And we’re STILL going on about the Skills exams

(I apologise in advance for the rant)

Those SMART students are still banging on about how the failure of a skill shouldn’t deprive them of the ability to get a distinction on the LPC. I’m sure if I had failed on I would feel the same – but at the same time I can’t help scream at these poor folks that skills are no less important – if you can’t do these things – how are you supposed to make a good lawyer as it is not all about the academics from here on out.

I’ve never been strong in the academic department – but I’ve always known that despite the fact I get case names muddled up I know the content and have the ability to make a good lawyer. A measure of a good lawyer isn’t the number of cases you can round off. A friend of mine who is an undergraduate Business Student had a module which *touched* upon the law and she and her friends were comparing how many case names they got down in that exam on facebook. They have no intention of entering into the law.

This is not to say that the skills exams did not strike fear in my heart Tackling the skills of Advocacy and Interviewing as a half deaf student is probably my most terrifying experience on the LPC. But if nothing else it has increased my confidence in my ability to do such essential skills and enter the profession as a half deaf student. Still secretly hoping I can stay clear of advocacy though professionally. In the exam they tried to solve my “problem” by putting me as the prosecution as I wouldn’t have to “respond” and essentially wouldn’t have to hear what anyone else said and simple make my submission. Taking the bull by the horns I asked to be defence. The offended person in me always wants to show I do everything just as well as everyone else, if not better.

In practice though, unlike interviewing if you don’t hear something, you can’t exactly ask someone mid submission to repeat what they said. Also standing side by side I lack the ability to be able to lip read. In the exam it all came down to being prepared and second guessing what the other side was going to say – I went into that exam with no notes – hoping to prove once and for all that no one can say that I lack ability. I succeeded.

For this reason it irritates me that others put up complaints about failing skills and therefore not getting a distinction – sure it may have come down to a simple mistake, but they probably went in there thinking they couldn’t fail and there are those of us who are prejudged and fighting that all the way.