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Authors: Amanda Cross
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time.”
“To which I look passionately forward,” Blair said. “All law-school courses are advanced, but some are core and some are not. That is, the core courses are taken by all students regardless of their interests in other areas of legal study, whereas the noncore advanced courses are taken according to the special interests of the students.”
“So what do they do in clinics?” Kate asked. “And why has Schuyler had only synthetic ones?”
“Don’t be a snob,” Blair said. “Synthetic clinics teach much the same as real clinics. They’re both involved with lawyerly skills. But Reed’s kind of clinic—about which I’m frankly even more of a snob than you—teaches substantive law by working with students, clients, administrative agencies, or courts in a particular area of law. Simulated clinics only get you so far; they’re okay for practice, but they don’t provide help to real people in need.”
“That’s just what Reed said. On to the basic courses at Schuyler Law.”
“Contracts.” Blair took a break while (apparently) trying to picture the catalog description. “Contracts studies the laws regulating agreements for commercial purposes. It also studies how the state enforces contracts. That’s a lot to study, and it always occupies two semesters. As does constitutional law.”
“Don’t tell me,” Kate said, “let me guess. It studies the Constitution.”
“Well done,” Blair responded. He was getting into the spirit of the thing. “It also considers the legislative and judicial spheres, federal and state, government and individuals.”
“In short,” Kate said, “Rehnquist versus Brennan, or Marshall vs. Thomas.”
“You could put it that way, yes,” Blair agreed. “Except that questions of original intent get rather hairy.”
“Sorry for the uncalled-for remark,” Kate said.
“Apology accepted. I’m doing my humble best.”
“You’re doing wonderfully,” Kate told him,meaning it. “As to what you learn in Torts,” she said, “I cannot even guess.”
“Well, I have taught it,” Blair said, “but that’s not going to be much help. It’s to do with injuries not covered by criminal law. It also deals with the principles of liability.”
“What do you teach, besides literature and law with me?” Kate asked. “I should have asked that question long ago. Were you in literature, I would have ascertained your field in the Oak Room before we had ordered a drink. There is too little understanding between the professions.”
“A condition we are trying to remedy with our lit-law course,” Blair gallantly said. “I teach Procedure. Who can sue whom? When? What do courts do? What are the rules, the role of lawyers, the costs? Perhaps we can discuss the details some other time over a drink.”
“That would be lovely,” Kate said. “Now, what does that leave us? No, don’t tell me; I’ve got to get this clear. Property; how could I forget?”
“In an American law school you can’t and shouldn’t. Some forward-looking schools actually include environmental as well as historical and economic perspectives. At Schuyler, they study property, meaning land and water, chiefly in the context of mine versus yours and, above all, versus the state. And speaking of Schuyler, we’d better get down to that reception. Follow me.”
“Do they serve alcoholic beverages to oil the wheels of social intercourse?” Kate asked, remembering her recent visit to the Theban.
“That they do,” Blair said. “Bourbon is the drink of choice.”
“I should have guessed,” Kate said. “It figures. Reed and I drink scotch.”
“They’ll probably run to a small allowance of scotch for you and Reed. I’m a scotch drinker myself.” He bowed her out of the office, locking the door behind him.
The reception turned out to be much less difficult than any of them had anticipated, largely because of the alcohol. Kate, despite her questions to Blair concerning alcohol, decided
“To which I look passionately forward,” Blair said. “All law-school courses are advanced, but some are core and some are not. That is, the core courses are taken by all students regardless of their interests in other areas of legal study, whereas the noncore advanced courses are taken according to the special interests of the students.”
“So what do they do in clinics?” Kate asked. “And why has Schuyler had only synthetic ones?”
“Don’t be a snob,” Blair said. “Synthetic clinics teach much the same as real clinics. They’re both involved with lawyerly skills. But Reed’s kind of clinic—about which I’m frankly even more of a snob than you—teaches substantive law by working with students, clients, administrative agencies, or courts in a particular area of law. Simulated clinics only get you so far; they’re okay for practice, but they don’t provide help to real people in need.”
“That’s just what Reed said. On to the basic courses at Schuyler Law.”
“Contracts.” Blair took a break while (apparently) trying to picture the catalog description. “Contracts studies the laws regulating agreements for commercial purposes. It also studies how the state enforces contracts. That’s a lot to study, and it always occupies two semesters. As does constitutional law.”
“Don’t tell me,” Kate said, “let me guess. It studies the Constitution.”
“Well done,” Blair responded. He was getting into the spirit of the thing. “It also considers the legislative and judicial spheres, federal and state, government and individuals.”
“In short,” Kate said, “Rehnquist versus Brennan, or Marshall vs. Thomas.”
“You could put it that way, yes,” Blair agreed. “Except that questions of original intent get rather hairy.”
“Sorry for the uncalled-for remark,” Kate said.
“Apology accepted. I’m doing my humble best.”
“You’re doing wonderfully,” Kate told him,meaning it. “As to what you learn in Torts,” she said, “I cannot even guess.”
“Well, I have taught it,” Blair said, “but that’s not going to be much help. It’s to do with injuries not covered by criminal law. It also deals with the principles of liability.”
“What do you teach, besides literature and law with me?” Kate asked. “I should have asked that question long ago. Were you in literature, I would have ascertained your field in the Oak Room before we had ordered a drink. There is too little understanding between the professions.”
“A condition we are trying to remedy with our lit-law course,” Blair gallantly said. “I teach Procedure. Who can sue whom? When? What do courts do? What are the rules, the role of lawyers, the costs? Perhaps we can discuss the details some other time over a drink.”
“That would be lovely,” Kate said. “Now, what does that leave us? No, don’t tell me; I’ve got to get this clear. Property; how could I forget?”
“In an American law school you can’t and shouldn’t. Some forward-looking schools actually include environmental as well as historical and economic perspectives. At Schuyler, they study property, meaning land and water, chiefly in the context of mine versus yours and, above all, versus the state. And speaking of Schuyler, we’d better get down to that reception. Follow me.”
“Do they serve alcoholic beverages to oil the wheels of social intercourse?” Kate asked, remembering her recent visit to the Theban.
“That they do,” Blair said. “Bourbon is the drink of choice.”
“I should have guessed,” Kate said. “It figures. Reed and I drink scotch.”
“They’ll probably run to a small allowance of scotch for you and Reed. I’m a scotch drinker myself.” He bowed her out of the office, locking the door behind him.
The reception turned out to be much less difficult than any of them had anticipated, largely because of the alcohol. Kate, despite her questions to Blair concerning alcohol, decided
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