It's common for people who are not familiar with the legal system to think that understanding the law is a simple matter of reading a rule book. Unfortunately, the law is much more complicated than that.
During my first legal internship, I was tasked with reading a few statutes on New York's public officer law and filling out a table. My supervisor told me that I could arrange the columns and rows in any way I wished. I worked on the table for a few days but couldn't complete it, and I felt disheartened.
I decided to approach my supervisor and admit that I had failed. I handed him the incomplete table and said, "I can't make it work."
To my surprise, he was pleased with my work. "That's excellent!" he exclaimed. "You've confirmed what I had suspected: there's a loophole in the law."
Understanding legal rules and principles can be challenging because of their complexity, nuances, and exceptions. One needs to have a deep knowledge of legal precedent, context, and background to navigate the legal system successfully. Legal language is often difficult to comprehend for those unfamiliar with it. That's why lawyers must complete years of study in law school and pass rigorous exams to obtain their license.
Furthermore, even experienced lawyers and judges may interpret the law differently and have different opinions on how it should be applied in specific cases. The law is not always clear-cut and straightforward, and that is why legal disputes and court cases can often take a long time to resolve.
In conclusion, it's easy to assume that legal rules are straightforward and easy to understand, but that's far from the truth. The law requires a deep understanding of the context, background, and nuances that go beyond a simple reading of the rules, just like any complex system.
Hani Sarji
New York lawyer who cares about people, is fascinated by technology, and is writing his first book, Estate of Confusion: New York.
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