Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'N' Roll: Some Observations of Life on a Trial Team

Abstract

Many law professors and law students know little of what life is like on a high-stakes civil trial team. This short essay provides some observations on life in the war room. Hardly the stuff of the quiet law library, life on trial is often a mix of sex, drugs (well, mostly alcohol), and rock 'n' roll. I set out some ideas for why this is so, and the consequences for practice as a high-end litigator. While it can sometimes seem like being on trial is more like being on spring break, there are consequences to the permissive environment trial allows. Understanding them better and preparing law students better may improve the troubling state of mental health and substance abuse in law practice.