Entering 1L Advice

[lawhopeful1234]

Hello there! I am wondering if anyone can offer advice, discuss their experience, share what they had learned in their first year of law school, and share what you wish you knew going in?

[GoatDuck]

Have you looked at this? 

 

[OrangeApples]

I had a good 1L experience. Met a lot of smart, driven and fun people from different walks of life in a very short time. Learned a lot in my classes, from my classmates and about myself.

I'm assuming you want to do well, so I think the best piece of advice I can give is to remember why you are there: to get good grades and secure employment. In my opinion, too many 1Ls at some point forget that they're paying tens of thousands of dollars to attend a professional school for that reason. It's important to build good relationships (please go to a pub night or two or three) but it's not a popularity contest or an extra 3 years to party like you're in undergrad.

In my experience, succeeding in law school requires you to cultivate a routine and headspace that will allow you to succeed and stay happy and relaxed while doing it. Socialize, yes, but eat well, sleep well, exercise, take some time for yourself and always get through your allotted readings for the day (or at least catch up quickly).

Sometimes this will mean you have to turn down one or two invites to go out, distance yourself from classmates that pose distractions or are negative, and so on. So when faced with an invite to go out for a second night in a row or grab dinner for several more hours after class, remember why you are attending a professional school for tens of thousands of dollars.

I also think that you should aim to network with lawyers early. Don't wait until OCI to start talking with people who are practicing at firms and in fields you may be interested in, who have been in your shoes and who will no doubt have experiences and tips to share with you 🙂

 

 

 

 

[WiseGhost]

My number one piece of advice would be not to be afraid to ask for things -- be that career advice, notes, or a job. Most senior students and lawyers will be happy to help because they remember when they were in your shoes. 

I would also recommend trying to hone your writing skills. Even the best writers can improve, and I firmly believe that writing ability is what separates many of the top students from the rest of the class. Knowledge is important, but the best exam responses not only identify the issues, but also explain them clearly. I've improved my writing through practice and reading books on the topic. In particular, I've found Ross Garner's book Point Made helpful. 

Finally, it's important not to burn out. Law school is difficult, but it's frankly a cakewalk compared to most demanding jobs. There is enough time in the week to socialize and work out. I started treating law school as more of a 9 to 5 job this year, and it's really helped me. 

[flertalgerdal1]

Finishing up 1L now, and I would say to never compare yourself to others. Don't make a big deal about small things as so many things are sort of out of your control. Just go to class (I cannot stress that enough). People skip classes and rely on summaries and notes of others, but I have really only learned the most by being present in class to, at least, hear the information for myself. I am a mature student, so my outlook may be a bit different from others, but treat this like a graduate school experience. Going to a bar does nothing for your academics or your career; make contacts in a professional way. I never went to a bar with any of my classmates, and I have made contacts with current Crown prosecutors, leaders in non-profit organizations, two strong mentorships with current practicing lawyers, and a law clinic where I get practical experience in my area of interest. Take time to not be in school mode, but that can be whatever you find interesting or worthwhile. If you make room for something, you can include it within your day as a first-year law student. 

[Mia]

Just finished 1L and in hindsight, there are several things that I regret not doing (many of which were explicitly recommended on this forum). 

1. Rest the summer before 1L. I was extremely burnt out coming into 1L. If you can afford to, I'd highly recommend not working and just chilling at least during the month of August before 1L starts. 

2. Bouncing off the first point, I recognize that this is definitely easier said than done but try to address any mental health challenges before starting law school. Whether that means identifying healthy coping strategies or learning to set boundaries or learning to effectively prioritize, it cannot be understated how important protecting your mental health is. If you think you may need accommodations, apply for it! I didn't realize that I would qualify until speaking with an upper year a week before exams.

3. Start seeking mentorship before 1L - I realized late into 1L that I was interested in a specific field that I didn't really know existed prior to 1L. I only realized my interest when speaking with upper years later in the year. I would highly recommend connecting via linkedin with upper years at the law school you're attending, especially ones pursuing areas of law that you're interested in. It will give you a better understanding of whether it's actually right for you and if so, what extracurriculars/opportunities are available at your law school to build relevant experience. 

4. Get any medical/dental/banking appointments out of the way before you start 1L. 

5. Others may disagree, but I found that prioritizing lectures over readings was a much more efficient use of time. 

6. Consider participating in a moot. I have never thought of myself as someone who'd enjoy mooting. I only tried it because a friend couldn't find a partner. It ended up being the highlight of my 1L experience. 

 

[wordache]

I'd also love to know what school supplies and tech law students would recommend. I did my undergrad only a few years ago but I'm sure different things would be helpful for studying law vs. undergrad studying. 

[Naj]

21 minutes ago, wordache said:

I'd also love to know what school supplies and tech law students would recommend.

Adobe Acrobat and Chat GPT 4.0

[Whist]

1 hour ago, Naj said:

Chat GPT 4.0

I know this is (probably) a joke, but in case any prospective student was going to take it seriously, don't. 

[WiseGhost]

A monitor (preferably wide) is a godsend. Being able to read a document and write notes on the side without switching windows makes the process faster. Other than that, I don't think there is much of a difference between studying as a law student and studying as an undergrad (other than the misplaced superiority complex). 

[ZukoJD]

7 minutes ago, WiseGhost said:

A monitor (preferably wide) is a godsend. Being able to read a document and write notes on the side without switching windows makes the process faster. Other than that, I don't think there is much of a difference between studying as a law student and studying as an undergrad (other than the misplaced superiority complex). 

Once you get over that, life gets much easier. 

[LMP]

1 hour ago, Whist said:

I know this is (probably) a joke, but in case any prospective student was going to take it seriously, don't. 

Agreed. Everyone knows power pdf is the way to go.

[Naj]

2 hours ago, Whist said:

I know this is (probably) a joke, but in case any prospective student was going to take it seriously, don't. 

Chat GPT 4.0 has its uses. Just don't rely on it and don't have it write your papers like some dumb ass.

[Whist]

2 hours ago, Naj said:

Chat GPT 4.0 has its uses. Just don't rely on it and don't have it write your papers like some dumb ass.

Sure, but it's not something I'd recommend to a 1L with no asterisk as you did initially. 1L is the year you should be learning how to read case law and such yourself. 

[SNAILS]

Let's assume your goal is to get good grades in 1L. You should have other goals, like building relationships and finding the area of law that interests you, but let's assume you are just concerned with performing well academically.

1L throws a million things at you:

• Read 5 very large and very dense books
• Read a million optional articles
• Join clubs
• Attend this optional session and that optional session

The end goal for most courses is a very short, 100% exam. You spend 2 or 3 hours tying up the key points in response to a few fact patterns, and then it's over. First year left me with the felling "What do I get to demonstrate my knowledge of the 100 obscure articles you made me read?" and "When do I get the chance to demonstrate the knowledge I gained from 500 hours of studying without an extreme time crunch?" You don't. You don't have to know much about the law to do well on exams. Students with a very basic knowledge who issue spot fast are lighting fast as putting it down on paper are much more likely to get an A than a student who knows much more but needs more time to formulate an answer. You can actually get bogged down with too much knowledge.

Keep your summaries brief. Cases really boil down to a takeaway of 100 words or less. You may need to read full cases to get a feel for how the law works, but in the end you will not have time on an exam to say more than a sentence or two about a case (at most). Students who are able to make their point in 40 words in 60 seconds and cite a case as authority and the appropriate section in the Criminal Code or Rules of Civil procedure get the A. The student who could give an hour long speech on the case might get a B.