I got accepted, should I take a law school prep course?

UnicornFarts

So, I come from a STEM background and I am a bit nervous about my upcoming 1L year. I heard some good things about the former 7sage law school course (now Larry Law Law), but it's pretty expensive and I was wondering if it is a good investment. Or if there are any other courses that are good, I would love to learn their names. If prep courses are not recommended, I would really appreciate it if you could elaborate why. Thanks!

FixedDice

I was interested about this too. All I found out is that there are many conflicting testimonies regarding law school prep classes. I will not be taking one and know no one who took it. So I am not in a position where I can give you a definite answer.

The way I see it, the thing about law school prep classes is that it's impossible to tell whether they actually help. Suppose Beti, who did not take a law school prep class, ends up with the lowest GPA in her class. Had Beti taken one, would she have enjoyed a better outcome? No one knows, for a variety of reasons -- studying methods are different, each with numerous possible results depending on the individual adapting it; Beti might have been a worthless, brainless legacy; Beti might have made an enemy in law school, who hired a mariachi band to play in front of her place of residence all night long during the finals week; etc etc.

The biggest problem, IMHO, is that it's impossible to compare Beti who took a law school prep class to Beti who did not take one. Even if we could, there are numerous other factors besides prep classes when it comes to final grades, and it is impossible to control all of them. Maybe we might find out after a few centuries of scientific and technological advancement -- but here we are, in the present.

There certainly are people who enjoy outstanding 1L grades after taking law school prep classes. This is just a correlation though. I am inclined to think that those who took law school prep classes and ended up with good grades met that outcome because they were dead serious and concerned with their 1L performance, to the point they actually took law school prep classes. Does this mean that those who choose not to take law school prep classes are not serious about their 1L grades? I would think not.

If you want to take a law school prep class, then by all means go for it. We live in a free country. For all we know, you might be one of those who actually benefit from taking one.

Bamboosprout

This is the ultimate question for 0Ls. Unfortunately, I think they're obscur by design, and that no one has the time, resources, and motivation to really do a comparison. It seems like the only decisive factor is whether you have the money for it. I agree with @FixedDice that the sample is self selecting and biased. Personally, though I believe that these courses are likely to help, because law school is also obscur by design, and these classes provide insights for us so that we don't have to trial and error, and learn from experience. I personally learn best by absorbing the experience of others, so I will definitely be taking one of these prep courses, and it helps that larrylawlaw is recommended by 7sage. Maybe I'll make a comparison of these courses if I get a chance.

UnicornFarts

Thank you guys so much for the comments! I'm going to think about it some more.

keets993

Look at @FixedDice applying all their lsat knowledge in their comment

vmorrone86

No, take a vacation before you start.

FixedDice

@keets993 What's the use of skills that don't get applied, no?

BinghamtonDave

I’ve been asking myself this same question lately. Some great answers above. What I will add is that I also have read conflicting testimonies on the topic. What I have taken away is that it might be helpful to know something about the law before 1L. What is the 4th amendment? What is a concurring opinion? What is the highest court in nys? What is a contract? What are the parts of a court decision? I think some very rudimentary understanding of the topics one will explore in 1L has to be desirable.

I say this because I studied military history in school. I know a fair amount about Operation Barbarossa and The Third Punic War, enough to carry on a halfway intelligent conversation but I know next to nothing about law.

I’ve read some people on other forums making the case that we shouldn’t attempt to learn anything about the law before 1L because it might not mesh with what our professors thinks about the topic, but I just can’t do that to myself lol, it seems counter intuitive.

I’m currently taking a legal research class at a local community college. That and a few books is as far as I have gone so far into 0L prep.

UnicornFarts

@BinghamtonDave said:
I’ve been asking myself this same question lately. Some great answers above. What I will add is that I also have read conflicting testimonies on the topic. What I have taken away is that it might be helpful to know something about the law before 1L. What is the 4th amendment? What is a concurring opinion? What is the highest court in nys? What is a contract? What are the parts of a court decision? I think some very rudimentary understanding of the topics one will explore in 1L has to be desirable.

I say this because I studied military history in school. I know a fair amount about Operation Barbarossa and The Third Punic War, enough to carry on a halfway intelligent conversation but I know next to nothing about law.

I’ve read some people on other forums making the case that we shouldn’t attempt to learn anything about the law before 1L because it might not mesh with what our professors thinks about the topic, but I just can’t do that to myself lol, it seems counter intuitive.

I’m currently taking a legal research class at a local community college. That and a few books is as far as I have gone so far into 0L prep.

That does sound like a good way to prep! What books are you reading, if you don't mind me asking? @BinghamtonDave

BinghamtonDave

Getting to Maybe
and
1L Of A Ride