Melissa Ryan is a young lady in Champlain Towers and who graduated from a Law faculty not too long ago.
I on the other hand, graduated from my faculty of Law back in the early 60’s.
Melissa and I have agreed to an exchange of articles as a way of giving some people a way of looking at Law as a career or as part of an education.
I will leave her part of this subject to Melissa and simply turn to my own history in the world of Law.
I was in a monastery in Azrou, Morocco in late August of 1960 and was faced with a decision.
Not knowing what to do with myself, I had applied to both Pre-Med at Queen’s and Law at McGill. Still unsettled I decided to try Queen’s first. 5 minutes after the first lecture began in a variant of Chemistry I knew this was not for me. (Couldn’t understand a word).
The registrar treated me with great kindness and ensured I would get all my tuition back and said he would dine out for years on the story. A one and a half hour dropout made the Guinness Book of Records for him.
Back to Law.
First lecture: everybody look to your left, now to your right; one of the three of you will not be here next year.
Cheerful.
I have practiced Law in France, Switzerland and Montreal and then gave it up. There is an expression that will suit very well: “A room full of Lawyers fussing over a comma.” Details are not my thing.
So my career has not been in the professional world of Law but rather broadcasting and politics.
A last thought: In North America 80% of graduates from Law faculties actually practice Law. In Europe that figure is 20%. Obviously, in Europe the study of Law is considered as an extension of one’s education.
I have never for a moment regretted getting a Law degree. It has been a wonderful asset in my journey through life and I would recommend it to anyone as a very useful further education.
