Monday, October 22, 2012

What You Learn in Law School Applies to Everyday Life. . Or Didn't You Realize That??






Across the street from our law school’s campus, there is a small church with a parking lot for parishioners and those conducting church business during the week. For the past few years, I have decided to park in this lot rather than in the law school lot.  On the first day that I parked in the church lot, I walked up to the main office, and introduced myself to the pastor when he answered the door. I asked if I might pay a fee to be allowed to park in the church lot. He smiled wryly and explained that the church lawyer had once told him that if he took money for parking that the church would be responsible for any damage to my car during the time that it was in the lot. Ah, the law being applied to a real life situation in a little church parking lot.

He quickly smiled again -- this time somewhat mischievously -- and told me that the church had developed a policy not to take money for parking. As he was saying this, he raised his right arm and pointed to a parking space nodded his head and winked. He then turned and walked back into the church turned around one last time and told me – winking, smiling and nodding:

“Remember the church’s formal policy is that you can’t park here.”

I have parked in his church lot from that day forth, dropping my parking “tithe” anonymously into the church main box on a regular basis.

From the onset, there were a few law students who, amongst others, parked in the lot. However, as campus parking increased in price, so did the number of law students who started parking in the church lot.

As I parked with each passing day, I grew alarmed at the ever growing number of cars parking in the pastor’s lot each day. I wondered if the students had also asked for permission. One morning I arrived at the lot at the same time as did the pastor and he invited me for a cup of coffee and accompanying “chit-chat.” During our musings,  I asked him if any of our students had inquired about their ability to park in the lot.

“Not a one.”

The pastor said this with absolutely no malice or resentment whatsoever in his voice. He even chortled to himself as if he were the only one in the room. Frankly, I was not surprised at his answer, though I had hoped that a lease a few of our students had just asked! The pastor then went on to explain that there were only a few days in the year when he really needed all the parking spaces in the church lot during the year. Moreover, he had wanted to stay on good terms with the university as many of the students participated in an “open mike” night sponsored by the church every Thursday evening, an evening of fellowship frank discussions. He wanted to be there for our students.  I finished my coffee and thanked the pastor for his generosity, telling him that if he experienced any problems regarding the growing numbers of students parking in his lot, to please let me know.  No problems so far. Fingers crossed.

This whole episode has gotten me thinking. . . The law is not something that is taught in a vacuum. It is not to be memorized and pulled out in answer to a difficult law school exam question.

The law is to be applied to every day life! That’s what makes it exciting and challenging! No two situations are the same. The same set of facts –applied in two entirely different scenarios – may result in two different conclusions of law. We all see everyday applications of the law in everything that we do:  . . . . Why do we get a “ticket” when we drop off our dry cleaning?  Why does a baseball team have a disclaimer about being hit by a ball on the back of a ticket? Why does a mechanic require your signature before he will work on your car following his written (oh, did I not tell you that it needs to be on paper?) estimate. Get the picture?

Then why had no law student asked for permission to park in the church lot (hey, law student reader: would you have?).  Law students learn such terms as “trespassing,” and “private property,” in the classroom, but –in this instance anyway – failed to apply these legal definitions to real life situations. Thankfully, due to a most gracious pastor, there really is no problem here and I’m really not railing at the students. I’m just concerned that law students everywhere need to realize that putting into place the legal concepts that they are learning in the classroom starts right from Day One!! The law is is not lived in a vacuum, it is part of everyday. . the air we breath. . the things that we do to get through our day. Law students: please remember that you don’t get a “pass” in applying the law to life as you live it. In fact, I would argue the direct opposite; you know better now that you are in law school!   

As a law student, you are learning the law, living the law inside of your law school building and classrooms. Never forget that you need to apply what you are learning in real life. Soon, clients will be paying you to do that very thing. If that is so, start practicing your trade while in school.

Look for and apply the law everywhere you are, in everything that you do. Don’t let your legal career get “towed” even before it gets started.

Phil Guzman




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