How to Make the Most out of Law School

Each year, as another handful of my friends enter law school, I get the same e-mail.

 

 

Usually the query results only in flashbacks to the beginning of 1L year and an involuntary shudder. I manage to type something that involves a reference to some other friend of ours who might be better equipped to dole out advice about a period that to me is just a blur of overwhelmingness.

 

It has occurred to me that perhaps this response is not very helpful. Hoping to be a better friend, and realizing that in the past two and a half years I have accumulated over 200 friends and acquaintances who are now or have recently been 3Ls at law schools around the country, I sent my own advice-seeking e-mail. I emailed all the 3Ls and recent grads I could think of and asked: What advice do YOU have for first-year law students?

 

I received the responses below a few weeks ago. But somehow delivering this advice at a stage when most first-years are having anxiety dreams and working overtime to get through the mandatory classes seemed cruel. Now, however, exams are finished. The first semester of law school is done. And the holiday break is an excellent time to reflect on your experience so far and to think about what lies ahead.

 

So see below for the best and most common of the thoughts, advice, and tips I received from law students who have been through what you are going through now. Perhaps some of this advice will even impact the decisions you make over the next couple of years of law school, helping you to make the most of your experience.

 

“Get involved in non-traditional, law-related clubs and activities. It’s a great way to make friends outside of section and test out your interests.” - Sheila L., Harvard Law

 

“Try a faculty-supervised externship in the community. Its easy to get lost in the nitty gritty of hi-liting and notetaking and forget that the law is about people and justice and access to rights. An externship serves to remind you that what you're studying is meaningful and applicable.” - Abby F., Georgetown Law

 

“Sign up for a clinic that will set you up with a client and have you argue before a judge. Even if you want to be a corporate lawyer, direct services clinics provide invaluable experiences. You’re serving clients that need quality representation. And there are few things more exhilarating in your legal education than cross-examining a lying witness on the stand or getting yelled at by an angry judge!” - Ryan D., NYU Law

 

“Remember that what works for others won't necessarily work for you, and what works for you may or may not work for others. So, listen to others’ tips, but always think about what would allow you to learn the most while keeping your sanity, and always do what’s best for you.” - Dan M., Emory Law

 

 

 

 

This post sumbitted by Laura Weidman, a member of the Stanford University grassroots organization, Building a Better Legal Profession