Inside the 1L Year with Brigette Arcoite ’28L

Of all the experiences I have willingly put myself through, law school has without a doubt been the toughest. A close second was a twenty-day backpacking expedition with an alternative intervention program called the Wilderness School. What made those twenty days so challenging wasn't the non-stop mosquitoes or the lack of access to running water. Instead, it was the emotional intensity that comes from pushing yourself past limits you didn't even know existed. Coming out of a 36-hour "solo day" I created a list of lessons that I wanted to take with me into the "real world." In fact, as I write this, my twenty-day lessons are still in view, pinned up in the corner of my carrel. In this way those twenty days were also some of the most meaningful experiences of my life. My 1L year here at W&L Law has, so far, brought on much the same kind of challenges, lessons, and self-discovery as my twenty day and other backcountry excursions -just with a lot less walking and a lot more reading.

W&L Law reminds me of the community I have been searching for since I left the Wilderness School. When I first arrived for orientation, I was struck by how eager so many people were to meet one another and how open they were to building an inclusive community. And while Lexington may be small, there has been no shortage of opportunities to connect with other students and professors in deeply meaningful ways. For example, students quickly created clubs of common interest to help keep us sane-pickleball, climbing, run club, to name a few. Students will often congregate in the carrels when they can't stuff anymore reading into their brains. The professors are just as deeply embedded in the community as the students. If a professor says they are there as a resource it's not an empty promise-they make it a priority to provide guidance and space to explore a deeper personal reflection of the material. The smallness of the school combined with the community buy-in creates an atmosphere that seems quite unique to W&L Law.

In outdoor education "fun" is often broken up into two categories. Type 1 fun is fun that you experience in the moment. Type 2 fun is not fun in the moment, but makes a great story after the fact. It might seem like there's not a lot of opportunity to enjoy yourself in law school, but there's actually a good mix of both of these types of "fun"-especially type 2. One thing that is special here is that people actually care about connection, they aren't studying all the time, and there is always an opportunity to do any number of other things-whether in the town or at home. If I've (re)discovered anything this year, it is that law school and life move way too fast
to justify studying constantly for marginal gains.

For as much time as I've spent in the backcountry and for as much love as I have for something as nerdy as geography and maps, I can't seem to stop getting lost on trails-even on the ones that are wonderfully well-marked. As a result, I have had my fair share of wild hitchhiking stories. Just like getting lost on the trail, "getting lost" in law school has tended to be the most meaningful experiences of my 1L year. After years of thinking I'd either end up as an outdoor educator, I would have never expected to end up on the path of public defense. But if law school isn't the place to challenge your thinking and approach your learning from an open-minded perspective then I don't know what is.

Paradoxically, one of the parts I love most about backpacking is the experience of getting back into town after being in the backcountry for days on end. The everyday experience I had come to expect and accept didn't feel so normal anymore. I have found the experience of leaving the small world of Lexington and W&L Law to feel much the same. While I find the smallness of the community wildly helpful during the school year, I also appreciate when it's time to leave for the shift in perspective it brings. Law school will always be about learning the black letter law and the skills necessary to be an effective advocate for your client. But if you care to slow down and look carefully enough, there are also a lot of life lessons. Maybe you could even write them down and pin them up in the corner of your carrel.

Outside Law School

What is your favorite activity in Lexington?

Late-night Cookout run

Favorite Meal?

Any paneer dish with garlic chili naan or roti

What is playing while you are driving in your car or walking to the law school?

Radiohead

Fun Fact?

I can type over 100 words per minute!

Share this: