by Judy Joyce

Created on: September 28, 2008

LAW SCHOOL: HOW TO SUCCEED RUNNING THE "PAPER CHASE" RACE.

In 1973, I was a stay-at-home Mom with two children and expecting a third. The movie "Paper Chase" was released and subsequently won more than one academy award. The movie is about the choice of a young man to attend Law School. The plot line reveals the complications that arise with this student while trying to balance coursework and a relationship with a love interest who is important to him.

I vividly recall how seeing the movie the year of it's release, I imagined how crazy anyone would be to take on something as tough as Law School coursework. The mounds of paperwork, tests, and quizzes along with other really smart people made it actually appear darn near impossible. The movie made my college undergrad studies look like a cakewalk. I shook my head and thought the writer must be brilliant. The picture he portrayed was so vivid. The movie was written from the perspective of Yale law graduate, John J. Osborn, Jr drawing from personal experience. I thought then better him than me.

Fast forward 20 years. By then I have four kids and a husband who needed someone to help him run his law office. The kids are pretty much in school all day. Grandparents have moved into town chomping at the bit to get their hands on our only pre-schooler. How about going to law school at night my husband says to me. So off I went. Within six months, I'd quit. BUT.....

It was lack of support from the only lawyer in the family. Yep, Dad had to re-vamp his workload and weigh in. I'd chosen a night school program that involved a commute. It also required less course load but took four years instead of the three year day school program. I could have dinner on the table for everyone to sit down and eat together before I left for school at 6 PM as usual. But the eight loads of daily laundry AND folding that I did had to be divided up among everybody. Gee whiz! Lunches for school had to be made by each child themselves now (a personal torture I was told). I felt nothing but guilt the entire time I was at home. But get to school and the guilt was well worth it. I absolutely loved it. It isn't enough to want this for yourself, though, or even for someone else. You have to actually work at it.

The headsup about what was needed was made quickly enough for me to get to first semesters final exams afterall. I stuck with the program and had the time of my life. I loved every minute of it. Carrying the workload was interesting. Spending all

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