57. NUSOL v. MAGA

What‘s Law Got To Do With It?

Our guest this episode is Erin McCrady, a friend of Felicity's and also the game of Quidditch. Erin is a 3L student at Northeastern University School of Law (or NUSOL) in Boston.

Before we even get to that, however, when Richard asks Felicity how she is, her reply is "same old steel." Turns out, that's a saying from her contracts prof at Osgoode, John McCamus. Richard then asks for her favourite contracts case: like many students, Felicity remembers the facts but not the name. Hopefully a viewer will set us straight on that.

Erin talks about being a law student in the US. Richard asks the blunt question as to whether Erin's profs are anti-Trump. Erin thinks they'd discuss him at length if they didn't have to cover regular class material, and not necessarily favourably. She mentions one prof who occasionally rants, and another who set aside time to have students explain what's happening in the country by getting them to present a legal news story. Richard wants to probe further, asking if any profs are pro-Trump. Erin says NUSOL is public interest focused, so it's likely not a law school that would be attractive to Trump supporters.

In discussing a choice of law school, Felicity says its much less of a big deal to agonize over choosing law school. "Just pull the trigger" is her advice. Since most law schools share a belief in the rule of law and justice, both Erin and Felicity struggle with why any law student (or prof) would be, or remain, a Trump supporter. Felicity thinks it would be hard to have an intellectually challenging discussion with someone who is so different (editor's note: in other words, we are lucky to be in Canada.)

Changing topics, Richard wonders whether the Socratic method is more common in the U.S. Erin thinks it may be, but only her civil procedure prof did so. NUSOL doesn't have class rankings, and opportunities for its students are not dependent on rank, so there's a little less pressure. Moreover, they don't have a curve, just honorifics -- High Honours, Honours, Pass, Marginal Pass, and Fail (thus leading to the slogan "MPs get degrees"). Interestingly, their transcripts contain a professor's narrative description of what each student is like, much as with report cards in grade school. There is also a private section on their transcripts that the public cannot see, which helps with feedback and comes in handy for jobs, as it's as if the transcript contains a mini letter of recommendation. Felicity thinks this should be a change to adopt in Canada, and that WLGTDWI will, henceforth, be the source for suggesting these kinds of creative changes to Canadian law schools.

Music Attribution:

What's Love Got to Do With It

by Tina Turner

Soundcloud: What's Love Got to Do with It

More Perfect Podcast: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolabmoreperfect