Many law schools offer a plethora of school sponsored events that can enrich the dull lives of law students. For instance, my school is broadcasting the live TV feed of several same sex marriage cases and then following it up with a panel discussion with Professors Hillman, Massey, and Weithorn. According to an email I received earlier today it looks like the event is open to the public, but the details page does not say anything about public access. If you're in the area, stop by UC Hastings.
Hosting the panel discussion is great and all, but I feel like I read about campus events far more than I can actually participate in them. Sure, I would love to attend lecture about an area of law I don't know a lot about or participate in a campus wide lecture, but unfortunately I have to check my memo for citation errors. Sweet.
This is where our current academic structure misses the bigger picture. Students don't attend law school to focus exclusively on their studies, they also want exposure to interesting legal issues. Yes, once can both study and attend some events, but time is zero sum and at the end of the day you are making a sacrifice. It's probably easier for those that live on campus to attend events, but not everybody lives nearby and schools should focus on all students, not just those with a short commute. I'm not paying a small fortune so I can blow off reading that eventually determines my grades (and ultimately my future employment prospects). Maybe the administration can offer a class for credit where we only attend campus events. Just a thought.
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