Ugly Duckling

• Personal info:

26 year old gay low-income working class first generation law student in a Canadian university. My first language is French, so bare with me.

• Background:

I am a retired community worker who got attracted to law school from my work with people being oppressed by law and its effets. I did good at school and felt I could make it through law school so I could use this privilege to continue helping people, but with different tools on another level. I am a big fan of anti-oppression and I try to incorporate this progressive approach to criticize mainstream law while doing my best to learn it.

• Writing purpose:

Writing about law school from a less-mainstream, less-performative, warmer point of view so other ugly ducklings can relate, share and maybe learn. I hope to create a sense of belonging and empathy that often lacks in law faculties. I feel like law school struggles are normalized in a way that it gets banalized and even performative: "Oh my god, I pulled an all nighter! - I don't even have time to eat! - My life is so horrible!". People perform their anxiety through witty memes and gifs instead of reaching out genuinely or being available to peers actually struggling with mental illness like anxiety and depression.

• Writing forms:

Journal-style experience sharing; anecdotes; Q/A; tips that help me; etc.

Let's make it happen!