Top Law Schools

I've heard reports that law school is a destructive force to the creative-drive. Say it ain't so. Being able to think as well as be creative is something I hold quite dear. In many respects, it's something I almost consider as an essential component of free will.

In any case, what's your take on retaining (even developing) the creative drive and will while in law school? Will it have to be derived through some other channel, completely detached from school, or is it possible to incorporate it through the study of law?

reasonabledoubt wrote:I've heard reports that law school is a destructive force to the creative-drive. Say it ain't so. Being able to think as well as be creative is something I hold quite dear. In many respects, it's something I almost consider as an essential component of free will.

In any case, what's your take on retaining (even developing) the creative drive and will while in law school? Will it have to be derived through some other channel, completely detached from school, or is it possible to incorporate it through the study of law?

Law is the most anti-creative endeavor I have ever undertaken. Legal writing is the only kind of writing I've ever done where original thought is discouraged, and if you do have to have an original though you are supposed to find a way to make your idea look like it's someone else's idea. I thought I'd do some more creative writing outside of school (I've sold some magazine articles, and thought I'd keep it up), but I don't have any desire to spend one extra minute in front of the computer.

I took up watercolor painting.

Law school does not equal the practice of law.

While the first years of your career (any career) will involve mostly drudgery, you need to be creative to adapt to the needs of your clients, find solutions in legal problems, fuse differing ideas, connect with jurors and make new business connections.

I don't know if that sounds creative enough to you, or if that all ties into your idea of free will ( ). If you're expecting to have the freedom of a writer, then you're in the wrong field. However, I often find the most creative people are the ones who are able to be brilliant and original within a strict system.

Pearalegal wrote:Law school does not equal the practice of law.

While the first years of your career (any career) will involve mostly drudgery, you need to be creative to adapt to the needs of your clients, find solutions in legal problems, fuse differing ideas, connect with jurors and make new business connections.

I don't know if that sounds creative enough to you, or if that all ties into your idea of free will ( ). If you're expecting to have the freedom of a writer, then you're in the wrong field. However, I often find the most creative people are the ones who are able to be brilliant and original within a strict system.

Very nice - your last sentence is in line with my take on the subject as well.

Pearalegal wrote:Law school does not equal the practice of law.

While the first years of your career (any career) will involve mostly drudgery, you need to be creative to adapt to the needs of your clients, find solutions in legal problems, fuse differing ideas, connect with jurors and make new business connections.

I don't know if that sounds creative enough to you, or if that all ties into your idea of free will ( ). If you're expecting to have the freedom of a writer, then you're in the wrong field. However, I often find the most creative people are the ones who are able to be brilliant and original within a strict system.

All this is true, and the bolded part is the challenge that drew me to law school, but it isn't exactly most people's standard conception of creativity.

Creativity and law?

I don't know much about this, but I'm going to go make myself a peanut butter and ketchup sandwich. Be back later...

traehekat wrote:Creativity and law?

I don't know much about this, but I'm going to go make myself a peanut butter and ketchup sandwich. Be back later...

I'm not gonna lie. I threw up in my mouth a little.

Um...my take is (a) I feel like a truly creative person wouldn't have to think/ask this question and (b) creative people don't refer to themselves as such (by virtue of doing so they are in fact, uncreative, no?). $0.02.

And that response was just a tangent, I know it didn't answer the question and mayve came off harsh (or from left field). Sometimes I just get an eyeroll reaction when people talk about "creativity" because that just seems ironic to me (and I rarely ever use the word ironic).backing out of thread now...

Jewelry making FTW. I'm going to donate a bunch of pieces to my school's public service auction.

People who value creativity can usually find an outlet for it, and it helps a ton when it comes to managing stress. But yeah, Renzo is right about legal writing. *Sigh* No more channeling Victor Hugo if I actually want to pass LRW.

deadatheist wrote:Um...my take is (a) I feel like a truly creative person wouldn't have to think/ask this question and (b) creative people don't refer to themselves as such (by virtue of doing so they are in fact, uncreative, no?). $0.02.

Perhaps you're not creative enough to consider all the ironic possibilities that may have compelled a creative person to ask such a question. A or B? Those are the complete list of plausible reasons? Tsk tsk.... keep your 2 cents, they're a little too one-dimensional.

deadatheist wrote:And that response was just a tangent, I know it didn't answer the question and mayve came off harsh (or from left field). Sometimes I just get an eyeroll reaction when people talk about "creativity" because that just seems ironic to me (and I rarely ever use the word ironic).backing out of thread now...

Burn in pretentious hipster hell.

Renzo wrote:

deadatheist wrote:And that response was just a tangent, I know it didn't answer the question and mayve came off harsh (or from left field). Sometimes I just get an eyeroll reaction when people talk about "creativity" because that just seems ironic to me (and I rarely ever use the word ironic).backing out of thread now...

Burn in pretentious hipster hell.

zomg, that is EXACTLY what i sounded like. i in fact have heard far too many pretentious hipsters wax on about creativity, and perhaps that's where my strong (bad) opinions on the matter of merely discussing "creativity" come from. despite what i said i really didn't mean to offend or seem like a pretentious hipster - so i suppose i want to clarify that slash apologize for the e-bashing. so...let's all chill and write short stories now!?

I don't anticipate law providing a creative outlet. Instead, I'm hoping to spend a little time on the side trying my hand at writing short stories for magazines.

i iwsh i were creative. i wrote short stories when i was a kid.

now i play call of duty and read scotusblog. i dont even read books.

aIvin adams wrote:i iwsh i were creative. i wrote short stories when i was a kid.

now i play call of duty and read scotusblog. i dont even read books.

Call of Duty is creative, right? ... Guys? RIGHT!?

traehekat wrote:

aIvin adams wrote:i iwsh i were creative. i wrote short stories when i was a kid.

now i play call of duty and read scotusblog. i dont even read books.

Call of Duty is creative, right? ... Guys? RIGHT!?

yesterday i watched the killcam of someone who got my semtex stuck on their riot shield, they dropped their riot shield by picking up a magnum gun, turned the corner, threw a knife into my buddy and then shot me with the magnum.

i felt inspired. to eat doritos

Why do you want to go to law school?

aIvin adams wrote:

traehekat wrote:

aIvin adams wrote:i iwsh i were creative. i wrote short stories when i was a kid.

now i play call of duty and read scotusblog. i dont even read books.

Call of Duty is creative, right? ... Guys? RIGHT!?

yesterday i watched the killcam of someone who got my semtex stuck on their riot shield, they dropped their riot shield by picking up a magnum gun, turned the corner, threw a knife into my buddy and then shot me with the magnum.

i felt inspired. to eat doritos

More impressive than anything Dali has ever done, that is for sure.

I'm not into being "creative" in an artsy-fartsy sense, but I do consider myself creative. I also didn't believe the law could be much of an exercise in creative thinking, but I was wrong. The law allows you to be original, to think in a novel way, and will reward you for it. It's creativity in problem-solving, not artistic expression.

aIvin adams wrote:

traehekat wrote:

aIvin adams wrote:i iwsh i were creative. i wrote short stories when i was a kid.

now i play call of duty and read scotusblog. i dont even read books.

Call of Duty is creative, right? ... Guys? RIGHT!?

yesterday i watched the killcam of someone who got my semtex stuck on their riot shield, they dropped their riot shield by picking up a magnum gun, turned the corner, threw a knife into my buddy and then shot me with the magnum.

i felt inspired. to eat doritos

HOLLEEEEE SHIT! Tell me you made that up?!?