Customer Reviews

One L: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm not sure what to make of Turow's book. Here is a guy who goes to Harvard Law School, an institution which has existed in its present form for well over 200 years. As a first year law student, he has the nerve to have all these criticisms of the institution -- that it's hostile, that the law is not warm and fuzzy, that there are clear boundaries in the law, which seem to indicate that he has choosen the wrong field. He seemed to be quite selfish in that he wanted the school to change many of its most cheerished methods of teaching to satisfy one alienated, empty-headed student.

All readers assume that one's first year at Harvard Law School is challenging. Ironically, it does seem as though Harvard may have listened to Mr. Turow's complaints since I have not heard of the difficulty of the institution from other students/graduates. It is possible that they have dumbed-down the curriculum to satisfy those who would prefer to complain than learn.

At the same time, this book certainly opens our perspective in how the law school class is set up, including the Socratic method, to which I was already quite familiar with. I would urge readers not to think that Mr. Turow's experience is at all shared by most at Harvard -- or any other institution. Remember that Mr. Turow just happened to want to write about his experience, but many others who choose not to write probably had drastically different experiences. Maybe they choose to learn and excel rather than to criticize an institution ten times their age.

Mr. Turow's analysis of the other students also appears rather superficial and shallow. The students are essentially grouped into the achievers, the complainers (who think of themselves as "intellectuals," but who, in reality, are no more intellectual than a kindergardener with a crayon), and the professors who "harass" the students. What about the exact types of questions one faces in law school. How are the questions different from undergraduate life? Is law school merely a tarriff to prevent competition in the legal professsion? Also, as with most people who advocate change, Mr. Turow is remarkably short on specifics on how he would change the law school experience. The lack of specifics is common for those who gripe about the present but are unable to explain an alternative system to which they aspire.

This is certainly an interesting book, but I would hesitate to think that it is the Bible of the Law School experience. It is merely one story about one institution in a particular year.

This is a great book. If you are thinking about Law School, you HAVE to read it. Understand, though, that the Law School experience--and the HLS experience, in specific--has changed a lot since the time this book was written. Still, nothing can give you a better idea of what law school will be like than this book. Today, hundreds of law students keep blogs of their experience--this phenomenon was clearly inspired by this book, which is written like (and, in fact adapted from) Turow's journal.

Even if you're not Law School bound, this is an exciting, engaging book that tells a great story. Turow is, of course, a successful author and an established writer. This book stands on its own as a good read.

I'm a Brit and I'm not a lawyer, I left University 22 years ago. I have kids and a dog (and a wife). I have never been to the USA and know virtually nothing about Harvard.

So why have i read this book FIVE TIMES !!?

It must be VOODOO because the whole thing about struggling through law school inspired me. Not only have I read it 5 times outright, I find myself even now dipping into it to catch a quick fix.

It is a truly tremendous book, full of humanity, intellectual discussion and it evinces a real love of the law.

It is probably one of, if not thee, best book old ST has written.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I feel like it gave me a rough idea of what to expect as a 1L, but I won't know for sure until I actually become one myself. For now, I would recommend it to anyone interested in going to law school but isn't really sure what your education will entail (as was my situation when I initially read the book). Since it was written so long ago and the author was pretty much commissioned to write it, I wouldn't take it as a true-to-life guide to being a 1L nowadays, although I'm sure a lot of experiences transcend schools and generations.

For someone like me, who is considering law school, this book is definitely a worthwhile "peek inside" the experience of law school, or at least the first year. Not being a law student I don't have anything to compare it to, but reading about Turow's experience and comparing to the experience of lawyer acquaintances makes it seem to hold a lot of truth. True, it's probably a bit dated, but it's a worthwhile read for anyone who's considering law school.

I found the book to be interesting, if not a bit melodramatic, highlighting what "old school" was like at Harvard some 20+ years ago. The teaching methods vary between schools, and competition and teaching theories have definitely changed over the years. This book provides great shock value, but should not be used to scare a person away from attending law school.

Heard ONE L, the account by best-selling author Scott Turow
(PRESUMED INNOCENT, among others) of his first year at
Harvard Law School . . . although he was a student some
25 years before he wrote the book, it still gave me a gripping
account of what being a law student then was all about . . . and
though I've never attended law school, friends have told me
that much of his account still holds true; i.e., it is certainly not
an easy experience.

I particularly enjoyed Turow's account of his various professors and
why he liked some--and detested authors . . . in the latter category,
he placed this one individual who had this to say on the first day
of class:

It is the hardest course you'll take. . . . I am not an easy person.
I expect you to be here every day. . . . I expect you to be very
well prepared every day. I want to be absolutely clear on that. I
have never heard the word "pass." I do not know what unprepared
means.

Now and then, there are personal problems. We all have these
at times, which will make full preparation impossible. If that is the
case, I then want a written note handed to my secretary at least
two hours before class.

Now, personally, I'm not sure that I will ever go that far in addressing
my students at the beginning of the semester . . . yet that said, I
do like the one part about expecting students to be very well
prepared for each class . . . I might just incorporate that one
part into my opening remarks!

Paul Rudd did an excellent job of narration.

I think this is an excellent book about law school. I can't vouch for its accuracy as I have not yet attended myself, but Turow does an excellent job of describing his anxieties, hard work, relationships and concerns about legal education. Turow writes very well and has an excellent eye for details, so the book is fun to read, but his honesty and personal insights are what really make this book memorable. I can not imagine the intensity and competitive nature of the classes, but I think it is valuble to know it exists and the worst of what I may want to be prepared for in law school. I don't know how contemporary the book is and the complaints that the book doesn't paint an accurate portrait of law school anymore are probably fair, but I think it is still worth the short time it takes to read. I think this would be an enjoyable and interesting book for people interested in education in general and particularly for people who are hoping to pursue a legal education.

Simply because the events Mr. Turow relates may not happen across the board at most law schools today, does not negate the fact that his story is interesting, and at its core, presents the truth about the emotional highs and lows of most 1Ls.

I am returning to law school as an evening student. I have raised two children, and worked as a research paralegal for 18 yrs. Nevertheless, I am more than a bit on edge about the "time" factor and the work load, not to mention the first set of exams. These issues were, are, and will remain universal, no matter the law school or the "kinder" professors. My son graduated from law school two years ago, and while no professor would dare to have pull the yarn that Turow's Contracts professor did, the pressure and arrogance was [and will always be] ever present. Turow is a beautiful writer, and a heck of a nice guy, as well. Read it kids, cuz it's true!

I read this before starting law school, and thank God I did. While law school is not today what it was, Turow's depiction still holds true in many aspects, such as the socratic method of teaching, the stress surrounding exams, and while others do not agree with me, the competition. Anyone who is starting law school should read this book. Then as you finish your first year, you can breathe a sigh of relief that it was not quite as terrible as what it might have been, were law school still the way Turow describes it. It's a fast read, and very enjoyable, although not always comfortable.