Monday, April 30, 2007

Lawyers DO Have A Sense of Humor!

It's exam time. It's really here. There's no getting around it. Every day I sit with the other (more) diligent students in the library, staring out the window at the lovely weather we're having. And then stare back at my computer screen and books and whimper silently to myself.

So, it's not surprising that any small piece of humor is welcomed with open arms, breaking up the monotony of whatever class I'm studying for at that moment.

Right now that class is Decedents' Estates, also known as "Wills and Trusts". I have a closed book exam for this class on Thursday, and there's a lot of information. A LOT. So I did what any other law school student would do who is hoping to get an above average grade on the exam: I went right out and bought all the study guides I could find, including a box of flash cards that cost me $42.95. In the past week I have been working my way through the 765 cards included in this box, and I have to admit, they weren't a bad investment. The full realization of just how GOOD an investment they were came the other day, while I was quizzing myself on the creation of valid Last Wills and Testaments:

So the topic at hand was latent and patent ambiguities in Wills (those not familiar with this subject, fear not, it really has nothing to do with the hilarity which ensued as a result). I'm reading my cards, learning all about how courts go about determining the intent of the testator when ambiguity is present in the will. First we (the cards and I) go through the black letter law. Then we move on to the hypothetical questions. Now, in all of these study guides, the authors (all law profs and lawyers) like to use witty names, often cartoon characters or other well known pop culture icons as their subjects. However...this one took the cake (and this is full and unabridged, from card #175):

"Dr. Doolittle is a bona-fide animal lover. In his will, there is a bequest to the Society of the Protection of Tits and Asps, in CT. Now, CT has a Society for the protection of Tits, a bird lovers group. And it has a Society for the Protection of Asps, for reptile lovers. But there is no Society for the Protection of Tits and Asps. When Doolittle dies and his will is probated, should the court allow testimony and personal correspondence regarding Doolittle's intent?"

WHO CARES! This box of cards was DEFINITELY worth the 43 bucks for the laugh I got out of card #175. It's the small pleasures that keeps DLS going through exams. What can I say, Im easy to please.

7 comments:

GirlTuesday said...

i heart those cards! (but my, they've become expensive in the last five years.)

good luck with exams.

gt.

armo said...

Ha! I think... Are you laughing at the use of the word "Tits"? I don't know what I want the answer to be.

I agree with the "anything makes me laugh" thing, though. The other night I was taking a pot of freshly-popped popcorn off the burner when it dropped to the floor. I saw it coming, so I started screaming in advance, and of course, hot popcorn went everywhere. I laughed and laughed and laughed for literally 10 minutes. The full body shake and everything. How lame is that?!

armo said...

PS: I promise to make you laugh if you pay me only $21.50, half-off!

Purposeful Wanderer said...

A--I was laughing (heartily) at the combination of "tits and asps". It's Genius!

I feel kind of dirty by the offer of laughs for the low low price of 21.50, but by the end of this exam period I might just take you up on it!

armo said...

Aha, exam mode has left me more dense than usual. The "asps" part of the joke is now obvious to me. Tits are pretty funny on their own, though.

armo said...
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Blair said...

To quote my own flash cards for Crim which has such beauties as "Tinkerbell is smuggling fairy dust." I love these cards.