April 30, 2004
Hell
I used to believe that Hell would be a place much like Earth, with the small but meaningful distinction that no one would have elbows. After a year of law school, my views have changed somewhat.
I now think Hell will consist of eternal condemnation to life in a perpetual law school hypothetical. You see people in classroom hypos have terrible lives. They're hit by buses, crushed by buildings, decapitated by lawn-mower blades. In the context of a law school hypo, you can consider yourself lucky if you only end up with hairy hands or other superficial maimings. Life in a hypo is hell. Just imagine an eternity spent as the victim of negligence, intentional harm, police misconduct, discrimination, etc. Over and over again. And the salt for the wound is, immediately following each new tragedy that befalls you, a classroom of extremely lucky, healthy, and generally well-to-do twentysomethings will sterilely discuss your fate as if it were a baseball boxscore. Hell, indeed.
I now think Hell will consist of eternal condemnation to life in a perpetual law school hypothetical. You see people in classroom hypos have terrible lives. They're hit by buses, crushed by buildings, decapitated by lawn-mower blades. In the context of a law school hypo, you can consider yourself lucky if you only end up with hairy hands or other superficial maimings. Life in a hypo is hell. Just imagine an eternity spent as the victim of negligence, intentional harm, police misconduct, discrimination, etc. Over and over again. And the salt for the wound is, immediately following each new tragedy that befalls you, a classroom of extremely lucky, healthy, and generally well-to-do twentysomethings will sterilely discuss your fate as if it were a baseball boxscore. Hell, indeed.
