Episodes
Monday Oct 26, 2020
57. NUSOL v. MAGA
Monday Oct 26, 2020
Monday Oct 26, 2020
Our guest this episode is Erin McCrady, a friend of Felicity's and also the game of Quidditch. Erin is a 3L student at Northeastern University School of Law (or NUSOL) in Boston.
Before we even get to that, however, when Richard asks Felicity how she is, her reply is "same old steel." Turns out, that's a saying from her contracts prof at Osgoode, John McCamus. Richard then asks for her favourite contracts case: like many students, Felicity remembers the facts but not the name. Hopefully a viewer will set us straight on that.
Erin talks about being a law student in the US. Richard asks the blunt question as to whether Erin's profs are anti-Trump. Erin thinks they'd discuss him at length if they didn't have to cover regular class material, and not necessarily favourably. She mentions one prof who occasionally rants, and another who set aside time to have students explain what's happening in the country by getting them to present a legal news story. Richard wants to probe further, asking if any profs are pro-Trump. Erin says NUSOL is public interest focused, so it's likely not a law school that would be attractive to Trump supporters.
In discussing a choice of law school, Felicity says its much less of a big deal to agonize over choosing law school. "Just pull the trigger" is her advice. Since most law schools share a belief in the rule of law and justice, both Erin and Felicity struggle with why any law student (or prof) would be, or remain, a Trump supporter. Felicity thinks it would be hard to have an intellectually challenging discussion with someone who is so different (editor's note: in other words, we are lucky to be in Canada.)
Changing topics, Richard wonders whether the Socratic method is more common in the U.S. Erin thinks it may be, but only her civil procedure prof did so. NUSOL doesn't have class rankings, and opportunities for its students are not dependent on rank, so there's a little less pressure. Moreover, they don't have a curve, just honorifics -- High Honours, Honours, Pass, Marginal Pass, and Fail (thus leading to the slogan "MPs get degrees"). Interestingly, their transcripts contain a professor's narrative description of what each student is like, much as with report cards in grade school. There is also a private section on their transcripts that the public cannot see, which helps with feedback and comes in handy for jobs, as it's as if the transcript contains a mini letter of recommendation. Felicity thinks this should be a change to adopt in Canada, and that WLGTDWI will, henceforth, be the source for suggesting these kinds of creative changes to Canadian law schools.
Music Attribution:
What's Love Got to Do With It
by Tina Turner
Soundcloud: What's Love Got to Do with It
More Perfect Podcast: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolabmoreperfect
Monday Oct 19, 2020
56. A Dean for all Students
Monday Oct 19, 2020
Monday Oct 19, 2020
Felicity announces that she now has her dog back, so everything starts off on a good note. Our guest this episode is Professor Karen Drake, Associate Dean Students at Osgoode. The gang spends a lot of time on Karen's choice of favourite law-related show because Karen tends to avoid them, in part because law is her job. In the end, she chooses Trailer Park Boys as her favourite, which provokes discussion about how she uses it in her Property Law exams. Felicity, having had Karen as a professor, was not surprised by the choice. Karen spends more time than any previous guest explaining why she chose the way she did, highlighting why she is a professor. Richard asks Felicity how Trailer Park Boys relates to law, and she recalls an example from an exam fact pattern. Karen gives her an A+ for the answer.
Karen elaborates on her role as Associate Dean, and how the nature of the role has changed somewhat during the pandemic. Felicity and Richard try to help by being especially nice to Karen during the podcast. Felicity is curious as to whether Karen had ideas for the role that now can't be realized due to the pandemic. There were some, but she was able to conduct some student surveys that have helped in gaining information. Richard recommends all law schools try and initiate an Associate Dean Students role, but Felicity reminds that our limited audience may not have the leverage to force such changes. Finally, Karen discusses the Academic Success sessions that she oversees; the need for empirical evidence led her to Stanford Psychology Professor Carol Dweck's work on growth mindset vs fixed mindset, and so Karen is trying to get students to adopt the former as a way of coping with law school.
Richard and Karen share teaching experiences, especially of 1L classes. Karen laments how she does miss teaching as her role as Associate Dean limits how much of that she can do. Felicity is amused that we are both pulling back the curtain revealing professorial secrets. The group ends by examining an aspect of law school that Karen likes, but that she wasn't aware of until now. Turns out it is the idea and practice of collegial governance that has been a revelation. Who would have known?!
Music Attribution:
What's Love Got to Do With It
by Tina Turner
Soundcloud: What's Love Got to Do with It
Link to fs blogpost on Carol Dweck's work: https://fs.blog/2015/03/carol-dweck-mindset/
Tuesday Oct 13, 2020
55. Mature Students Rule!
Tuesday Oct 13, 2020
Tuesday Oct 13, 2020
Felicity starts off her first co-hosting duties by claiming that she'd be going to class if it weren't for the pandemic; Richard is thankful she's not starting off in Adam's shoes. The guest this episode is Rachael Glassman, 3L student who before law school, worked for 10 years in the film and TV industry.
Rachael describes how her experience scheduling TV shows helped at the very beginning of law school because she organized her entire Section's schedule on Google calendar - Felicity, who was in Rachael's section, loved Rachael's maternal instincts, she "cared". Rachael found that there was a big transition to go to law school after spending time working professionally. Rachael's one big concern entering law school was that she had forgotten how to study and write exams. This was particularly true in her case because in film studies there were no exams. Richard, trying to find out more about his new co-host, since he didn't know what Felicity did before law school, finds out she did what she calls a useless master's degree in physiotherapy.
Rachael had friends who were lawyers, so she was able to meet some alumni before attending and got good advice. She has tried to shape her career based on some of that early advice. In fact, her former boss was a former student of Richard's, who also went from TV/film to law school, then back to TV where he now negotiates contracts to purchase TV shows. Felicity wonders if it was easier for Rachael to choose a law school that is in the same town she worked. Rachael says she chose Osgoode because her own support system was here. The three discuss whether that would make the transition easier or not, because sometimes it can be good to completely uproot and move to somewhere new.
Rachael mentions a Rolodex at the end of the podcast. Richard isn't even sure she or Felicity know what they are, but he remembers having one when he first got out of law school.
Music Attribution:
What's Love Got to Do With It
by Tina Turner
Soundcloud: What's Love Got to Do with It