Political Careers and Law School

Over this Christmas break, I had the chance to watch the debate in the U.S. Senate over health care reform. Many if not most of the senators are also lawyers.

Of the numerous careers for which law school prepares you, the path to political office is one of the most brightly lit by a legal education.

As a student here at Florida State Law, I am struck by just how easy it would be to step into the political arena. I grew up in rural North Carolina surrounded by tobacco fields and small evangelical churches. Though Tallahassee is also a small Southern city, the people I meet at the law school are decidedly different than those with whom I grew up. Of course I will not mention names, but it is fascinating to attend law school with the children of U.S. congressmen and large company CEOs. Their outlook on life and the way they talk about the world is enlightening and useful. I learn a lot from them.

Hopefully, I do not sound like I am putting down people from rural North Carolina or rural America. I went to high school there with students that were much, much smarter than me. One of my best friends from high school attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after missing just one question on the math section of the SAT. Another went to the University of North Carolina as a Morehead scholar, and another to the U.S. Naval Academy. It is just that here at Florida State Law, there are about 700 students. I've never been around this many ambitious and intelligent people- many who already have a leg up in society- with an eye toward making their mark in government and business.

These are people who will run the government and businesses in Florida and perhaps the United States in the years to come. Attending school with them while at the same time learning how the law works in this country is a bit like Dorothy peaking behind the curtain to see how the Wizard actually runs Oz. It is an enormous advantage and opportunity for one wishing to start a career in politics.

You can almost stumble into it. Personally, I was asked last summer if I would be interested in working with a candidate for one of the highest offices in the state. I never would have met the candidate if I had decided not to attend law school and Florida State Law. There are all sorts of opportunities for active roles in campaigns and causes at the law school.

So, law school is a great platform for those wishing to enter politics. . . Actually succeeding at politics is a completely different game, though, and one for which I really do not have much advice and absolutely no experience. I respect politicians, no matter what their affiliation. To put yourself out there for public scrutiny takes great courage. You have to be very smart and calculating in what you say and do. It is an easy thing to be friendly to people, but winning at politics takes far more skills than just being friendly.

For those desiring to enter politics in Florida, I would definitely recommend Florida State Law, but perhaps you should do something else right after graduation from college. Get some "real world" experience, one way or the other. Learn from firsthand observation what everyday people have to do to survive in our society. If you go straight from high school to college to law school to political office or a political staff, then that is a pretty insulated path. There is a lot about the human condition you will miss on that narrow of a path.

But the more you understand about all types of people, not just those who send their lobbyists to you as an elected official, the better leader you will be.

Universal Health Care Now,

Nathan Marshburn