stay sane.
Also, if you haven’t already, check out http://feministlawprofs.law.sc.edu/
Well done, TG.
I work in downtown Toronto (Front & Bay). Drop me a line and we’ll have coffee sometime. As a father, with a full-time job, who’s completing his CGA part-time, I feel your pain. Good luck.
And yours, DBB. Congrats on making it through.
Congratulations.
I know I do not comment on here often, (it’s better to keep my mouth shut sometimes), but seriously, well done! Good luck with everything, I am sure you will kick some butt.
Many congratulations, ThinkingGirl!
Wow. That’s awesome. What type of law are you interested in?
And I think congratulations are in order, too.
Congratulations!
L>T - thank you so much! {hugs received!}
Marc Andre - good news! thanks for the tip!
Angel - thank you!!! It’s such a gift to have you as my wonderful best friend - you’ve been such an instrumental support for me - all my life really, but especially these past couple of years. I can’t tell you how much that has meant to me! Love you!
RedJenny - oh yay! The collaborative MA program looks great, I had looked at doing that with my law degree, but I don’t have all the requirements (damn economics! damn “fluent in another language”!) maybe one day… we’ll have to meet up for a cuppa.
jolt - thanks for the advice. yes, gotta remember to keep up outside interests. and thanks for the link… I”ll have to check that out more thoroughly… I get there sometimes, but not nearly regularly enough!
schemanista - sounds great, I’ll need all the peeps I can get!
Steve - thank you, how nice of you to say! I can only promise: I will do my best to kick some ass!
Dave - thanks! I’m interested in international human rights law, primarily, particularly women’s rights. (it’s why I chose U of T.) who knows where I’ll end up, though… something social justice-related, for sure.
Ginger, darkdaughta, Marya - thank you all very much! I’m really looking forward to it!
Yay!
Toronto is an excellent school, according to everything I’ve heard. Granted, I was looking at it for their Medieval Studies program, but still.
Big Big BIG congrats!
Congratulations TG!! That’s great to hear of your academic success and that we will have a real progressive, intl. human rights lawyer we need! My very best wishes for everything you do.
Congratulations!
Major league congrats! You’ll do wonderfully — your peers there will be lucky to have you.
No words of wisdom to offer, but I just want to say congrats!!
nightgigjo - thanks!! yes, Toronto is one of the best schools in the country, it’s true. Medieval Studies - sounds interesting!
LL - thank you very much for your support and best wishes!
SteveG - thank you, how kind of you to say!
Aulelia, Amber - thanks so much ladies!!!
Looking forward to seeing you in the Big Smog soon!
And yes, other commenters are quite right that your first few years will be pretty all-consuming. The good news is that the brainwashing in first year actually does set you up with the necessary tools to start questioning everything they teach you.
And make sure to keep in contact with lots and lots of non-law friends - they’ll help keep you grounded, sane and humble.
Also, remind me to show you how to play Keener Bingo - great way to pass the time in class….
Wear really low cut shirts and short skirts?
[kidding]
That is such good news TG. Congratulations you genius.
[ps: you are tagged]
TG: Medieval Studies is fun times (for me, at least)! Of course, it also relegates me to reading material that’s mostly from Dead White Men, but, lo and behold, there’s some feminist theory stuff popping into my head when I read some of it!
Mostly along the lines of “gee, so that’s where that misogynistic idea came from” or “wow, men have been treating women like shit for a long time”. But still. It’s keeping me thinking.
Congrats, Thinking Girl!
Some thoughts on surviving law school as a progressive feminist, and, really, as a person with emotions (NB: This is based on US law school experience; I don’t know if the curriculum is different in TO).
1) Take classes that sound interesting. You’ll learn what you need to learn. People will tell you that you “should” take this or that. If you’re not into it, don’t.
2) Don’t be afraid to make an ass of yourself in class.
3) Avoid the library after 1/2 way through the semester at all costs.
4) As other commenters have said, question everything. The first year curriculum is set up to both help you be critical and to make you lap up what your professors feed you. Strange, isn’t it. Anyway, don’t lap it up.
5) In the vein of question everything, remember that the law is often male-centric. It was made by men. It’s enforced mostly by men. It has a distinctly pro-rationality anti-morality slant (at least on its face). Question all of that too. Question the rational person (in torts particularly). Question the impacts of certain criminal law doctrines on men and women. All of it.
6) Last, but not least, keep blogging! You’re going to need an outlet, and it’s a great procrastination device.
Greg - thanks for the tips! I’ll definitely drop you a line when I come up this summer to go apartment hunting (gulp)… we can grab a drink or two!
Max - thanks!! I’ll check the tag out tomorrow.
nightgigjob - yes, funny thing about studying history, you see where all those great “Traditions” came from. I can certainly relate to the Dead White Guy reading list… I am a philosophy major, after all! *sigh* if I ever have to read Descartes again, I might experiment with how deep my pen can make it into my hand without breaking.
bean - thank you, and welcome! I have a feeling that megalomania in the law is not unique to the US, so I’m sure your advice will cross this thin and arbitrarily drawn border into my experience! It’s funny, I’m already so critical of the law and the legal system, I wonder what the heck I’m doing…
But I am excited, and I appreciate your advice!
don’t worry, I’m a PRO at procrastination!
Congrats!
I wish I could offer advice, but I’m a disillusioned PhD student in the humanities. But what Bean has to say sounds about right to me.
Thanks Kevin! hmmm, disillusionment seems to run high these days in academia… I wonder if it isn’t time for a new way of education?
TG, I missed this fabulous news, so I’m late to the congratulation party. Well done you!
Jill of Feministe also blogs at a site called Ms JD for female lawyers and law students, which seems to have a restricted membership to even read the articles, but I imagine once you enrol you will qualify to join. Drop her a line.
tigtog - thank you! Thanks too for the heads up on Ms JD. I’ll definitely look into that as a resource for solidarity and extra education!
Congrats on your score and scholarship. I like to read what you have to say when I’ve got time but haven’t posted any comments yet. I’m a third year law student at a school in the midwest, US. I thought we had a lot in common and now I see we have the same LSAT scores.
We need more people like you in law school.
If you haven’t already heard of this, I would recommend reading “Legal Education and the Reproduction of Hierarchy” by Duncan Kennedy. I’m not sure if Canadian schools are very similar to American ones (the author is at Harvard) but this might be interesting reading before you begin.
Good luck,
Angela
Thank you Angela - glad you came out of the woodwork to comment. Thanks for the recommended reading - sounds like it fits right in with my ideas about the legal system.
Best of luck to you, too!
Dude, me too. Almost precisely. Just found this blog this morning, reading through some old posts and … “Hey,” I thought, “Did I write this?” Well, except for the money. They (politely, Canadian-ly) laughed their asses off at my Financial Aid app., more or less as expected.
Anyway, great blog, I’m enjoying reading it so far. And congrats!
Hey Molly - thanks - and congrats to you too! Maybe we’ll end up in some classes together… if you end up going there, that is…
best of luck to you!
eep… I know about the ECON. My acceptance was conditional. I have to find a way to complete ECON100 by september. (which is going to be tough, since it is too late to apply for summer session - i’ll find a way to do it)
I have to say, law is something that intimidates me. I’m very impressed with what you are doing! Ah… if all law ppl were feminists… oh to dream…
We’ll have to have coffee and cake at future bakery or something. If you need help getting settled in TO, you can email me at
jenniann111{at}hotmail
Red Jenny - you can do it! what about distance ed? I’m sure you could get it done that way… I’m completing the last half-credit of my degree through distance, looks like it’ll be a cinch.
Ah, thanks. I’m kind of intimidated myself at times, but I do think my philosophy background will help me immensely, since I’m already accustomed to arguing for or against something. It’s the public speaking part that might be a bit nerve-wracking… And the competitiveness aspect. I’m more into self-motivation than competition.
I’d love to meet up for sure, and thanks for the offer - I’m really looking forward to meeting some new peeps!
I know it isn’t quite fall yet (but oh how time flies!) But I do hope amidst all the hustle and bustle of law school, you find time to post about law school - I’d be very curious to hear what you think about it, about particular classes, and so forth. Though I wonder if it will be very different because it is Canada, not the US, and I really know nothing about Candian law, having attended law school in Michigan.
DBB - thanks! I’m sure that I will post about law school some. I would imagine that Canadian law is kind if similar in some ways but different in other ways to US law. we’ll have to compare notes, for interest sake, so see where things tend to differ!