In Legally Blonde, Elle’s father was wrong when he told her, “Oh, sweetheart, you don’t need law school. Law school is for people who are boring and ugly and serious.”
Thankfully, law school, particularly KU Law, is for all personalities—especially the interesting, quirky, and creative folks, just like Elle! Personally, by finding ways to be creative—in and out of school—I have reduced my stress and am a better student for it. So, if you’re like me and had to resist the urge to use pink scented stationery for your law school application, here are some tips and advice that will help keep the creative juices flowing while studying the law.
- Just do it. Make the time needed to pursue your creative endeavor. For me, I continued to sing in my church choir. I had to plan ahead but making those few hours a week a priority was worth it. Spending time away from studying and enjoying an activity that has nothing to do with the law gave me a much-needed break. Whatever activity brings you joy and reduces your stress, make the time for it!
- Work with youth. If you’re brave enough, spending time with kids is a perfect creative outlet. I’ve been able to help kids develop their performance skills through local theater and music groups, which in turn has helped me develop more of the skills I need to be a great lawyer. If the fine arts are not in your wheelhouse, you could consider reaching out to area schools’ debate clubs or Youth Court programs. These programs are always looking for sponsors, judges for competitions or even someone to give feedback.
- Get involved in student clubs. Student clubs need your creativity and always look for someone to help with event planning, publicity, merch design and even entertainment elements. For example, as a KU Women in Law group member, I helped curate and produce an online Pub Night for the school. We depended on many students and faculty members to creatively raise funds for a worthy cause while enjoying a memorable evening together. The 1L class created hilarious videos, the Moody Bluebooks (a faculty parody band) entertained us with their music and a classmate even shared her “Disney Princesses Go to Law School” viral music video. We could not have done it without the creativity of our peers, and I can almost guarantee every other student group is looking for creative help also!
Coming to law school is no time to hang up your creative hat! Law school is precisely for exciting, fun and creative people. While studying the law, make it a priority to fuel your creative side, whether joining a community group, engaging with those younger than you, or sharing your talent with a student group. Maybe you shouldn’t use pink-scented paper for your 1L memo, but you don’t have to confine yourself to case law and the IRAC method. There are times you can add some sparkle to your life and as Elle says, give it a “little something extra!”
–By Kendra Stacey, a 3L from Kansas City and KU Law Student Ambassador