Law School Tales - The Socratic Method Part II

First, a tiny bit of background: During my 1L year I was house sitting for a doctor and his wife. They did not have just the nice, large doctor house; rather, they had the "I Am a Texas Plastic Surgeon with a Trophy Wife Palace." I had strict instructions from the wife for the new lawn care guys, the previous ones having been fired for not getting the lawn right.

One of my 1L professors was known for wielding the Socratic Method to put 1Ls in their place. No matter how well you read the cases for the class, he would purposefully trip you up and could make people feel 1 inch tall.

My day to be his bitch came on a day that I was particularly angry at my then-husband for something and I was in a foul mood. I think I even rolled my eyes when the professor called on me.

Prof: "Mizz Associate Girl. Did you read the cases for the day?"
AG: "Yes."
Prof: "Excellent. So, if you hired someone to cut your lawn, would that be a contract for specific performance?"
AG: "Yes."
Prof: "Yes? I thought you read the cases. Do you want to change your answer."
AG: "No."
Prof: "This ought to be interesting. Because I ask my neighbor boy to cut the grass and then I give him $10. There's no specific performance requirements in that."
AG: "Right. But lets say I have a contract for my lawn to be cut on the diagonal, blades set at X inches high, and the bushes to be trimmed to a scoval - thats not square and not round, but scoval -then I have a contract for specific performance."
Prof, thinking: "That sounds like a contract that my wife would enter into. Mr. Other 1L, have you read the cases for the day?"

They carried me out of class on their shoulders that day I tell you.