As anyone in law school knows, and anyone who is thinking about law school will find out, fall of your 2L year feels like a tornado. A cyclone of class, interviews, applications, and job hunting. We are merely two days away from fall break and I already feel like I have a full semester behind me.

In the midst of this storm, you are preparing for interviews, updating your resume and combing your writing samples for mistakes. You get to know your resume like the back of your hand, and are ready to answer any question that might come your way. Let's just put it this way...you definitely want to be candid, but you don't want to be surprised in an interview.

This is why it was odd that while I was going through the interview process this fall, I suddenly found myself going off script.

I was sitting in an interview one Friday afternoon when I was asked about my previous summer experience. Softball right. OK. I told them about my writing, about going to court with the attorneys, and the special projects I was a part of. But then, I was asked, "What was the most important thing you learned from that experience."

Before I could think about it, I said, "How to see people." Immediately, in my head, I panicked. What was I saying?! How to see people, come on. That's not a concrete answer. They are probably wondering what's wrong with me. Not surprisingly, I was asked to explain.

I explained that one of the greatest things I took from my previous experience was how to set aside what you know, and your expereinces, and place yourself in their shoes, see their life, where they are coming from, and meet them where they are. I dealt with people who had completely different life stories and life outlooks than I did. I learned how to look beyond my life experiences and look to theirs. I had gotten so used to the life I knew, the people I knew, the places I went, and the way I thought, and without knowing it, I was putting blinders on.

This past summer I took the blinders off.

Then, shortly after the interview, I see this article in the New York Times, The Fraying of a Nation's Decency.

"The prevailing American story line right now is seething anger at politicians: that they’re corrupt, or heartless, or socialist, or dumb. But the Amazon story, and many other recent developments, suggest that the problem is significantly deeper," reporter Anand Giridharadas writes.

Giridharadas questions if in the midst of the pursuit of our dreams, we are somewhere along the line losing our sense of decency, and common purpose. He fears we are dealing in cheap stereotypes, instead of valuing the individuals right beside us.

And after my experience this summer I think he is right. With personalized newsfeeds, blogs, twitter feeds, and a million specialized news outlets where we can watch the news 24-7 we are truly in danger of building blinders without even knowing it. Instead of having our views and ideas challenged, they are reinforced. And instead of looking beyond ourselves, our friends and our lives, the walls around us keep growing taller and taller.

Giridharadas goes on to write, "What is creeping into the culture is simple dehumanization, a failure to imagine the lives others lead. Fellow citizens become caricatures. People retreat into their own safe realms. And decency, that great American virtue, falls away."

How does this fit with law and being a good friend, a good sister, a good student or a attorney? We take off the blinders. We look around, and we listen. It is one of the first things to fall to the wayside when things get hectic. But what better way to support and feel strongly in what we believe in than talking with those who think differently. What better way to learn than to to step outside of our comfort zone. And what better way to serve people, whether they are friends or clients, than truly setting aside what we know, and our life experiences to truly see other people for who they are.

Learning the law is only half of what I need to be a good lawyer. To truly advocate for someone, I need to learn to listen, and to see people, exactly where they are.

Don't be a stranger.

Photo from We Heart It

From about mid-October on, something changes at law schools around the country. It's something in the air. Something that breeds comparison and the constant curiosity about how you line up with the rest of your classmates. There is something useful that comes with this though. Because with it comes a healthy dose of competition, that fire that pushes you to stay up later than you used to and set the alarm for a god-forsaken hour that no other human being would dare whisper. This, and a strong cup of coffee, keeps students going until the last exam comes to a close, blue books are turned in, and what used to be sharp No. 2 pencils are whittled down to a nub.

Then, somewhere between January and February, a much more sinister type of comparison creeps in, and comes to a climax once students receive the email, "Transcripts are in."

Everything in law school is driven by rank, and transcripts merely embody this. Your standing, your chance at a good summer job, even extracurricular activities. And it's hard for students, or at least it was hard for me my first year, not to get caught up in the game of comparison. The reality is that yes, while we're in law school, we will constantly be compared to those around us. However, it is important to understand that comparison for what it is and not let it steal your joy.

First of all, it is important to remember that everyone is different. Law school attracts a very diverse group of people, from all walks of life, with different culminations of life experience. We all bring different strengths with us and that is what will make up good at what we train to do. This translates into both how you study and how you "line up."

I remember my first semester, everyone had an opinion on how to succeed in law school. If I made notecards, used different highlighters, or had a study group on the first day of class, I was sure to succeed. But that's not how everyone works. It wasn't until I stopped comparing myself, and trying to mold my study habits after everyone else that I really started to succeed. Now, the best thing I can tell a prospective law student or 1L, is to do what works for them. You know yourself better than anyone else, you know what drives you, what you need to be prepared and how you study. Stick to your guns. Don't be worried if other people are doing something completely different. Don't compare yourself.

I also remember comparing myself after a semester I wasn't completely happy with. It was an awful feeling, I felt sick to my stomach looking at my transcript. At that point, my dropped rank simply seemed to echo a fear that compared to everyone, I might not line up where I thought. But everyone has a bad semester, a rough class, or a rank that wasn't quite where they wanted it. But not matter where you line up, its important to remember that not only can you bounce back, but that you can't lose sight of all that you've learned and all that you bring to the table.

Law school ranks are an indicator, but not the whole picture. Never forget that. No matter what your rank, don't let comparison steal your joy or take away from the fact that as long as you compete with yourself to do the best you can, you will come out on top.

After law school, there are no ranks. You are either a lawyer people trust to take care of their problems, or you're not. So instead of focusing on ranks, and being concerned about where your classmates line up, focus on you. Start those healthy habits in law school instead of breeding unhealthy thoughts of comparison. Healthy competition is good, but comparison can be bad. It can steal your joy if you let it in a pressure cooker like law school. So while transcripts are coming out at schools around the country, I would urge you, no matter what your rank, don't let comparison seep in and steal your joy. Remember why you came to law school, remember why you love it despite the late nights, and remember what you're good at. Remember your joy.