Earlier today, I attended the last class on my New York Bar review course – Domestic Relations (in England, we call this ‘Family Law’). I love BarBri – they took three hours to teach me the family law of New York State. At UCL, I studied English family law for a whole year! The essential principles are generally the same, punctuated only by a few startling differences.
First, where the plaintiff spouse seeks a divorce on the grounds that the defendant spouse committed adultery, New York law allows the latter to raise the former’s own adultery as a defence! No such concept exists in English law. What could the policy argument possibly be to preserve a marriage whereby BOTH parties have committed adultery?!
Second, New York law allows first cousins to marry each other! I had to read that twice. I will always remember my family law tutor reminding us that English law prohibits marriage between two parties who are in a relationship of either ‘consanguinity or affinity’. I am pretty sure that covers first cousins! Again, I fail to grasp the rationale for the New York approach – Emperor Nero comes to mind…
But more importantly, today really marks the end of my academic life. Today was the last class of academic instruction that I had to sit through. The lecturer drew our attention to this momentous realisation, and it did sink in. Well, this is it. No more classes.
I wish I could say no more exams, but now I have two weeks to actually prepare for this dreadful New York Bar exam. Sigh, this will be the single biggest memory challenge that I have ever undertaken in my life. I must keep calm and meditate on Ante Studium, St. Thomas Aquinas’ immortal prayer:
Creator ineffabilis, …
Da mihi
intelligendi acumen,
retinendi capacitatem,
addiscendi modum et facilitatem,
interpretandi subtilitatem,
loquendi gratiam copiosam.
Ingressum instruas,
progressum dirigas,
egressum compleas.
Amen.
P/S: There could not be a more fitting background music for this than the haunting harmony of Gregorio Allegri’s inspirational Miserere (Psalm 51).
One Response to “Domestic Relations / Family Law and the ‘real’ end to my academic life”
Thanks for your observations. Its comforting to know that people with your thoughtfulness and eloquence are entering the profession! So good luck with your exams.
I hope you also retain that charming hint of English humor – because once you start to practice that humor will face many challenges. To be honest, you could do worse than add my book (Selection Secrets) to your reading list (post bar exams, of course) – it will help you to get (perhaps the only) realistic understanding of the WHY of it all!