As a law student, I thought I was ill-equipped to enter the
legal profession. It wasn't because of any vocational concerns
I had. It was just that my eyes watered badly when I spent long
hours in the library reading and re-reading law reports and texts
to try and comprehend the wisdom hidden within. Those learned
writings were—frankly—a slog.
I blamed myself at the time. I also got a new pair of glasses
and stocked up on caffeine tablets. But now that I've spent
nearly 20 years working as both a lawyer and a journalist, I'm
more inclined to blame the authors.
When you read normally, your eye skips across the page and your
brain fills in the gaps. When you read as a lawyer, you have to
focus on every word because so much can depend on the detail. But
that's not enough reason to let lawyers get away with making
reading their work hard work.
