2018 Jan 25
Being a Sri Lankan Law student certainly comes with its ups and downs. So here are some of the constant struggles of being a law student in our country!
1. You hear the constant refrain of “omg I can call you when I go to jail!”
Umm new phone who dis?
Has it ever occurred to you that some of us might actually be the lawyers making sure you STAY behind bars (and clearly for good reason)? There are also many different strands of law apart from the criminal field, so sorry not sorry, but you may not have your get out of jail free card just yet.
2. You read endless (and exorbitantly expensive) text books and academic papers just to pass a single paper
Sometimes we even have multiple text books for a single subject, all of which we are expected to highlight, memorize, quote, and cite with pinpoint accuracy at exams. Ask any law student about Lord Denning and prepare to receive an earful about why some people can’t just mind their business, and reserve giving their opinion on just about everything. Smh.
3. You posses the willpower to not give up mid-degree and move to the countryside as a farmer
This one’s a bit strange, but possibly something many law students can relate to. The stress and effort that goes into being a law graduate is hard enough, let alone becoming a lawyer. There are those endless nights, coma inducing lectures, not to mention puffy eye bags and tears stained faces, all of which just gives you a paper that states that you are finally an LLB graduate.
Why a farmer, you may ask? Simply because all that manual labour seems like a piece of cake in comparison to all the brain matter engaged in reading one soporific page of anxiety-inducing latin phrases such as audi alteram partem and res judicata.
4. Become pros at hitting up Disques every Friday night and showing up for an 8 AM lecture on time
As future lawyers, we’re all expected to juggle multiple commitments without ever slacking professionally. This trait comes from all those harrowing years studying law, when you’re at the peak of your social life but also most anxious about succeeding in the future. This combination often results in pretty hilarious situations including rocking up to lectures in pyjamas, armed with steaming flasks of coffee, or studying all night and showing up to work twitching from all the Red Bull you consumed.
To all those who stayed back in bed, hungover, shame on you.
5. People talk about all that money you’ll be making as a lawyer
Yeah, yeah we get it. One of the age-old stereotypes of lawyers is that they’re pretty loaded and wear really fancy clothes to the courtroom. In reality? Meh. Your earnings are definitely quite decent, but again will most likely depend on which area of law you’d like to practice. The fancy clothes are definitely not a thing in Sri Lankan courtrooms.
Additionally, all of that money probably evens out all the cash we (okay, our parents) dropped on law school and those fancy textbooks collecting dust on our shelves. Sigh.
6. Everyone assumes you know EVERYTHING about the law, and expects you to quote statutes word for word
In the words of my father, all of y’all have been watching way too many Hollywood movies. You can’t expect us mere mortals to know all those needlessly complicated words of statutes by heart. We may study many of those laws during our time at university and Law College, but wipe that disappointed look off your face if we say we can’t remember, or aren’t not too familiar with what you’re referring to.
Also stop asking us mere graduates for advice? Our years studying all those textbooks have given us enough nightmares about giving professional advice, solicited or not.
All in all, we have a pretty rough time at university. We love your support, but enough with all these lofty expectations guys (I’m talking to you too, mom and dad!)!!
