The End of Days

How are classes over? I can't believe that we're really never going to have Crim, Torts, or Civ Pro again. I guess I expected the end of classes to be like college, but it wasn't. Sure, all the elements were the same: we came to the end of the syllabus, we had some review sessions, and then time was up. But somehow, it felt entirely different. The atmosphere and culture of law school are so different from college, I guess it makes sense.

I don't know how to describe it, so perhaps I can try to illustrate.

As we came to the end of Criminal Law with Prof. Weinreb, everyone's favorite well-dressed and odd-tie-choice professor, the whole class dressed up in suits for our last class with him. He had a chuckle, and took off his own tie, commenting on how intimidating it was to look out at so many dark suits. We finished up the material, and he had a few presents. He chose two students at random and gave them each one of the original cartoons that he used in his casebook (probably the only book we'll have with cartoons...). With his last few words, he told us how much he sincerely enjoyed this class, and that there have been years where he couldn't say that. After wishing us all the best, he began to head out of the lecture hall. Everyone in the room proceeding to applaud and give him a standing ovation. I've never clapped for a professor before; I've certainly never given one a standing ovation at the end of the term. Yet nothing seemed more natural, more intuitive at that very moment. Everyone in that room had a lumps in their throats and may have gotten a little misty. We had so many good times together, so many great memories, and now he was leaving us. I like to imagine a flashback montage set to "The Way We Were": seeing him shove Justin into the wall, tripping over the rolling-chair, elbowing pretend defendants, making squiggles on the chalkboard. . . sigh. I do not think I could have asked for a better first law professor: the profound respect and admiration is beyond words.

The other classes were somewhat anti-climactic. Torts sort of ended with a whimper, since

we were going to have a review session later in the evening. Plus, when Prof. Arlen attempted to compliment us on how we looked dressed up (albeit for Weinreb, not her), her comment of "You all look so nice, I should have made you dress up more often," sort of missed the point. Or perhaps it was just a bad joke. Either way, it was more or less class as usual (in other words, calling on Kendall, Jake, and Eugenio).

Civ Pro was another odd end (and not just because of the timing on giving Prof. Desan the "International Shoe Print"). By Friday, everyone was pretty ready to be done. Her departing comments urging us to be thoughtful, instruments of change, from anyone else might have seemed trite. But from her, it really was a profound reminder of our position.

So here we are. Or, here I am. Classes are done. Now just to get through the countless hours of work before finals in January.