Filled with tests and tasks, the journey to becoming an attorney can feel less like a career path and more like an obstacle course. It takes will-power and intelligence; resilience and determination; strength and patience. Before even entering law school, there are a series of facts to consider and decisions to make. You’re required to disclose your entire life to total strangers. It can be uncomfortable and challenging, yet thousands of students embark on the journey every single year. They throw themselves into their studies and often sacrifice much of their personal lives and relationships, all for the dream of one day placing “Esquire” after their name… Why?

This year, in Prof. Paula Franzese’s Property class, Section C had the opportunity to reflect on that question by embracing the concept of Loving the Law—a celebratory event that allowed the class to collaborate with one another and work together toward a common goal. Throughout the event, students shared their deepest passions, interests, and dreams with each other while simultaneously enjoying a homemade brunch buffet.

The event reached its zenith with the announcement that the class had raised a sizable sum for the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, whose mission is to save foxes facing extinction. Weeks prior, the charity had been chosen by the class to honor the hardships that the rule of capture has wrought for wildlife and natural resources—a result stemming from the holding in Pierson v. Post (the fox case).

Loving the Law is more than just an opportunity to break from the monotony of deadlines, readings, and realities of the law student experience. It affords a chance for every student to reflect upon their personal motivations for pursuing a career in what some may view as one of the most contentious professions. In an age where lawyers may routinely be regarded in a negative light, it is refreshing and enlightening to discuss the moral and philosophical underpinnings of why one might pursue a legal career.

Though there may be as many reasons for loving the law as there are rules in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, one thing is clear: through loving the law, we are able to love and help our communities. Lawyers are the gatekeepers of justice, the shield against tyranny, and the voices of the silenced. This is why we love the law.

Pictured above: Section C Loving the Law

Header Photo by Tim Marshall on Unsplash