Rant, rant, rant

I have a confession to make- I HATE law. Law school is certainly better here at Emory, but the law itself still sucks pretty bad. The entire culture of the law is bogus. It is far too static, too reluctant to change. Everyone who has been through law school, with few exceptions, admit that there is far more bullshit than really necessary.

Legal hiring is retarded. Never have I seen grades play such an outsized role in screening job applicants. Handling $16B of taxpayer money does not matter. Working with suicidal kids does not matter. Being the youngest person in your home state elected to a public office does not matter. Oh, but being able to cram your head full of shit and regurgitate it back to a professor. Now THAT matters. Little did I know that the study "skills" I discarded right after high school would be necessary to land a fat firm job.

And let's be honest.. how many people even really want these jobs? What sort of person wants to suck up to some senior associate or partner for their first five years of professional life? If we were not saddled with Third World country sized debt, how many of us would willingly pick the big firm life and its attendant lack of a personal life?

But what are the alternatives? Hmm.. a life of poverty as a public interest or government attorney. Or academia, where you might make some money and engage with ideas. Oh, and pound your head into a wall in frustration at the law's resistance to dynamic change. And relive the wonders of 18th century law school pedagogy. Weeee.. what fun that would be.

Why oh why did I ever leave public policy and politics?