Prior to enrolling in law school, many students choose to take an extended gap year. It is understandable since entering the job market can be daunting and working can provide valuable experience and build resumes.
Staying on top of your course’s syllabus and reading assignments is key to being successful in law school. Create a study schedule, marking down deadlines in your calendar.
First Year
1L students begin law school learning the fundamental legal concepts and principles. Their curriculum may cover contracts, constitutional law, torts, criminal law and legal research and writing – topics such as contracts, constitutional law torts criminal law research writing. Students should complete readings assignments as assigned; attend lectures as well as participate in class discussions – some professors use Socratic method of teaching which calls on students to answer questions about material or cases studied during class time – for this type of Socratic teaching it is wise to create a study plan early in semester; also helpful are study groups in which classmates can help each other understand complex issues or distinguishing case distinctions better.
Many new law students are surprised by how much studying is involved in each course. A general guideline suggests devoting three hours of study time per hour spent in class; creating and following a schedule to stay ahead will help. Also be sure to set aside enough time for assignments, briefing and practice exam prep.
Students also become acquainted with law school life during this first year through student organizations, clubs and social events. Moot courts and law reviews may become active participation opportunities while part-time jobs or summer clerkship interviews may present themselves. It’s essential for law students to get involved while maintaining a healthy balance between academics and extracurricular activities.
First-year law school students often feel immense pressure to excel academically. While it may be easy to become caught up in the competitive aspect of law school, remembering only one student can come out on top is essential in making learning enjoyable for everyone involved. If you need any advice or tips on managing your time better, reach out to your law school’s guidance office – they may offer peer mentors, student affairs departments or an academic support unit which could all provide invaluable resources for success in law school.
Second Year
As a law student, you will spend hours studying. Some courses require extensive reading while professors often utilize the Socratic method of instruction by asking students questions and discussing assigned cases and legal topics. You will likely participate in moot courts (research a case, present brief to class for debate on mock trial proceedings) outside classroom assignments as well.
First year courses may be predetermined by most schools; as a 2L and 3L however, you have greater freedom when choosing classes and can focus on one area of law more specifically. Now is also an opportune time to develop effective study habits – take advantage of any tutoring programs provided by your school as well as workshops that address outlining, exam preparation and stress management!
Writing assignments are another mainstay of college life. From essays and briefs to memos for professors or peers, the writing assignments you face in college require you to spend much of your time writing and researching information before synthesizing into coherent arguments that make an impressionful case for or against something. To succeed with these types of tasks successfully, research must be performed thoroughly, data analyzed carefully, then put into a persuasive argumentative form.
As your 1L year progresses, it can be tempting to get involved with student groups, campus events and internships. But be careful not to over-commit yourself until you get a better grasp on your workload and life as a law student. Furthermore, if your career and academic interests align, consider seeking internships for credit through your law school’s Career Services Office.
At the conclusion of your 1L year, you will spend several weeks preparing and taking the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (“MPRE”). This multiple choice exam can be taken either in March, August or November after having taken classes on professional responsibility. For preparation purposes, sample questions are readily available both online and through legal writing and ethics courses.
Third Year
Law school programs typically span three years (unless special permission has been obtained to extend them further). The initial year can often be the hardest, with students needing to devote significant amounts of time and energy into reading cases assigned as assignments and writing briefs as well as studying for first year exams.
Many schools provide set schedules for first-year law school (1Ls), so all 1Ls take the same required courses: contracts, civil procedure, torts, property law, criminal law and writing course. This curriculum can be rigorous and require several hours of daily study time – it would be in your best interests if you already had some legal research and writing experience before enrolling at law school; otherwise it is beneficial to develop basic legal research and writing abilities before enrolling.
As students advance in law school, their workload becomes steadily more demanding as professors increasingly expect more from them and engage them in class discussion. Many start working on law reviews or joining student organizations – these extracurricular activities provide invaluable opportunities to build networks among other law students as well as lawyers while simultaneously gaining professional experience.
Finding employment is the primary focus during law school’s second year, and most students begin looking for summer clerkships and permanent employment at this point. Some may participate in on-campus interviews and even receive their first offer of employment during this timeframe.
By the end of their second year, most students should have an idea of what kind of career path they wish to follow and where and what type of practice they wish to undertake.
As most students prepare to take the bar exam during their third year of law school, many will begin to put in long hours at their jobs, clerkships, law reviews and capstone papers or theses – as well as final drafts for them – all to prepare. It is vital that a healthy balance is struck between work and personal life in order to achieve success and achieve true academic excellence.
Fourth Year
Students entering law school after spending some time working can benefit greatly from having been in the workforce first, especially for career changers or graduates with extensive work experience. On the downside, however, this means you will likely need more time than expected to adjust to the rigorous demands of law school education.
Be it that you attended law school before entering your job, or are switching careers altogether, make the most of your classroom time by making use of as much guidance and assistance from professors. Doing this will be worth your while down the line!
Law school can be an intense experience that involves hours of dedicated study each day with little time off between courses. Therefore, it’s crucial to develop good study habits early on – including creating a study plan and taking advantage of tools designed to enhance brief cases, create outlines and take practice exams more efficiently.
Staying on top of assignments and participating in class discussions are important parts of being an academic achiever, so attending workshops hosted by your law school’s Academic Achievement Center to better study for and take legal examinations can also prove to be extremely useful.
In their second year of law school, most students start to develop a concentration or practice area. It’s an ideal time for taking courses with distinguished professors and joining moot court or student organizations.
Some second year students opt to participate in clerkships with judges or law firms in their second year, which can offer invaluable hands-on legal experience and lead to permanent employment. If this is something that interests you, make sure your applications are submitted early so as to secure an interview and secure the position. Furthermore, consider beginning bar exam preparation during 2L summer. Finally, it’s essential that realistic expectations be set without becoming caught up in competitiveness of law school: only one person can achieve excellence within each class, so do everything within your power and support all classmates along the way!
