People at MLS have ruined my enjoyment of the JD

Issue 10, Volume 17

ANONYMOUS​

Everything I had read about the JD before I began was stuff that I was confident I could handle; high workloads, pressure to succeed, etc. And I could – I am a third year now, my grades are decent, and I landed a couple of clerkships. But the thing that has ruined my enjoyment is not all that. It is not the late nights poring over case law, or the rigorous application processes, but it is the other students here at MLS. Coming to the end of my degree, sadly, I must admit that certain people here are some of the most abhorrent individuals I have ever had the displeasure of knowing.

Image: Pexels

I am not sure if it comes with the nature of studying law, but there is an exquisite sense of arrogance exhibited around MLS. This ties together with the consistent self-righteousness of some individuals to create what can be quite an uncomfortable environment to be around. I recall the events surrounding the unsuccessful initial merger of Disputes and Ethics. It was a bit of a flop admittedly, but we were killing two uninteresting birds with one stone and getting marked quite generously while doing so. I was quite happy to receive the opportunity to take on an elective I might enjoy more instead as a result. But this was not enough for some of our learned peers, who took it upon themselves to write long tirades to the staff behind D&E and mercilessly mock them on social media because they “deserved” and expected so much more. This is just an example that sums up general attitudes, I could cite many more – in fact I read a survey submission from one student to the LIV regarding new clerkship dates that went to the ridiculous extent of citing case law. The general arrogance and stench of privilege involved in encouraging the LIV to review case law in a survey comment needs not be expanded upon on.

However, the arrogance and self-righteousness has extended far beyond the academic level. There is a level of unaware privilege that reeks from many at the Law School. The same staunchly righteous individuals who claim to have ethical concerns for diversity, the environment or ‘the poor’ are the very same individuals who will happily rail lines of nose candy at Law Ball, despite the trail of butchered South Americans involved in bringing it here. Some people at MLS have become so enclosed in their bubble that they fail to realise just how insufferable they must appear to the public. There is an echo chamber of individuals whose only friends are other JD students and whose housemates are other JD students that parrot the same viewpoints and outlooks that it becomes nigh impossible to hear an alternative opinion regarding the profession, faculty, or the LSS. The LSS does nothing to disrupt this eye-rolling echo chamber, because the LSS is made up of these very people itself.

​It has reached a point now where I feel so frustrated by these individuals that I no longer want to pursue a legal career. I could think of very little worse than sharing an office down the line with LSS office bearers, or the products of a “Law School Only” Carlton share house. Perhaps I am not much better, indeed, here I am writing about how much I dislike people. I should probably just get over it, and in reality, this whole piece could just be condensed down to a simple:

“God, some people at law school are utterly insufferable wankers, aren’t they?”

Anonymous is a third-year JD student.