When I first arrived at law school, I didn't know what to expect from my classes. No one in my family had been to law school, nor had anyone I knew. What kind of literature would we be reading? Would I learn what role a lawyer has in shaping the law itself? What exactly does a law firm do?

I quickly learned that in all my classes, the courses centered on reading dozens of cases. Our goal was to understand a judge's reasoning and see how the precedent they set would be applied for decades to come. I came to understand and appreciate the role of precedent in the rule of law: following stare decisis sets consistent legal principles and takes out the subjective element of a judge's personal opinion.