At least, that’s how it works in theory. If my inbox winds up a howling wind-tunnel of electronic silence, then maybe I’ll change the title to One-Night Stand and create a new feature column of an entirely different character. For now, let’s see how this goes.
So here’s a topic to contemplate for the next issue: As the new school term approaches, you may have fielded questions from overly anxious incoming 1Ls wanting to know what books you would recommend as preparation for law school. If you had to recommend just one book for a prospective law student, what would it be, and why? (Or would you recommend not trying to prepare at all?) Give me an author, title, and one or two sentences about the work or why you picked it (no MARC record needed!).
So, what would be my recommendation? The Princess Bride, William Goldman’s classic tale of true love and high adventure, which teaches you that no matter how hard you may strive to become the best at what you do - the greatest swordsman, the strongest giant, the keenest mind in the Thieves Quarter - you should never forget that the best thing in the world (next to cough drops) is wuv, twue wuv, fowevah and evah. Plus, it’s full of pirates, fencing, poison, torture, escapes, revenge, and rescues, not to mention at least one miracle. Now, that sounds more or less like the typical legal career, doesn’t it?
A sampling of reader responses (hopefully3) will appear in the next issue. Send ’em to iwang@law.berkeley.edu.
1 No, that’s not a typo for One-Night Stand.
2 Yes, it’s not fair that I get the first crack at it, but then, it’s my column, so nyah.
3 For those of you who consider this usage a shibboleth, insert “it is hoped” for “hopefully.”