Monday, April 03, 2006

People You Meet In Law School # 13: Lucy

Lots of people in law school like to argue, take charge, and think less of others. While these qualities may seem, on the surface, masculine, they are in fact found in abundance among women in law school. These law students are the Lucys, who much like their Peanuts inspired namesake, are the alpha females of law school.

Lucy realized a long time ago that being cutesy, prissy, or precious like other women was just beating around the bush. Don’t get me wrong, Lucy isn’t masculine (that’s Patty and Marci’s department) she just has no patience for the dizzy blonde Sallys of the world who pine over “sweet baboos.” When Lucy wants something, she asks for it. She doesn’t pout, she complains. She doesn’t hope, she achieves.

Lucy’s self-confident, cool-under-pressure attitude led lots of people to tell her “you should be an actress” or, if she wasn’t that attractive, “you should be a lawyer.”

And many Lucys do go to law school. They approach it with the same attitude they approach everything, with gusto. In Lucy’s opinion, unfairness exists in the world perpetuated by “blockheads” and no “security blanket” is going to help. Lucy is ready to argue for what’s right, in class and out.

Lucy actually enjoys the Socratic method. The process of leading someone down a logical path only to undermine their argument with a final “Yes. But what if…” is the graduate school equivalent of pulling a football out from someone right before they kick it.

For all Lucy’s gumption, romance sometimes eludes her. Men often can be turned off by a strong woman. Men often prefer women in an impersonal, idealized form, like the little red headed girl. After all, who wants their head bitten off every time they ask a question or to be charged 5 cents for advice.

Lucy probably doesn’t want her relationships to be the debating society her life is, so don’t be surprised if you see her with a more quiet, soulful, and artistic Schroeder type.

We don’t need any further evidence that we live in a sexist society other than the fact that Lucy is considered an exception based on her gender. If she’s on your side, you’re likely to say “she’s a real firecracker” or “she’s all business”. and if she’s against you you’re, liable to think (if not say), "she’s a bitch."