Who's Who: The Archetypes of Law Students
Law School is a place where many congregate over shared ideals and aspirations. It's also a place that while many of our interests mirror another's, the students themselves embody a plethora of personalities. I've just finished my fourth week of my 2L year, and I've already picked up on many of the archetypes law students portray. So, take a peak down below..
The Valedictorian /'valədikˈtôrēən/: This is the law student who has their hand in all the cookie jars, aching to sink their teeth into every extracurricular goodie on campus. They're on a law review, the executive board of a couple law societies, president of an interest club, and has a busier calendar than Jeff Bezos himself..well, at least in their mind. This law student may often have anxiety or is routinely gazing into the future to get a glimpse. It's this sense of anxiety that drives them forward, and keeps them operating under the belief that should they not have their hand in every cookie jar, their future becomes the subject of untold peril. Though in their defense, this sensation is familiar with all whom study in high-stress environments such as law school. However one thing is for certain, and that is this is the law student that has the best outlines - befriend them at all costs.
The Revolutionary /'revəˈlo͞oSHəˌnerē/: Meet the law student who wishes to demolish the old and usher in the new. This law student is the personification of a student who's on a mission. It's the mission of wielding the law and its knowledge as a weapon, one they'll use in the inevitable (legal) revolution that lies ahead. The late American writer Terry Goodkind said "knowledge is a weapon. I intend to be formidably armed", and that could not ring more true with the Revolutionary. These law students are often passionate and can serve as a great source of inspiration. They’re often the most outspoken students in classes, debating even the professor at times. They truly embody what it means to harness your legal education and put it to good use. Revolutionaries seek to dismantle many or all aspects of our current system, in order to do away with judicial inefficiencies and bring justice to the communities the law fails to protect.
The Prodigy /ˈprädəjē/: Here comes the law student who's been waiting to walk into their first law lecture the longest. Prodigies are as you may have guessed, the offspring of lawyers. They're the ones who listened to mom or dad discuss their cases at the dinner table growing up. They envisioned themselves in their parent's shoes and knew of their ambition to become a lawyer from a young age. They also often enter law school with some extent of how our judicial system works, along with some knowledge in certain areas of law. These law students often strive to make their parents proud, but more importantly they strive to make a name for themselves. Plenty of these prodigies also happen to develop a career within the same practice of law their parents did.
The Covert /ˈkōvərt/: This particular archetype likely represents the smallest population of any law school. When in law school, it's extremely common for people to speak aloud their career plans, the internship they recently got, the organization position they recently been elected to, and any academic accolade they've acquired. This certainly can produce an adversarial undertone within the law school community, although, it also creates a healthy career-oriented environment. However, none of these tendencies are embodied within the Covert. They make their moves in private, racking up résumé items in the shadows. They're often as accomplished as the Valedictorian, without any of the fuss. They're the ones who raise their classmate's eyebrows at graduation when answering the question "so what are doing after graduation?'' You easily could've spoken to a Covert without realizing it, because as their name suggests, these law students are experts at acquiring excellence undetected.
The Contemplator /'kon-tuhm-pleytur/: Introducing the law student who knows they want to practice law, but they're just not sure what specific field. They certainly have some vague idea, otherwise they wouldn't have invested the grueling amount of hours studying for the dreaded LSAT. Given they're without a specific idea as to what they want to do with their legal careers, they often find inspiration quickly. However, this inspiration is sporadic and changing, leaping from one field of law to another like a frog to lili-pads. Though it would be a mistake to view these law students as incapable or incompetent by any means. Many of these head scratchers excel in their classes, and because they've yet to commit to a certain legal field, they possess multi-faceted knowledge. But one thing is for certain, and that's by the time 3L year comes around, these law students have figured out their path same as most do.
These are the archetypes that swell the ranks of law school campuses nationwide. They all operate as pieces of the same whole. In the end, however, we're all just skipping to our own beat trying to pay off our mountain-high loans.
