The Septimus Notes

Saturday, April 16, 2005

|Akademiks.|

I've been super charged about law school research for the past few days. I even have a hyperefficient excel spreadsheet with colors and tiers and a scoring system and shizzle. But all of my research has lead me to a slightly regrettable conclusion: to do what I really want to do, means adding on a whole slew of credentials.

I'd really like to focus on either bioethics or children's right. As it turns out, a number of schools have programs that involve one or the other or both, but those programs aren't law programs, but dual law-master's programs... plural being the name of the game. For instance, for me to get a MS-minor in Bioethics from the University of Minnesota as a law student also requires my getting a MS in a Law, Health & Life Sciences program (probably Science & Technology Policy). So, I would leave law school (and of course the programs don't actually stipulate how many years they take, but put it in terms of credit hours which means almost nothing to me) with a JD and two MSs. If I go to Cornell and would like to take sometime to study abroad in France, basically my only option is to tack on another year to focus on International Law, and get a JD and then some: a JD and a Maîtrise en Droit (that's a French law degree). How much money are these going to cost? At what point will I actually start practicing law? Or will I go straight from the classroom (at a desk) to the classroom (behind the podium)? Is this how an Academic is forged?

And now I understand why people say things like, "I dunno what to do with my life now. Maybe I'll go back to school and pick up a Master's." A 1-year program here, a 2 year-program there, combined programs that cross-cut courses so what would take 5 years is done in 3. I didn't realize they handed out advanced degrees like candy. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if in 20 years, my resume bogged down in letters and greek affiliations, my son will turn to me and say, "Dad, I think I'm going to head to CostcoX and get some chips, some dips, and some suds. You want anything?" And I'll say, "No, I'm good. But pick up a Master's in Critical Race Theory for your sister. She's been feeling a little down lately."

promulgated by SWS2.1 at 20:44.
0 comments

0 Comments: