7 www.loubar.org September 2024 Serving your practice as our own For more information call us at 502-568-6100 or Submit for a quick quote at www.LMICK.com rights than their mothers did. Despite this the students at the Brandeis School of Law whom I’ve come to know and who I’m honored to teach have, to quote “Friday Night Lights,” “clear eyes, full hearts.” (See, *, Supra.) Many of them have overcome stiff challenges to get to law school in the first place. The student body in 2024 is not monolithic, though. As we did, they come from different places, geographically, socially and economically, and dream of go- ing different places, too. In the spring when we discussed Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead in trial practice class, several of the students recounted their own stories of growing up in Appalachia, and recognized family or people they knew in the novel’s char- acters. Others are from the city. Some have lawyers for parents. Most do not. Some have money. Most do not. Some of them embrace and are even energized by the political, legal and cultural upheaval of these times. Others worry but persist. Attending law school in 2024 is a political act, overtly or not. In our days, the supremacy of the Rule of Law was unquestioned and we were just working out the fine print. Now, its survival is a matter of debate by responsible people, and these students understand that the oath they hope to take some day to uphold the Constitution has a new and perhaps urgent resonance. Not all of my students want to change the world, and that work isn’t for everyone. But all of them, I tell them, will be thrust into lead- ership positions in their communities, if only informally, simply because they’ve studied and practice the law. Even if you’re not a judge, I say, or a state legislator, or a governor, and even if you eschew an obviously political life, as long as we are a nation of laws, your clients and the community will rely upon you to administer those laws. Simply doing that – ethically and diligently – isn’t just political, it’s the foundation of the system itself. Studying law today is an act of courage, too. You may have walked uphill three miles in the snow to school, every day but I’m telling you these students are walking four. We paid our tuition – and rent – with summer jobs and perhaps easily repaid small loans. Our commitment in time and money was almost certainly going to be rewarded with a job. And, the legal world we were preparing to enter, though imperfect, was stable. Some of us even naively believed the work of the War- ren and early Burger Courts would carry on, and rights – civil and others – would continue to expand. To my students these are the rants of their Old Professor, on par with my story that I went to high school with Miley Cyrus’ dad Billy Ray and college with Joe Montana. Which is true. The good news for these future lawyers is that in my new colleagues at the Brandeis School of Law, I’ve come to know some of the finest legal professionals and some of the best people I’ve ever met. Among them are recognized scholars, caring teachers and a sense of community from top to bottom that embraces the students, challenges them and prepares them for this new world. The school’s Dean, Melanie Jacobs, is tireless and inspir- ing. My law school class didn’t hear much about empathy, compassion or self-care, to say the least, even though effective lawyer- ing requires these skills. Today, these are as important in a way as Torts and Crim Law, and rightly so. You should get to know this law school I’ve become re-acquainted with in my 41st year of practice, and to which I’m now committed, body and soul. The Office of Professional De- velopment works year ‘round to connect our students with you and the legal communities in Louisville and beyond. The LBA has opened its doors and membership at no charge to our students. You can help open doors by ap- pearing on a panel about your practice, giving resume and interviewing tips or – of course – letting OPD know when you’re ready to hire your next Brandeis School of Law grad. I think about 3rd Street again. Google Maps tells me it’s 3.4 miles from the law school to the Bar Center downtown. My own vision is that, by connecting our law students to the lawyers and law firms downtown from their first semester through graduation, we can make 3rd Street the shortest road in the city. Marc Murphy is a full-time Professor of Practice at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. He teaches Criminal Law, Criminal Proce- dure, Civil Procedure, Advanced Trial Practice and White Collar Criminal Law. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame, Phi Beta Kappa, in 1981, and the University of Louisville School of Law in 1984. His political art has been published by the Louisville Courier-Journal and nationally for nearly 20 years. Find him at @murphycartoons. Views expressed are his own. n William F. McMurry & Associates, PLLC Trust us to handle your clients’ Legal Malpractice Claims William F. McMurry Board Certified as a Legal Malpractice Specialist by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys (ABPLA.ORG) The ABPLA is accredited by the ABA to certify specialist in the field of Legal Malpractice - SCR 3.130 (7.40) [email protected] (502) 326-9000 William F. McMurry will personally handle each case while some services may be provided by others. (continued from previous page)
