To Write or Not to Write

Today during class, all law students in my section filled out a survey about Law Review and Law Journal, which I suppose is considered the most prestigious thing you can do in law school. For those unaware, it's basically a published magazine (?) that each law school puts out, and it's a really big deal for you to write for it. Getting on it seems pretty tough, but it looks awesome on your resume.

Hmm...resume booster and prestige? Sounds like something I would be interested in. All about writing? Yep, that's me (how many various webpages/blogs have I had in my life??) But, I think I might take the pass on this one. As a good lawyer-to-be, I will lay out my arguments a-like so:

Pros to trying to be on Law Review:
1 - Prestige. This is pretty much the top thing you can do at school, and if you're not a first year, it seems everyone wants to know if you're "on Law Review." And, I like prestige - it will also remind me that I'm doing well if I get on Law Review.
2 - Resume. Anyone can get into a law school (hell, that's why we have those 4th tier schools!) but not everyone can get on a law review. Law review looks great on your resume, and as my classmate pointed out today, people list law review on their resume for years and years to come. A lot different than junior high class president.
3 - I like to write. I do, and I'm acing my Legal Research and Writing Class right now, so I don't think it would be terribly out of my league or interest to be in a writing class. Plus, the idea of getting published is pretty fantastic.

Cons to trying to be on Law Review:
1 - Prestige. I'm almost 29 - really past the point where I care too much about what everyone else at law school thinks about me. Plus, I've done a lot of amazing things in my life that outshine law review, in my humble opinion.
2 - Resume. Would it look great? Yes. Do I need it? Probably not. I've got the military service shining pretty brightly on there, and I doubt re-entering the military is going to hinge on me writing for law review. Why not let the one who needs the resume have the slot?
3 - Enjoyment. True, I like to write. But, I like to write blogs and things that interest me. I'm pretty bad at citations, which is a big con, and while I enjoy the law, I can't think of anything that interests me enough to write about it. Why not let the one with something to say have the slot?
4 - Other interests. I'm dying without doing community theater, and I promised myself, no matter what, that I would audition next fall for Sweet Charity. To me, it's more enjoyable than putting in a couple of hours a night on Law Review.

Even as I write this, I change my mind back and forth from trying out to not trying out. But, I think I'm leaning toward passing. If age has taught me anything, it's to enjoy your life, and I think it comes down to the idea that making time for theater and enjoyment of non-law things really outweighs being stressed out over law review.