“Legal reasoning is about justification, not demonstration – a winning argument is one where the cumulative effect of several different and often inconclusive propositions is enough, relative to a particular context and any other arguments made, to convince someone to pursue one course of action over another.” ~Allan C. Hutchinson, The Law School Book: Succeeding at Law School (Irwin Law: Toronto, 2009) at 113.
If Professor Wiseman happens to be reading, I swear, I read this way back when we were supposed to. It is only jumping out at me now (because I’m basically desperate for any excuse to procrastinate finishing up this assignment …)
I enjoy this quote because it probably captures what I love most about the field of Law, and what I will enjoy most about being a lawyer. Let’s face it, I like to convince people of things. This came in handy in my work as a union organizer and has generally given me a leg up in situations of conflict (which I seem to find myself in more often than your average gal …).
Perhaps other law students can relate to feeling like the odd one out in a world where most people’s perspectives and responses are reactive and dominated by sentiment, faith and self-preservation rather than reason. Or maybe it’s just me!
