3 videos that beautifully articulate the pain of being a law student

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By Thomas Connelly on

Results are in for US website’s annual Law Review video contest — here’s a selection of the best bits

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Each year American law schools do battle over who can produce the best law-inspired music video as part of Above the Law’s “Law Review” competition.

Taking an existing track, students produce their own lyrics to portray the misery and stress that comes with studying law.

Kicking off this year’s highlights are students from Washington and Lee University School of Law with their take on Snappy Snaps-smasher George Michael’s 1990 classic “Freedom!”. The video emphasises the impact law school can take on students physically and mentally. The opening lyrics don’t hold back either.

“Law school got you drained? Well we can fill you up. So let’s just drink and sing. ‘Cause you know we’re all kinda f****d!”

Next up are students at Southern Methodist University School of Law and their homage to Meghan Trainor’s hit “All About That Bass”. Cleverly re-working the title to “All About That Grade”, the wannabe lawyers wax lyrical about law students’ obsession with their marks.

The overall winner — and a Legal Cheek favourite — was New York University School of Law, where students reconfigured Missy Elliot’s “Work It”. This video hauled in almost 50% of the 78,000 votes cast and sees the students of NYU dressed in bandanas and hats — which, let’s face it, is as ‘street’ as law students are going to get. The chart-busting 2002 track has been lyrically reworked and titled “Clerkships”.

A clerkship isn’t too dissimilar to marshalling a judge. It involves a combination of legal research and filing before the judge leaves at four every afternoon to ensure a prompt arrival at the course for tee-off.

With good quality production and clever lyrics, the Stateside lawyers have set a high bar. UK law students, it’s over to you …

You can view all the finalists here.