By Tandis Taghavi

Chapter 3: The Prisoner of Azkaban (read Chapters One and Two)

As a 1L, you may have thought your first semester of Legal Skills wasn’t that bad…after all, how hard can writing formal and informal memos be? You may have boogied into your Legal Skills II class with the same impression. However, as you cheerfully picked out your seat on the first day of class and briefly glanced at the syllabus, suddenly your palms became sweaty, your knees were weak, your arms were heavy, and you were trying not to vomit your mom’s spaghetti (in the words of Eminem). While the words, “Oral Argument Assignment,” violently jumped off the page, only 2% of your class seemed to rejoice. If you are like most, you were probably ignited with a prickly case of hives and suddenly had a “Sirius” urge to grab your backpack and run to the unplottable graveyard of Azkaban.

“I felt weird, like I’d never be cheerful again…”—Ron Weasley

Like Harry (and myself), you may have felt chills as the windows turned to ice and a cloaked, dreary dark creature (Oh no…. Dementors!!) hovered behind you and slowly began to suck the happiness, hope, life, and peace out of you.

But don’t fear, Professor Remus Lupin is here! Continue reading “Spotting the Issue: Confessions of a “Half-Blood” 1L (Pt. 3)” →

By Tandis Taghavi

Chapter 2: The Chamber of Secrets (read Chapter 1 here)

Class of 2020!! Can you believe it? Our first year of law school is winding down. With less than 10 weeks to go, the closer we get to finals, appellate briefs being due, and oral arguments, the more it feels like walking into a colony of Acromantulas (this can be quite a sticky situation). Rightfully named the “Forbidden Forest,” its eerie roots are known to domicile these spooky creatures and mystical secrets. Aragog’s lair is considered unsafe for man, and therefore Hogwarts prohibits students from entry (beware ejectment). While trespassing onto these treacherous lands in search of the ultimate secret (how to survive law school), might delay studying for a Civil Procedure midterm, entering Aragog’s lair will make learning about affirmative defenses (FRCP 8(c)) seem like less of an intentional tort.

What is—The Secret?

Ah, at last, we are faced with the ultimate question. What is the secret behind success in law school? Do you really want to know? Continue reading “Spotting the Issue: Confessions of a “Half-Blood” 1L (Pt. 2)” →

By Tandis Taghavi

Chapter 1: Muggle Studies

Congratulations, you’ve been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Here you will learn the secrets of magic and the laws behind it. Your transformation from a muggle to a witch or wizard will be lengthy and stressful. Through these chapters, I hope to ease the process and explain some challenges you will face, like learning spells (also known as the rules of law).

Both in law school and in the world of Hogwarts, the common phrase “knowledge is power” has been known as an overarching theme. Hogwarts selects students carefully and rigorously for an exclusive education, although the acceptance letter arrives by an owl rather than through ordinary mail (after your first semester of Contracts you might see this again and think Mailbox/Dispatch Rule). The same is true of law school. You will face Professor Snape who smells the fear of 1L’s, abides by the Socratic method, and is terrifying. You may encounter Professor McGonagall who is firm but fair. You could even have a Moody Professor who has a “Mad-Eye” for the law.

There are a few things I wish I was told before I walked into my first week of law school. Continue reading “Spotting the Issue: Confessions of a “Half-Blood” 1L” →