Law School Success Tips: What Prospective and First-Year Law Students Need to Know

Law school often ranks as one of the most difficult, stressful, and overwhelming graduate programs to enroll in. Not only is the application process difficult and the competition ruthless, but the coursework and exams are unlike anything you’ve experienced before. It’s no surprise that drop-out rates for first-year students are over 6%.

To prepare yourself for the tough road ahead, you need to understand common law school misconceptions, find the right law school, and figure out what it takes to succeed in your studies and extracurricular activities.

In this blog post, we’ll highlight a few crucial aspects about law school. This is by no means an exhaustive compilation of everything you’ll experience in law school, but it will serve as a good overview of some key points.

Misconceptions About Law School — What’s True and What’s Not

Let’s start with law school misconceptions. Perhaps you’ve heard law school is all about memorizing laws or that only extroverts succeed in law school. While studying cases does make up quite a bit of 1L coursework, simply memorizing laws won’t do you any favors. We delve deeper into this topic further below.

The extrovert hypothesis is a similar misconception. Sure, most fictional lawyers give off strong “main character” energy so it may feel like quieter, more introverted personalities won’t thrive in court. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

While extroverted personalities are great fodder for television or film, it doesn’t mean only extroverts thrive in the legal field. All sorts of personalities work in the legal industry, from quiet, introverted individuals to loud, boisterous types. There are many different kinds of career paths lawyers can embark upon. Not all attorneys are litigators. In fact, many never go to court!

Debunking Law School Misconceptions: What Our Publications Attorney Has to Say

We asked Nicholas Goddard, Texas Bar Practice Publications Attorney, to debunk some common misconceptions about law school. Here is what he said: 

• If your grades aren't good in law school, you won't get a good job.
  • This isn't true; all that matters is that you pass your classes and pass the bar.
• You are competing against every other student in law school.
  • Also, not true (though some professors will try to engender this in the students). All the students are in this together and studying in groups leads to more success instead of turning it into a competition.
• You won't have time for yourself.
  • It will feel like this is true, particularly during the 1L year, but it is not—schools will encourage you to take stress breaks and time for yourself.

How to Choose the Right Law School

When it comes to choosing a law school, there are several obvious factors to consider, including your LSAT score and career goals as well as cost and geographic location. If you live in or around the Lone Star State, consider these Texas law schools.

This is also where those misconceptions we debunked come into play. Ask yourself what else you want out of law school, how you'll fit in, and where you want to study and practice law. By answering these questions, you'll be able to find a handful of law schools where you'll be able to thrive.

What Are the Most Important Details to Consider?

Make sure to check out the best law schools of the year compiled yearly by The Princeton Review. In addition to ranking the best law schools and best online JD programs, The Princeton Review also features rankings based on various categories, including:

• Best Career Prospects,
• Best Classroom Experience,
• Best Quality of Life,
• Best Professors,
• Most Diverse Faculty, and
• Greatest Resources for Minorities

The Princeton Review is just one of many law school aggregators; there's also the yearly Top 14 Best Law Schools list, compiled by U.S. News, for instance. Take the time to research and compile a good list of prospective law schools that perfectly suit your needs and goals.

How Well Will You Fit In?

A crucial aspect of choosing the right law school is how you'll fit in. Do you thrive in a competitive environment, or would you prefer a more relaxed atmosphere?

Take time to consider the culture of the school. You can do this by researching the school, speaking to alumni, and visiting the school if possible. Thriving in the school's culture will help make your law education as fruitful as possible.

Where Do You Want to Study and Practice?

Where you study is often where you'll practice. Keep this fact in mind when compiling your list of law schools. Do you want to practice in the city where you currently live or would you like to move across the country? Consider the states where you would like to work and then search for law schools within each state. You can skip any schools that don't fit within your geographical desires.

Now That You've Finalized Your List, It's Time to Apply

Answering these questions will help you in compiling the best law schools that suit your overall needs and goals. From there, create a plan and start working on your application and personal statements. The Princeton Review recommends submitting law school applications by late November or early December, regardless of the school's official deadline.

Your First Year of Law School: What to Expect, How to Succeed, and What Comes Next

Let’s not beat around the bush, your first year of law school will be a humbling experience. Even if you’re used to being at the top of your class when you were an undergraduate, law school is a completely different beast.

Your first grade may be a B or C and that can be incredibly discouraging, especially as you begin your future career path in law. But the truth is that 1L humbles every first-year student.

Do not feel alone or demoralized; take any failures you experience as opportunities to grow and learn from your mistakes.

To survive your first year, consider the following.

Prepare Before You Begin Your First Year

The way law school is taught and graded differs wildly from “regular” undergraduate courses. As such, you’ll have to learn how to study the “law school” way. Take a law school prep course so you’re not thrown into the deep end when you start your first semester. Start outlining and practice writing essays before you begin law school.

If you prep before your first semester begins, you’ll know what to expect. If not, you may be in for a rude awakening. But don’t worry, you won’t be the only one feeling this way. Take it as a learning opportunity to improve.

Stay On Top of the Readings and If You Can, Stay Ahead of the Workload 

Law professors teach using the Socratic method, meaning they call upon students unannounced during the lecture. You may think that simply reading every single case and taking notes for every class will be enough, but you may find yourself drawing a blank when called upon. Your head will be full of so many details that it will be hard to quickly parse through it all to reach the answer the professor wants. This is where study aids like Quimbee come into play.

A Closer Look at Quimbee

Many law students recommend the use of study aids from Quimbee. Known as “the largest case briefs database ever,” Quimbee offers outlines, practice questions, prep courses, flashcards, and case briefs to help law students gain a better understanding of their coursework.

Quimbee’s case briefs are written in plain English, making them easier to parse through, understand, and remember. They include the information you need, including facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents. Best of all, case briefs are written by law professors and practitioners so you can use them confidently.

1Ls may think using a study aid is cheating or it’s “taking the easy way,” but that couldn’t be further from the truth. This is just one way to study smarter, not harder. It’s also a great way to stay on top of your coursework without feeling overwhelmed. In fact, using a study aid can help you to stay ahead of the workload. By staying ahead, you’ll have a bit more freedom in case anything comes up and you won’t fall behind.

Free Resources for Law Students from Texas Bar Practice

Quimby is a subscription-based study aid with the lowest tier starting at $25/month. If your funds are tight or you’re interested in low cost or no-cost materials, then Texas Bar Practice is here to help!

Texas law school students can gain free access to our online subscriptions and digital downloads. All you have to do is create a “Law Student” account and your order will zero out at checkout. Watch this tutorial to see the "Law Student" creation process in action.

Lawyers, judges, and law professionals all across Texas and throughout the United States use our publications on a daily basis. As a law student, you can gain access to all our digital resources for free and get acquainted with the publications you’ll use in your future career as a Texas attorney.

If you have any questions or come across any issues, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Attend Office Hours and Review Sessions

As mentioned earlier, law professors use the Socratic method when teaching 1L classes. Depending on how they run their classroom, your law professors may come off as cold, serious, and unapproachable.

Don’t let your professor’s “classroom persona” intimidate you. Take the opportunity to attend their office hours as often as possible. This way, you’ll be able to get to know your professors and seek clarification on coursework. Law professors also provide review sessions prior to major exams.

As an added bonus, if you build a personal relationship with your law professors by attending their office hours, you may be able to request letters of recommendation when the need arises.

Don’t miss these opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of the course material. Your law professors are there to help you succeed!

Participate in Extracurriculars

Adding extracurriculars on top of lectures and readings may seem impossible but they are a great way to gain experience. Some extracurricular activities to consider include:

• Joining a law review or a student bar association,
• Participating in moot court, or
• Working on an externship, internship, or clerkship.

Not only do extracurriculars help you gain experience, they’ll also be a great way to network and make friends. On top of that, extracurriculars will make your resume stand out to potential employers.

When choosing your extracurriculars, ensure you select an activity that will benefit you in the long run and that it appeals to your future career goals and personal desires. Make sure not to overwhelm yourself.

Your main focus will still be your coursework, so if you feel stressed with your extracurriculars, don’t hesitate to cut back. If participating in an extracurricular seems impossible during 1L, then you can skip them so you can focus on your studies. Just make sure to participate in extracurriculars during 2L or 3L.

Take Care of Yourself

Don’t forget to take care of your physical and mental health. While not specifically related to law school extracurriculars, you should also take care of your health, especially during your first year. If you’re feeling stressed out, go for a light jog or hit the gym.

A great way to take care of your mental health is by going to networking events or joining study groups. Even if you consider yourself an introvert or want to focus only on the coursework, you’ll need time to unwind and relax. Meeting new people and making friends can make a difficult first year much more bearable.

Every Successful Career in Law Began with a Difficult First Year of Law School

Your first year of law school will feel like you’ve been thrown into the deep end, but you can take some solace in knowing that you’re not the only one feeling this way. If you have any friends or family who have gone to law school, seek their guidance and learn from their mistakes. If you’re a first-generation law student, reach out to other students or seek help through online groups.

What does success look like to you? If you start off your first year on the wrong foot and you immediately regret your decision, take a breath and remember why you went through the entire application process in the first place.

You don’t need to face this on your own; your law professors are there to help you along your path. Similarly, your fellow students can be a bastion of camaraderie , and you can be the same for them. No matter how difficult, you can pull through. Before long, you’ll be on your way to taking the bar exam!

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