On Being a Scholar and a Teacher in Polarized Times

Authors

• Michael A. Simons

Document Type

Symposium

Abstract

(Excerpt)

There’s an old expression, sometimes attributed to a Chinese curse, that says “May you live in interesting times.” That expression is very much in the air these days. One hundred years after the founding of our law school, it feels like we are in not just “interesting” but unprecedented times.

Perhaps every era feels unprecedented, but right now our country seems acutely polarized, our legal system seems to be under great stress, and fundamental assumptions we’ve held about the Rule of Law seem to be eroding. And then, to add to that, the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the reaction to it (and the reaction to the reaction) seem to epitomize a horrible crescendo of both violence and division that has been building for years.

So, what does it mean to be a lawyer in times like these? How do we, as law students, legal educators, and legal scholars, respond to this moment?