After obtaining your undergraduate degree, you have now set your sights on law school. You may have decided to enroll in law school with the collective purpose of completing your legal education, securing your diploma, and working at some posh law office after passing the bar exams. However, before you can fully accomplish any of these goals, you will need to pass through law school first. This guide is aimed at helping you, the law school freshman, separate facts from fiction so you can get a good grip on what really takes place during your first two semesters in law school.
Popular misconceptions about law school
How many times have you been told that getting a law school diploma and passing the bar examinations will lead you to a financially secure life or that legal education is all about memorizing laws and nothing else? There are many popular misconceptions about law school, and here are some of them:
– Law school is about studying and note-taking. Some incoming law students attend law school with the expectation that studying and dutifully taking down notes will assure them of passing grades. Others assume that long hours of studying will almost always guarantee excellent marks.
– Everything in law school will be spoon-fed by the professors. Another misconception in law school is that the professors will provide the students with all the necessary input. Some students may have the expectation that the teaching methods in law school are typically the same with undergraduate education.
– Law school is about memorizing laws. Another misconception about legal education is that law students will be tasked on memorizing laws all the time.
– Getting a law degree and becoming a lawyer will ensure you financial success. Many undergraduates plan on enrolling themselves in law school, thinking that doing so will ensure them a high-paying job in the future.
The reality
There is more to law school than endless studying and dutiful note-taking, and yes, it’s not about memorizing laws and knowing them by heart. When you’re in law school, you will be participating in a lot of discussions and analyzing complicated cases. You might as well be prepared for oral recitations. When it comes to participating in discussions, however, it is not enough for your to be able to defend your opinions and arguments; you need to be able to do so citing the right context of law.
Law school is unlike college in many ways, and one of the stark differences involve the professors not explaining the readings most of the time, or providing you with useful supplementary materials. There is no spoon-feeding in law school, and the sooner you understand this, the better you will be. If you think that becoming a lawyer will immediately ensure you financial success in the future, it may perhaps be time for you to rethink your goals. Attending law school is a huge step and you need to be motivated by the right reasons.
Setting reasonable expectations
The more reasonable your expectations are, the easier it will be for you to adjust successfully to life in law school. Expect a lot of discussions, oral participation, and case analysis. You will most probably have professors who will demand that you read multiple cases for a single class session. Without a doubt, your first year in the law school will be most grueling and intense, but with enough preparation, you can progress through your second year without having to deal with major setbacks.
How to prepare for your first year
– Increase your reading speed as well as your comprehension. In your first year in law school, you will be required to do a lot of reading, as well as analyze a lot of cases. With such a large volume of reading required during your first year, improving on your reading speed can help a lot.
– Develop a study schedule. A study schedule will help you stay focused, so you don’t give in to distraction easily. It is important that you adhere to your study schedule.
– Get the right supplementary materials. Although you will have a lot of reading materials provided by your professors, as well as those from your law books, researching on new cases will help keep you updated and will serve as valuable supplementary materials for your law courses.
– Hone your writing skills. Being able to write a good essay, complete with analysis, arguments, and conclusion, is essential in law school, especially during your first year.
– Learn to think like a lawyer. Most law schools today require their students to think like lawyers. If you want to improve your chances of success in your first year in law school, don’t be content with thinking like a law student; think like a professional.
What the rest of your years in school will bring
Without a doubt, your first year in law school will be the most intense, and as you progress through your second year and third year, you will be more calm and poised and may cultivate more confidence. Since you already know how it is to participate in class, pass or fail examinations, read and analyze cases, and engage in Socratic dialogue, your stay in law school will no longer be as overwhelming than when you first stepped into its portals. During the rest of your law school years, you will be expected to further your understanding about the law and you will most likely tackle more complicated cases. However, now that the initial trepidation of your first year have finally been abated, you will have more time to discuss with your classmates, network with other students, and even jump-start your law review.
Although your freshman year in law school will be one of the most demanding and tiring, there are things you can understand and accomplish before entering law school so you don’t have to be overwhelmed by all the changes and demands. More than having an organized time table, possessing the right attitude will dictate whether you’ll be able to finish your law studies on time, or otherwise.
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