Sunday, February 6, 2011

People, Place and Passion

People, Place and Passion The “joy of being a law student” may seem to be a contradiction in terms, but the combination of people, place, and passion can actually make pursuing legal education fun. As my schedule started to fill in with job fairs, interviews, speakers, mock trials, receptions and student group meetings, it became obvious that the community that makes a law school great consists of a lot more than just the student body and the faculty. The larger legal community of Portland is probably the greatest resource that Lewis and Clark students could ask for as developing legal practitioners and scholars.More than that, Portland also provides recreational, cultural and culinary opportunities to keep one engaged, informed and happily engorged. It’s easy to escape to the coast or the mountains for a day, or stay in town to enjoy the great variety of food, drink and entertainment that Portland offers. Probably the best reason to be having fun in Portland is really the passion that Portland engenders and delivers. Lawyers here, like Portlanders in general, are truly passionate about making the world a better place, and this comes through in their commitment to the profession, and also in their passion for other pursuits. All this effort is for a purpose, and with classes only four days a week, there is still enough time left to have some fun outside school as well.