National Jurist - January 2009 - (Page 24)

A brave new world Southwestern law student Peter Schoettler says a key to the study of law is enjoying the process of law school, and for that matter, life in general uilliard-educated Peter Schoettler already had an impressive resume before he set foot inside the doors of Southwestern Law School in 2006. But his greatest challenge was yet to come. The Ohio native worked as a Broadway and classical freelance musician while obtaining a Ph.D. in music from New York University before By Dave Thomas hanging up his instruments for what he described as a more structured, stable lifestyle. He and his wife decided a law degree was that opportunity. “I hated the lack of job security as a freelance musician,” Schoettler said. “I had a general feeling that I needed to be doing something else with my life to make me happy.” He and his wife left their careers as freelance musicians in New York in March 2006 and moved cross-country, welcoming their second daughter in May. Three months later, Schoettler was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a treatable form of blood cancer. He deferred his enrollment at Southwestern for a year. The following year, he enrolled in the parttime program. “Having to put my law school plans on hold and instead deal with a life-threatening illness was another significant stressor at an already stressful time,” he said. But his illness has had a significant impact on his life by forcing him to confront his own mortality. “After going through the ups and downs of treatment and recurrence, I actually feel stronger in some ways than I was before,” Schoettler said. “I really try to enjoy my life on a day-to-day basis, relish learning 24 THE NATIONAL JURIST January 2009 about the law as well as spending time with my family, and not let little things get to me.” Now a second-year law student, Schoettler was recently offered a full-time summer externship with Federal District Court Judge Florence Marie Cooper. He is also a teaching and research assistant. The musician Coming out of high school, Schoettler said he wasn’t sure if he wanted to go into music or into a more academic, intellectual field. He enrolled at Oberlin College in Ohio, participating in the dual-degree program as a physics major in the college and a French horn major in the conservatory. After his second year, he had the opportunity to transfer to Juilliard in New York City. “When I left Oberlin, I consciously left

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of National Jurist - January 2009

National Jurist - January 2009 Contents Hot Button: Affirmative Action Entertainment: A Road Trip Through Law School News: American Justice, Kaplan Survey, Part-time Ranking The Firm Report: Diversity Law School Online No label No label Fordham Student Honored for Public Interest Work Former Law Student's Life Lives on After Her Death Most Influential People in Legal Education Most Innovative Law Schools Your Guide to Studying Abroad Career Hotline Texas Tech Law Grads Explore Dispute Resolution Evaluating First-Year Exams Disturbing the Peace

National Jurist - January 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.