Law Students and Double Study

I'm sorry that the blogging has fallen off a bit as my visits to law schools are picking up. More on this later, but I had a great time last week with the Orlando Christian Lawyers group, the University of Miami CLS student chapter, and the new FIU CLS student group.

This week I'm in Pittsburgh, and I hope to provide a short report later this week. In the meantime, here is a snippet from a newsletter I sent to ministry partners earlier this month.

ON MY MIND FOR LAW STUDENTS: Do you have time to read what you ought to read? Even if it is akin to double-studying?

I know that law students don't like to read outside materials-- in other words, they don't like it when I tell them that they ought to be reading, along with the tyrannical law school case-heavy curriculum, systematic theology, biblical theology, fiction, and books on vocation. You don't like it. I don't blame you! But if you're called to be a law student to the glory of God, and your law school teachers aren't giving you the tools to do that, then you have to develop your own tool box.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Make use of your resources. Your pastor, a local Christian lawyer, an InterVarsity staff member, will steer you in the right direction and help minimize bad choices for double study.

2. Focus on the stuff you WANT to read and study. This makes the medicine go down a bit more easily.

3. Form a discussion group, and invite a Christian prof to join you in your discussion, or perhaps have him or her lead the group.

4. Start with articles on discipleship, vocation, and the ministry of ordinary work. Then go to digestible-sized books on topics like natural law, vocation, or Christianity and Law. Then tackle the big books, like Harold Berman's Law and Revolution.

5. Commit your way to the Lord. Ask him if he wants you to do "extra reading" in your life.