“This is the most important case since Marbury v. Madison!” said Professor Arthur Kinoy of Rutgers University School of Law – Newark, as he held up and shook a folded copy of that morning’s New York Times. As he read excerpts to our Con Law class in his famously sing-songy orator’s voice, we quickly forgot the 19th century opinions we had studied the night before. Arthur had argued and won important Supreme Court cases such as Dombrowski v. Pfister and Powell v. McCormack, so his sense of urgency was a reminder that the world of law was not just abstract principles—it was a place where real people were affected every day.

Most of the case law, statutes, legal history and lawyering tips I learned 40 years ago have become embedded in a giant kaleidoscope of knowledge that has grown unevenly as I have continued a lifetime of learning. What sticks with me, however, are the emotionally engaging experiences I had during those three years.