I recently went to my cousin’s high school graduation. As I rode with her to the civic center where the grand event would take place, I informed her that I had every intention of embarrassing her by being the person who cheered and whistled (or, since I can’t whistle, making whistle-like sounds) when they called her name despite the fact that they would clearly request at the beginning of the graduation to hold all cheering and applause until the end.

She told me she was fine with me doing this so long as I met one requirement: I could only cheer for her if someone made a lot of noise for any of the graduates before her.

I’d like to take a minute here to thank Emi for being smart. Since she graduated at the top of her class, very few students went before her. Which means that the cheering did not start until later in the program. Which means I kept my big mouth shut when her name was called. And that’s good because apparently you can get in a lot of trouble for screaming like a banshee in the middle of a dignified graduation ceremony.

All Those S’s in Mississippi Must Stand For Sssssshh!

Before Superintendent Jay Foster started reading names at the Senatobia High School graduation, he warned everyone that they better shut up until all the graduates’ names had been read. After all, Mississippi and dignified go hand in hand (is that the first time anybody has ever said that?), and he wanted this dignity reflected in the ceremony.

Now, as a member of a large family, I have been to way too many graduations. I have had to force myself to stay awake through some truly awful speeches and long lists of people of whom I only knew one. I can walk you through the steps of a graduation. And if there is one thing I know, it is that no matter how nicely you ask, there are going to be screamers in the audience.

Courtesy of Giphy.

(Disclaimer: the graduations I attend tend to be at small, Southern, extremely country schools, so if more ritzy schools don’t have this problem, please excuse my ignorance. Also, please excuse my earlier dig at Mississippi, where I am sure people really are generally dignified. But I’m from Alabama, and Mississippi jokes are all we have.)

Anyway, I have yet to hear of a school properly shushing the rowdy crowds that graduations tend to attract. That is, until I learned what Foster did when people disobeyed his direct orders.

You see, Foster was not joking when he told people to hold their applause. A few people must have thought he was, though. Because they cheered. And all sorts of chaos began.

Courtesy of Giphy.

As the ceremony progressed, the people who cheered when told not to cheer were escorted out. Okay. A little tough, but understandable. And it sent others the message. After all, only four people had to be asked to leave. Assuming the graduating class had more than a handful of graduates, that is not all that bad. So mission accomplished, Mr. Foster. Good job!

Wait! You don’t think that was enough punishment? You don’t think it will stop people from cheering at next year’s ceremony? But what else could you possibly do to teach them this valuable lesson on respect?

Hmm. I hadn’t thought about tracking three of them down and going to the police to press charges against them for disturbing the peace. That will teach them!

Foster thought of it, though. And more than just thinking about it, he actually did it.

What Will the Verdict Be?

Can cheering ever lead to an actual charge? (One which, by the way, could be punishable with up to six months in jail and fines of up to $500.)

We may never know. Because on Monday, the school district decided to drop the case–a day before the court appearances were set and more than three weeks after the infamous ceremony. And I don’t know how I feel about this. In order to sort through my feelings, I made a pros and cons list.

Pros of dropping the case:

• The school will not be wasting their own time or that of the defendants and the court with a case they probably do not have much chance of winning. After all, in the words of one of the defendant’s lawyers, “You don’t yell fire in a crowded theater. That said, you are entitled to clap.”
• They will stop getting the bad press associated with their actions, which many for some reason believe to be too harsh.
• They could avoid a lawsuit or two from the harassed cheerers.
• People might think a little bit better about Mississippi in general.
• It is just plain right–and smart–to do.

Cons of dropping the case:  

• People might find out that charges won’t be pressed, and so they might actually risk the wrath of the school district next year and–I don’t even want to think about it–clap in excitement for the accomplishments of somebody they love even if it is rude to the rest of the attendants.

After reviewing my list, I see that there is a clear winner. Should we really be encouraging all those cheerers by not pressing charges against them? I don’t think so. Stop being so soft on these criminals, people. If we let them get away with things like this, we might not ever get a quiet graduation. And that is a thought just not worth contemplating.

Courtesy of Giphy.

Ashley Shaw

Ashley Shaw is an Alabama native and current New Jersey resident. A graduate of both Kennesaw State University and Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, she spends her free time reading, writing, boxing, horseback riding, playing trivia, flying helicopters, playing sports, and a whole lot else. So maybe she has too much spare time. Contact Ashley at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Mississippi Superintendent Hates Fun, Presses Charges Against Cheerers appeared first on Law Street.

It’s no secret that I’m mildly obsessed with LinkedIn. Anyone who knows me even remotely will knows this. But much to my dismay, many of my colleagues and peers disregard this social network, disparaging it as the Facebook for old people and arguing that it serves no purpose, it’s lame, etc. I disagree.

LinkedIn has so many features that most people are unaware of that they are truly missing out. Are you in college? Grad school? Law or med school? Or maybe you just graduated and you’ve joined the rat race that we call job hunting. I won’t say LinkedIn can solve your problems just like that — by no means are you guaranteed a position by way of LinkedIn. But I bet if you use the site the way you should and get the most out of LinkedIn, you can highly increase your chances of landing a decent job or connecting with someone who could change your life.

Here’s a list of five useful LinkedIn features that fly under most users’ radars:

1. Update your professional gallery. LinkedIn is the ultimate e-portfolio. It’s like a resume without a one-page limit. You can digitally share all kinds of projects you’ve worked on — articles, designs, videos, pictures, etc. This is probably the best way to showcase the experience you’ve gained at each internship or job.
2. Join and participate in relevant groups and discussions. One of the best ways to get noticed on LinkedIn is to join groups and discussions that interest you. For example, if you are in the finance industry or seeking fluency in a language, they have groups for that! Once you join groups and discussions, you not only have access to loads of useful advice, but you are connected to people you may have never encountered before.
3. Share updates, including useful articles you’ve read or wrote yourself. Get out there. This is where people confuse Facebook and LinkedIn. Yes, you can share updates, but no one cares that you just brushed your teeth and walked your dog. Share a new piece you just finished or an interesting article you read. This will call attention to your profile and the more viewers, the better for you!
4. Utilize your alumni network. Newsflash, alumni love their alma maters. Their pride is often accompanied with a sense of nostalgia in the vein of, “I remember when I was your age, getting ready for life in the real world.” This is usually followed up with some type of advice and swapping of contact information. Take advantage of this opportunity to build your network! LinkedIn has a variety of features specially designed for alumni to connect with each other. Almost every college and university has an alumni network; if you’re connected instantly, why not reach out?
5. Request introductions to people of interest through your network. This is probably based on the Six Degrees of Separation theory. Basically, any person on this planet is only six introductions away from any other person. So, I’m only like six introductions away from Angelina Jolie. Sweet. You can use this tool to make connections with the judge at the court where you want to clerk or meet an partner at your dream firm.

Just like every other form of social networking, LinkedIn is constantly adding features to allow users to show their personalities by adding experience outside of work. Employers like well-rounded employees with varying interests. Some career influencers tell us to let our personalities shine through our brands, it’s the name of the game. LinkedIn now allows you to showcase your volunteer experience, certifications, even patents. So take the extra few minutes to surf the site that could change your professional career profoundly.

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Natasha Paulmeno (@natashapaulmeno) 

Natasha Paulmeno

Natasha Paulmeno is an aspiring PR professional studying at the University of Maryland. She is learning to speak Spanish fluently through travel, music, and school. In her spare time she enjoys Bachata music, playing with her dog, and exploring social media trends. Contact Natasha at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Get the Most Out of LinkedIn With These 5 Useful Features appeared first on Law Street.

We’re having a debate here at Law Street over whether or not now is a good time to go to law school–this is Matt DeWilde’s argument against taking the leap, click here to read Brittany Alzfan’s opinion on why law school right now may be a good choice.

When it comes to the question of entering law school right now, unless you like gambling with over $100,000 on the line or you got into Harvard Law, you might want to hold your horses. Going to law school now will still most likely result in massive amounts of debt and only a small chance to get a job at a top law firm when you get out. I do believe that law school will one day be a smart choice again, but that day is at least several years down the road.

There are many reasons why now is not a good time to go to law school. For one, law school prices have started to trend downwards, but are still high across the board. You will most likely end up in massive debt, especially if you haven’t finished paying off loans you took out for your undergraduate degree. The best law schools are still going to set you back close to $150,000 and it is very hard to find a respectable school that will cost you less than $100,000. All that being said, it would be totally worth it if you could make six figures right after graduating, but you most likely won’t luck out in the job market. In fact, you will probably be happy if you can find a job that pays marginally better than one you could get with just your undergraduate degree.

Median pay out of law school is around $60,000 a year, $10,000 lower than it was in 2008. Also check out this graph from the Association for Legal Career Professionals. While it is true that there is a sizable percentage of graduates making good money–about $160,000 a year, they’re still in the minority. In fact, there was a high concentration of graduates making between $45,000-$55,000 out of law school in 2012, which is only marginally better than the $44,000 graduates averaged their first year out of undergrad.

The counterargument to these facts is that the job market has stabilized, and with a smaller law school class more students will get good jobs. But there are problems with this logic. One is that the best paying jobs are still only available to those who graduate from elite law schools, which have not had to drop class sizes to the same extent as mid-level law schools. So while it may now be less likely that you will be unemployed when you graduate, do not expect the big bucks. Also, just because the job market has stabilized now does not mean it will start improving over the next three years while you’re in school. Going to school with the assumption that the job market will improve is an incredible gamble.

While going to law school today might not be as bad as enrolling in 2009, it is still not a great option. But there are signs that we could only be a couple years away from a law school rebound. One is that law schools are starting to lower their prices.  There could very well be wide-scale tuition decreases over the next few years, meaning it would make sense to wait until those have come to fruition. As prices go down, so does the gamble.

So if your dream is to be a lawyer and you really want to go to law school, do not give up hope, but be patient. Prices should go down and the legal job market is likely to improve a bit–albeit in mainly lower paying jobs. Perhaps try to find a job as a paralegal for a few years, then go to law school. Paralegals can earn up to $50,000 out of undergrad and it’s great experience to put on law school applications. Gain work experience, and in a few years take advantage of lower priced law schools. While it may be better to apply to law school now than it was a couple years ago, it’s still a risky decision. Waiting a few years could very well improve your prospects.

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Matt DeWilde (@matt_dewilde25) is a member of the American University class of 2016 majoring in politics and considering going to law school. He loves writing about politics, reading, watching Netflix, and long walks on the beach. Contact Matt at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

Featured image courtesy of [thisisbossi via Flickr]  

Matt DeWilde

Matt DeWilde is a member of the American University class of 2016 majoring in politics and considering going to law school. He loves writing about politics, reading, watching Netflix, and long walks on the beach. Contact Matt at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Don’t Go to Law School…Yet appeared first on Law Street.