Yesterday, I was (un)lucky enough to be the last one to recite, good thing it was already few minutes before the dismissal otherwise I would have been standing for an hour or two. I am not really lucky in every first oral exams coz out of 40 or so students my index card more often than not will be the one got picked by my Profs. Yesterday wasn’t an exception. It’s a 5-unit subject by the way. So there I was standing again and answering the questions to the best (?) I can and on the latter part of the RECIT my Prof. further pushed and tested me and it was at this moment that he said, thinking perhaps that my answers sounded as if it’s my own opinion, “Mr. Bentor, answer like a lawyer!”. (-:
I have been away from law school for almost six years now. The last time I attended was way back in 2004 right after I finished my Masters in Public Administration. And my foundation subjects were taken long time ago – 2000. Just imagine the effort that I have to exhaust to be able to reach the same level as that of my present classmates in terms of the basics of the law but I’m not giving up. Who says I’m giving up? Indeed, this makes my study of law very challenging and interesting and what is more rewarding is the fact that my grades are way better than some of my full time classmates. I guess it’s a combination of luck and luck?! (-:
In the Institute, people are way different than any of the students in any of the Institutes in the University. Everything is just not usual. The language, the choice of words, the tone, the phrasing, the pacing not to mention the posture - everything is just so different. The way a law student responds to a question. The way he starts his answer and the words he has to use must be lifted from his own library of legal terms – no lay man’s term as much as possible and mind you law students have their own some sort of intonation which is weird. I call it lawyer-like intonation or tone if you may. It’s serious, in order, old-sounding but interesting. Generally, this is what you’ll hear. It’s seldom that you’ll hear anyone with a twang. Being away from such an environment and being so out of the normal regular world, my choice of words, tone, the phrasing(?) are way below this standard and I must admit I am deeply disturbed.
In the class, once you stand up and start answering the questions, your answer must be precise based only on law, jurisprudence and or authorities in the field. No matter how your professor tries to confuse you by throwing all sorts of questions, you have to remain composed, prepared to answer back and stick to your answer come what may. In such an instance, you will hear your teacher say things. Others can go as far as mocking you, which I also did when I was teaching. Some would make fun of your answer due to the obvious inconsistencies in the subject and verb and of course the paradoxical lines that you decided to unwittingly relate as if they’re really the same. While your answering, you can see the face of your teacher reacting to every answer you give but you should not be dissuaded from proceeding and standing by your answer except of course if the facts presented have totally changed the point thus necessitating a shift of your answer as well. Flip Flopping is frowned upon. It’s an indication of your personal confusion on the issue and worse it could be interpreted as “not prepared”.
By the way, you might be thinking if my answers were correct, yes they’re all correct but did I pass the standard in terms of how a law student should answer a legal question? No I failed big time. So next time, we will see. (-: Welcome to law school!
