tips for success in law school

To stay at the top of the forced curve and guarantee yourself a solid summer associate position after your 2L year, you need to be one step ahead of your classmates from day one.
Anything you can do to familiarize yourself with your law school classes before matriculating will be helpful in setting you apart from your classmates. For example, I advise the students in Stratus Preps annual Law School Bootcamp program to read a variety of course specific study guides during the summer before their 1L year.

The first week of law school or even earlier, find a copy of previous final exams given by each of your professors in the subjects they are teaching you. I suggest some helpful law school books here.

As you prepare for law school, you will hear something about briefing cases, or maybe you will even be taught this. Basically, it involves identifying all the operative parts of a case facts, procedural posture, holding, dicta, etc.Do not waste time writing one for each case that you read. Now, I have heard of exceptions you will hear of people who briefed their cases and got straight As but this is the exception and not the rule. I do know two people personally who did very well briefing cases. But more on this on my separate page on law school case briefs.

Do not volunteer to talk to much to class, even if there is someone incredibly good looking you want to impress. Because thats a pretty lame way to impress someone. And when you talk, you dont listen you mentally prepare your comment and tune out the professor. Also, a corollary to taking careful notes do not supplement your notes with outside materials, like a hornbook, etc. Your professor is giving the exam at the end of the semester, not the author of a hornbook you happen to buy.

If you arent a planner, you need to become one. Organization will be key to reaching your potential in law school and keeping track of classes, assignments, and other appointments will be vital. In the beginning build into your plan that all that you do will take you longer than you can imagine. Some classes will come easier than others but all will require time.

Unlike what you may have experienced as an undergrad, you cannot wait to study and outline your courses. If you wait until exam time to figure this out, you will end up paying with your grades. Try different approaches to studying and class preparation, but make sure to not just go with the flow! Find study methods that work best for you and stick to it. Your new best friends may all love to study together, but make sure not to compromise your success, if that method doesnt work for you.

Become involved in activities that you are truly committed to and gain respect from those communities. While you need to have interests that renew your energy, be strategic about those and ensure that you are professional, even in the school setting. Being connected to your classmates is crucial to finding success after law school. These are your future colleagues and your reputation is formed now.

The old adage about its about who you know isnt completely wrong. Meeting lawyers at events like bar association events gives you the opportunity to build connections with in the legal community who can give you good advice on doing well in law school, getting a job after law school, and succeeding in that position.

Seriously. With the current hiring market and the reality that is the new normal in the legal industry of running a firm with fewer attorneys, making sure you are as high in your class as you can be is vital, even if you are in a Top 14 law school.

No matter how many extra curricular activities you have, being in the bottom half of your class will make it extremely difficult to find employment. Find a few activities that are meaningful and interesting to you and do them well. Signing on to too many activities will not only leave you stressed out, it wont give you enough time to study or sleep.