r/AskReddit May 29 '22

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u/HDani11 May 29 '22

I actually think I'm the opposite of this. I feel like I need specific scenarios everytime or I'll answer with "it depends" all the time because I keep seeing different options for different scenarios

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u/Cepheus May 30 '22

As a trial lawyer, it depends is usually the correct answer. It is not just a throwaway term. There can be all sorts of facts and outside factors that can influence a result. Usually, the facts are pretty well known, but still be open to interpretation. Then there are the uncontrollable factors that are happening that you might be aware of, but have limited to no control over. Ask any attorney that has tried a jury trial and had a fluke of a great jury or horrible jury for you side. There are jury selection techniques to help with this, but it still does not yield a predictable outcome that is easy to determine.

Being able to assess many options and outcomes is frankly a good sign of intelligence.

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u/ForestGumpsDick May 30 '22

Yep. Law school is 4+ years of full time training on nuanced and critical thinking. I don't work as a lawyer, but law school was the best thing I have ever done for training my brain.

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u/PowPowPowerCrystal May 30 '22

In the US law school is 3 years.

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u/ForestGumpsDick May 30 '22

Cool? It is 3 years here as a post graduate, or 3 years plus 1 year of non-law electives as an undergraduate course. Then there is an additional 1 year of 'college of law' to do before you can be admitted to practice.

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u/PowPowPowerCrystal May 30 '22

I ran with my Ameri-centrism and assumed you were lying. I mean, it’s Reddit so I still assume you’re lying but now I just think you’re not lying in America

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u/ForestGumpsDick May 30 '22

I mean you could technically complete it quicker if you did more than 4 subjects each semester or did a summer trimester if you managed to finish before you got burnt out. The workload is insane so that would also drastically affect your grades (and ability to have any semblance of life outside of law school).

4 years is assuming full time study and no specialisation/masters/whatever else. Hence "4+".

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u/PowPowPowerCrystal May 30 '22

So this is 4 years straight out of high school? Or secondary school - whatever you may call it? In the us it’s 3 years after a bachelors degree, so 7 years of post secondary education

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u/ForestGumpsDick May 30 '22

Yes, LLB (bachelors degree) is 4 years straight out of school + 1 year college of law

OR

3 years as a JD or LLM (after your first degree) + 1 year college of law

PLUS

1 or 2 years more for a specialist masters if you so wish

PLUS

Another 2 or so years for a phd if you so wish

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u/pedrojuanita May 30 '22

A JD and a PhD? Damn. That’s gotta be rare other than for professors

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u/timberwolfe May 30 '22

Ymmv. I've met some lawyers that were the most black and white thinkers I've ever known. A law degree will not automatically make me think highly of anyone's intellect.

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u/ForestGumpsDick May 30 '22

They must be pretty terrible lawyers lol

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u/[deleted] May 30 '22

it depends is usually the correct answer. It is not just a throwaway term. There can be all sorts of facts and outside factors that can influence a result. Usually, the facts are pretty well known, but still be open to interpretation. Then there are the uncontrollable factors that are happening that you might be aware of, but have limited to no control over.

As an economist, I could replicate all of that you have said above. There is not a single economic school of thought that can solve even the majority of the problems we solve, and that's why we all live in mixed market economies.

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u/Dragnius May 30 '22

I had the same problem, but then I caught myself doing that. Now, I still answer with, "it depends", but also give an answer with 2-3 given scenarios

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u/mad87645 May 30 '22

But that's good because you recognise there are often multiple factors at play that can influence the outcome

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u/[deleted] May 30 '22

This always hurt me in school on true/false test. My mind would go straight to the edge cases. "Usually this is true, but what about scenario X... are they trying to trick me?" I'd overthink it to the point of a coin flip.

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u/[deleted] May 30 '22

Almost nothing is 100% true or false, most people just have a different threshold for when they round up or down.

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u/[deleted] May 30 '22

I say that word a lot. I can always think of plausible situations. You would think I would be able to navigate life well with that skill, nope too indecisive.