Once you decide where to enroll in law school, you may be wondering how best to prepare for your first year — or 1L. Socratic lectures, casebooks, issue spotting, legal research, blind grading and a curve make law school different than what you encountered as an undergraduate. Your 1L grades are particularly important for summer employment positions, clerkships, eligibility for law review and class rank.
The summer before I began my law school journey at Harvard University, I bought Scott Turow’s book “One L: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School.” I still remember Turow’s description of reading his first case as equivalent to “stirring concrete with my eyelashes.”
I found that description so memorable because it was true for me. As an English major, I didn’t have any experience reading cases to identify rules, rationale and holdings. I didn’t know what a tort was or how civil procedure governed the adjudication of lawsuits. I was excited to find out, but I was nervous, too. I wish I had done more to prepare.
Today there are more resources available to rising 1Ls than ever before. While 1L prep courses can help you navigate your first year, keep in mind these benefits and drawbacks.
[Learn how to prepare for first-year law school classes.]
The Benefits
First-year law school courses are fairly standardized. Commercial prep courses typically offer video or audio lectures in contracts, torts, civil procedure, criminal law, property and constitutional law. Many prep courses will also offer advice on what to expect your first year, study tips and guidance on outlining.
For example, PowerScore’s 1L Advantage Law School Prep Course consists of 12 lessons taught by prominent law professors and deans from schools like Georgetown University, New York University and Northwestern University. You can take advantage of learning from distinguished faculty who have experience teaching 1Ls.
A prep course will give you additional insight into core law school subjects, which can be particularly beneficial for those who may not have the legal training that peers coming from paralegal or legal secretary positions have. Remember, you will be graded on a curve.
[Learn what to expect as a first-year law student.]
Supplementing your legal studies can make your 1L year less overwhelming, and you will be learning concepts in a safe environment — with no grades and no intimidating Socratic method. On-demand recorded lecture formats also mean that you can review a subject as often as you like, whenever you like.
BarBri’s 1L Mastery Package, for example, includes courses to help get you started creating your own outlines, which is more beneficial than simply memorizing prefabricated outlines from hornbooks or course outline banks.
In addition, prep courses often include sample exam questions to help you test your knowledge retention and application. Remember that you will be tested on these subjects again after graduating from law school when you take the state bar. It is prudent to learn these topics as thoroughly as possible.
The Drawbacks
While the on-demand lecture format makes for flexible study, a supplemental prep course is a time commitment. For example, PowerScore’s subject lectures range from three to five hours, with shorter lectures on mastering your 1L year interspersed within the curriculum. That means setting aside time in your schedule for listening to lectures, taking notes and completing practice problems.
Cost is also an important factor. PowerScore’s 1L Advantage Prep Course is currently listed at $495, though discounts may be available for PowerScore students and Pre-Law Society members. Consider this a boot camp that will give you a sturdy foundation for entering your 1L year.
Note that PowerScore lectures are not available indefinitely. Access is limited to one year, although you get to keep the textbook.
BarBri’s Mastery Package is $199, and in addition to on-demand video lectures, the course includes tips on time management, exam question analysis and access to a director of legal education for guidance throughout your 1L year. Free webinars, lasting around an hour, are also available, covering topics like why 1L grades are important, getting a head start on preparing for exams and objectives of outlining.
Kaplan’s 1L Edge Semester Success Program is $100, and unlike the ones from PowerScore and BarBri , is designed to be taken alongside your 1L course. Once you begin school, you can register for free with a student rep for the 1L Edge Program. Instructors are not always professors, although they are licensed attorneys. The majority of Kaplan’s lectures are audio, which is convenient for on-the-go study.
[Discover four steps to a successful first semester of law school.]
Key Takeaways
When deciding whether a prep course is right for you, consider how you best learn and study. Your law school professors are your primary resource. Access to lectures, course discussions and often sample exams and outlines from prior semesters are included in your tuition.
However, you may find that you need additional guidance. Listening to supplemental lectures on your own may help you better learn the concepts. Sometimes a different voice, lecture style, examples and explanations can reinforce what you’ve learned in your law school classes. Preparing over the summer may ease some of your anxieties about starting law school.
In sum, taking an additional course is not necessary to excelling during your 1L year. Regardless, you will need to pay attention in classes, consistently outline throughout the semester and study hard for exams. A prep course is no shortcut to avoid studying.
If your budget allows, whether to enroll in a prep course ultimately depends on if you think supplementing your studies will facilitate your learning process. Decide if you are able to commit the time to maximize your investment.
Don’t enroll just to create more work for yourself. Sign up if you believe a prep course will make your life in law school easier.
Unsure how to prepare for your 1L year? You can reach me at lawadmissionslowdown@usnews.com.
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Benefits, Drawbacks of Law School 1L Prep Courses originally appeared on usnews.com
