The BAR and the Bar
By: alexander brock
A (Fri)day in the Life of a Full-Time 1L, Part-Time Bartender
The clock strikes 2:45 pm on a Friday and the endless stream of classes has run dry. Classmates discuss their plans for the weekend. Some have a weekend getaway in mind while others set their sights on academic pursuits. The rest plan on doing absolutely nothing, basking in the joy of an empty schedule. But not the part-time bartender. The part-time bartender has one hour to get home, change into a dark button-down shirt, frantically grab a wine key plus a handful of pens, and get to work behind the bar.
A weekend of work after a week of study may sound dreadful to some. Those who have worked in the service industry for their entire adult lives know better. Work behind the bar can be catharsis after countless hours spent in silence, eyes glued to the page. It’s not all sunshine and roses, as your aching feet will tell you Sunday morning. Still, there’s nothing quite like the total role reversal from classes to cocktails.
Sore Legs Have Never Felt So Good
It may seem counterintuitive to think that an eight-hour shift, complete with dozens of trips to the basement for emergency liquor resupply, would make your legs feel good. But it’s true. The body remembers its basic functions as the night progresses. Believe it or not, the human spine was not built to hunch over casebooks for ninety percent of the waking day. Legs can function for longer than the three minutes it takes to get from Feil to campus (and vice-versa). Fingers have limitless capabilities beyond pounding on a keyboard. Behind the bar, the full potential of the complex nervous system is realized. As the part-time bartender kneels down to peer in the wine fridge, shaking two cocktails while simultaneously sliding a bus tub across the floor with a pinky toe, the vertebrae clicks back into place and the harmony of blood flow is restored.
The Bliss of Talking Anything But Law
Who knew small talk could be so satisfying? After a full week reviewing procedural code, the part-time bartender is instantly mesmerized by a coworker’s story about a cool dog she saw crossing the street last Tuesday. Really, his tongue was sticking out? And he was furry, but not that furry? Please, tell me more about your decision to ditch the cardigan this morning!
Studying case law can reveal fascinating details about real, bizarre stories that shape our society and change lives. Still, every now and then one needs to change the frequency. Bar patrons will undoubtedly share personal anecdotes, as you will finally have the chance to share your non-law related stories. It’s nice to avoid topics like statutory interpretation and felony murder rule for the night.
You Get To Eat Real Food
Law students are not known for their culinary prestige. Among the benefits of bartending at a restaurant, getting to taste the food is undeniably at the top of the list. When most of your meals are of the pre-frozen (oft-microwavable variety), fresh food prepared by professional chefs can have a profound effect.
At the start of each shift, the chef lays out the night’s specials for the staff to taste — Piemontese-style rabbit stuffed with broccoli rabe, pine nuts, and golden raisins. The special entrée is wild, line-caught golden Atlantic tilefish. The fish is seared on the skin side to make the filet crispy, and served with an heirloom tomato panzanella, a traditional Tuscan salad. For dessert, a salted caramel pôt de crème with mascarpone gelato. Ask for that the next time you head to the fourth-floor cafeteria for lunch.
Sweet Sleep and Happy Dreams
Midnight comes and goes and the part-time bartender teeters on delirium. Last week’s Torts readings and the Nebbiolo wine list merge together into a buttery bouquet of negligence. At this moment, final exams and paychecks take a back seat to gelatinous muscles and a vacant brain. The cycle will continue week after week, and that’s just fine for those who crave the balance between the mental strain of law school and physical toil of work behind the bar. Only one thing is for sure — The part-time bartender sleeps well tonight.
