At this point in my career, I don’t need to go out of my way to find evidence of my “vintage”. However, last Monday and Tuesday I did. I traveled to my alma mater, Wayne State University Law School, to judge 1L students in their oral arguments of a Federal Court Summary Judgment motion. Including those two dates, my total visitations to the old school number less than five (flashback dreams excluded-more about those elsewhere on this blog). So, the watching of students in their early mid-twenties arguing a motion for the first time, certainly inclines one to feel one’s age.
Even so, a couple tidbits were a bit more jarring than expected. On Monday, my co-panelist judge was someone I went to law school with. She told me that one of the 1L students involved in the arguments was her granddaughter. Yipe. I had already felt old, with four grandchildren, the eldest in pre-K. Two of the four are not yet toilet trained. I presume most of the law students were housebroken.
At the first argument on Tuesday, the student representing the government gave his last name, one I recognized as fairly prominent in Macomb County. I remembered particularly a circuit judge I had appeared before on many occasions. I asked the student if he was related. It turns out that the judge was his uncle. “Was”, was the proper word, as the judge has passed away. When I got home I did a little research and a little math, and determined that the judge had most likely died before the student was born.
I barely remember my first year Research and Writing argument. I am sure I was at least as nervous as the most nervous of the 8 students who appeared before me last week. I thought they did well. I also saw other law students around and about the school, and I was impressed by them.
I confess I did not enjoy law school. I almost invariably left the campus as soon as could after class. Looking back, I wish I had realized that law school was my introduction to the Guild to which I so proudly belong. I am grateful I did eventually make up for lost time.
One more thing. The exit from I94 I used during my student days to deposit me one block from campus, has been obliterated. So it goes.
Best of luck to all the 1Ls and all the WSU Law School Warriors (Tartars in my day).
