The Great Change: Turning Cathy into a Lawyer

In follow-up to my comments about the constitutional and contracts law lecturers, I relate an interesting conversation I had with someone at BarBri about the lecturers. Apparently the contracts lecturer whom I hated is extremely popular all over the country - except New York where his ratings were such that NY BarBri dropped him and got someone else (a guy whom I preferred, as at least I was willing to attend all his lectures...). Meanwhile, some of the New York profs are quite popular in New York, but untenable outside it.

I suppose to some degree there's something comforting about being taught law by someone with the accent corresponding to the area of law you're studying. Particularly for New York, where New York legal distinctions are important to know. That would at least explain why, say, Paula Franzese, a property law prof who practically oozes Brooklyn, is so popular there. We're wired to believe her. But it seems she's not popular outside of New York. Yet the contracts prof I didn't like had a thick Texas accent, and he apparently does not ruffle Californian feathers to nearly the same extent. Maybe it isn't an accent thing as much as it is general style. Perhaps Californians find the Texas guy kind of homey. (I found him condescending.) I guess they find the Brooklyn prof... mmm... a little much, although for me she reminds me of lots of people I knew growing up...