The Life of a Showgirl? No, the Life of a 1L

/ Rebecca Carcieri

Last Friday, Taylor Swift released her highly anticipated 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” In honor of this milestone coinciding with the first full month of law school coming to end, let’s take a look at how 13 (if you know, you know) of Taylor’s lyrics relate to the life of a first semester 1L… 

  1. “And my daddy said, ‘Stay away from Juliet’…” (“Love Story,” Fearless, 2008)

When you meet with your school-assigned mentor and she gives you all of the Dos and Don’ts for surviving 1L, from “Don’t compare yourself to others” to “Don’t brief every case word for word.” It’s warning and wisdom. Shoutout to all of the awesome mentors helping out the 1Ls!  

  1. “I remember it all too well.” (“All Too Well,” Red, 2012)

That moment when your civil procedure professor cold calls you on Erie Doctrine day. A moment burned into 1L history forever.

  1. “Heartbreak is the national anthem, we sing it proudly.” (“New Romantics,” 1989, 2014)

The collective mood of your section as the first memo draft deadline approaches. Everyone’s stressing, and encouraging each other in equal measure. No one’s okay, but at least you’re all not okay together.

  1. “We never go out of style.” (“Style,” 1989, 2014)

You and your sweatshirt: the true power couple of law school. You wear it in the freezing-cold East Wing, peel it off in overheated Stuart Hall, and somehow it becomes your emotional support uniform. 

  1. “The world moves on, another day, another drama.” (“Look What You Made Me Do,” Reputation, 2017)

When you’ve had the longest day of your life featuring multiple cold calls and so much legal research, and then realize you get to do it all again tomorrow! 

  1. “I’m doing better than I ever was.” (“Call It What You Want,” Reputation, 2017) 

That tiny moment of pride when your cold call actually goes well. Your answer makes sense, and your professor even nods. You walk out thinking, “Wait… maybe I can do this.”

  1. “I don’t really wanna fight / ’Cause nobody’s gonna win.” (“Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince,” Lover, 2019)

The Negotiations Competition. You prepare your arguments, try to stay calm under pressure, and realize the importance of collaborating for a greater good.

  1. “I think I’ve seen this film before / and I didn’t like the ending.” (“exile,” Folklore, 2020)

When you’re assigned yet another BlueBook Citations practice module in Lexis. You’ve done this before, you’ll do it again, and still, commas and italics remain your nemesis.

  1. “And when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone’s bed / You put me on and said I was your favorite.” (“cardigan,” Folklore, 2020)

Law school is hard, but those moments where you finally understand a confusing concept make it all worth it. 

  1. “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.” (“Anti-Hero,” Midnights, 2022)

When you realize you’ve been scrolling on TikTok instead of finishing your reading. You close the app, promise yourself you’ll do better tomorrow, and then end up doing the exact same thing the next day…

  1. “I love you, it’s ruining my life.” (“Fortnight” ft. Post Malone, The Tortured Poets Department, 2024)

Legal. Grounds. You love it there, even though it’s slowly draining your bank account.

  1. “I cry a lot but I am so productive.” (“I Can Do It With A Broken Heart,” The Tortured Poets Department, 2024)

Need I explain? 

  1. “You don’t know the life of a showgirl, babe / And you’re never, ever gonna.” (“The Life of a Showgirl” ft. Sabrina Carpenter, The Life of a Showgirl, 2025) 

When your non-law roommates ask why you spend all of your free time reading for class. They just don’t get it! 

In all seriousness, the first six weeks of law school have been full of challenges, laughter, and growth. Between the late nights, new friendships, and moments of resilience, I wouldn’t change a thing about this experience so far. Here’s to the next act!

Rebecca Carcieri is a first-year student at BC Law. Contact her at carcierr@bc.edu.

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