College is collegial; it’s right there in the name. Students have plenty of time to socialize, explore and acclimate. Many college students spend their first year just learning the ropes.
In law school, however, there is no time to waste. The first year — called 1L — is critical to your career.
Most first-year classes are large, intimidating lectures. Grades are typically based on final exams graded blindly using a fixed curve, with percentage quotas for each grade.
Achieving good grades in your 1L classes will be key to achieving the summer positions and future job opportunities you seek, as well as eligibility for law review and transfer applications.
While not as cutthroat as in the past, 1L year is a high-pressure setting — like legal practice itself. To succeed in this daunting environment, first-year students should:
— Prepare for law school in advance.
— Narrow their focus.
— Annotate readings.
— Attend office hours.
— Join an extracurricular activity.
[Read Law School Admissions Process: A Month-By-Month Guide.]
Prepare for Law School in Advance
There are more resources than ever for incoming law students to learn how to make the most of their law school experience before classes start.
Use the summer before law school to set yourself up for success. Take advantage of any programs offered by your law school and check out outside resources like guidebooks or online prep courses. Seek advice from current law students and alumni as you plan how you will approach the challenges ahead.
Narrow Your Focus
College rewards broad-mindedness, with many students exploring new intellectual passions. Law school, on the other hand, is a professional school meant to prepare you for a career. Students who choose and pursue clear career goals get the most out of the opportunities and resources provided.
There is still room for intellectual curiosity in law school, but it is best to gain expertise in a few fields rather than branch out in many directions. Think hard about the challenges you find interesting, the clients you feel motivated to help and the work settings that foster your best performance.
Annotate Readings
There’s a reason the reading comprehension section of the LSAT tests requires research more than recall. The jurisprudence that dominates law school readings can seem opaque and dense, especially at first.
[SEE: How to Apply to Law School as a Minority Applicant.]
Since classroom discussions revolve around specific cases and rules, they will be incomprehensible unless you stay on top of the reading. So, prepare for class not just by doing all the reading, but also engaging with it by briefing cases and outlining concepts.
Develop your own system for keeping your notes straight and understanding how cases relate to one another. If you get called on, you will need clear notes for reference.
Consider using study aids like commercial guides or online materials to supplement your own work.
Attend Office Hours
Whether their style is strict or lax, law professors tend to teach 1L classes using the Socratic method, calling on students unannounced to put them on the spot. To command attention and keep control of classroom discussion, professors might come across as serious and unapproachable.
Don’t be intimidated. Many professors are eager to engage with students outside the classroom. Attending office hours or review sessions can be a great way to get to know professors, discuss your personal interests and seek clarification.
Through such sessions, you might also learn about ways to get involved in research and other activities. And if you end up needing a recommendation letter for a fellowship or transfer application, it helps to have a personal relationship with a 1L professor.
[READ: How to Choose a Law School Where Faculty Are Great Teachers]
Join an Extracurricular Activity
Joining an extracurricular activity is a great antidote to 1L stress. Extracurricular activities in law school give students, even 1Ls, opportunities to work on causes of their choice in meaningful and practical ways.
Extracurricular activities can also help narrow your career interests beyond broad law classes. Assisting prosecutors or defense attorneys to build their arguments may give you a stronger sense of criminal law than a lecture class based on old cases.
Even if your ability to participate in practice opportunities like legal clinics is limited as a 1L student, you can join a moot court competition, check citations for a legal journal or join a social club of like-minded students.
If you are a parent, for example, there may be a society of others juggling the challenges of parenthood along with their studies. The same goes for other communities of interest, like service members and veterans or underrepresented minorities.
Hopefully, 1L year will leave you with lifelong friends, confidence and career interests. The journey may not be easy, but it will go better if you start on the right foot.
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How to Survive and Thrive Your First Year of Law School originally appeared on usnews.com
