In pursuit of thunder | Why Law?

Benjamin Franklin, 15th of 17 siblings, was forced to abandon his formal student career at age 12, when his family ran out of funds to support him. Previously destined to become an educated clergy (nearly a pleonasm at the time), he had to settle for on-the-job training at a printing shop under his brother’s wings. Conveniently, being a printer enabled him to nurture his reading and writing habits, which culminated in the publication of his seminal letters under the pseudonym "Mrs. Silence Dogood". 10 years later, he managed to establish his own printing shop in Philadelphia, where he would eventually run the very popular Pennsylvania Gazette and Poor Richard's Almanack. One could argue that it was this role as an early-days media mogul what projected him into a successful and remarkably impactful political career.

Franklin was 42 when he retired from the day-to-day operations of his successful printing business. Perhaps he made the decision while riding his horse home in a stormy summer evening when he saw a tree get struck by lightning. Lightnings are a fascinating sight, anyone would agree. The still-to-be-completely-elucidated massive buildup of electrical energy in the clouds ionizes air to form a conductive path that we call a lightning bolt. The powerful process heats the air around it, causing it to expand and contract rapidly and giving birth to thunder. You can see and hear their might from miles at a distance. None of this Franklin (or anyone, for that matter) knew at the time, which probably made it even more fascinating. Perhaps this fascination was irresistible to the Founding Father. Or perhaps the 30 years in printing started to bore him. The fact is that for at least the five years that followed, Franklin devoted himself to the study of storms, weather, energy and electricity. With remarkable ingenuity, he attached spoons to a kite and flew it in the middle of a storm to prove (dangerously) that it would attract and deflect lightning, which led to the invention of the now ubiquitous lightning rod. This line of study also led him to create the electric stove. All of this he did while engaging with negotiations with England, representing the people in politics, and proposing The Albany Plan of Union, an embryo of the United States.

We are long past the 1750s. Since then - when Benjamin Franklin built the foundations of the University of Pennsylvania, one of the few colleges established before the US Independence - science advanced, markets evolved, the world became more complex, the Renaissance is far over, and specialization became the unquestionable norm, prized for its effectiveness and efficiency. In fact, even at Stanford, a university known for dual degrees and odd majors (Instagram founder Mike Krieger’s Symbolic Systems, for one), there is a limit to what one can pursue without looking strange. I went to Medical School in Brazil, straight from high school, got my two-year Business degree from Stanford and will soon start my one-year Master in Law. “Why?”, most people ask when I tell them about the Law degree, to what I feel a strong inclination to respond “why not?”. There are, of course, a few reasons why one wouldn’t do it, the main one being arguably wasting a precious year of my youth with a degree no one will ever require of me. What a limited view on higher education.

As SymSys majors usually say, “silos are for farms”, and universities are not trade schools. Acquiring job-specific knowledge is just one of the reasons why we attend them. In fact, I would argue, they are a very inefficient and obsolete way to absorb content, if that is all you are looking for. Just give any physician a test she aced during medical school and you will be shocked to learn that she will most likely never get a passing grade again!

Why, then, law school? (A previous piece explores, somewhat dramatically, the path to and through Medicine, in case you are interested).

One might say I have long been fond of the legal profession. Some aspects of this affinity probably date back to when I was 10 or 11. I was a Presbyterian neophyte (although I had been attending church for as long as I could remember) and started getting acquainted with the close and meticulous study of the Scriptures. It involved treating words with a rigor and a sternness that few things in life merit. “Which ‘love’ is this?”, I would ask striving to understand exactly what a passage meant. One confusing word in Portuguese or English could be derived from at least four distinct terms in Greek — eros, agape, storge, philia. The daily task involved checking cross references, carefully examining context, looking back at the original(s). It demanded deep reflection and long conversations and debates. It was linguistic and textual craft.

When I was about 14, I discovered a way to build on this foundation and channel my argumentative drive into something productive. I joined my school’s recently-created Model United Nations group, arguing mock cases before Security Councils, General Assemblies and even a High Commissariat that my friends and I inaugurated to gain degrees of creative freedom in the diplomatic future. I reveled in crafting a beautiful argument that explored the intricacies of the conflicting right to self determination and the principle of inviolability of frontiers. I passionately enthused arguing my case before my fellow delegates, oratory being the perfect complement to good writing. I would listen attentively to their counters, studying each word to find cracks that I could leverage, procedural norms that I could explore, and opportunities for agreement. I strived to command language, finding public sessions and side conversations equally exciting. To this day, debating is still an invigorating hobby of mine.

Then there is a deeper personal interest to the subject. Walter Isaacson says that Benjamin Franklin was “the most influential in inventing the type of society America would become”. He did so in a variety of ways: he led by example as an entrepreneur, a journalist and a scientist-inventor; he established the foundations of (free) American diplomacy; he engaged with charity and community service, including the creation of a voluntary fire fighting department; he founded one of the first American universities (before the US was a country). Most importantly, he was the oldest (and perhaps one of the wisest) delegate at the Constitutional Convention, and an avid advocate of liberty. In sum, America would not be America without him. He realized that the Law is a reflection of our deepest shared values. It also shapes those values into long-lasting culture. This is what fascinates me the most about the Law, and exploring this goes beyond any professional utility.

These are the deeply-rooted reasons why the Law. Here are some practical ones:

1. It is Stanford Law. One of the most respected Law Schools in the US. In fact, this year it was ranked #1 in the country, an upgrade from last year’s second place. It is an immense and humbling privilege to attend an institution of this caliber.

2. The people. Perhaps because it is so selective and prestigious, SLS gathers some of the brightest and most fascinating minds I have had the pleasure to meet. Most of my friends from church in the Bay Area go there and they invariably provide me with the most thought-provoking, kind and edifying conversations. It is an immense and humbling privilege to spend time with friends of this caliber and I look forward to graduating with them.

3. The faculty. I will be very fortunate to count on Prof. Michael McConnell’s supervision for my program. He is a former appellate judge who argued sixteen (!) cases before the Supreme Court, directs the Constitutional Law Center and teaches courses on the First Amendment and the history of the Constitution, my primary interests. Most importantly, he is kind and thoughtful — I first met him when I crashed an Easter lunch he hosted for Law Students a couple of years ago at his home. It is an immense and humbling privilege to learn from a Lawyer of this caliber.

4. Knight-Hennessy Scholars. One of the greatest blessings I have ever received and never deserved, KHS is the best part of my experience at Stanford. My recent trip to India with them is a great illustration of the reasons why, perhaps perfectly embodied in Bergie, my roommate. He carries the rarest combination of extreme gentleness, admirable values and sharp mind that makes for the best people and the most treasured friends. And he is what Knight-Hennessy is all about. They inspire me to outcare, outthink and outwork, all of this while making sure we have a lot of fun. They also pay for my education. It is the most immense and humbling privilege to be among scholars of this caliber.

By 2024, I will complete 9 years of higher education. 6 in Medicine, 2 in Business, 1 in Law. Many times the journey looks and feels confusing — it is. I have been guided by a deep desire to learn and to be around the best people. The time is coming to again focus on building. Until then, Stanford is my home and I can’t wait to live this immense and humbling privilege!