Law school is an entirely different environment than undergraduate study, being more structured, career-focused, and competitive.
Law school equips you to think like a lawyer, which is essential for future professional endeavors. Instead of essays, case briefs/summaries help students analyze legal cases while extrapolating broader law concepts and principles. Law school helps develop this ability.
1. You learn to think in a logical and linear manner.
Law school equips you to become an excellent argumentator, whether that means discussing where to eat dinner or debating marijuana legality. Law students quickly learn the pros and cons, the cause and effect relationships, as well as being able to think logically when making arguments – something which both friends and family often comment upon! It’s no wonder law students and lawyers often come out on top!
Law school grades are determined largely by your performance on exams. Homework and quizzes tend to be minimal. Most classes use the case method which requires students to study a series of judicial decisions on a particular topic/subject matter before answering professor-posed questions designed to help analyze their facts, determine the legal principles that were utilized when reaching decisions, and distinguishing one case from others similar to it.
Law school writing often relies on an IRAC method of analysis: You will write case briefs or summaries that break a legal case down into its components, identify the applicable rule/laws, and then analyze the situation to reach a conclusion. This style of writing differs greatly from that used by undergraduate students and may take some time to perfect.
Reading, arguing and studying can be extremely stressful; it’s easy to slip into unhealthy habits. Aiming for healthy diet, adequate rest and regular physical activity are crucial; adding humor into daily life may also help relieve tension. Also make sure you share your stress level with someone – perhaps your partner, parent, friend or mentor can offer invaluable assistance in finding ways to deal with law school stress management.
2. You learn to advocate for yourself.
Law school requires taking charge of your own educational experience. Your professors may assign classes during your first year and suggest specific clinics or internships; after that you’re responsible for creating your schedule and finding opportunities that fit with your career aspirations – particularly important when searching for summer clerkships that can give an insider’s view into law firms and help secure you employment after graduation.
Your decision-making must include decisions about where and how much student debt to incur as well as how best to balance life outside the classroom with studying law school. Furthermore, you will need to determine why exactly you’re attending law school–be it to help people, build financial security or pursue public interest work and social justice – this decision-making is imperative!
Writing is an integral component of legal studies, and your written analysis should follow an IRAC model: identify an issue at hand, apply relevant law/rule, analyze situation and reach conclusion. This way of thinking and writing can transform how you view everything around you.
Not only will you spend much of your time writing, but you will also spend much of it reading and conducting research for classes. Your peers can provide invaluable support, whether through job alerts or having candid discussions about careers; similarly, professors often act as invaluable mentors throughout their law school journey and beyond.
3. You learn to be independent.
Law school education differs significantly from undergraduate education. While liberal arts professors usually lead discussions and emphasize memorization skills, many legal courses use the case method – this means reading cases and extrapolating principles to apply to new facts – while law schools also stress practical skills through clinics, externships, simulations, and policy labs.
All this can be very draining, leading to easily exhaustion. Burnout can become all too easy and make for less effective students and engaged individuals; for example, those entering law school with strong desires to use their careers to address pressing social problems may become discouraged by its culture of hyper-focus on finding high-paying private practice jobs.
One way to combat this problem is to find a school that fits your personality. Searching for schools with small classes to give more individualized attention or larger ones that offer networking and diverse student groups are both options worth investigating. Furthermore, consider what aspects of closeness between community members are most important for you as well as the size of campus matters in terms of study styles and career goals.
Avoid burnout by seeking meaningful experiences outside the classroom, such as running for student government, volunteering with local non-profits or undertaking an internship. Being immersed in real-world experiences outside your studies can provide essential perspective and legal development, keeping passion alive for your future career and keeping it burning brightly. Interning in certain types of law may offer insights that textbooks or lectures can’t.
4. You learn to manage your time.
Once in law school, your study habits must evolve dramatically. Pulling an all-nighter and studying before exams simply won’t do; and as a first year law student (L1) you may be surprised to realize how much time is wasted talking to friends, social networking, etc. that doesn’t benefit exam performance in any way.
Your extracurricular activities likely include professional-related extracurriculars such as moot court and law review, which offer great opportunities for you to develop professionally-related skills while expanding your network and career goals. Yet they can be time consuming; therefore it is crucial that when engaging in such activities that you make wise choices that prioritise health over quantity – to avoid feeling burned out or stressed!
Law school will challenge your time management skills by forcing you to reconsider how best to divide up tasks simultaneously. Studies indicate that switching tasks reduces productivity; you will therefore need to learn to concentrate on one project at a time.
Finally, an ideal law student will make sure they plan their time carefully to allow enough space for sleep and self-care. Establishing a structured study routine with frequent breaks for exercise can be key in maintaining good health while in law school.
Feeling overwhelmed in law school? Reaching out for assistance can go a long way to keeping you healthy and content; when in crisis mode it can help to speak with someone like a trusted mentor, advisor, dean, professor or the counseling center’s counselor.
5. You learn to be a team player.
Law school is no solo endeavor; in addition to studying alone, most courses require you to collaborate in teams on brief cases, writing outlines and practicing exams with classmates as well as working on group assignments and projects together. Knowing how to collaborate effectively is vital when becoming a lawyer; therefore it’s beneficial to sharpening up on teamwork skills during law school.
Your law school likely boasts an immensely varied student body, as well as its own distinct culture and atmosphere. Some campuses may be more social, while others more academic; take some time to research your school’s reputation, student-faculty ratio and class size so as to understand how these may impact your experience there.
Legal writing is typically very dry; this skill is necessary for practicing law but can be hard to adapt to at first. But don’t fret: learning this form of communication is far easier than you may realize; use law school experience as a platform to develop clear and persuasive prose!
While it’s tempting to focus on all the negative changes brought on by law school, it is also important to recognize its positive benefits. With careful planning, law school can be an incredible experience that opens many paths to successful careers – just make sure you go in prepared. One effective strategy for making the most out of law school is connecting with both recent alumni and leaders within your field as early as possible in your legal career.
