shocker!

This just in: Some law students are interesting people!

The professor was assigned to a table at this year's Dean's Dinner (all 1Ls and faculty are invited; I think it might be mandatory for 1Ls) and in his group of students, several had unique backgrounds. It is difficult to read tone into a blog post, but the professor appears to be pleasantly surprised (stunned?) to discover that some 1Ls he met at the Dean’s Dinner are interesting people who have done interesting things before coming to law school.

It’s no wonder he is surprised. Professors here seem rarely take the time to get to know more than a handful of students. (By the way, this is not a criticism of the good professor (because I might take his class one day and he helped me out last spring when I needed boxes (and his curve rocks!))).

This is a large school so it’s not practical for professors to get to know everyone and students to bond with professors but I’ve always wondered why the faculty is so isolated from the students. Think about it: they work in the library, but they have their own private entrance and stairway so they never have to associate with the students. (Actually anyone can use their stairs but it’s right by their entrance so why would you use it if you didn’t come in through the faculty entrance? I didn’t know they had their own stairs for at least the first two months I was here last year).

I have been told that professors interact more with 2Ls and 3Ls than 1Ls. Nothing seemed different about professor-student interaction in summer school when I guess I was already a 2L but I’ll find out whether things are different starting next week. Somehow I doubt it.

I don’t know – I don’t expect much. I don’t think all my professors should be required to learn my name. Or where I’m from. Or what I did before law school. But it seems like this law school could establish more opportunities for student-faculty interaction. Sure, students are busy and so are professors. Surely though, they could build in some interaction in between the Dean’s Dinner and graduation.

Hmmm…come to think of it, maybe I should be careful what I wish for…