Sunday, July 1, 2007

Schadenfreude Strikes Again

From a comment on another blog (click here for many colorful law-bloggy comments)

"I hope you avaricious, credential-obsessed schmucks go all lord of the flies on each other, because I’m less of a man than I wish to be and I can’t help the schadenfreude."

In my capacity as a 2L at an upper second-tier school, I hereby join this opinion in full.

Hi Bob.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

the irony here is that you are mad or have ill feelings toward students who excel on law school exams and make it into the top 10 because they are cocky and value themselves above those below them, but you yourself of guilty of the same crime. you felt the urge to state that you were now a 2L in "an upper second-tier school" and have made references of that nature in other entries, isn't that the same type of cockiness and self-righteousness that you don't like in top 10 students? you seem to believe that based on a ranking, your education and school is better than schools ranked below yours ... it's just odd to me ... kind of ironic really because you apparently do not agree with the ranking of students, where you do not fall in the top ten, but you are fine with law school rankings where you school ranks high … just making an observation. good luck with the write-on, those of us in the top ten can take it easy and not worry about having to write-on …

Guy Fawkes said...

Heh. I'm sorry if I've given the impression that I give a crap about school rankings either. That statement was more of a shot at the myriad of idiots who commented on the linked post and somehow managed to reference the fact that they attend/ed an Ivy law school. Anyone who has ever had a conversation with me about how much US News rankings mean at any level of school knows that I don't think I'm better than anyone just because I attend a school with a particular ranking.

A big chunk of the US News ranking system is the "prestige" of a school in the relevant academic and professional communities. Guess what the major source for how most people perceive schools? Yep, the US News rankings. It's an excellent example of circular logic.

And you're absolutely correct...I have "ill feelings" toward those who "excel" on law school exams because as I've stated before, first year grades are based on an entirely subjective system in which the difference between those who "excel" and those who aren't in the top 10% is miniscule at best. Even worse, the subjective system is DIFFERENT for each section of students.

Sure, you can safely bet that the person who's #1 is a better student than #165. However, you can't tell me with a straight face that someone at #35 is REALLY that much better than someone at #50. That's the sort of difference in rank that can determine whether or not a particular student gets a clerkship and perhaps eventually a post-LS job. If it was based on some genuine measure of performance or competence, I wouldn't have a problem with it.

Also, if you want to take a shot at what I have to say on this blog, at least have the balls to put your name on your opinion. Anonymous posting is enabled so that people don't have to register to comment here, not so you can hide your opinion behind the security blanket of internet anonymity.

Phaedrus said...

For the record, I like rankings.

Anonymous said...

Must be nice to go to a school where the top of the class grades on.

Phaedrus said...

We must not forget that all anonymous posters may not have the requisite balls to include their name.

Therefore, at least have the balls [i] or ovaries[/i], whichever may be the case, to put your name on your opinion. And I claim to be the conservative...