Details

Being in law school requires an attention to detail not required in many other areas of life. When speaking, reading, or writing "legally" each word carries weight and must be understood on its own if communication is to take place. No more lazy language, no more getting by with "that's enough to understand what I mean." Well that is not enough any more, now I must learn to slow down and take each word separately and then together, to make sure I understand each word on its own and in the context it is being used.

This reminds me of learning German which took a long time, a lot of practice, and many mistakes. But the point of the comparison I want to make right now is that when I first moved to Germany, I was limited in what I could express and communicate. My collective knowledge, previously stored in English, could not be expressed, so even if I knew I wanted to buy that sausage at the deli, I couldn't because I didn't have the language to express this desire. So as I learn the language of the law to say what I want to say. Without the proper language I will either sound like a bumbling fool at the deli counter, or say the wrong thing and get some weird geletanized loaf with floating pig parts rather than the sausage I wanted.

A Mexican friend of mine who has lived in the United States for 20 years tells all of the new immigrants that he knows two pieces of advise: learn English as quickly as you can and don't drive. Well I think I will take his advise in learning the law: learn the language of law as quickly as you can and don't do anything that can get you in trouble with the law!

I uploaded an etching of M.C. Esher as an example of focus on detail, and even though the details are mind-boggling when you dive in and try to following them, I find a sense of calm, of wonder, and of mental release