Everyone knows the saying “It’s the people that make the place.” That idea has held true in every phase of my life, from middle school on Long Island to college in Gainesville, Florida, and now law school in Boston. Law school – especially the first year – is stressful. It is demanding and can take a huge mental toll. While you’re navigating this new and challenging first year of law school, the people you surround yourself with become one of the most important aspects of your life that is within your control. Thankfully, BC Law already makes it easy for us to surround ourselves with good and supportive people, particularly the faculty.
Coming from a large undergraduate school, I never made connections with my professors. I always was, and still am, pretty quiet in the classroom. In college, speaking up in class or going to office hours seemed silly and like it wouldn’t lead to anything, especially when most of my classes were lecture halls. Lecture-style classes did not seem conducive to any student-teacher relationship, and office hours genuinely seemed like a waste of time if I was able to find someone else to answer my questions.
However, that is not the case for law school, and I certainly encourage students to take advantage of their professors’ office hours. While everyone may have a reason to avoid office hours – intimidation, laziness, ego – in law school, there is going to come a time when you will need to go, whether you think you do or not. The honest reason I avoided office hours the first half of the fall semester was that I was afraid to look stupid. I did not want to ask my professors, who are leaders in their fields and boast impressive academic and professional backgrounds, any question I had. But I definitely did myself a disservice those first couple of months, letting ego and insecurity determine what I should or should not be asking.
The first office hour I went to was Professor Campos’s. I remember asking him to explain summary judgment to me like I was five. It was definitely awkward and vulnerable-feeling, but I left his office understanding what summary judgment was, without the kind of judgment I had been afraid of. Professor Campos was extremely kind and receptive to my questions during my 20 minute session. It was a nice reminder that professors are here for what we think are our “silly” questions. In my first Contracts office hour, before I got to ask my question, Professor Kaveny began our meeting by asking how I was doing and we ended up chatting about life and the state of the world. Professor Simana set up coffee chats with groups of students where we could talk about anything, the caveat being we could not talk about Torts. She treated us to cookies and drinks from Tatte while she asked us questions about ourselves. In my first Law Practice one-on-one meeting of the year, Professor Bratt took the first half to check-in with how I was feeling about starting school before we spoke about anything class-related. She also lent me her Bluebook (the law practice Bible) this past weekend after I told her I accidentally rented mine last semester and had to get a new one.
In an environment where imposter syndrome runs high, it is important to know that we have professors who do care about us both inside and outside of the classroom. While my small anecdotes may be a common experience here at BC Law, I have had a number of meaningful conversations with professors that have made me feel more confident in myself as a student, person, and future attorney. Law school has been a dream of mine for so long, and I feel extremely fortunate to be attending a school where the faculty is brilliant and truly cares about the well-being of its students.
For anyone who may be put-off by the idea of going to office hours, remember that law school is hard, and the “silly” questions you think you have are good and valid questions that professors would rather you ask. Making even brief connections with your professors during the huge life transition period of law school is a part of the experience. Be open minded and don’t feel embarrassed! Go to office hours, meet your professors. They wouldn’t do the job if they didn’t want you to ask questions–silly or otherwise.
Alexandra Staller is a 1L student at BC Law. Contact her at stallera@bc.edu.
BC Law: Impact 