C Scott Pryor
What are the best and worst things about your job?
The best thing about my job is teaching students on a daily basis. Guiding inquisitive minds to understand basic principles of law, analyze complex legal issues, and then to apply legal principles is most gratifying.
The worst thing about my job is dealing with the mundane—albeit important—matters of administration.
Who was the first lawyer you ever worked under? What is the most important lesson that you learnt from him/her?
Michael A. Lyons. Mike taught me the value of thorough preparation without losing sight of other values in life such as family.
If a seventeen year old came to you and asked you whether he/she should consider a career in law, what advice would you give?
I would explore the reasons why the young person thought law might be a good fit in his or her life; the practice of law is intense and demanding and the young person would need to understand it’s not a shortcut to wealth or fame. Next, since most 17-year olds don’t know what real (as opposed to TV) lawyers actually do, I would recommend spending some days or even weeks doing an unpaid internship in a law office. Only if he/she had an honorable reason and still desired to go into law would I say God-speed.
What was your first car? When did you buy it?
A 1966 four-door Ford Fairlane, which I bought in the summer of 1975.
Which is your favourite restaurant?
Bravo Cucina Italiana in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
What is the best book you read in the past year?
Justice: Rights and Wrongs by Nicholas Wolterstorff.
Where did you go on your last vacation?
St. Martin in the Netherlands Antilles.
Which historical figure would you invite for dinner? If you could only ask one question of him/her, what would you ask?
Martin Luther King, Jr. What are your thoughts on Barak Obama becoming president of the U.S.?
What is the most significant change that you would make to the (American) law school curriculum?
Increase the international public/private law components of most law school courses.
What is the most significant change that you would like to see in the (American) legal industry in the next five years?
Realization that inhumane billable hour requirements drive many fine lawyers out of big-firm practice and implementation of flexible and fair compensation structures for those who want to have a life outside the practice of law.
(A professor at Regent Law School since 1998, C Scott Pryor is currently visiting the National Law University, Jodhpur on a Fulbright scholarship. Meanwhile, he regularly updates his blog Pryor Posts India with thoughts on a range of topics – from travelling in India, to legal education, to Hebrew conceptions of justice and the world of NLU Jodhpur.)
