"Law school has a way of sometimes sapping the curiosity right out of someone."

I read that sentence here and what a relief! I thought this phenomena--of reading about something or hearing it on the news & having absolutely no interest in finding out more--was my own private shame. The author of the linked post is referencing a particular feminist author she studied in law school but I think this lack-of-curiosity can translate more broadly.

What kept me from being more curious? Maybe it was the fact that I was taking multiple courses each term. Month after month, it was all I could do to keep up with readings, researching topics, completing little assignments, writing drafts of major term papers etc. When a news item came up in a facebook thread or in discussions with friends, I just wasn't that interested in following up to learn more about that specific topic, even if it interested me. But what kind of lawyer will I be if I don't have a nuanced grasp on the issues which might possibly face me & my colleagues? And what kind of citizen am I if I don't understand important parliamentary procedures? So far, it's pretty much been background noise in my student-life. And my student life is not over--I start my Bar courses on Monday. Maybe I will continue to stick to the extracurricular topics that most interest me: feminism, American politics, cooking & fashion & drown out the rest.

But, now that I've moved on from law school & after I finish the Bar, I should expand my interests. There must be room in my life for more topics of interest. To make it easier on myself, I've decided to follow a few Canadian legal blogs & research the stuff that pops up in twitter feeds & facebook threads. By expanding my interests & follow up on stories I've heard, I hope I can become more well-rounded--both as a lawyer & as a citizen. And as a kick-ass person.