Author Archives: tannis13

Life Beyond Law

When I was in my 20s, I was convinced that anything I had to write about would be interesting to a vast and diverse audience; all I had to do, to my mind, was write funny anecdotes about my personal experiences, and I’d be a renowned writer of novels and screenplays alike in no time.

At 24 years old – and after reading Eat, Pray, Love, of course – I knew in every cell of my being that I was created to be the voice of Generation Y, and that my memoir would inspire and connect us all in no time.

Perhaps needless to say, writing a story is like writing a law paper: everything else in my small world must be cleaned, eaten, or talked about before I can finally think of tackling a meaningful or challenging project.

So what happened to that novel? Among other things, Lena Dunham became the hilarious and poignant voice of Generation Y – and I finally stopped procrastinating, wrote the LSAT, and got into the law school of my dreams. I also realized that not every story connects us all, and not every personal story is worth writing about or sharing with the world. But many are. And the big one that connects me with others right now is law school.

Having been back in classes for just over week now after a wonderful break, many of my classmates and I had been dreading the return of our December exams. If my friends are anything like me, tears were shed, high hopes were not met, and self-doubt barreled into chests like a tidal wave.

Among all that, though, something bigger than grades emerged: Community. Friendship. Support. Love. People hugging in the hallways reminding each other that December exams are failsafe; others congratulating each other on a job well done.

Beyond exams, more good news echoed through halls: One new friend is having a baby this summer, and another friend got engaged over the holidays. Yes, law school is happening – and maybe not always to the highest of our expectations – but so is life, and as we move through our six short semesters here at Allard Hall, we are transformed not just by the law we learn, but by the relationships we build. 

Just one semester in, I’ve already made friends who, I know, will be in my life forever. We’ll share in supporting and celebrating each other in law, love, and everything in between. And if I ever get around to writing a novel, we might even celebrate that. If not, I know I’ll be able to rely on my fabulous new law school friends through the highs and lows, just as we’re doing right now.