University of Texas School of Law - Peregrinus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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8 — Bui ll's Still Life in a Pressure Cooker

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The Times They Are a Changin’ In 1970 students sat in trees destined for bulldozers in order to prevent the expansion of Memorial Stadium, the Vietnam War raged, and Regent Frank Erwin found himself the target of protestors’ discontent. The Chicano Law Students Association was then known as the Mexican-American Student Association and although one woman was on the Texas Law Review, women were still ineligible to be tapped as Chancellors. Bouffant hairdos, micro-mini-skirts and Credence Clearwater Revival were the rage. Ten years have passed and the soldiers from the Vietnam War have come home, and many have passed through these doors. Flower children and bouffant hairdos are passe, and who knows whatever happened to Credence Clearwater Revival? Today, yesterday’s war protestors fight to stop nuclear power plants, cowboy boots are popular and minorities and women have improved their lot considerably. By 1990 new changes will have come and today’s fads and opinions will surely also seem dated. The Times Are a Changin' — 7

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But It’s Still Life in a Pressure Cooker Many students find law school a very mercenary place, lacking in the camaraderie of undergraduate school. The first year brings the most anxiety — it’s make or break and most students never deviate substantially from their freshlaw performance. The exuberance of freshlaws is quickly cut short by professors' subtle and incisive questions, and nothing is more painful than realizing you’ve given an obviously incorrect answer. After the disappointing or exhilarating grade results are known, memories come to mind of Professor Weintraub's observation that the Harvard Law Review ruined two types of people — those who made it and those who didn’t, and neither group should take it too seriously. By the senior year, once job offers have been accepted, classes may no longer seem quite as interesting nor preparation for class quite so compelling. After checking graduation credits with Marion Harris in the main office, all that remains is to complete the few courses left and begin preparation for the state bar examination, the next great obstacle which will create much anxiety for the next several months until results are known. And then there is the inevitable realization that pressure is a way of life in the legal profession and law school is only a beginning. But It's Still Life in a Pressure Cooker — 9