I think that the first question that came to my mind when preparing for the Executive LLM Program was ‘what will the work/school/life balance be like’ taking all three sessions at once and ‘can the program be done effectively while still working?’ The very appeal of the program’s back-to-back summer somehow pinches at the memory of the retreat from life that the JD required and the commensurate 24/7 studying. Well, yes, it can be done; no, it is not easy; and yes, it is entirely worth it. While I do believe that all of my classmates, being practicing attorneys and seasoned professionals, have a particular penchant for triage, we made quite a time of it in being challenged in the classroom and still taking the time to get to know one another. Outside of the school, Boston was also our classroom. On our days off most of us would jump headfirst into the pages of history by exploring Boston, punctuated with a few pubs and the occasional Red Sox game. I was particularly lucky to catch the game where Boston retook the division lead from the Yankees. Being a Rays fan I didn’t really have a stake in the outcome, but I do love a good rivalry.
One of my favorite parts of the program was the daily colloquium regarding current issues in the world of business law. The professors invited to speak are policy makers, authors and leading scholars on the topic of the day. Admittedly I am a symposium junkie– but the way that these were arranged, and given the size and the diversity of the class– provided for such robust discussions that many lasted considerably longer than scheduled. I suggest to anyone gearing up for a session in which they are not required to attend the lunch colloquia, to do so, for you will have to listen to your classmates discuss the topic the rest of the day and you will regret missing it! By the end of the residency it was obvious how far I had come along, as the bare confidence in my answers seemed to even convince myself. That is, until the professor, in classic Socratic method, reminded me politely about how far I still had to go and I loved it, as any advocate would. Overall the work/school/life balance has been attainable and since leaving 765 Commonwealth and my trusty morning stop at the corner Starbucks, I have found a good system for dealing with the triage: a healthy combination of reading and coffee!
I think that the first question that came to my mind when preparing for the Executive LLM Program was ‘what will the work/school/life balance be like’ taking all three sessions at once and ‘can the program be done effectively while still working?’ The very appeal of the program’s back-to-back summer somehow pinches at the memory of the retreat from life that the JD required and the commensurate 24/7 studying. Well, yes, it can be done; no, it is not easy; and yes, it is entirely worth it. While I do believe that all of my classmates, being practicing attorneys and seasoned professionals, have a particular penchant for triage, we made quite a time of it in being challenged in the classroom and still taking the time to get to know one another. Outside of the school, Boston was also our classroom. On our days off most of us would jump headfirst into the pages of history by exploring Boston, punctuated with a few pubs and the occasional Red Sox game. I was particularly lucky to catch the game where Boston retook the division lead from the Yankees. Being a Rays fan I didn’t really have a stake in the outcome, but I do love a good rivalry. <p>One of my favorite parts of the program was the daily colloquium regarding current issues in the world of business law. The professors invited to speak are policy makers, authors and leading scholars on the topic of the day. Admittedly I am a symposium junkie– but the way that these were arranged, and given the size and the diversity of the class– provided for such robust discussions that many lasted considerably longer than scheduled. I suggest to anyone gearing up for a session in which they are not required to attend the lunch colloquia, to do so, for you will have to listen to your classmates discuss the topic the rest of the day and you will regret missing it! By the end of the residency it was obvious how far I had come along, as the bare confidence in my answers seemed to even convince myself. That is, until the professor, in classic Socratic method, reminded me politely about how far I still had to go and I loved it, as any advocate would. Overall the work/school/life balance has been attainable and since leaving 765 Commonwealth and my trusty morning stop at the corner Starbucks, I have found a good system for dealing with the triage: a healthy combination of reading and coffee!</p>
