First Day of School

Today is my 21st first day of school, going back to preschool (actually 24 if we include my school years as a teacher!). I think that's a big number. But - I'm still anxious and a little nervous, anticipating what it will be like in law school.

I should have two classes today -- Legal Methods and Contracts -- but my Methods professor is out of town, or something, this week. So, I begin at the more-than-reasonable time of 2:00pm in my first Contracts class. In preparation for day one, we had a 17 page reading assignment that took a few hours to read, understand, and brief. The case we read was Shaheen v. Knight, in which a patient sues the doctor that performed his vasectomy when he and his wife subsequently have their fifth child. He does not allege negligence, just a failure to fulfill a contracted guarantee to make him sterile. Shaheen is suing for the amount of money it will require to raise his new child. The court reasoned that, while there was an enforceable contract, the costs involved in raising a child do not constitute damages. So, no damages were awarded since it was decided he had suffered none.

My classes will usually include two Sections of students, which totals about 80 people. The long-dreaded Socratic Method will be employed, and we'll be cold-called for answers to questions and general intellectual pestering by the professor. It'll be stressful for the unprepared.