Law Schools

From Erie With Love

An annual tradition at NYU Law soars to new heights.

There’s an argument to be had that the most unlucky character in the saga of American litigation was Helen Palsgraf. Others were certainly more grievously injured, but when you take into account the sheer unlikelihood that Palsgraf would land on the wrong side of a giant scale, she makes a compelling case for the title.

And that’s before you realize that poor Helen is doomed to have her bizarre injury at the hands of hurried train passengers, dropped explosive fireworks, panic, and ultimately a fallen scale retold year after year ad infinitum to every first year law student in the country.

The same can be said for the Erie case, a giant of civil procedure.

Professor Arthur Miller decided to have some fun with it. At first, he would act out the event himself, with costumes ranging from from “a simple toga to a Superman outfit.” After attempting to phase out the performances himself, his students took up the mantle of putting on the show themselves.

Past classes have presented rock operas and Wizard of Oz adaptations. This year’s class brought another fresh take to the festivities with No Time To Demur… complete with Bond song.

Career Services offices, take heed. If that one student who isn’t getting callbacks has an artistic streak, maybe they could land a big screen role with their JD advantage?