(For those of you unfamiliar with the process, law students in Iowa have to take a “Basic Skills” course their first year that covers everything they were just tested on for the bar exam.)
Now, on with the show.
Just received an email that started off really exciting, with lots of exclamation points:
“This Year’s Annual Meeting and Basic Skills Course are going paperless!” (Bold red font straight from the email).
Naturally, you start going Woohoo! we’re helping the environment. I’m all about this!
But then they go on. . .
“It is strongly suggested attendees print off the materials in advance of the event.” (Lack of bold red print fresh from the email).
Oh. So not helping the environment, just shifting the printing costs onto the obviously poor new lawyers that just graduated from a college degree that permits students to take no jobs. Students who paid a couple thousand dollars for a bar exam that didn’t cost that much to administer. As opposed to the bar association and supreme court that arranges and requires the multiple day event involved lots of paperwork. Organizations who have plenty of money due to us paying for a bar exam that didn’t cost that much to administer.
Now, before our first job arrives, we need to pay for:
- The Event ($100+)
- The Hotel ($100+)
- The Transportation ($100+)
- Food (min $20+)
- and Printing (One document for one event ~ there are several each day of four days ~ was 80+pages.)
Sorry, this “Breaking, Exciting News” press release was an epic fail. Not seeing the excitement this message acted like it was supposed to incite.
Deceptively Blonde 
… and it all goes downhill from here.