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July 04 2011

8

Harry Potter was NOT a Slytherin

posted in 1L/2L, 3L, Law School Applicants by Allie
Categories: Classroom, Just For Fun

Harry Potter was NOT a Slytherin

In my first year of law school I had a professor who compared law school to Hogwarts.  The students valuing hard work, patience, friendship, and fair play are the Hufflepuffs. The students who always had the wittiest or most clever answer in class are the Ravenclaws. And the students who stick out as leaders are the Gryffindors. However, there is one last group that you will come across not only at Hogwarts, but also in law school, and that is the Slytherins. You will immediately be able to spot these students as my professor pointed out early on in my first semester of law school.

  • They will be the students who LOVE to hear themselves talk in class. Raising their hand constantly just so they can get their opinion out there.
  • They will be the students who actually have the nerve to interrupt a professor when they have something more to add to their statement.
  • They will be the student who constantly makes stories up about how fantastic their undergrad grades were or what an amazing job opportunity they will have for the summer.
  • They will be the students who never admit they are wrong- even when the right answer is staring them in the face. 
  • They will be the students who will only ask you a question for their own benefit- i.e. to figure you out, determine if they are smarter than you, and to make you feel dumb.
  • They are the students that make law school miserable, but luckily all the other students learn how to ignore them.
 
In short, whether you are a fan of the Harry Potter series or not- the point is clear. You will come across people in law school that are incredibly hard to get along with. The first rule of advice is don’t be that person! But the second rule and just as important is don’t let the Slytherins get to you. Do your best to just ignore them. Don’t compete with them, don’t compare yourself to them, and don’t waste your time fighting with them.  

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Allie

About the Author: Allie
allie@thelawstreetjournal.com

Allie is a third year law student. She graduated from a small liberal arts college in 2008, married that same summer, and started law school in the fall. Talk about transitions! When she’s not studying, she loves to be with her hubby, Dustin. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, cooking, crocheting, gardening, and decorating her home. Her favorite shows are Friends, Fringe, 30 Rock, Modern Family, Project Runway, and Top Chef. She has no idea what area of law she wants to practice in but is most drawn to areas involving torts- she is fluent in Spanish and hopes to incorporate that into her legal career.

Comments

  1. Peter said on 11/8/10 at 7:26 AM

    I know virtually nothing about Harry Potter but I recall a great quote from one of my professors as a 1L:

    Don’t stand out, rather, be outstanding.

  2. Kate said on 11/9/10 at 7:22 AM

    I just want to know which prof this was!

  3. Harold said on 11/11/10 at 3:10 PM

    I ran into my “classmate from Slytherin” at a meeting I shall not identify about a year or so ago. He hasn’t changed a bit. As I told my Potterphile daughter, “he’s probably still fluent in Parseltongue.”

  4. JJ said on 12/1/10 at 8:08 PM

    First off, that was a well written piece (article, blog, I’m never really sure what to call them these days). I just thought it was odd that your prof would say that. I was always under the impression that Slytherins would make the best lawyer.
      -vain people love to hear themselves talk and vanity can come from  
      any of the four houses. Slytherin keeps their mouth shut
      unless they have something to gain by talking.
      -Ravenclaws interrupt the prof when they have something more to
      add because they have to prove they know the answer. A Slytherin
      never interrupts a prof (unless their opinion doesn’t matter in the
      grand scheme of things) because getting on the bad side of an
      authority figure is never a good idea
      -Slytherins never brag unless their confident that they won’t get
      caught in their own lie…but I suppose this one is a Slytherin trait.
      -Gryffindors never admit their wrong because their always right
      (subtitle: self righteous). Slytherins just try to get out of the situation
      without egg on their face.
      -Again, this one is a Slytherin trait, but didn’t Sun Tzu tell us
      to ‘know thy enemy’. Seems like that would be useful trait to keep
      from being surprised. Besides, why else would you talk to someone
      you have no interest in being friends with.
      -Douche bags and gunners (that’s what the irritating over achievers in
      the front row were called at my school) make law school miserable.
      And they come from all houses.

  5. Allie said on 12/2/10 at 11:26 AM

    Did Draco Malfoy just comment on LSJ?!?  Just kidding. Great comment.

  6. lunar said on 4/2/11 at 3:53 AM

    @JJ I totally am with you. Slytherin traits are highly mud slinged everywhere, even though they are equally important. The four houses were not built on # good and 1 bad—rather encompass in themselves equally important human traits.

  7. Just.A.Girl said on 7/11/11 at 3:22 AM

    I agree with JJ.
    There’s a certain amount of intelligence and cunning that comes with being a Slytherin. Their main priority is their own life and well-being. Authority figures would be respected, and possibly manipulated. Gossip would be absorbed, but not spread. Social status would be used to their full advantage. They have high levels of ambition and class, so they can come across as snobby. Their ambitions also lead to determination, planning/plotting, clear, organized thoughts, pride and some distrust to other students (that is carefully hidden).
    The students you describe as Slytherins are probably a mix of the Houses, as JJ said.
    The real Slytherins are quietly waiting in the shadows.
    Watch, and maybe you’ll catch us.

  8. K said on 7/23/11 at 6:48 AM

    I know exactly what sort of people you mean, however I don’t think it’s fair to assume any of them would sort a particular house.

    The first two describe Hermione Granger to a ‘t’. Her house is Gryffindor and her next most likely house is Ravenclaw.

    In the books, both braggarts were Hufflepuffs (Ernie and Justin).

    It makes sense to feel out your competition and no one can make you feel stupid without your consent.

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