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How to prepare before law school starts!
practicethepause
Alum Member
So I just got into my top choice for law school! I quit my job in December and have been relaxing/fooling around since. But I'm starting to get bored and feel unprepared for law school. I have all this time (Feb-August) before everything starts up again this fall and would sincerely appreciate any advice on how I could be utilizing my time wisely!
Thank you in advance!
Comments
This is a post of how a fellow 7Sage student prepared, I hope you find it useful
https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/19192/michigan-1l-advice-based-on-1-semester-in-law-school
I'm a 0L too so please take this with a grain of salt. Some say that 0L studying is worthless and we should do nothing and relax. But I personally don't want to learn about
legal concepts for the first time in class and I want to familiarize myself with the basic rules (black-letter law) of each area of law.
So I just started reading A Short & Happy Guide to Contracts (Short & Happy Guides) and I bought other Short & Happy Guides for other first-year subjects on Amazon and they're arriving soon. For Civ Pro, I bought Joseph W. Glannon's Civil Procedure: Examples and Explanations (7th Edition), which everyone seems to recommend (I bought last year so the latest version is 8th). I also bought a cheap used Barbri Conviser Mini Review, which summarizes all of the 1L subjects. And I think I'll do some practice exams after studying with these books.
I'm thinking of reading at least a couple of law school guides so I'm reading Getting To Maybe and recently bought 1L of a Ride.
Thank you @BinghamtonDave!
Wow...you seem like you really know what you're getting yourself into and are prepared for it! I'm so jealous haha thank you so much for your recommendations and advice. I appreciate it so much! @akistotle
I remember there was a really great post earlier in the year, but I can't find it. Someone shared their school's recommended reading list, and it was amazing (found it). You can try googling some top law schools' recommended reading list too.
https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/18929/got-accepted-yay-now-what
Scroll down the comments and you'll find one of the best reading lists I've seen.
@Bamboosprout Dang! Her reading list is amazing...thank you so much for sharing with me!
I felt that we need to have a 0L support group!!
You're welcome. Congrats on going to your top law school
@The Noodley YES! That's a great idea!
@Bamboosprout Thank you again
I'd also recommend this article: "On Being a Happy, Healthy, Ethical Member of an Unhappy, Unhealthy, and Unethical Profession." It offers a great mindset to enter into law school with.
http://www.dphu.org/uploads/attachements/books/books_3879_0.pdf
Woah, what a unique find. Have to check this out indepth later
@hawaiihi I only read the first few pages of the article and I'm already finding it so interesting. Thank you for sharing!
I am in my second term of law school and there are quite a few things I wish I did before law school. Some of this is probably really obvious for some reason, no one told me to do these things before starting law school. It's possible my friends thought it was too obvious to mention :P In any case, here are some other things worth considering:
Prepare for a workload that is physically impossible to stay on top of. By that, I mean prepare yourself physically AND mentally for what that will feel like. I took a few months off before starting law school and let sleep schedule shift to ungodly hours. Don't start the year "jet lagged" like I did.
Start networking like crazy. Try to establish contacts with as many lawyers as possible and schedule coffee/lunch/job shadowing. I don't know why this caught me by surprise but I didn't realize how much of a schmooze fest law school is. I partially expected this to be a post-law school endeavor. I was wrong! Prepare for networking events to start within the first couple weeks of school starting (even during the summer). SERIOUSLY INTENSE job searching will begin by December. You will not want to make time for additional meetings while also trying to stay on top of your course work. It's also helpful to start getting used to how awkward networking is. Btw, it's not unusual to read out to a local bar association section or call a law office and ask if someone is willing to chat with you. My classmates and I do this regularly to my chagrin.
Buy a suit...or two, or three. I find it hard to make time for the dry cleaners when there's so many other things I'd rather be doing. I needed a suit by week 3 of law school for a networking event + professional head shot photo op. Don't forget that tailoring also takes time and many stores don't stock as many sizes, offering instead to order everything for you.
Revise the crap out of your resume and change it to conform to the law student template. Yep, there's a separate format that the legal industry expects. It's mostly the same as a one-page business resume. However, my career advisers wanted revisions for each experience/skill to emphasize skills and accomplishments that will be more transferable to a law firm setting.
Draft a cover letter template that emphasizes transferable skills. At least brainstorm skills or characteristics that are unique to you that all your other law school classmates won't have. This will make it easier for you to draft applicable materials when the time comes. E.g., self-sufficient, detail oriented, etc. If you end up applying for a diversity scholarship or diversity fellowship (definitely look up what that is if you don't know already), you may also need to write a personal statement or diversity statement which will have much stricter parameters than the ones used for law school. All of my friends had to draft new ones over break.
Do some interesting things over the summer so you have interesting things to talk about when you go to networking events. Particularly if you're K-JD and have little work experience, it may be a challenge to connect with professionals and compete against classmates who have a lot more work experiences than you.
Read a couple things. I recommend some leisure reading but also Legal Writing in Plain English (which I didn't read until law school) by Bryan Garner, which was helpful for understanding the types of nuances to legal writing and to get an idea of the types of assignments expected in 1L curriculum. One L by Scott Turow is also great and unfortunately a rather accurate illustration of what it feels like to be in law school. I also just like reading Elements of Style by Strunk & White every one in awhile to get a refresher. If you haven't read it, you're missing out. I know a lot of people recommend Getting to Maybe, which I read, but I actually didn't find that helpful. It sort of contextualizes the law school exam but most of the advice didn't make as much sense until I had contracts, torts, civ pro, etc. They weave the law into some examples and it's explained well but I don't think it actually helped in terms of practical application. I read it again during winter break and it was more impactful on the second read. However, I personally don't think it will really make or break your success on a law school exam. It's better to ask your professors for old copies of their exams, practice drafting short answers, and having them review them. They will give you much more constructive feedback. Most casebooks come with hypos that you can use to draft answers. All my professors recommend doing this and I think it's more insightful than the book.
Hope this helps! Good luck
@ptkluu543 My goodness, I expected but didn't realize that networking, tailoring resume to what law firms are looking for, and drafting up a cover letter would be something a 1L should be doing. I will google the heck out of this and get started on them. Thank you so much for your advice! I appreciate it
@ptkluu543 Thank you! Do you have any links to examples of a sample law-style resume?
bump
https://law.yale.edu/student-life/career-development/students/toolkit-student-job-seekers/resume-advice-samples
This is by far the BEST comprehensive advice I've seen. In my second term also. I want to add:
Have your personal affairs in order. Some schools require health insurance, FYI. If you have particularized needs then make sure you're walking in with a health insurance waiver. If you're unsure what your options are search the university page for "graduate student insurance" to get policy details so you can make a wise decision. I found my school's insurance terribly overpriced with awful coverage and went through the market place... during my first week of school. What a waste of time. Heh
PROTECT YOUR ROUTINES! Gym memberships, yoga, puppies, relationships.
Learn how to meal prep. On an average class day I've got two full meals, a protein bar, and a meal substitute (protein shake). #lifeonabudget
START MAKING USE OF A PLANNER/SCHEDULER. Doesn't matter if it's written, or google calendar (my choice). You absolutely need to start blocking off huge amounts of time to ensure you are committed and focused. Just have a system in place.
@akistotle YOU ARE GOING TO SLAY! For those of you going for CALI or A's this is crucial. What she's laid out is a great start. Breaking some of this into laymen's terms:
LEARNING BLACK LETTER LAW: Use the supplements. Anything will do; your professor may have a personal favorite. Ultimately it has no bearing as a 0L because your textbook + PROFESSOR'S WORD needs to be your bible (meaning, if there's a specific supplement keyed for your textbook you won't know until you get your syllabus). Creating an outline based on those two things take precedent over ANY SUPPLEMENT because those should be used just as that; to get extra practice and supplement your understanding of a concept that you're not confident on.
LEARN HOW TO MEMORIZE: If you're a flash card maker, visual learner, audio, etc. FIGURE IT OUT. I DO NOT ADVISE learning the entire course in advance, but here's a nice practical way to test your memory: pick one subject area, and a topic (e.g., torts - intentional torts; contracts - excuses for enforcement). Commit 4 hours to pounding it into your brain. You have to get to a point where you can cite it cold. Apply it using a supplement that has practice problems and see how you do!
READING CASE LAW: Enrolling at a law school will allow you access to supplements (Lexis Summaries, Quimbee, CALI, BARBRI etc.). As a 0L this is probably where I wouldn't bother doing any advance work, you're going to do a massive amount of this and everyone is likely on an even playing field unless you are gifted with photographic/exceptional memory. My recommendation: see if you can access "High Court Summaries keyed to...." This is one of the most comprehensive case law summaries I've seen.
LEARNING TO WRITE: Your school will have a preferred format, likely a variant of the "IRAC" structure. Take basic grammar (maybe advanced, lol), sentence structuring, etc. You'll be fine. Know what passive voice is, do some reading on what objective writing or objective legal analysis is and you're going to get crushed in school and learn along the way anyway.
Sending much love everyone's way as I take half an hour away from law school to relive the 7sage community. XOXO You are all amazing, beautiful people. Best of luck!
https://www.udayton.edu/law/_resources/documents/law_review/how_to_win_a_cali_award.pdf
Foremost, CONGRATULATIONS! You achieved your goal AND you have some time to yourself! That is awesome
If I were you I would: dip into the course material to give myself a background of understanding, practice my reading, writing, (and typing!) skills, reach out to current and/or former students for more in-depth advice, and most importantly cultivate humility. Law school could be very discouraging but it should never get in the way of your success.
Thank you, @xtrfalcon, for your great advice! I hope you're doing well in law school!! 😄
@xtrfalcon @ptkluu543 do you mind my asking which schools you are going to?
@ptkluu543 did you mentioning the networking part because some people are not used to networking, or because networking BEFORE law school is necessary to get a job during/after law school...?
@oshun1 , I would rather not identify my specific school since I prefer to keep my anonymity on this forum but my school falls around #30 on US News rankings and is considered the top school in my region. I have friends at other law schools in rankings higher/lower than mine who found my general commentary about preparing for LS applicable to their situation.
To answer your question about networking, yes to both scenarios. However, I think to say anything one thing is flat out necessary to getting a job is misleading. I gave that advice to contextualize the culture of law school and the legal profession. Networking is part of the normative culture of this profession and it starts in law school. I'm sure it's not impossible to get your dream job without networking. However, be prepared to find a diversity scholarship (or other 1L summer associate position) at your dream law firm with one or two openings at most and hear that 10+ of your classmates/friends are interviewing for the same spot (and that's from your school alone). You will feel severely disadvantaged when you find out that they all had coffee/lunch with the hiring partner and know all the specifics about the type of work each practice group does through all their connections. The connections don't automatically mean they will get the job but it will probably mean they will write a better cover letter that's more authentic/less generic, have a better interview with answers more tailored to what the law firm is looking for, and ask their interviewers more intelligent questions. It will also be uncomfortable for you when you drag yourself to a networking event and your classmates are able to greet partners/recruiters by first name and have deeper/more interesting conversations with them. All of these things will make it easier to nail the dream job. If you want more specifics feel free to reach out to me in a message. (Sorry for the small typos, literally trying to type as fast as possible.)
Thanks for the response. So you’re saying that all of those students had befriended partners prior to law school?
I would check your law school website + other law schools. I did that to build mine. I know it can be hard to identify what is a good sample but some elements it should include: (1) academic history should be the first section (2) skills + language + interests at the bottom (but don't write anything there that you're not comfortable getting asked about by an employer) (3) Must be one page in reverse chronological order.
I recommend thinking about your resume as a writing sample. A lot of resumes run the risk of sounding robotic and unnatural so it's good to try to convey your transferable skills in a manner that's easy to understand. For me, that meant testing each bullet point to see if a high schooler with a high level of intelligence would be able to understand and repeat back to me what it is that I do and why my employers think I'm awesome
Take this jargontastic sentence I made up on the spot that's intended to mean nothing as an example: "Collaborating with transformation teams to integrate specialized reporting and technological analysis input mechanism to enhance user database functionality." I've worked on multiple hiring panels before and you'd be surprised how many resumes actually sound like this after you've had to review several dozen.
Ultimately, employers (of all kinds) will not spend the time to try to decipher this and you run the risk of conveying that you don't know how to write well. Think about what lawyers do; they have to take super complicated information and make it understandable to a lay person. Your resume should show that.
That's an example of a situation that I've personally encountered. Keep in mind that many law students come from legacy families and their family members are already well connected in the legal profession. It's not always clear that the connections are formed prior to law school but I heard comments from my friends/classmates of that nature within the first two months of school starting. Many are explicit about networking during the summer and others were extremely savvy about finding and making time for networking events once school started.
To clarify, I'm not saying you have to network during the summer to succeed, but it will definitely help you get more comfortable with it + allow you to add to your network before school even starts. Most people, including myself, did not start networking until school started but it's one thing many of us say we wish we started earlier.
I'm a bit of an anomaly. Law school wise, I'm at a regional school. It was my top pick; I applied as a dual degree student and had the LSAT/GMAT under my belt. My only condition was to get full rides to both programs. Heh... needless to say my school ranks around 50
TAKE ADVANTAGE of all of the opportunities your school has for 0L events. This means having a good idea of what's important to you (ranking/prestige how it corresponds with your LONG TERM career goals). Specifically, if you're really considering one school's offer, you'll meet a lot of prospective students that I suggest you being normal with. They are your future classmates, colleagues, and ultimately the professionals you practice alongside (or against, as opposing counsel, or in front of, if they're judges
). You'll know who you're naturally going to connect with- so on that front if socializing is uncomfortable- get used to it. You're going to have to put yourself out there. I walked away from orientation with about 4-6 people's phone numbers; made use of the facebook group the law school put together to socialize outside of school orientation week, and since my social circle has expanded and grown tighter.
In terms of connections other folks have even PRIOR to coming to law school; yeah, it happens. Granted, your school will likely have an extremely active career services/development office that puts you in in front of the same firms/attorneys/judges. Attend ALL of the functions that you're interested in, and get your foot in the door the same way. I've made connections through purely social functions, through student orgs, and these coordinated events. It's going to work out. The priority NEEDS TO BE on your first year grades. Regardless of these "connections" your school will likely have an "on campus interview" that may limit who is permitted to interview based purely on your GPA. Granted, as a regional school our "top firms" have a huge presence in other states, but once you make the cut for the interview grades have little to no bearing. It has a lot more to do with "fit" and how well you interview. Obviously those with connections are able to coax their way into a "secured" interview, or maybe even a paying position. But don't stress. Unless you have a "this is all or nothing" approach there are plenty of viable/prestigious opportunities as long as you are putting your best foot forward.
It's going!!!! heh
I hope I didn't scare anyone with my comments about networking. They are really intended to highlight an aspect of the profession that I thought I could avoid entirely as an introverted, somewhat shy person. I was blindsided when I showed up to professional development sessions put on by career services at my school and they told us essentially what I've shared on this board. They literally said, "Please schedule at least 2-3 hours each week for networking and career building activities" on the second week of class when I was still trying to figure out how to stay on top of assigned reading. That said, do not feel pressured to do it over the summer. It's just a great time to practice to help you get comfortable with the inevitable and will take the pressure off finding time for that when you'd rather be studying. (Can't believe I just typed those words...)