Outlook from 1 North Front a column by students at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law REFLECTIONS OF A FIRST SEMESTER 3L by W. MCDONALD PLOSSER
“'Tis sad, 'tis true, yet pleasant all, when autumn's genial sun is shed, When flower's decay, and leaflets fall, and low, and breezes fan the head.”
“Autumn in the South” Joseph Addison Turner, 1853
already more than halfway through their first semester, certainly with one eye (or perhaps both) toward exams. More seasoned second -years go about their business (or busyness) trying to grasp that elusive handful of quietness amidst a full load of toil. Tird-year students, embattled and somewhat deserving of reprieve, soak up their final first semester in an attempt to conveniently forget about what awaits them next July. Tere is also a notable addition to the faculty corridors at the law school: Dean Peter Letsou has arrived bringing new ideas, fresh perspective, and apparently some ping-pong expertise, handily defeating Student Bar Association President Christopher Tutor—a worthy opponent—at a showdown earlier in the semester. Obviously, there is much to be excited about on 1 North Front Street as the age-old grind continues. While these initial observations from one third-year student are all too
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familiar and nostalgic for many of those reading this column, some of these revelations only begin to emerge later in a law student’s career. Chief among them is that the atmosphere at the law school, like so many institutions of higher learning, seems “stuck;” not in the sluggish, uncomfortable sense, but in a way that is refreshing, timeless, and even invigorating. Te confluence of intellect and excitement offers an almost innocent outlook on the legal world, allowing students to confront their inexperience and recognize their unfettered potential. With the unparalleled instruction and relationships gained here, students will be well prepared to enter the legal marketplace as lawyers willing and ready to change its shape. Tis experience, then, is truly unique. All at once, students graduate and receive their degree, pass the bar exam, and are whisked away into the field. Tough wide-eyed and untested, graduates remember fondly the place where their dreams were molded and shaped into what will perhaps be cautious optimism as their legal careers take flight. Tis is, of course, the romanticized outlook. Another revelation
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s the October rains move through, ushering in the crisp, autumnal chill through the Bluff City, the proverbial colors are also changing at Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. First-year students are
quickly setting in upon third-year students is the reality that the experience is coming to a close. Presently, the outlook facing newly minted law school graduates are grim. Te market downturn in 2007 and 2008 has taken its toll on the legal marketplace, causing some firms and businesses to change or cease hiring practices and adding another level of uncertainty to students aspiring to achieve all of those aspirations dreamed about while walking the halls of 1 North Front Street. Te next edition of this column will explore the current legal marketplace in greater detail, but for now, it is sufficient to say that things are not yet again, nor may they ever be, what they used to be. As a result, that aforementioned cautious optimism seems to be setting in among students much faster. Yet, the seasons change as they always do. Fall foliage brings a beautiful
hue to Memphis just prior to the winter cold, and the timeless experience remains. Students gaze out from the fourth floor reading room at the river, the colors, and the cityscape, yearning for time to slow. Maybe we do so at first because we remember the things pending in the back of our heads, but I would like to think it is because it gives students a chance to pause and reflect. Tis sentiment is echoed well by Joseph Addison Turner in the excerpt of his poem quoted above. His reflections on the onset of fall seem timeless, “stuck” comfortably in the range between despair and hope. A lawyer and journalist, Turner aptly conveys the range of emotions that comes with the passing of each season, ending the stanza with a moment of peace as “breezes fan the head.” Law students should be so fortunate as to have this perspective amidst the busyness, but it would do us all a bit of good to take time and pause, get “stuck” (or lost) for a while in the beauty of a Memphis fall. For those reading this column, I hope these brief reflections on the law school experience have invoked fond memories and perhaps some stomach-churning moments. Future editions of this column will explore a variety of topics in more depth from the perspective of a law student. At its core, I believe this column ought to be a window through which the Memphis legal community can view the law school, and it will be my endeavor to ensure that the view remains positive. I look forward to bringing the great stories from 1 North Front Street to life in the coming months.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mac Plosser is in his third year at the University of Memphis School of Law and currently serves as the Senior Notes Editor for the University of Memphis Law Review.
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