Law Revue Video Contest 2023: The Finalists!

// Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to feast your eyes upon the best of the best in the 2023 law revue video contest. This year, the competition was superb — and for the fourteenth edition of this contest, we decided to narrow down the competition to the top five videos.

Not only were these law students able to carry a tune (for the most part), but they also had excellent comedic timing, and provided us with professional-grade production values. Our finalists’ videos were an absolute joy with some recent and 90s/early aughts pop earworms, providing an excellent soundtrack for this year’s law revue stylings.

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This year, your reviewers will be Staci Zaretsky, Joe Patrice, Kathryn Rubino, and Chris Williams. We issue only advisory opinions; you hold all the power.

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Who will follow the winners of years past into the annals of Law Revue history? It’s up to you, our readers! Do the right thing: vote early, and vote for the best.

Videos are listed in alphabetical order by school. Voting will close on MONDAY, MAY 8, at 10 A.M. (Eastern time).

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GW – FORGIVE MY LOANS

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STACI: I love this song but I don’t think I loved this rendition of it. An overall A for effort, especially on the bravery it took to hit those high notes.
JOE: Appreciate the early-90s throwback and there’s enough lyrical variety to avoid the annoying repetitiveness that can plague song parodies. But live performances always suffer by comparison with other videos and this song is, as Staci notes, vocally challenging.
KATHRYN: The concept is solid. Execution? Less so. But you know, student loans are a racket and the 90s were the last cool decade, so points?
CHRIS: Pop hits hover around 3 minutes and 30 seconds for a reason.

GW – MOCK TRIAL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY

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STACI: Using silly “Dodgeball”-style commentary for mock trial competition analysis? It’s a bold move, GW. Let’s see if it pays off for you.
JOE: First early-90s rock and now early-aughts movie references. How old are law students these days? The next thing you know someone will do some spoof of that Sunday Night Football lady’s song from two decades ago. I celebrate any entry committed to sparing us from song parody hell, but sketch comedy requires a quicker pace and probably a heavier editing hand than this one.
KATHRYN: Okay, that’s cute. I appreciate the effort here. Pacing could definitely be picked up, but overall nice entry.
CHRIS: This bit started off like Jack Harlow’s career — some white dude who they want us to believe is a man of color and a large amount of unearned confidence. It never really changed after that. Bunch of confetti. Oh, and Kellyanne is strong as shit!

NYU – BEFORE HE SPEAKS

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STACI: I thought this was great lyrically. Nice work.
JOE: I give up. Though these are really clever lyrics and bashing gunners is never not funny. The video is a perfect complement and I appreciate the mini-blooper reel.
KATHRYN: Who *doesn’t* dream of taking a Louisville Slugger to a corporations casebook? And going after gunners will always be a solid target for a law revue entry.
CHRIS: The Rights of Women book in hand as he was explaining was hilarious.

NYU – MS. BLUEBOOKER

STACI: This was pretty clever. Just like the real song, I liked the whispered verse the best.
JOE: 2006. I’m starting to worry that you all think we’re old.
KATHRYN: You know, law school leaves you with the distinct impression Bluebooking will be a big part of being a lawyer. It is not. Being a legal academic? Maybe. But, in retrospect, it is actually remarkable how little I thought about the Bluebook when I was an actual practicing attorney.
CHRIS: Bubba Sparxxx’s estate should sue over the tarnishing of his legacy. I know he’s not dead, but hearing this could be the end of him. I gave up mid second verse.

UVA – VLAW INVESTIGATES

STACI: My favorite part of this was when the EIC nearly broke character and cracked up after that gigantic string of profanity. This passes the giggle test.
JOE: This absolutely rules. I understand that some people may not embrace this management style, but Becky gets results.
KATHRYN: Okay, this is great. It gets my vote. No notes.
CHRIS: I actually laughed at this entry. Several times. “Snake Bitch” and “We’re in the same class” sent me. Shouts out to Becky seeing video evidence of her slapping someone and then saying it could have been anyone. I know Elon Musk’s legal counsel is somewhere taking notes.

It’s time to vote, everyone. Polls close on MONDAY, MAY 8, at 10 A.M. (Eastern time). Get out the vote among your friends and family. Congrats!

Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Topics

Contests, Law Revue, Law Revue Video Contest, Law Schools, Law Students