Kristina A. Kiik: Passion for the law can't be memorized
Kristina A. Kiik, a May 2010 graduate of the SMU Dedman School of Law, says a passion for the law is something that cannot be memorized.
By Kristina A. Kiik
Since I graduated from law school in mid-May, each day has been the same. Eat. Attend bar review class. Eat. Study. Bubble in circles. Eat. Study more. Bubble more. Fall asleep reciting the elements of negotiability. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Having to memorize 35 pounds' worth of bar exam materials in two months is enough to alarm any newly minted graduate. But the tall tales and recycled horror stories have given the exam supernatural powers:
"Last year, several people left the exam in tears. They all failed."
"Did you hear about the guy who completed over 4,000 multiple choice practice problems? He failed."
And my personal favorite: "Every minute you don't spend studying, someone else is. That person will pass. You will fail."
And so it was with some trepidation that I confessed to a bar review compatriot that I missed a Saturday class in June. I was quick to legitimize a 72-hour "summer vacation" by reporting that "I did lots of torts on the plane." My friend's witty response proved the all-encompassing nature of bar study: "You 'did lots of torts on the plane'... and they let you out of the airport?"
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