This afternoon Conservative radio talk show host Rush
Limbaugh discussed his personal belief of what will happen in the Republican
primary and his prognostication skills in picking the winner months ago and how
the Republican “establishment” will react to Mitt Romney. What caught my
attention was not what Rush was saying, but what he meant. When he said that he
sees “the stitches on a fastball” he meant that his experience and knowledge
allow him to have confidence in certain predictions or decisions. It is not
surprising that such a public and popular political pundit would think so
highly of themselves or their intelligence; however, it is how he said it that
stuck a cord with me.
I couldn’t help but think of this after I played basketball
today and how clear it is when one player demonstrates their superior talent
through distinct play. Every basketball player has different levels of talent,
skill, and ability. Generally, with experience skill and ability improve and
can distinguish a player from his peers. Whether it is a crisp, precise pass in
traffic or knowing how to smoothly fit into the flow of the game, experienced
players become evident early in a game because of the small things they do.
Sure, someone like Lebron James can wow you with an athletic dunk. However,
what makes him, and others, great is their ability to excel at the small things
in a game that make a big difference. Many times that is passing, how a player
sees the game, their defense, and how they lead their team. This is comparable
to law school where over time each person develops and improves their legal
skills and can differentiate themselves based on their overall ability or by
specializing in a particular field.
That said, I think the best sports comparable to law school
is that of Minor League Baseball. Think about it, when you begin law school and
have no clue what you are doing, it is as if you are in Rookie Ball. Sure, A
Ball is the lowest level, but it also is where you either make the cut or you
don’t. There are no second chances at that level. Teams are willing to wait
some time for higher level prospects to develop, but will not wait for a rookie
to develop if it is clear that they cannot make the initial cut. As you move through
the first year, you progress through A Ball from low-A to high-A. You begin to
understand what it required of you to succeed and what to expect at that level.
Even though everything is new to you, you have to adapt to survive. If you
survive, then you move up to AA and continue your development.
As a second year student you are most definitely in AA. By this
point there is no excuse for not knowing what is expected of you and what you
have to do in order to continue developing and moving toward the Major Leagues.
AA is all about focusing on further developing certain skills in the hope that
you will have the opportunity to display them in the Majors. That is not easy
but with hard work it can become a reality. Perhaps where the comparison really
becomes more apparent and real is in the summer after the second year of law
school. That is when students earn and acquire an internship that they hope
will lead to a full-time job once they graduate law school. This is just like a
September Call-up where a baseball team will give certain minor league
prospects the opportunity to be exposed to the Majors in the last month of the
season. Usually players come up for a few weeks and receive minimal playing
time. However, they gain valuable experience which they can then use to help
improve in the offseason. If they play really well, then they might play in the
Majors the next season. That is rare. Instead, most players will return to AA
or AAA for another season before they become ready for the Major Leagues.
After that, it is time for the third year and AAA. This is
the last stop before MLB and the last opportunity to improve on critical skills
before making to The Show. The players who differentiate themselves are the
ones who have multiple “tools” or skills that make them better players. The
same is true for law students who make have a higher GPA, be on law review or
moot court, or be involved in particular prestigious and respected
organizations. Regardless of the activity, it is the same as a baseball tool. The
typical baseball tools are fielding, throwing, hitting for power, hitting for average,
and base running. Ultimately, the goal
of law school and minor league baseball are the same. They both strive to
develop and improve people for the highest level of their profession with the
hope that they will achieve that pinnacle and perform at a high level.
To go back to Rush’s quote, it is not about what you think
you know, it is about what you have learned through experience and how you
apply that experience to your profession and life. That certainly is the goal
of law school and of any profession. No one is fully prepared when they begin
working in a particular area. However, with time and experience, they improve
and can become stalwarts in their field.
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