Law school is a cold, hard bitch—at least according to Notorious B.O.A.L.T.
In Oct. 2008, the YouTuber uploaded “Still Civ Pro,” described as an “uproarious gansta rap” about the “first half of Civil Procedure I.” It’s definitely not safe for work or anywhere else where explicit lyrics and sexual innuendo are frowned upon.
Over an instrumental version of Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.,” the rapper launches a distinctly West Coast diss track that doubles as a study guide. In the video, the hooded student does a Crip Walk on top of desks at U.C. Berkeley School of Law. It ends with a near word-for-word revision of Tupac Shakur’s infamous “Hit ‘Em Up.”
“So if you come to the party, you better bring some bitches, 19 is required but 20 is permissive,” he raps in legal speak, referring to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure regarding a permissive and compulsory joinder, respectively—the process of joining two or more legal issues in a hearing or trial.
The song is so deceptively accurate and detailed it even earned props from some in academia.
“Potty-mouth aside (I am professionally obligated to object, but I get that it’s a rap): a pretty good job on civil procedure,” noted Linda Mullenix, a civil procedure law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, in a top comment. “I agree with the commentator who thought it could be slightly improved with some Erie. I hope your procedure teacher is, well, honored.”
Despite the video’s popularity, the user has managed to remain anonymous and has not released another rap tutorial, though there was an acoustic response video apparently submitted in lieu of a written final exam.
Now, with the mounting pressure of finals for law students across the country —an entire semester’s worth of tuition, stress, and cramming boiled down to one make-or-break test with a curve—the video has spiked once more in views and sharing across social media. It’s gained several thousand hits since the Daily Dot first discovered it last night.
“This video still going strong at all Bay Area law schools,” posted Khatsalano
“Damn, I wish y’all had one for Evidence,” added ztevans1 .
