I'd be remiss not to a post a new story in the Harvard Law School Record, of which my good friend and former classmate Roger Pao is Editor-in-Chief. The Record recently conducted a survey of Harvard Law School students and asked them to "identify and rank what you believe to be the ten best American law schools." No specific law schools were mentioned, and all students contacted were asked to respond via e-mail. Participants were assured of anonymity.The results? Harvard Law School is number one!
I imagine this might be akin to asking a particular U.S. Senator's staff to "identify and rank the ten best U.S. Senators," and then seeing them rank their boss #1. Nevertheless, it seems to suggest that students up there are happy, which may not have always been the case. And I think Greg would agree with me on this, as we were both students there recently -- the school has made great strides under Dean Elena Kagan to become a friendlier, more welcoming place (in contrary to popular myth about Harvard Law School, as depicted in such films as The Paper Chase, Legally Blonde, or--my favorite--Soul Man with James Earl Jones as the intimidating professor -- it's really not the ultra-competitive, vicious environment depicted in those films, and it's probably not like that at any American law school anymore; it's certainly not like that at Mississippi College School of Law, where I teach).
But I wonder if the HLS students will still feel so happy during January, when they are walking to class in 0 degree temperature, with gusts of wind from the nearby Charles River hitting them in the face??!! It's a lot of fun, enjoy!
P.S.: my favorite scene from Soul Man is when Professor Banks (James Earl Jones) cold-calls 1L Mark Watson (C. Thomas Howell) and asks him, "What is the precedent?" and Watson replies, "The President, sir, is Ronald Reagan."
Related Coverage: New Law School Rankings (11/1/2005).