Academic

What's Law School Like?

By Jacqueline Lipton

I guess the impending school year is getting on top of me, but I keep having thoughts about how best to explain this strange career (and particularly the hiring process) to those who have not yet embarked upon it.  And what better way to do it than through pop culture.  Some random thoughts:

1/ I've always wondered if one could make a video game out of the tenure process?  My original thought was an old-fashioned platform game (think Sonic the Hedgehog) where the little tenure track character has to make his/her way through a maze of cranky senior colleagues hurling books and criticisms that (s)he has to duck, while attempting to pick up "points" in the form of law journal placements and good teaching reviews.  Any budding gamers out there want to try and code this one?  I wouldn't claim any IP rights - I'd just like to play the game.

2/ Or how about basing the staple of the hiring season - the job talk - on American Idol?  So the candidate finishes the job talk and then Ryan Seacrest jumps out and says something like, "Well, the faculty seemed to like it, but what did the judges think?"  Then you go to a panel of deans/associates deans and the hiring chair - you can decide who at your school should play Randy, Paula and Simon (although I guess Paula may now have to be replaced because I think she's officially off the show now).  Any budding directors want to film this one and put it on YouTube?

3/ Then, there's the possibility of basing the job talk on BBC's Dragon's Den - the show where you pitch your brilliant idea to a group of entrepreneurs in the hope that one of them will give you the capital to back it in return for an equity share in your business.  So you finish the job talk and then ask the faculty to invest in you by giving you a job in return for an equity stake in your career.  The "dragons"/entrepreneurs could be the faculty mentors or the members of the school's P&T committee.

Any other pop culture thoughts on academic careers for those about to enter the hiring fray?

Full post as published by The Faculty Lounge on August 12, 2009 (boomark / email).