The Continuation of the Legal Species

Ella Simmons
Volume 3, Issue 1, (Originally Published on Monday 4 March 2013)

First-year Ella Simmons has just begun her law studies at MLS. This is her personal perspective on surviving the first few weeks.
 
In just over two weeks, the new first-year JDs have transformed from bright-eyed and unaware individuals, naïve and somewhat fearful of the intricacies of law school life, to a cohesive cohort, ever victorious in the battle against excessive reading, lack of sleep and code one word limits.
 
Or so we think.
 
Arriving at Orientation Day was a sickening throwback to the first day of school. (Is it still OK that my mum packed me lunch?) But whether by accident or administrative genius, the sardine effect resulting from attempts to pack 350 students into the foyer while we each took a name tag, gave us an opportunity to make friends and breathe a collective sigh of relief that we wouldn’t spend the next three years alone. GM15 seemed much less intimidating with a group of friends.
 
After meeting our professors and the MLS support staff, who succeeded in imparting the message that help is out there for when, not if, we needed it, we were treated to a student panel, who gave us some valuable, if sometimes contradictory, advice about study habits, working and interning, and most importantly, how much they get to see daylight. Their message was: get involved, get passionate, get into it.
 
We were also lucky enough to meet our ‘Pathfinders’ who helped us find our way to the BBQ and later to the pub, as well as to get to know our LMR group.
 
Then we were given our LMR readers, and a life of BBQs and bantering amicably about politics (ie. my Bachelor of Arts degree), came crashing down before our 542 pages of reading. But it wasn’t that bad.
 
Our LMR teachers were inspiring and genuinely helpful, and somehow after two weeks I do feel like a have a solid grip on the basics, and I’m ready for more!
 
I also feel like I’m part of a group of dedicated students who will help each other through the hard times. We’ve already been out for drinks, gone salsa dancing and trivia night is coming up.
 
If nothing else, the past few weeks have taught us the importance of friendship in keeping your sanity, and that I also have a crush ... on Justice Kirby.
 
Ella Simmons