Law Schools

What Is Going On In The Women's Restroom At The Barrister's Ball?

What happens at barrister's ball doesn't always stay at barrister's ball.

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The most recent edition of The National Jurist has a feature giving law students tips for surviving the barrister’s ball. The annual law school tradition — law prom, for the uninitiated — is just around the corner, and it seems law students need some help. After all, it’s just like high school prom, except now everyone is of legal drinking age and they give you free booze. What could possibly go wrong?

Apparently a lot. There are tales of stolen museum pieces (that’s what happens when you hold the event in a museum), getting overly familiar with a law professor (yeah, a fair amount of them usually attend as well), and the women’s room becomes a sh*tshow.

This fun tidbit, originally from Reddit, shows the horrors that await you in the women’s restroom at the end of the night:

“Most of all, have fun. If you don’t want a pocket square, you don’t need one, but I also wouldn’t worry about being too formal either. They’re all students looking to have a good time, so I wouldn’t take it too seriously. I’ll bet the women’s bathroom will have at least one sink with vomit in it at the end of the night.”

Apparently the beginning of the night is also not a safe time for a trip to the ladies’ as this story, appearing originally at PrawfsBlawg, demonstrates:

“Many years ago, when teaching at a different law school, I attended that school’s incarnation of this event. At 7 p.m., I went to the ladies’ room and a female student was passed out cold on the bathroom floor. Worse, three male students were in the ladies’ room attempting to revive her. They eventually just carried her out. Call me oldfashioned, but I am not anxious to repeat this experience.”

The most important thing to remember is, of course, that you’re partying with more than your classmates — they’re your future colleagues. Plus social media means some embarrassing incidents live for forever, and they could keep you from your dream job:

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“It’s crucial. Given the increased use of social media, those casual snapshots live forever,” said Nancy Rapoport, who co-wrote “Law School Survival Manual: From LSAT to Bar Exam.” “And many state bars actually mine photos for the character and fitness part of admission. Basically, everyone (students and professors) should remember that the internet is the permanent record about which our parents and teachers warned us.”

Always be wary of character and fitness.

Still, you should try to have fun and avoid getting into trouble at the barrister’s ball. But if something noteworthy goes down, remember we can always be reached by email, by text message (646-820-8477), or by tweet (@ATLblog).

headshotKathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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