The midsummer sun bathed everything in an orange glow and blanketed my body in a warm embrace. I was eight years old at the local pool, queued behind the rest of the students in my swim lesson cohort. On this day, I had my first ever diving lesson.
When it was my turn, I locked my elbows and positioned my arms in a triangle behind my ears. I gazed nervously at the water in the deep end. A million thoughts ran through my mind.
Would the water be very cold? Will I forget how to hold my breath? Will I swallow massive amounts of chlorinated water, and choke? Will everyone laugh, because I don’t know how to dive?
The swim instructor’s voice cut through the chaos of my mind.
“Don’t think too hard about it,” he said, “just close your eyes, and go for it.”
And so, I did. The water was very cold in contrast with the warmth of the sun. I did accidentally swallow too much of it; but then, I came up for air and realized I had survived, and surprisingly, diving in was lots of fun.
My 2L summer experience was a lot like my first diving lesson.
There’s no way you could really prepare for it. You’re given a comprehensive, theoretical orientation, which was a helpful primer, much like being “taught” how to dive by example was a helpful primer, but the most effective way to learn, of course, was by doing.
My first few assignments felt like diving into a pool from the deep end, but in the best possible way. There was a split moment of panic where you realize everything is new, and you don’t know anything. Just as the chlorinated water had burned my lungs, the massive size of some of the files we had to sift through to create damages briefs was slightly overwhelming; but don’t let this scare you!
The fun part comes after the initial nerves—when you let your instincts take over and you begin to naturally problem-solve. We were hired because we had the ability to learn, not because we knew everything already. The most gratifying experience was learning to piece together what would eventually become a completed damages brief, among many other things.
As my summer ends, I reflect on everything I have learned. I now had a true appreciation for what “hands on” really meant. Over the course of 12 weeks, I had only done a handful of research assignments. The bulk of my work was drafting legal documents. Highlights include a draft order and a bill of costs that made its way to the Court of Appeal.
I was not perfect, but I didn’t need to be. I proved to myself that I was unafraid of discomfort—of diving into cold water (or in this case, 3000-page documents) and emerging unscathed. Eight-year-old me faced her fear of diving, and twenty-four-year-old me faced her fear of entering the world of law, equipped with everything I ever needed, which was nothing at all except myself.
by Yeru T.