Friday, October 12, 2007

Law and Children

James Lileks (one of my favorite online reads) has posted a great story about parenting, precedent and justice.

The story reminds me that many things we study in law school are just part of the natural order of life. Children crave both consistency (if I had ice cream yesterday, why can't I have it today) and justice (taking away popcorn for a small lie should clearly be considered a violation of the 8th Amendment). These considerations reinforce my notion that law school will help all students, even those that do not plan to become a lawyer.

I know law school has made me a better parent, although I am sure my son will tire of hearing that his pleading is rejected since he has come to the table with unclean hands.

1 comment:

Alison M. Kilmartin said...

Thank you for highlighting that post. I can't wait to have stories of my own someday. Recently I heard a top transactional lawyer say that she found negotiating with her two year old harder than any day at the office. While one may question the merit of negotiating with a two year old, each child is born with a set of talents and parents have the duty to mold and shape those talents into valuable life skills.