Law Ball 7.0 — ‘The Last One’

Every law ball is the same, but you are not.

Last week I attended my last Law Ball. On the surface most things were identical — same venue, same food, same music, even the same people in attendance.

However, attending as a recent grad I realised the life cycle of the law student throughout their journey.

Many years of challenges, struggles and achievements were playing out in front of me like a dramatic documentary disguised in beautiful dresses and bow ties.

Younger students are drinking heavily and partying like they just got into Law School. Older students are also drinking, albeit in a different way. Grads are nonexistent.

Older students tend focus on drinking as a way to simultaneously drown their sorrows and avoid talking to each other about what is troubling them — academic workload, clerkship applications, job prospects, personal hardship, among many others.

And those are the ones that still attend events like Law Ball, the vast majority has dropped off the radar by then.

Yet, something was different this year. People approached all night and opened up.

Expressed interest and praise in what I am doing (entrepreneurship), a desire to go into alternative career paths, dissatisfaction with their current options or support networks, and the list goes on…

What changed? I am guessing my willingness to share some of my views and experience on social media over the last few months. To share my journey that, whilst being ‘alternative’, seems to embody what most students experience at some point but don’t dare talk to others.

Is there a toxic ‘success’ culture in the Law? If you let your personal success be defined by others, then yes.

I have not arrived where I want to be, and I have no idea where you want to go, but I’ll be there for you.

Coffee, wine or FaceTime. Don’t hesitate in sending me a message if you want to have a chat.

Alejandro