How to Prepare for Law School

63 Comments

1. I worked as a paralegal for more than a year so I would know exactly what lawyers do before committing 3 years of my life and unspeakable student loans to pursue this career (which I enjoy). :)

   1. Ha, I worked as a paralegal, learned exactly what lawyers did, and then decided NOT to become one.

   2. I don’t think working as a paralegal is a great way to learn what life is like for lawyers. It’s a good way to set inaccurate expectations, if anything. Ime, firms tend to respect a paralegal’s time and personal commitments much more than associates because we can just sub in another paralegal to prepare binders or a filing or whatever. I’ve never heard of a paralegal canceling a vacation at the last minute or missing her kid’s bday party. The worst they’ve done is take shifts over holidays; it’s not like they’re working 20 hour days over Thanksgiving weekend on a case they didn’t find out about until 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

      1. I disagree. I was a paralegal in a very large firm before law school and it gave me a lot of insight. While my year wasn’t particularly stressful, I did work very closely with the attorneys and get a sense of what they did and what their schedules were like. I’ll also say that once I started practicing, our more senior paralegals very often worked long hours/weekends and sometimes cancelled plans on short notice. But the key exposure from being a paralegal isn’t do you like working long hours, it’s do you like the type of work in a particular practice area. I learned all about incorporations, venture financing, M&A and other deals during the short time I was there, which led me to pursue a transactional practice rather than litigation.

         1. I agree. I was a paralegal before law school and I had an advantage among my friends. I actually knew what discovery and pleadings looked like and was not going into law school as blind as others were, about the day to day work.

2. Threadjack: Those who have the Lo & Sons Pearl: Could it fit a camera in it? The camera is 5.5 x 3.1 x 1.7 inches (so it is not one that you can slip in your jeans pocket) and weighs about 24 ounces. I’m tempted to just order the bag to use for travel and return it if it doesn’t work, but it once took me several months to get a refund from them so I’m worried about doing that.

   1. No

      1. Thank you!

   2. Thank you!

      1. Thank you for saving me the irritation!

3. I got a lot of sleep and had a lot of fun because I knew that once school started, both of those things would be unlikely. I’d advise others to do the same.

   1. +1. My parents were living in Florida at the time, so I was at the beach a lot.

   2. Was just clicking down to say the same thing. I had a low key summer job (I went straight through), but spent several weeks post-graduation and then pre-school just relaxing, going to the beach, etc. Ahh, those were the days…

      The people who spent the summer “officially” prepping — sure, a few of them got fantastic grades, but that wasn’t because they spent the summer prepping, it was because they were gunners who spent the whole semester in the library.

   3. +1, you’re not going to be able to sleep/have fun until 1L is over. Reading commercial supplements won’t help and can possibly hurt if they focus on different aspects or just have a different style from the professor you end up with. The best thing I did to prepare for law school was nothing!

      That being said, networking can definitely help. But trying to learn the law before law school can only end poorly, in my opinion.

   4. Yeah, this. Just relax! It is the last three-month stretch you’ll have with no obligations until retirement.

   5. I did the same. This is the best advice, IMO. Go in rested.

4. The idea of getting ahead on class reading or substance before you start law school is ludicrous. The first year of law school is focused on content, but the biggest take away is learning how to learn the law.

   The best prep you can do is emotional/financial. Start an exercise routine. Get big chores out of the way (get that root canal, go visit relatives across the country, make that dr’s appointment to check out that chronic fatigue, if you’re moving, set all of that up).

   One thing that would be helpful is talking to current law students and recent grads about tips on how to do well your first year- mentally, emotionally, and grade wise. Make friends and build a network of people you can go to for advice. Start being alert for methods to study *smarter,* not just *harder,* but recognize that you can’t really know what’s going to work best until you start. I wish I’d done more of that rather than just think that I had all the answers and that whatever worked well in undergrad was also going to work well in law school.

   1. Thoroughly agree. For what it’s worth, I aced my classes at a hard/well regarded school, and I walked in on Day 1 completely blind, having spent the summer reading old novels and working at a restaurant (and swimming in the ocean when I had time).

      I think I would advise a younger me to think a little bit about what the law is, and what lawyers do, before starting law school — but not really to prepare for law school, just to prepare for post-graduation life. The most important thing I learned in law school (and then, the most important thing I taught first year law students) was “thinking like a lawyer.” Hard not to roll your eyes when you say it, but that’s what you pay the big bucks for — getting the rigorous intellectual training, not learning the nuances of divorce law of your state, or whatever.

5. Being financially prepared is the top priority. Find guidance online regarding how to take notes efficiently.

6. Another threadjack: I asked in moms but didn’t get any advice. Anyone have a family member fly with your child alone? My sister is going to take my son on a flight and I was wondering if any of you have experience with this. I’ve flown with him alone, with a different last name, and no one has ever asked me for anything–birth certif included. Thanks!

   1. With the caveat that I haven’t done this, I would give your sister a copy of his birth certificate, a notarized letter stating that you consent to her traveling with your son, and a notarized power of attorney to handle any emergency/medical emergency that could arise.

   2. Haven’t done this (and I’m not a lawyer), but for peace of mind I would send a physical, notarized letter with your sister signed by both parents, stating that she has permission to travel with the child, and permission to authorize medical treatment as necessary, during the range of dates of the travel (plus an extra day on either end, just in case).

      1. I have done this, with a child who was 8 and looked like we were related. (We are related, but he’s not my kid. But everywhere we went, people thought he was my child because we look so alike.)
         I was asked at check in if I had a notarized letter (I did) but did not need to show it. They said I would need to show it at the gate. I wasn’t. This was a few years ago.
         DH flew back with him and they look nothing alike. He wasn’t asked anything at all, except that the TSA person asked the kid who he was traveling with and if his parents knew or something like that. I was actually impressed that the TSA person was willing to risk a tongue lashing (kid could’ve been adopted or something and parent could’ve been offended) and was still willing to check with the kid. Kid laughed and said something like “Duh, I’m with Uncle __. And of course my parents know — my dad is going to be waiting for me when we land!” So it was all fine.
         Ditto on the permission to authorize medical treatment, along with needing health insurance info.

7. In addition to reading up ahead of time on some of the classes, I focused on getting healthy. I quit drinking and smoking (only a social smoker though), and did my best to cut down on sweets and coffee. I got pretty bad at getting in regular exercise during law school, so I’m glad I was able to cut out a lot of my unhealthier habits ahead of time!

8. Uh, I did no prep whatsoever. The time to take on law school is when you are in law school. Better to enjoy life fully while you can!

   1. +1000.

      Also, the people who openly admitted (/bragged) that they had done a lot of prep beforehand, such as reading E&Es and other commercial outlines, really struggled when their professor’s style or pet interests within the subject area did not conform to what they’d read in the mass market materials. They tried to respond in class and write their finals answers based on what they’d studied in those materials, and it did not work well. Most abandoned the approach by second semester, so it was a total waste of time that also likely hurt their first semester grades.

      From a social standpoint, you’ll have better success and just be happier if you approach law school normally–people will want to study/be friends with you, and you’ll be more likely to have access to group outlines and “bibles” that have been passed down through the years if you’re likable and easygoing than if you’re the aggressive self-anointed class gunner.

      1. Current law student here, and I totally agree. Do nothing. Work if you need the money, or go on vacation if you don’t. I know a couple of people who went crazy trying to prepare before school started, and it did them no good. It also made people like them less. So it’s a lose-lose.

9. I bought cute jeans and moved to Michigan.

10. 1) I wish I knew what lawyers actually did. I have no lawyers in my family and did not know any lawyers. I should have worked harder to intern or work in a mail room or make copies at law firms.
    2) I wish I talked to a rising 2L so someone could have told me how to study. As in, read a Nutshell to figure out the big picture, memorize the takeaway from each case, figure out how to issue spot by doing practice exams from the school database or from Q&A books.
    3) I wish I had bought old Barbri books from a 3L the summer before I started law school. Not to start bar prepping that early, but to figure out what I should be looking for in class and readings.
    Thing I actually did right: I went to a law school that offered a free ride. I only advise students to consider law school if they 1) get into a top 20, 2) get a free ride, 3) have lawyers in the family, or 4) know what lawyers actually do and want to do that.
    Other thing I actually did right: I cleaned up my diet and exercised regularly. Law school is stressful, you don’t need to be sick and tired on top of stressed and tired.

    1. +1 to talking with a 2L. I went back to law school after three years of working and I had an easy undergrad major. I was totally unprepared for the type of studying/exam-taking that law school requires. Which I discovered after a poor grade on a midterm first semester. Thankfully I turned it around quickly, but wish I hadn’t gone in so blind. This is particularly true if you want a big firm job because your first year grades can really make or break you for OCI.

    2. Agree on all points re the substance of law school. Reaching out to older students to understand how to study, understanding big picture stuff, taking lots of practice tests, etc.

       Other points: get to know your professors and keep in touch. You may need their recommendations someday or at the very least guidance; this is how you learn to network. Get to know your classmates. Don’t skip out on networking opportunities – if you are bad, they are good practice; if you are good, they can be great stepping stones. Networking is a big part of lawyering and not something they teach.

       Learn now to find balance (eating right, sleeping, exercising, etc.). When you are a student, you go crazy until the semester ends and then you have (at least) a week off. Real life lawyering doese’t give you those big breaks to decompress so you have to figure it out early.

       I cannot stress enough how important it is to have your financial ducks in a row. Understand how much you will be paying in tuition or loans (and don’t forget about rent, books, cost of living, etc.) What does that mean in terms of the jobs you can take? Realistically understand if those jobs are available, if you are likely to get them, and if you want them given a realistic understanding of the lifestyle and how many years that means for you.

       A kid in my law school spent the summer reading the textbooks before 1L. Don’t do that; it’s a waste of your time and money and nobody will like you. Take the time you have to do stuff you enjor – travel, read books for pleasure, etc.

       1. + a million to your last two paragraphs!

    3. I couldn’t agree more with your four pieces of advice for prospective law students. I had no lawyers in my family and didn’t really know what lawyers did, either. It worked out for me but man! I totally did not know what I was getting into. At all!!

       1. Yes this is exactly my story. I had no idea what I was getting into and I feel really lucky that it all worked out for me!

11. I have a Master’s in Engineering, and went to grad school immediately following undergrad (not a super-smart decision, in retrospect.) I did nothing to prepare, and worked in a record store (this was back in the olden days of the mid-90’s) the summer in between. I had Teaching and Research Fellowships that paid a stipend, so I did not do anything unique to prepare myself financially.

12. forget law school, how bout new practice area?

    Can someone explain the 2 different versions or Regulation Z (TILA)?

    12 cfr 226 AND 12 cfr 1026? I assume the later one controls, but reputable legal research provider isn’t flagging the earlier one red/yellow/superceded?

    1. said reputable legal research site is often flat wrong about whether a case or statute has been overturned or superseded. Happened to me at least twice during my career.

       Also would advise against asking the Internet for research help while in or after law school

       1. And ps I would never assume anything

13. Assess the strength of your marriage / personal relationships. Think about what it will mean for your spouse to have you accrue massive debt and/or not earn income for 3 years, while also being patient while you spend 14 hours a day in class or studying.

    I got divorced during law school, as did at least 10 classmates. Since the vast majority of the class was not married when they started, this is a hugely high percentage. In my case, the marriage would not have been successful anyway, and law school just brought that into focus earlier than it might have otherwise. But it’s hard even for those in good relationships.

    1. This. Sit down with your significant other and talk about how you’re going to handle the stress on your relationship brought on by not just very little time spent together, but also being really stressed out/not fully present/likely to snap when you do have time together. The stereotype that law school breaks up relationships/marriages exists for a reason.

       Also, if you have friends/family who normally expect you to be available to them at all times, talk to them about how that will change during your 1L year so that they don’t get offended when you’re not as available as you used to be.

    2. I think this is good advice for the first few years of biglaw, frankly – the one thing I always tell our new associates is to recognize that this will be very hard on SOs/friends/family and that they need to pay attention to those relationships and take care of them.

       1. For me it was much more an issue in the early years of practice than it was in law school. I actually liked law school and didn’t find it nearly as demanding as BigLaw or even MidLaw.

          1. Agree. I did know a few couples who got divorced in law school but I think it was more because the non-law person felt left out of this new life and social network the law student suddenly had and/or the law person had made a bunch of new friends, many of whom were single and attractive, and wanted to be single. I actually know several people who took up with law school classmates before or immediately after a divorce from a partner who wasn’t in our class. I don’t know anyone who divorced from the stress of law school, and I also didn’t find law school stressful at all. What’s that hard about attending a few hours of class, reading a lot, and having the ability to work by the pool or take a nap whenever you want? A 9-5 is more exhausting and certainly working in a law firm is WAY more exhausting.

14. Academically, I didn’t do anything to prepare and didn’t need to. Practice-wise, I did the paralegal thing for 2 years and agree that it’s pretty good exposure to what most lawyers do and what their hours are (even if yours are more limited).

    I wish I had had more of a plan re: all the non-academic stuff that might help after law school. Moot court tryouts started in the first couple of weeks of 1L year, when I was still pretty overwhelmed with having moved and started school. Although 1Ls can’t apply for summer jobs until December 1, there’s a lot of groundwork you can do before then. Waiting until December 1 to think about it and then having to study for exams meant that I applied to many jobs too late. (It was also 2009, so the shortage of jobs may have had something to do with that.) I didn’t realize until second semester that writing onto law review meant I needed to dedicate some serious time right after the semester, and I had already committed to my SIL’s graduation. (I still wrote it, but I would have preferred not to be squeezing it around travel and family plans.) I could have figured all this out by talking to a 2L, but I didn’t.

15. I would not recommend reading E*Es or other “prep” materials. In all likelihood, the way that a professor teaches will be substantially different from the way the information is presented, and it’s just too much information to really absorb without being taught it.
    Before law school, I:
    1. Relaxed. So, so important. I babysat the summer before, hung out with friends, moved into my apartment about a month before school started and bingewatched the entirety of Breaking Bad because none of my friends who lived in the city I went to law school in (same as undergrad) were back from summer break yet. Loved it.
    2. Read OneL. Would 100% not recommend, it scared the he** out of me. I would kind of like to go back and read it now, as a recent grad, but at the time, I was terrified.
    3. Watched Paper Chase. Again. Nope.

    I wish I had been able to connect with 2Ls and 3Ls. My class tried to really, really do this our 2L year, because it was something we hadn’t been able to do, and the 1Ls say they appreciated it a lot. It’s awesome to have someone who you can just commiserate with and ask those questions you’d never ask admissions.
    I did a lot of networking my first year, but none in the summer before law school. Don’t regret it. It took me about 3 months to figure out what I wanted to do exactly, and I would have had a very hard time connecting with people before I had any law school experience to talk about.

    I would make sure you’re settled into a good place to live, know the bus routes/parking situation/etc at the school, know where a good coffee shop, grocery store, and drugstore is near both your apartment and the school, and get to know the lay of the land of the campus and the law school. Maybe do any of the tourist-y things you want to do in a new city, because you won’t have time to do them during 1L, at least. Figure out health insurance. Find new doctors if you need to.

    Pretty much, just figure out everything logistical you can prior to starting, because the first month or so of law school is not when you want to have to figure out where in g-d’s name you can see a primary care doctor on the weekend when you catch a nasty cold, or where you can fill your prescriptions, or when football games make traffic around the university a godforsaken nightmare. Ask me how I know these things.

16. I wish I had of law school as a resume-building period in terms of activities, relationships, etc. I thought of it as just school and focused on grades and little else. I made law review but didn’t try out for the exec board, didn’t do research develop relationships with professors (for letters later), etc. It was a really naive approach. Grades are important but don’t take up much space on the resume. I would up backing into a clerkship later, but I wish I had known what else to do in school to put myself in a better position for that kind of thing.

    1. yikes, typos!

17. I was advised to work on my typing speed, and that’s probably the most useful tip I’ve heard for folks entering 1L. I found commercial supplements very helpful as exam preparation, but I don’t think it would be worth spending the summer before reading them for all the reasons people have already mentioned. If, however, you don’t already type more than 70 or so words per minute, it would probably be worth the time to get there, if not for in-class note-taking then for timed exams, which were often just races to the finish.

18. I would follow whatever advice your school gives you. My dean of students sent us suggested books and I was really glad I read them — if nothing else, I didn’t think anyone was “ahead” of me because I followed the advice. I also went to all the orientation programs that our academic counselors did on note taking, etc.
    I would move in time to be fully unpacked before orientation and settled in so you’re fresh for all the activities (formal and informal) to get to know your classmates. Don’t start tired or you won’t be at your best.
    Also, get to know your dean of students. Mine (at a top law school) was AMAZING. I’m truly sad she is not going to be there next year to work with the new 1Ls, because I would’ve left law school if not for her. Instead, I made it, have a job, and just have to get through the bar first! So whether you have a great dean of students, a writing instructor, your property professor, a friendly 3L, whomever — find someone who has seen it all before and can be a sounding board and give you pep talks when you need them.

    1. Kind of wondering if we went to the same school, because my dean of students was also a lifesaver. I wouldn’t have graduated without her and she won’t be at the school this upcoming year for new 1Ls. The new dean of students is fantastic and I love her, too, but the dean of students while I was at school was freaking PHENOMENAL.

19. I didn’t do anything to prepare for my doctoral program before I started, and that was totally fine. I don’t even know what I could have done to prepare. Likewise, I’m starting b-school in the fall, and am not planning to do any preparation.

20. I entered a joint JD/MBA program in 1983, having worked in educational broadcasting/television production for 5 years. I did very well and I have practiced law ever since I graduated. To prepare, read anything at all that keeps your reading at peak performance. That’s it. (Also, yes, whatever your school tells you to read or do.) Approach school as a full-time job. Do the work full-time (with some overtime, although if you work it like a real job, it won’t take as much time as you fear) and then take time off to recharge. Don’t treat it as undergrad and party all the time or procrastinate. Don’t let any of the bozos who think they’re ahead of the curve because they’ve worked in law offices (or whatever) intimidate you. Do the orientation stuff. Take advantage of any mentoring offered. Don’t be afraid to seek out older students and professors and ask questions. In that context (contrasted to in front of the entire class), there is no such thing as a stupid question. Hang with the people who are treating law school like a full-time job. Take notes. In longhand (research shows you retain more). Outline the class. Take the time to find the issue and the holding and the relevant facts in the cases that you read so that you will learn how to do that–this is important. Outline the class. Did I mention that before? Do it. Don’t borrow any more money than you ABSOLUTELY HAVE to. You will have much more flexibility when you graduate. If you do well enough in school, clerk for a judge.

21. Just another person chiming in to say it makes no sense to prepare for law school beforehand. I did because I was a gunner. It did not help.

22. I read Planet Law School: What You Need to Know (Before You Go), But Didn’t Know to Ask…

    https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Law-School-II-Before/dp/1888960507

    The rhetoric is a bit negative, but there is a lot of helpful information if you can get past his tone.

    I also interviewed practicing lawyers about what they like and don’t like about their jobs, and asked for tips about going to law school.

23. Drink and travel. Especially travel. I got a job as an English teacher at an immersion summer camp program for 10 weeks in Italy because I knew after I started law school every summer would be spent focusing on my career. Do something interesting with your time- most interviewers have asked about my time in Italy more than my summer spent with a federal judge after 1L year.

    A week or two before you start school, consider buying and listening to the LEWS program. You should be able to order the materials online. You’ll probably want to listen to it again closer to your first set of exams. It really helped me understand arguing the “gray areas” of exam essays and I performed well on my first set of finals and most of them thereafter. A few people I knew read “Getting to Maybe” as well.

24. Work for a few years before going to law school. It gives you a lot more perspective about school, the value of your time, and the awesomeness (comparatively) that is school.

    I thought law school was significantly more relaxed than work. I treated school like an 8-5 job. I got up when my husband got up, ate breakfast, and then headed to campus every day around 8:00. I studied on campus, went to my classes, studied between classes, ate lunch with friends, and then came home around 5:00. Then I didn’t do anything else. It got more intense during finals, obviously, but even then I usually limited my studying to 10-hour days in the library.

    If you have questions, talk to your professors. Do your reading on time and don’t fall behind. Take lots of class notes. Prioritize issues and cases your professor actually talks about over things that are in E&Es, textbooks, nutshells, etc. See if you can find sample exams from your professor for past years, take those exams, and ask your professor any questions about them. Near the end of your semester, distill all your notes into an outline and spend time organizing the outline logically. Take your outline to your professor and spend an hour going over it in detail. Let your professor fill any holes and correct any misstatements in your outline.

    1. +1 to all of this. I took off about 3 years between college and law school and I felt much better equipped to handle it than those who just went straight through.

25. Read “Getting to Maybe.” I didn’t look at it until my third year and wish I had read it when it mattered. Hindsight is always 20-20, but I felt that it would have helped me figure out how to strategically approach law school exams rather than learning through trial and error.

26. Ph.d, which is I think not uncommon but a minority on this site:

    (1) Move early, if you are moving.
    (2) If you have been out of school for a while, have in mind that it will take at least a few months to get back to good study habits. It took me an entire year.
    (3) Start tracking your expenses to get used to living like a student again
    (4) Do one multi day fun thing before school starts – trip, make something, whatever. You won’t have this kind of time again for a while.

27. I am starting a 3-year MBA program with the support of my employer next month. I will continue to work full time and take the classes on weekends. Does anyone on her have advice for balancing MBA classes with a full-time job? I’m also thinking of having my first kid partway through the program….

    1. I hope you don’t plan on sleeping.

28. 1. Read Law School Confidential – good strategies for excelling in law school
    2. Read “The Lawyer Bubble: A Profession in Crisis” – a great explanation about the state of the profession and how law firms work. Explains why those billable hours get cut.
    3. Figure out what type of law you want to practice – So many people try to “find” themselves in law school. Figure that out ahead of time and you are way ahead. You can make better decisions about what school to attend and where to work. Remember, you’ll be sending out resumes for your 2L summer pretty soon after your 1L year. You won’t have much time to figure this stuff out during your 1L year.
    4. Talk to lawyers who practice that type of law – what do they love? what do they hate? what do they wish they had done? what blogs do they read? etc. I spoke to in-house patent attorneys at IBM when I worked there as an engineer before law school, and I learned that in-house life is quite manageable.
    5. Get some real world work experience. 2-3 years is enough. You’ll be so much more mature than your classmates, and you’ll make better long term decisions!!
    6. In law school, the best thing I did was review my outlines and flash cards while using an exercise bike at the gym. The gym is boring. So, reviewing those materials is a welcome distraction. I have a terrible memory, and the regular review of my notes made a huge difference. It helped enormously for the bar, too.
    7. Don’t go to law school because you don’t know what else to do. It’s just too expensive and risky. A degree does not equal a job.
    8. Postpone marriage until after law school. If it is meant to be, the significant other will wait.

29. Prepare for a huge change from any previous school you’ve had. There is no way to “pre-study.” Law school teaches you to approach and analyze info in a new way–it is not about memorizing facts and you’d be better off waiting to learn from your professors instead of thinking you already know what you are doing because you were smart enough to get past Admissions. During law school, try to eat right and exercise and maintain a life outside of law school, including some normal friends. It’s a tough few years and it takes a lot of attention and focus but seriously–most of the other people in your life don’t really care. They have their own concerns that are more interesting to them than you and your law school career, and they don’t really want to hear you go on at length about property law or whatever else might be better discussed with other law students. It would be good if you could maintain your perspective and interest in people and activity outside of law school. You will be a much nicer person and in the end, a much better lawyer. Last but not least–20 years after law school, I regularly have days when I wish–wish!!–for the so-called pressures of law school. Good luck and godspeed, class of 2019.

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