Law School First Year Tips

The first year of law school is a new experience. You're meeting new people, professors, and for some 1L's, it's about adjusting to a new form of learning. The following are a few quick tips to think about before beginning your first year of law school.

Socratic Method

Law school favors the Socratic method of teaching. This is when the professor calls on a random student to brief a case opinion. The professor will ask questions about a case opinion for which the student attempts to respond with answers. Those answers may turn into a barrage of additional questions by the professor, and so on and so forth. The quality of this type of instruction isn't very good, but nevertheless, it is the choice of instruction for law school. The best advice I was given in order to handle the Socratic method is preparation, preparation, preparation. Keeping up with the reading and being prepared for class helps immensely as you will likely not know ahead of time when it's your turn to brief a case opinion.

Final Exams

Preparing for final exams starts with outlining the reading you've done throughout the semester coupled with the notes taken from class. Make every attempt to outline throughout the law school semester, not in the final two weeks leading up to the exams. You will thank yourself in the end. As your outline grows, one thing will start to dawn on you - your outline will begin to resemble something close to a story. Some of the parts will have a beginning, middle, and conclusion - and you're the storyteller.

First Year Grades & Class Rank

Besides the bar exam, everything else hinges on your first year grades. Try to make every attempt to land in the top quarter or at the very least the top half of your law school class after your first year is completed. If not, it will be challenging to make up ground during your second and third years of law school. Earning good grades will give you a shot at writing for a law review or journal, which looks great on your resume. In addition, placing in the top half of your class can help you land a highly coveted summer associate's position. At the end of your law school journey, employers tend to look at your class rank in the hiring process, particularly if you're new to the profession.

Bar Exam Preparation Classes

One thing not on your mind heading into your first year of law school is the bar exam. However, you may want to consider becoming a bar exam preparation representative. It's my understanding not a whole lot of time needs to be devoted to duties as a representative, and the reward is worth it. A representative ultimately receives free bar exam preparation. The expense of taking the bar exam is hefty, and getting the class preparation fees waived is one less thing you have to pay before you embark on your legal journey.