Law school students not only need to learn the ins and outs of the law. They also need to learn the ins and outs of partying.
Well, at least some do, it appears.
Every year, most student bar associations throw a Barrister’s Ball, which is sort of like a prom for law students. It’s a chance to hang out with your peers and your professors in a semi-formal atmosphere.
Normally, not surprisingly, there is drinking involved. Sometimes, though, there is too much drinking involved. Open bars are not out of the ordinary.
The evidence? This posting on the PrawfsBlawg website from a professor about a Barrister Ball evening:
“Many years ago, when teaching at a different law school, I attended that school’s incarnation of this event. At 7 p.m., I went to the ladies’ room and a female student was passed out cold on the bathroom floor. Worse, three male students were in the ladies’ room attempting to revive her. They eventually just carried her out. Call me old-fashioned, but I am not anxious to repeat this experience.”
OK, rule No. 1: Don’t do what that female law school student did.
Rule No. 2: Especially don’t do it as early as 7.
Here’s another post by another professor:
“I go to these things sometimes because students really do like to see profs there. But, I try to leave before the tipping point where enough alcohol has been consumed that the students become either overly affectionate toward me or overly honest. Both are uncomfortable for me and cause subsequent remorse and regret for the student in question. So, I put in an appearance and interact with the students but try to leave well before that inevitable time when the party starts to take that kind of turn.”
Rule No. 3: Don’t get affectionate with a professor, no matter how smart/good-looking/funny/charming he or she is. And let’s be frank, it’s not as if they’re rich; they’re law school professors.
Rule No. 4: Don’t spill your guts. Don’t say: “Taking that Adderall really helped me cram for Contracts. That stuff works miracles.”
Students should indeed be mindful of their behavior at such events, law school experts say. If you blow it, it can carry through your law school career – and perhaps further.
“It’s crucial. Given the increased use of social media, those casual snapshots live forever,” said Nancy Rapoport, who co-wrote “Law School Survival Manual: From LSAT to Bar Exam.” “And many state bars actually mine photos for the character and fitness part of admission. Basically, everyone (students and professors) should remember that the internet is the permanent record about which our parents and teachers warned us.”
One word: Yikes!
Law school students may turn to alcohol at such events because they have social anxiety, said Rapoport, who’s also a law professor at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law.
“I didn’t know this lesson when I was in law school, but the best way that I’ve found for combating social anxiety is to focus entirely on the other people at the event. Ask them questions, get to know them, make sure that they feel comfortable. If you’re not focusing on yourself and your discomfort, social anxiety lessens.”
Rule No. 5: Do the above.
Yes, there can be considerable angst over the event. Students even ask what’s the right thing to wear via Reddit.
One response: “I’d go with your gray suit, a white shirt, a skinny black tie and your black shoes. When I was at law school, only the girls cared about what they were wearing, and after the first five drinks, no one cared about anything much.”
Still another: “Most of all, have fun. If you don’t want a pocket square, you don’t need one, but I also wouldn’t worry about being too formal either. They’re all students looking to have a good time, so I wouldn’t take it too seriously. I’ll bet the women’s bathroom will have at least one sink with vomit in it at the end of the night.
Rule No. 6: Don’t over-think the wardrobe.
Rule No. 7: Avoid women’s restroom at end of evening.
At Tulane University Law School, the Barrister’s Ball was once held at the Louisiana Children’s Museum. A tribute to Mr. Rogers of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” was on display. A student apparently stole one of the shoes actually worn by Mr. Rogers. The school freaked. The shoe was returned soon after.
Rule No. 8: Don’t steal Mr. Rogers’ shoe, or any items at the Barrister Ball venue.
Not every law school has had problems with its Barrister’s Ball. At California Western School of Law in San Diego, for instance, the open bar is only open for two non-consecutive hours.
“So I think that helps prevent guests from drinking too much too fast,” said Valerie Gurrola, a third-year who’s the Student Bar Association vice president and was in charge of this year’s ball. She served on the committee for the two previous ones, so she’s something of an expert on the subject.
The annual ball is not the kind of event where students feel an urge to get blotto, she said. If anything, the opposite is true.
“The Barrister’s Ball is a very classy event, and nobody wants to make a fool of themselves and have their peers and professors see or hear about it,” she said. “Students should always be mindful of their reputations, regardless of where they are.”
This is particularly true of first-year students, she added. They should take a cautious approach because they don’t really know what to expect, and take their cues from others.
“As for behaving appropriately, we’ve never had issues where students get out of hand,” she said. “Everyone is professional and a responsible adult.”
Indeed, it’s all about “dancing, eating and socializing among themselves and their significant others,” she said. “Everyone is dressed up – feeling and looking great – and I think that gives them a sense of freedom and youth because everyone is there for the same reason: to have fun.”
Law school students need to maintain a level of professionalism at other events, as well. Suppose you’re clerking at a law firm, and it’s holding a summer barbecue. The last thing you want to do is knock back too many cold ones or wear cut-off jeans and a T-shirt that says: “One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, Floor.”
Rule No. 9: At summer barbecues, wear casual clothes, but make sure they’ve got one of those alligators stitched on them.
Rule No. 10: If you’re offered a burger and you’re a vegan, don’t go on a rant about animal rights and how you donate to PETA and how meat-eaters are destroying the planet. That’s a downer. Just politely decline and go for the salad.
Oh, and have a ball at the ball . . .
