A few days ago my philosophy professor, while discussing legal etymology, gave us the most delicious analogy.

He quoted Humpty Dumpty, “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, “It means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.”. And said that legal positivists are much the same when it comes to what the law is and ought to be.

It also made me re-read some of my favourite parts in the book, and here’s another passage, which I could use to describe legal positivists and most people I meet.

`That’s the way it’s done,’ the Queen said with great decision:`nobody can do two things at once, you know. Let’s consider your age to begin with — how old are you?’
`I’m seven and a half, exactly.’
`You needn’t say “exactly”,’ the Queen remarked. `I can believe it without that. Now I’ll give you something to believe. I’m just one hundred and one, five months and a day.’
`I ca’n't believe that!’ said Alice.
`Ca’n't you?’ the Queen said in a pitying tone. `Try again: draw along breath, and shut your eyes.’
Alice laughed. `There’s no use trying,’ she said `one ca’n't believe impossible things.’
‘I daresay you haven’t had much practice,’ said the Queen. `When I wasyour age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

After watching the NDTV Expose on the BMW Case I’m officially depressed.

And to think today was the last day of law school. After hearing him and then him; I can’t help but think- Is this the bar I am going to join?

A man has sued his dry cleaners for $67 Million for losing a pair of pants.

Plaintiff Roy Pearson — himself a local judge in Washington D.C — says in court papers that he’s been through the ringer over a lost pair of prized pants he wanted to wear on his first day on the bench. He says in court papers that he has endured “mental suffering, inconvenience and discomfort.” He says he was unable to wear that favorite suit of his first day of work. He’s suing for ten years of weekend car rentals so he can transport his dry cleaning to another store. Full Story here.

Now who would star if this is made into a film? Julia Roberts is clearly out……….hmmmm.

(Via email from a kind friend.)

Popagandhi has a wonderful post on her journey.

She begins with,

For a good chunk of my life, I responded to that perennial question with the classic answer that always shut everybody up. “Lawyer,” I’d say curtly. And that was that. Everybody understood. And approved.
The truth was, I didn’t want to be a lawyer. I thought I did — growing up in a society like ours, if you did well enough at school, and displayed certain abilities, your pick of professions was expected to revolve around medicine and law. It wasn’t easy to say: I want to be a roving photojournalist.

This reminded me of all the times I was asked the same question. “Lawyer” I always said, without the slightest hesitation. There were many detours, but the answer never changed . Music, art and travelling were always hobbies. Just fun. Never something I had to do.

When I read her post today I thought of how close I am to completing the Six-year-old’s dream. In six months I will have my degree and be enrolled at the Bar.

Now when someone asks me, So what do you want to be when you grow up? unflinchingly I say, an Academic.

In hindsight I realise I never really wanted to be a lawyer. I wanted to be a student of law my whole life. It took three years of law school to understand the nuanced difference.

Yet, no regrets and very few complaints (pun intended). Few are as lucky as I am.