In-House Counsel, Law Schools

An Ode To Gunners

Let's show some gratitude to gunners.

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law school gunner gunners students raising handsMy dearest Gunners, I know I have been hard on you before. And for the most part, my law-student self stands by my previous remarks.

That former self can still envision you, sitting in the front row, with slicked back hair, reaching for the sky at every moment you could.

When called upon, which annoyingly seemed far too often, you took the opportunity to espouse random legal theories not covered in the reading. And worse, you often asked the professor obscure hypothetical questions that incited the professor to drone on well beyond our agreed-upon class end time.

That former self still disdains you and everything you stand for. By no means is this piece a retraction of my previous statement.

However, my new self, the one who happens to be an adjunct professor one night a week — well, that self owes you his thanks. Begrudgingly, of course.

I have already suffered through one moment of clarity this semester: the realization that my former law professors did not have it as easy as I once thought. That was a hard enough realization on its own, so to say I would find myself writing a column thanking Gunners leaves me even more surprised.

Law students are no easy lot to teach. Students either spend the class staring at their laptops “taking notes” or gazing off into the distance. And unless a professor chooses to employ the Socratic method, by and large class participation is non-existent. Save, of course, for the Gunner.

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The Gunner maintains genuine eye contact and interest during the entire lecture. Gunners have read and studied the assignments prior to class. And most importantly, they respond to the rhetorical questions posed by professors seeking a brief respite from their lecture.

Gunners, for their many, many faults, help serve as a barometer for how a class is going or how well the content of a lecture is being relayed and received. I know that if a Gunner is, forgive the pun, gun-shy to answer a question, I have done something wrong in my delivery.

In addition to helping facilitate class discussion, those random questions posed by Gunners have actually helped me remember salient topics I had planned to cover in my lecture. As a tip to current law students, while it is perfectly permissible to tune out and roll your eyes at the Gunner’s question, the professor’s response will often incorporate a relevant point or two worth remembering.

And current students, while I may have not appreciated it at the time, trust that your professor has the ability to distinguish between a Gunner speaking to hear their own voice versus a Gunner raising a relevant topic that needs my further explanation.

Lest you think I am exaggerating the impact a good Gunner can have on a class, when mine failed to show up at a recent class, his presence was visibly missed. During our break, I even texted my wife, panicked to let her know the lack of my Gunner would cause me to end my class at least fifteen minutes early.

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So to those Gunners reading this, I offer my humble and begrudging thanks to you.

While you will never be liked or appreciated by your classmates, and I sincerely hope you mask your behavior during on-campus recruiting, you have made a convert out of me. Your conduct certainly will not win you a date to the Barrister’s Ball, but it just may earn you that higher grade or letter of recommendation you were seeking.

Earlier: How To Know If You Are A Gunner
The Gunner
Not Even Your Own Family Likes A Gunner

Stephen R. Williams is in-house counsel with a multi-facility hospital network in the Midwest. His column focuses on a little talked about area of the in-house life, management. You can reach Stephen at stephenwilliamsjd@gmail.com.

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