Tips for Entering Law School Students

8/19/2019 Tips for Entering Law School Students

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Top 5 Tips for Entering Law School Students

by Noah Teitelbaum ﾧ Aug 13, !!"

The #rst year of law school has been built up to near$legend% &ournals, grades,awards, and 'ob prospects often are determined in your #rst year, lea(ing you not awhole lot of time to get settled% )ere are *anhattan LSAT+s 5 Things to emember

from those who ha(e been through the halls of legal academia and li(ed to writeabout it-

1% *ore is not better% .n your way to class your #rst wee/, you will almostcertainly see your fellow students carrying around many boo/s aside from yourshared case law te0tboo/s% Law outlines from Emanuel+s, ilbert+s, and other studyaid companies will abound, and you will thin/ to yourself, 2)mm, wonder if thatoutline is better than what +m studying from4 *aybe should pic/ that up at theboo/ store% 6efore you /now it, you+ll #nd yourself in a study supplement armsrace, and your room will be #lled with a stac/ of outlines in addition to yourte0tboo/ and your notes% 7o not succumb to this temptation8 9ou+ll li/ely #nd thatyour notes are the best resource% .utlines and tests from your professor+s pastclasses, which your school+s law library will generally ha(e on #le, are also (eryuseful% At most, pic/ up one commercial outline you li/e for each sub'ect :they+re allthe same anyway;% A big stac/ of outlines will only distract you and wind upgathering dust in the homestretch%

% .ne head may be better than three% 9et another potential arms race is thestudy group% Ambitious 1st year students will 'oc/ey to form study groups withother students who itma/es for more interesting class sessions and ma/es them feel smarter% 6ut thetruth is that much of the case law is pretty straightforward in the way it will betested% There are only so many ways for a Torts #nal to test the concept of 6attery,for e0ample% The students that get themsel(es into trouble are the ones who

present themsel(es with all sorts of con(oluted e0ceptions, or who o(ercomplicatethe concepts% un this test on yourself when studying- if you understand the caselaw in a way that you could e0plain it to a twel(e$year old in simple language,you+re in great shape% f you start presenting all sorts of strange formulations and

'argon, you should wor/ to simplify%

?% 9ou+re doing as well as you thin/ you are% .ne of the biggest concerns for 1styear law students is 2)ow am doing4 9ou don+t recei(e any concrete feedbac/

https://www.manhattanprep.com/lsat/blog/2009/08/13/top-5-tips-for-entering-law-school-students/https://www.manhattanprep.com/lsat/blog/author/noahatlaslsat-com/https://www.manhattanprep.com/lsat/blog/author/noahatlaslsat-com/https://www.manhattanprep.com/lsat/blog/2009/08/13/top-5-tips-for-entering-law-school-students/


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until the middle of your nd semester, when you recei(e your grades from your 1stset of #nals, as (irtually no law school courses o@er mid$terms or any intermediategrade :law school professors don+t li/e to grade things, so most only o@er a #nal;%

This /ind of feedbac/$free en(ironment preys on the insecurities of many students,as many feel li/e they+re falling behind if they don+t study endlessly% 7on+t let itsha/e your con#dence% emember that no one has recei(ed any grades, and it+s a

le(el playing #eld% ocus on what you+re doing day$to$day and remind yourself tostay positi(e% f you+re desperate for feedbac/, (isit your professor during oBcehours and relay to him or her your understanding of (arious cases > it+s a good wayto both see where you are and get to /now your professor a little bit better%

5% Cut down the boo/s sometimes% t+s sorely tempting to try and study all thetime when you arri(e at law school% Ceople around you will be tal/ing about theirlong hours in the library% 6ut if you+re li/e the (ast ma'ority of people, your brainstops functioning at a high le(el after a certain amount of studying, and the returnswill diminish dramatically after, say, the 5th hour% i(e yourself a normal schedule,including time away from the boo/s doing things you en'oy and rela0ing% Thin/ to

yourself, 2+m going to spend 3 > ? hours in class per day, and ? > D hours a daystudying eBciently% After that, go spend time with people who are not in lawschool% )a(e fun% Ta/e ad(antage of the student lifestyle and e0plore your newen(ironment% et away from campus% *aintain perspecti(e and en'oy yourself asmuch as you can% emember, it+s not the wor/aholics who succeed in law school >sa(e that for your #rst 'ob after you graduate%

Costed on April , !1! ﾧ by /rise0y ﾧ

t+s been a year since entered Law School% And here am, still hanging with my

classmates% f remember it right we started a class of 3D students and now we+re

down to F% fre=uently as/ed =uestion for law students is 2s it really friggin+ hard4

The answer would always be a yes but it+s fun% more e0citing than you thin/% *aybe

you found this page because you+re wondering what is it li/e to be in law school4

what are the perfect study habits to get through4 and will e(erything be worth it4

belie(e that you got here because of SEEN7CT9% *aybe you+re an incoming #rst

year, already preparing to face eternal damnation or already a law student trying to

climb and surpass mountains% f +m 'ust on my way to sophomore, maybe you

wouldn+t trust whate(er would write in this blog and loo/ for ad(ice of a those who

already got their licenses and are already practicing lawyers% 6ut belie(e me, it+s

either their too busy to answer you or their e0periences will no longer apply to our

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time% hmmmmnnn 7o sound li/e +m selling something4 7on+t worry nothing is for

sale% +m 'ust trying to rela0 for my summer (acation and thought of writing before

my brain cells run dry% +m 'ust trying to help and hope that good /arma will #nd me

and help me pass the bar e0ams% -p

Ghat is it li/e to be inside the class4

9ou+ll be ner(ous that+s for sure% E(en the top students of the class sitting beside

you, are already calling for the saints name for guidance% 6ecause once you are

called to recite you are li/e a salami being sliced by your professors as/ing you

=uestions you either don+t understand or he as/s =uestions you ne(er read or heard

before% H tantananan tanan888 Gelcome to the class of Socrates%

The mode of teaching in law school is called the Socratic *ethod% the teachers as/s

you a series of =uestions that help you understand the law more and get away with

ambiguity% The law is ambiguous you ha(e to accept that% 6ut don+t worry

professors understand what you+re going through and they aren+t as heartless as

you thin/% n fact their humor will surprise you% the Chilippines is full of humorous

people% you+ll #nd them on e(ery corner of the country% 7o not e(er thin/ that

professors are li/e stones preparing to crush you% .f course they want you to learn

They want you to become lawyers as well% 9ou might wanna curse them but

someday you+ll than/ them for embarrassing you inside the class%

6efore the classes starts there are certain preparations you should do in order to

lessen the wor/ load, stress and an0iety% This is something regret% f only could

turn bac/ time, +ll turn it bac/ to summer of !!", where had all the time to

prepare% So here are the things you should do while you ha(e the time-

1% Learn to read with comprehension fast% 1 minute per page is slow% f you want to

practice, practice reading landmar/ cases% eading your #rst case is li/e reading a

foreign language, you understand some words but you don+t understand the rest%

The following are landmar/ cases which are from the Chilippine &urisprudence%

These are cases from di@erent sub'ects you+ll encounter in your #rst year% Cractice

reading as soon as you can%


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I Tanada (s% Tu(era %% No% D3"15 ﾧ

I Jhi ming tsoi (s% Jourt of appeals %% No% 11"1"!ﾧ

I rancisco (s% house of representati(es %% No% 1D!D1 ﾧ

I n re- Laureta and *ara(illa %% No% DFD35 ﾧ

I Loreno (s% Cosadas Ceople (s% errer ?F Scra 3F, 3"5 ﾧ

% Learn Spanish% This is a foreign language always wanted to learn but ne(er did

because of lac/ of time% This tip is not a must% 9ou+ll 'ust encounter Spanish phrases

in some cases :which are always ignored; because our ci(il code is based onSpanish ci(il code% .f course you also want to understand e(erything in a case%

3%Learn to memorie faster% Law school is law school% *emoriing the law is a must%

6ut you+ll ha(e to memorie mountains of codes, and your boo/s and cases are

waiting for you% 9ou are always time constraint so learn to do e(erything faster%

?%Start collecting references from people you /now who are in students law not only

from your school but also those from other schools% They+ll be more useful than you

thin/%

5% Surf the net% .ther than this blog there are millions of sites that tells you what to

do, how to be successful in school, do+s and don+ts and gi(es you a perfect idea of

the life you are about to enter%

F?GE7KD"G&

1% ic/ the right ma'or% nli/e medical school, there are no prere=uisites for law school

so choosing a ma'or can be particularly tough% n fact, The American 6ar Association

itself does not recommend any undergraduate ma'ors or group of courses to

prepare for a legal education and says so on its web site% M1ﾧ

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• Jhoose a ma'or with a higher degree of law school acceptance% Jonsider ma'oring in

philosophy, economics or 'ournalism$$in a recent re(iew of data from the Law School

Admissions Jouncil :LSAJ; those ma'ors ha(e a high rate of acceptance%

• Thin/ twice about prelaw% Ghile the name seems to suggest that it would be a good

path to follow on your way to law school, not e(eryone agrees% Jhec/ to see how

much of the coursewor/ in the prelaw program at the school youOre considering

seems related to the wor/ youOll do in law school%%

• ndergraduate ma'ors that in(ol(e lots of reading and stress critical thin/ing o@er

good foundations for law school% Jritical thin/ing, logic, and good writing s/ills are

crucial to success in law%

• 7onOt 'ust pic/ a ma'or because it sounds li/e a law school will appro(e of your

choices% *any di@erent undergraduate ma'ors feed well into law, and the fact that

youOre passionate about something can and will show up in the way you portray

your e0periences%

ocus on your CA% etting the best possible grades is essential for a strong law

school application% Ghate(er ma'or you choose, focus on e0celling in all of your

classes%

• The median CA for law school acceptance is 3%?% )igher tier schools ha(e much

more rigorous re=uirements% or e0ample, the median CA for acceptance to 9ale

Law School is 3%", )ar(ard is 3%F" and Stanford 3%F5%

• Start strong% Since a good CA is so important, plan to wor/ on your grades right

away% Attend classes regularly, set aside ample time to read and study and if you

need help, wor/ with a tutor%

• CA isnOt the only consideration for law school acceptance, but itOs e0tremely

important and should be your main focus during your undergraduate years%

• Ghether or not you do ta/e on graduate school :before or during your law degree;,

your undergraduate CA still matters% Law schools loo/ at e(erything $ be prepared%3

3

ntegrate e0tracurricular acti(ities% Ghile good grades are essential, you want to

present yourself as a well$rounded candidate, so plan to get in(ol(ed in some

e0tracurricular acti(ities%


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• et in(ol(ed right away% Admissions committees will want to /now how long you

ha(e been in(ol(ed in each acti(ity and what meaningful contributions youO(e

made% f you wait until senior year to 'oin a group, it may be percei(ed as a mo(e

youOre ma/ing purely to increase your chances of acceptance rather than an

in(ol(ement that sprang from a genuine passion or interest%Mﾧ

• Limit the number of groups you 'oin% The depth of your in(ol(ement is much more

important than the number of acti(ities in which you are in(ol(ed% Mﾧ

• E0plore all of your options$$aBnity clubs, intramural sports, ser(ice organiations$$

then commit to two or three that you really connect with%

• Peep trac/ of your hours of in(ol(ement because the applications often as/ you to

specify how many hours you spent on each acti(ity per wee/%

• Jonsider larger, more established organiations% *any prestigious nonpro#ts, li/e

NJE and )abitat for )umanity, ha(e college chapters on campuses all o(er the

country%Mﾧ

• Ta/e on a role in student go(ernment or on a school publication :newspaper or

'ournal;% These are highly (alued by law school admissionOs committees% M3ﾧ

• Secure a leadership position% Ghate(er organiation you choose to become in(ol(ed

in, be sure to step up and ta/e a leadership role% tOs essential that you be seen as

someone who can ta/e charge, manage multiple responsibilities and people and

achie(e results%

• Again, donOt 'ust pic/ something because it sounds good% et in(ol(ed and get

passionate about something because you can, as these areas of interest can also be

considered by law #rms as youOre loo/ing for a 'ob later%

?

Ta/e an internship% Gor/ing as an intern can help familiarie you with life in a law

#rm or other rele(ant business, gi(e you (aluable s/ills and introduce you to

professionals whose ad(ice and guidance can bene#t you%

• 9ou donOt ha(e to intern at a law oBce% Loo/ for internships in related #elds such as

go(ernment, community acti(ism or 'ournalism% A law #rm internship may sound

great, but if all you did was answer phones and ma/e co@ee it wonOt gi(e you much

to tal/ about on your applications%

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• Search for internships online or at your school% There a lots of sites that list

internship openings, and the career guidance oBce at your uni(ersity should also

ha(e listings that you can use%

• Clan ahead% nternship positions #ll =uic/ly% Apply for summer positions in the

winterQ submit applications for fall and spring term positions at least one semester

in ad(ance%

• f you cannot a@ord to go unpaid, try for a part$time or summer 'ob in an area that

youOre interested in% Law schools do want applicants who ha(e e0perience, but they

do understand that not e(eryone can a@ord to get it for free% n the same (ein,

search for stipends and programs that ha(e e0tra time allotted, so that you can get

the e0perience while not going into debt preempti(ely% These are great e0periences

to learn if something is really right for you, but donOt close other doors in the

process%3

5

*ind the timeline% f thereOs one piece of ad(ice that merits attention when it comes

to getting into law school, itOs the importance of planning ahead% Not only must you

be thin/ing about grades, acti(ities and internships right from the start of your

college career, you must also be thin/ing about the multiple re=uirements and

deadlines of the law school application process%

• According to Assistant 7ean for Admissions and inancial Aid at JLA School of Law

ob Schwart, 2t+s best to start thin/ing about getting recommendations and

preparing for the LSAT at least a year in ad(ance and preferably e(en as much as

two years in ad(ance because the recommendations are a (ery critical part of the

admissions process%%%%R M?ﾧ

• Ta/e the LSAT early% or a fall admission, plan to ta/e the LSAT by 7ecember of the

pre(ious year% f you thin/ you may want to ta/e the e0am more than once, ma/e

your #rst testing date in &une or .ctober% M5ﾧ

*ethod

Jreate Any Necessary Accounts1%

1

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Set up a Law School Admission Jouncil :LSAJ; account% LSAJ is the group that

administers the Law School Admissions Test :LSAT;, which you must ta/e to gain

acceptance into law school%

• 9ouOll create a user name and password for your LSAJ account and then enter basic

information about yourself% 9ouOll continue to update information here as you mo(e

through the admissions process%

• Access your LSAJ account to (iew reminders about important application and

registration deadlines, learn more about the LSAT, purchase test prep materials,

register for the e0am and recei(e your tests scores early% MDﾧ

se LSAJOs Jredential Assembly Ser(ice% .nce you create your LSAJ account, you

will also ha(e access to the organiationOs Jredential Assembly Ser(ice :JAS;% This

ser(ice helps to simplify and streamline the process of applying to law schools by

creating a report that summaries your undergraduate wor/ and combines all of

your documents with your LSAT score and writing sample% They then send the

report to the law schools to which you apply% Mﾧ

• sing JAS is simpleQ once you ha(e your LSAJ account set up, itOs simply a matter

of submitting the proper documents and paying a fee%

• *a/e sure there is a reportable LSAT score in your LSAJ #le%

• Cro(ide information about the schools you attended to LSAJ%

• *a/e sure all re=uired transcripts are sent to LSAJ%

• 6e certain all re=uired letters of recommendation and e(aluations are sent to LSAJ

• Cay the fee for your account, which will remain acti(e for #(e years% Mﾧ

*ethod3

Ta/e the LSAT1%

1egister for the LSAT% The Law School Admission Test :LSAT; is a half$day,

standardied test designed to measure reading comprehension, critical$thin/ing and

reasoning s/ills and analytical ability% The test is o@ered four times a year :ebruary,

&une, .ctober, 7ecember; at designated testing centers world$wide% The test ta/es

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half a day to complete and consists of #(e 35$minute sections of multiple$choice

=uestion and a 35$minute timed writing sample%

• egister online using your LSAJ accountQ you can also register by phone or through

a mail$in registration form%

• There is a registration fee for the LSATQ you can pay with chec/, money order or

credit card but not cash% An additional fee is charged for late registration for the

e0am%

• f you meet certain criteria, you can apply for a fee wai(er of the LSAT registration

fee and the Jredential Assembly Ser(ice :JAS;% MFﾧ

• iew the calendar on the LSAJ website for noti#cations of when the registration

period begins and ends for the e0am%

Study for the LSAT% The LSAT is a rigorous e0am, and youOll perform better if you

gi(e yourself plenty of time to prepare% 9ou can study for the LSAT on your own or

ta/e ad(antage of tutoring ser(ices and programs that focus on getting students

ready for this e0am%

• Ta/e a class% Jhoose a professionally designed LSAT course to gi(e you an o(er(iew

of the e0am and tools and practice youOll need to earn the best possible score%

• 6e sure the class is taught by a highly =uali#ed instructor and is small :under !

students; so you can get indi(idual attention%

• Note- Some of these classes can cost between U5!! and U1,3!!% 6udget carefully or

consider going to the library to get prep boo/s% Cart of the appeal of the class is the

notion that youO(e sun/ so much into paying for it that you /now youOll spend that

much time% *a/e sure you are ta/ing that much time%

• Ta/e the class a few months before your LSAT dateQ that way, youOll ha(e time to

study on your own, reinforcing what youO(e learned in your class%

• Gor/ with a tutor% ecei(ing one$on$one instruction for a professional LSAT tutor can

help address your speci#c needs and #ll in /nowledge gaps you may ha(e%

• Jhoose a tutor whoOs been teaching for at least two years and plan to meet a couple

times a wee/ for ma0imum bene#t%

• Ta/e practice e0ams% .ne of the best ways to get ready for the LSAT is to spend

time answering the /inds of =uestions that will be on the real e0am% 6ecoming

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familiar with the =uestions and the format of the test will increase your

preparedness and ma/e your more comfortable when your testing day rolls around%

• 9ou can ta/e practice e0ams on your own% LSAJ o@ers a free online prep test, and

there are sample tests on other sites and in LSAT study guide boo/s you can buy%

• &oin a group% Ta/ing a proctored e0am with other students simulates the real$world

testing en(ironment% 9our prep test will be timed, and youOll ha(e a sense of what

itOs li/e to maintain your focus in a room crowded with other students%

• Some LSAT classes o@er practice testing as part of the curriculum% f your plan to

ta/e a class, choose one that includes a testing component%

• 7onOt underestimate the importance of practice% n an article written for %S% News

and Gorld eport, the author recommends ta/ing at least 3! full$length practice

tests in preparation for the real LSAT% M"ﾧ

3

3

Ta/e the e0am% An0iety is common when facing this important e0am, but /nowing

what to e0pect and being ready will help put some of your fears to rest%

• 7onOt forget your tic/et% .nce youO(e successfully registered for the LSAT, youOll

recei(e an admission tic/et that you must present on the day of the e0am% There is

no getting into the e0am without this tic/et%

• 9ouOll need (alid identi#cation and a photo% 9ou must attach a photo :passport sie;

to your LSAT admission tic/et% t must be a recent photo of you :no more than si0

months old; and be no smaller than 1R01R and no larger than R0R% M1!ﾧ

• 6ring test$ta/ing materials% 6e sure to ha(e V or )6 wooden pencils as well as a

pencil sharpener with you on test days% *echanical pencils are prohibited but you

can bring highlighters if youOd li/e% M11ﾧ

• 9ou wonOt be able to bring your digital watch or cell phone to the test site, but if you

want to monitor the time, you can bring an analog watch% M11ﾧ

• Jhec/ the LSAJ website for other items that are permitted on test day%

*ethod?

Apply to Law School1%

1

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Search for law schools% Law school is a huge commitment of time, money and e@ort%

6e sure to pic/ the one that best suits your career goals%

• Loo/ at specialties% f you want to practice family law or criminal law, for e0ample, it

ma/es sense to apply to schools who specialie in those #elds% 7o some online

research to chec/ out a schoolOs area of e0pertise%

• Jonsider your chance of acceptance% Top$tier schools recei(e thousands of

applicants and accept (ery few% That doesnOt mean that you shouldnOt aim high, but

you need to be realistic as well% Cic/ one or two RreachR schools :ones you may not

get into; as well as schools whose a(erage LSAT and CA rates are in line with your

own%

• raduating from a top$tier school does open doors for you in the professional world,

but itOs not the only factor% 7onOt be o(erly inWuenced by a schoolOs ran/ing%

• Tal/ to graduates% Nobody can gi(e you the low$down about a school the way alumni

can% See/ out people who attended the schools youOre interested in for insight into

the schoolOs academic and social en(ironment%

• Jonsider cost% Law school is e0pensi(e, so cost can clearly be a factor when youOre

deciding where to apply% f a school youOre interested in seems out of reach

#nancially, chec/ into scholarship opportunities they may o@er% n general, state

schools are less e0pensi(e than pri(ate schools so put those at the top of your list if

cost is a ma'or consideration%

• 6e aware that youOll be paying bac/ your law school loans for years after

graduation% 7o you best not to o(erburden yourself with student loans$$it could

cause you considerable stress or e(en limit your career options%

• Loo/ into location% Law school is tough enough without being isolated from family or

li(ing in a city that doesnOt suit you% Jonsider how far away you can be from your

support group, how easily you ma/e friends and whether youOre a city$lo(er or more

of a small$town$dweller when loo/ing at schools%

• Also consider location for after law school% Some schools ha(e strong regional

placement, such that attending means that most of the 'obs you will #nd are within5! or 15! miles% .ther schools ha(e more national or international placement% f

youOre set on a particular area for after graduation, you may pic/ a (ery di@erent

school than if youOre loo/ing to e0plore di@erent destinations%


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Select all the law schools you wish to apply to% )ow many schools you apply to

depends on a number of factors including LSAT scores, desired location and budget%

• Let your LSAT score guide you% .ne recommendation is to apply to two to four

schools where your LSAT is at the 5th percentileQ three to #(e schools where your

LSAT is in the mid$range of accepted applicants and two schools where your LSAT is

at the 5th percentile% M1ﾧ

• 7onOt be afraid to as/ for a fee wai(er% Law schools will often pro(ide you with one

to get you started, whether for merit, economic need, or other reasons $ it doesnOt

hurt to as/%

• f youOre unable to mo(e to attend law school, apply to the schools in your area

where you would be competiti(e, plus a RreachR and a RsafetyR school% f you can or

want to mo(e, do the same in the area where you hope to relocate% M13ﾧ

3

3

Apply through your LSAJ account% Now youOll turn to the JAS associated with your

LSAJ account to complete your application process% As mentioned abo(e, there are

se(eral must$dos-

• *a/e sure there is a reportable LSAT score in your LSAJ #le

• Cro(ide information about the schools you attended to LSAJ

• *a/e sure all re=uired transcripts are sent to LSAJ

• 6e sure all re=uired letters of recommendation and e(aluations are sent to LSAJ?

?

Cay the fees% There are a number of costs associated with applying for law school,

so itOs good for you to /now upfront the money youOll ha(e to in(est in this process%

• JAS charges an o(erall fee plus an additional fee for each school to which you apply%

• Law school application fees range from U?! to U1!!%

• 7onOt forget the cost of tra(el% 9ou may choose to (isit law schools as part of your

decision$ma/ing process% Those trips will come with costs for gas, airfare, lodging

and food, all of which should be factored into your budget%

• Some schools o@er stipends for tra(el%5

5

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Jomplete your applications% t ta/es se(eral hours to complete a law school

application, so plan to set aside time to focus on this tas/% 9ou do not want to rush

through this process as what you write and how well you write it will be e0amined

closely as part of the application process%

• The basic information of the application is pretty straight forward% )a(e all the

information you may need to refer to on$hand to streamline the process%

• n(est time in your essay or personal statement% 9our personal statement or essay

can allow you to stand out from the crowd and deser(es your time, thoughtful

consideration and multiple re(isions% Among other things, the admissions oBcers

will want to fully understand what attracted you to law and your particular #eld of

interest% M1?ﾧ

• As/ people who /now you well and can gi(e constructi(e feedbac/ to read your

statement or essay% As/ them to 'udge whether or not it is successful in

communicating your character and a clear sense of purpose%

• f youOre (ery interested in a particular school, gi(e more information about the

speci#c programs, faculty, or other factors that are drawing you%D

D

e=uest your transcripts% Submit a re=uest for your transcripts to the registrarOs

oBce at your undergraduate uni(ersity% *a/e your re=uest three to four months

ahead of your application date%

As/ for letters of recommendation% Admissions committees want to hear about you

from others who /now you well% et letters of recommendation from people who

can o@er positi(e impressions of you and predict your success as a lawyer%

• Each school has a di@erent re=uirement for the number of recommendations they

want% Clan on at least two and as many as four%

• As/ professors who /now you well or community or group leaders with whom you

wor/ed% f possible, pro(ide them with a copy of your personal statement so that

their comments can support what youO(e shared about yourself and reWect your

career aspirations%F

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F

*ind the timeline% Ghile law schools often list their application due dates as

occurring sometime between &anuary and April, most schools use a rolling

admissions process that hea(ily fa(ors those people who submit their applications

as early as possible%

• Aim to submit all of your applications by late No(ember or early 7ecember, if not

earlier%

• i(e yourself about a year to complete all of the necessary steps% tOs not the end of

the world if you start a bit later, but being prepared and getting your application in

early will gi(e you an ad(antage o(er procrastinating peers%"

"

Gait for a response% t can ta/e anywhere from days to wee/s to hear whether or

not youO(e been accepted to law school% 7o your best to stay calm and focus on the

fact that you did your absolute best%

• Ghile itOs diBcult to wait, you can use that time to reWect on why you wanted to

attend law school in the #rst place% Those thoughts can /eep your spirits up while

you wait or help fortify you if you donOt get the response you hoped for%

• f you donOt get accepted to the school you wanted, there are things you can do to

ma/e yourself a desirable candidate in the future% Jonsider reta/ing the LSATOs :you

can ta/e them three times in a two$year period;, wor/ing for a year or two before

reapplying, attending graduate school, or e(en transferring into the school with

good grades from your #rst year at another institution%

Law school preparation-

et ready before you start school

So you read this before school, wondering, "What sort of law school preparation should I do?

Should I do any?"

Really, I think there are three courses of action. To me, the third optionthe middle courseis the

best one.


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Get Top Grades in Law School

& Your Dream Job with 7Sage.ﾧ

Law School Creparation, .ption 1- 7o nothing and rela0

!ou can continue to do nothingmaybe ust watch T# all day, tra$el the world, do e$erything

fun you are going to do because all fun ends with law school. %r maybe you ha$e been told that

there is no pre law school preparation that will help you.

Wrong, on both counts. &ersonally, I think it is a mistake to do nothing at all the summer before.

'irst, law school is a lot of work, but for many, it is actually fun. (specially if you like to drink.

) lot.

*)n aside ha$ing nothing to do with law school preparation+ if you dislike drinking or your

religion prohibits it, the fun in law school is somewhat different. !ou can go to parties, eat

oritos, and make side bets on which classmate will pass out first or indiscriminately kiss

someone first. -y roommate, a $ery friendly and etremely tolerant man who I/m still friends

with, said that my escapadesmany of which woke him at night or left him messes to clean

would make me the main character in his repertoire of cautionary tales for his children as to why

-ormons are better off not drinking. )nyway...0

Second, as I eplained before here ﾧ briefly, pre law school preparation can help you. 1y

gaining at least a rudimentary understanding of the all of your firstyear subects, you will take

more effecti$e notes and write better outlines simply because of repetition.

In short, follow this rule of thumb+ the first time you learn about a legal concept should not be

during a professors lecture.

Why? 1ecause while your grades depend on your ability to apply blackletter legal rules to a fact

pattern, during class, your professor will do anything but tell you the blackletter law.

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Watch The !aper "hase# or read $ne%L by Scott Turowyou/ll see the Socratic method in action.

2ar$ard/s 3hristopher 4angdell helped start, o$er one hundred years ago, an official method for

confusing firstyear law students.

) skeptic, such as myself, would e$en go further and say+ it/s not ust that the Socratic method

doesn/t lend itself to teaching the black letter law5 law professors don/t teach you black letter

legal rules on purpose. That would be too easy. This is professional school, and if what they did

was easy, they couldn/t consider themsel$es geniuses, now, could they? )nd they ha$e to ustify

the enormous sums of money you are borrowing to pay for school.

2ere/s an eample. !ou read a case for your tort class. It/s a simple case+ a man dri$es while

talking on his cell phonenot illegal in the state he was inand hits and kills a pedestrian. The

court finds that the man is liable to the pedestrian/s family for negligence because he did not take

the ordinary care a reasonable person would take while dri$ing, e$en if talking and dri$ing at the

same time was not against the criminal law of that urisdiction.

In class, your professor calls on you. What did the court decide, and was it right? !ou answer

that it was rightly decided and eplain why.

)t this point, the professor will do one of two things, neither of which actually helps you learn

the legal rule you need to know to do well on your final eam for that class.

*60 2e *unfortunately, it/s usually "he" still0 may take the other side that the case was wrongly

decided and debate you to get you to make your reasoning super clear. 2e will continue this for

67 or 68 minutes until you feel that you/re wrong, and then he/ll rehabilitate your position and

show you arguments better than the ones you made.

%R

*90 2e may gi$en you hypothetical $ariants of the case, using the phrase, "what if?" to get you to

think about how and whether the court would ha$e reached a different result. What if the call


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was from the man/s pregnant wife? What if the man was 1atman and he had recei$ed a call from

the commissioner? What if it was the pedestrian calling him to say, "look out, you/re about to run

me o$er:" What if the pedestrian was brandishing a gun?

If knew nothing about negligence before that class, the professor/s ;uestions would seem

difficult, e$en confusing, and you/d feel compelled to write e$erything down indiscriminately

because you think it/s all important.

1ut if you already read about the elements of the tort of negligence and defenses to it, you will

know when the professor is saying something really important, something that you will be tested

on.

This may sound weird, but the way to hack the system here, and ultimately sa$e yourself time an

energy, is to in$est some time up front and do some pre law school preparation, learning the

substanti$e law of the si or se$en areas that are always part of the firstyear curriculum+

contracts, property, torts, ci$il procedure, criminal law, and *sometimes0 constitutional law.

The ;uestion is, how.

Law school Creparation, .ption - Cay for an e0pensi(e law school preparation

course

I ha$e seen ads for law school preparation courses. -any of them cost e$en a thousand dollars or

more. Some are taught by famous law professors from prestigious law schools.


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I/ll add the link later. These are all different

from each other, but are similar in that they describe black letter legal rulesdefining them,

laying out their elements and defenses, and listing eamples. They are unlike the case books you

read for class, which are full of confusing udicial opinions that force you to play hideandseek

with the black letter rules that you are trying to understand.

!ou don/t need to spend a fortune on them, and you can e$en ask to borrow them if you ha$e a

friend who is a couple of years ahead of you in law school.

2ere are some more tips on how to "prestudy" for law school+

• In doing some prelaw school preparation,you do not have to

completely master all of the material you read: That is what law school is

for% ead with the aim of obtaining a general understanding of the sub'ect so that

the /ey legal concepts are familiar to you when your professor discusses them or

you come across them in your case boo/ reading%

• Do not read more than one book per law school subject (like contracts)%

7o not o(er do it and purchase three boo/s on contractsQ this will either be

repetitious or 'ust ma/e you confused% Ghat we are aiming for is 'ust an initial

understanding that will ma/e your professorOs lectures easier to understandQ you

'ust need to read one boo/ on a gi(en topic%


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• ry to buy one of the shorter books or outlines! A ilbertOs or Emanuel

outline or a RNutshellR series boo/ instead of a full treatise or hornboo/% All you

need is a basic familiarity with the /ey concepts or doctrines of law% A full

hornboo/ or treatise is meant to comprehensi(ely catalog all rele(ant law on a

gi(en topic to help practicing lawyers do research% This is way, way too much

information for you, and it may actually ser(e to confuse you%

• "nce the semester starts, refer to these materials again, but only to

understand the black letter law! 9ou want to be familiar with the law before

you start to go to class and listen to the professor% 6ut during the semester, you

want to really capture the professorOs (oice in your notes% f you want to get good

grades, your 'ob is not to study the law% t is to study the law as understood by

professor X or Y. The model here is to understand the law before the semester,

and then during the semester master the professorOs (ersion of the law%


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They are either written by people who ne$er taught students, who ne$er did well in law school,

or who want you to work all the time.

This is not such a guide+ I did well in law school, I teach students, and I don/t want you to workall the time. *)fter all, this site is called 4aw School 2acker ﾧ for a reason.0

In fact, this is the best free, concise guide on how to prepare for law school and how to study

law to succeed that you find anywhere.

If this is not the best free, concise guide to law school success, I will eat a shoe.

That is how much I care about you, or how little I care about my digesti$e tract.

Get Top Grades in Law School

& Your Dream Job with 7Sage.ﾧ

So here it is. -y ad$ice is based on recei$ed wisdom from friends *especially one friend, who

talked with me for ust one hour about a month before I started law school0 and personal trial and

error. I was first in my section first semester *three )s and one 1Adamn you, (leanor 'o0. I

used the methods below to prepare for law school and ecelI graduated in the top 67 percent at

a top 8 school without de$oting all of my time to studying. ($en my first semester, I drank

hea$ily, worked out, and did many etracurricular acti$ities *later, I did way too much work on

4aw Re$iew.0

I ha$e confirmed the wisdom of this ad$ice on how to prepare for law school and study law

during the first year with other students who did well, and I ha$e gi$en these tips to other friends

for free, and I currently use these tips to tutor students who want to get better grades in lawschool. -ost who actually followed my ad$ice on how to prepare for law school and study law

got much better grades than they did before.

$ne last note To be clear, by "succeed" I mean "get the best grades with the least effort

possible."

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-y definition of success does not include "graduating first from !ale 4aw School" because I

didn/t do that.

I am friends with at least two $aledictorians from my law school, I learned that they *a0 really aresmarter than e$eryone else *b0 worked harder than e$eryone else and *c0 were still a little lucky

*that luck separated them from B9 and BC0 I may yet inter$iew these $aledictorian friends who

were Supreme 3ourt clerks "2ow did you prepare for law school?" If they happen to gi$e me

their special sauce, I will publish these inter$iews for members of the lawschoolhacker.com

community. 1ut use these free tips for now. *%r sign up for my newsletter to the right to get a

comprehensi$e, free D7 page ebook full of ad$ice0.

-y definition of success also does not include "becoming an awesome lawyer" because, perhaps

oddly, law school does not necessarily prepare you to be a good lawyerpracticing law makes

you a good lawyer. 1ut more on this later. !ou want tips on how to prepare for law school now,

and how to be a good lawyer later.

Cart - Law school is a giant bait and switch

1efore I tell you how to prepare for law school the right way, you ha$e to really understand what

law school is really about. Law school is a game in which no one tells you the rules before or

during the game. Some people will mysteriously "get it" and others will not e$er.

In other words, law school is a giant bait and switch. What you read in your case books and what

your professor lectures or grills you on using the Socratic -ethod ﾧ bears little resemblance to

what you are actually graded on.

That is, you spend most of your time outside of class *less if you follow my ad$ice below0

reading cases and all of your time in class listening to a professor grill a student about these cases

using the socalledSocratic -ethod ﾧ. What are the facts of the case? Was this decided correctly

in light of pre$ious cases? oes udge/s internal reasoning make sense? Is the udge/s decision

principled or dri$en by a desire to reach a certain result? oes the case accomplish the policy

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purpose of the law that it is interpreting? 2ow would you decide the case if you were the udge?

)nd so on.

%f course, none of these ;uestions ha$e anything to do with what you/re tested on. !ou get noneof these ;uestions on your final eam.

Instead, your gi$en a fact pattern full of strange occurrences *"3ain drinks fi$e pints of scotch,

gets in a car with a gun, and starts shooting at what looks like )bel, but is really his mother, and

then hits a dog, narrowly missing a pedestrian who dies of a heart attack."0 and asked a ;uestion

like "Identify all of the potential crimes and defenses raised."

2uh? you ask yourself after your finals are o$er. What ust happened? id I not take this class? I

did e$erything that the professor said+ read all the cases, go to class, outline. Why did I get

straight 1s? I tried to prepare for law school, what did I do wrong?

2ere is the key+ 4aw school is not like college or undergrad.

)t least the way most people who studied social science or humanities treated college+ you do all

of the assigned reading, you write down e$erything the professor says, and if you memoriEe allof this, you/ll get an ) on the final eam. The eam tests precisely what you were asked to read

and listen to during the semester.

This approach does not work in law school. !ou need to prepare for law school eams differently

than you would for college eams. ) law school final exam is like nothing you/$e e$er seen

during the year because the professor wants you to apply the law to a set of facts that will not be

known to you before. !ou can memoriEe all of the cases and all of the professor/s lectures, and

this alone won/t help you on the eam.

So what are you supposed to do?


23/53

Cart - A )ac/erOs guide on how to prepare for law school and study law

What follow is a list, which is highly generaliEed but *in my mind0 complete0 on how to prepare

for law school.

What I write is based, as I said, not ust on personal eperience, but anecdotal e$idence and

research *i.e., classmates who got )s generally followed this approach0 and testing *i.e., I teach

these techni;ues to the students I tutor to get them to study in a way that will get them )s0.

• #repare for law school $: pre-law school preparation ﾧ by course or self-

study That is, read commercial outlines or hornboo/s for each of your classes

before you start law school% To understand what your professor is tal/ing about

and what you need to write down, since he or she will not be clear about it, you

need to be somewhat familiar with the basic rules of each substanti(e area of

law before you start law school% 9ou donOt need to be an e0pert, but you do need

to ha(e read a short treatise or commercial outline :Oll point you to some in my

section on law school boo/s; on all of the #rst$year sub'ects- contracts, torts,

property, ci(il procedure, criminal law, and sometimes constitutional law%

• #repare for law school %: &ook at old 'nal eams! The #rst wee/ of law

school or e(en earlier, #nd a copy of pre(ious #nal e0ams gi(en by each of your

professors in the sub'ects they are teaching you% suggest some helpful law

school boo/s here ﾧ!

• During the emester $: do not write case briefs ﾧ, just write notes in the

margins of your case book! As you prepare for law school, you will hear

something about brie#ng cases, or maybe you will e(en be taught this% 6asically,it in(ol(es identifying all the operati(e parts of a case :facts, procedural posture,

holding, dicta, etc%;% 7o not waste time writing one for each case that you read%

Now, ha(e heard of e0ceptions$$you will hear of people who briefed their cases

and got straight As$$but this is the e0ception and not the rule% do /now two

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people personally who did (ery well brie#ng cases% 6ut more on this on my

separate page on law school case briefs ﾧ%

• During the emester %: Do not let fear of humiliation in class push you

to over prepare for class by brie'ng cases (see above) or re-reading

cases! &ust focus on ta/ing notes% t does not matter at all to your grade if the

professor ma/es a fool of you while sub'ecting you to the Socratic

*ethod ﾧ because you canOt answer her =uestions when called on% Jlass

participation can sometimes gi(e you a half$grade bump :6 to 6X for instance;,

but usually nothing more%

• During the emester *: &isten carefully and take careful, meticulous

notes on what the professor says! 7o not (olunteer to tal/ to much to class,

e(en if there is someone incredibly good$loo/ing you want to impress% 6ecause

thatOs a pretty lame way to impress someone% And when you tal/, you donOt

listen- you mentally prepare your comment and tune out the professor% Also, a

corollary to ta/ing careful notes- do not supplement your notes with outside

materials, li/e a hornboo/, etc% 9our professor is gi(ing the e0am at the end of

the semester, not the author of a hornboo/ you happen to buy%

•

During the emester +: eet with a study group, but only for 'edperiods and for speci'c purposes! 9ou should ha(e a study group of 3$? other

people to discuss three things :1; speci#c concepts one or more of you did not

understand in classQ :; your outlines, when you crate themQ and :3; your

answers to practice e0ams 'ust before #nals% Anything more and you ris/

becoming a co@ee /latch or tal/ing shop that wastes time%

• am #rep $: Do your outlining ﾧ early% Start any time but no later than D

wee/s before e0ams start% f you start too late, you wonOt #nish e(erything intime before #nals% f this is too terse, read more about law school

outlines ﾧ here ﾧ%

• am #rep %: .reate law school outlines ﾧ the right way: condense your

class notes and creating a network of rules that you can apply to a set

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of facts you/ve never seen0 compare the results with your study group!

R.utlineR is a terrible name for what should be called Rcreating a useful

combination of chec/lists and list of rules organied by sub'ect so that you can

easily loo/ at a set of facts and #gure out how to apply laws to facts% Actually,

am positi(e that this is too terse, so go read more about creating an outline

here ﾧ%

• am #rep *: ake practice law school e0ams ﾧ and compare the results

with your study group! That is, #nd old e0ams for your class, set a timer, and

ta/e e0ams under e0am$li/e conditions% This is what you prepare for- outline so

you can ta/e a practice e0am and see how you do in spotting issues and

organiing your thoughts in a limited amount of time% After you #nish, compare

answers with your study group so you can see what issues you might ha(e

missed, or how your friends approached the e0ams%

While I already included some "donots" in my awesome list on how to prepare for law school, I

think it worth reiterating these points+

• Do not waste your time writing up case briefs ﾧ% Some of my students ha(e done

this and, in retrospect, diagnosed this as the single thing that /illed their

semesters% They were smart, super diligent students, but it was so much wor/

that they did not outline or do practice e0ams before #nals%

• Do not let your study group become a co@ee /latch or /nitting circle or **A

arena% se your time e@ecti(ely, and limit your time to hours once a wee/

during the semester and no more than twice that during the D wee/s you spend

outlining and ta/ing practice e0ams%

• Do not read too many outside hornboo/s, supplements, commercial outlines,

etc% .ne reliable outside source per class is enough% 9ou wonOt ha(e time for

more, fran/ly% 9ou need to understand the blac/ letter law well, but this alone is

not suBcient to do well on e0ams% Again, pic/ one commercial outline or

supplement per class, and mo(e on%

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• 1bove all, do not panic. ha(e seen many people intimidate themsel(es and

lose a lot of energy 'ust worrying% ollow my ad(ice on how to prepare for law

school and how to wor/ during the semester, and you should be #ne$$largely

because you /now you are following a tried and true method% f you donOt do #ne,

life goes on- there are other ways to get to where you want to be, and discuss

them elsewhere%

or instance, if you donOt get great grades your #rst year in law school, you can

still get great 'obs by getting on law re(iew or law 'ournal%

.r you can drop out of law school for a while : am not /idding; and thin/ about

what to do%

)ow to sur(i(e law school ﾧ5 TCS . STA9N SANE 7N LAG SJ)..L

Law school is stressful ﾧ, and that+s by design- the rigors of earning your law degree

are similar to the rigors you+ll endure as a budding legal professional, where onlythe strong sur(i(e% And although law school can be diBcult, that doesn+t mean youha(e to become insane on the way to graduation% There are se(eral ways to cope,pre(ent stress, and stop the insanity before it starts% Ge+(e outlined 5 tips that canhelp you stay sane and happy, and e(en li(e li/e a normal person now and then%

1. Keep your goals achievable ﾧt+s great to set big dreams and wor/ toward ma/ing them a reality, but be carefulnot to o(erdo it% Thin/ about how you+re going to get there, and set achie(ablegoals that you /now you can reach along the way% Jhec/ing o@ goals that arerealistic for you to achie(e can really build your self con#dence, and gi(e you

momentum to /eep going for the big stu@%

2. Give your mind a break after lectures ﾧAfter going through lectures and brie#ng, your mind needs a brea/% Although it+stempting to go straight to the boo/s, spending a little time (egging out is importantto your mental health and energy% or an hour after your lectures are o(er, 'ust ta/esome time to do something else, li/e playing with your pets or watching T%Anything that can temporarily get $your mind o@ of law school and let you beyourself for a while%

http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2011/12/20/25-tips-staying-sane-law-school/#.TvRvaNXlENc.facebookhttp://www.onlinecolleges.net/featured/homework-help/http://fernandmiranda.multiply.com/journal/item/4/5_Simple_Rules_of_Staying_Sane_in_Law_school?&show_interstitial=1&u=%2Fjournal%2Fitemhttp://awomaninlawschool.blogspot.com/2008/10/five-things-to-stay-sane.htmlhttp://www.onlinecolleges.net/2011/12/20/25-tips-staying-sane-law-school/#.TvRvaNXlENc.facebookhttp://www.onlinecolleges.net/featured/homework-help/http://fernandmiranda.multiply.com/journal/item/4/5_Simple_Rules_of_Staying_Sane_in_Law_school?&show_interstitial=1&u=%2Fjournal%2Fitemhttp://awomaninlawschool.blogspot.com/2008/10/five-things-to-stay-sane.html


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3. ractice time management ﾧt+s tempting to 'ust 'ump in and do all you can without thin/ing about how it+sactually going to get done, but by budgeting your time, you can accomplish moreand ha(e less an0iety about it all% *anage your time by re(iewing your wee/ly goalsand tas/s, then organie your time into daily tas/ lists% 9ou may not meet your goalsperfectly e(ery wee/, but by managing your time, you will li/ely get closer to

perfect and ha(e less worry about how it+s all going to get done%

!. "at a balanced diet ﾧ &un/ food is con(enient and easy to mindlessly sho(e down your throat while you+retrying to focus on studying, but it+s terrible for your energy and health% Ta/e thetime to eat food that+s actually good for you, because 'un/ food will catch up withyou e(entually% )ealthy food including fruits and (egetables can be madeaccessible, and they will help /eep your mind going when you need it the most%

#. $pring clean your life ﾧ6efore you begin law school, tame all of the issues that might pop up as adistraction to your studies% isit the dentist, organie your house, and ta/e care of

any nagging issues that can mess with your time management% 7o whate(er youcan to automate your life, including paying bills, so that you can focus on what+sabsolutely necessary% f you didn+t get a chance to do this before school started, besure to ta/e care of it during brea/s%

%. &igure out your 'nancial situationﾧ

Law school is scary on its own without the worry of #nancial ruin, but if you don+tha(e a clear picture of how you+re going to handle the si0$#gure student loans thatcome along with your law degree, you 'ust might lose your mind while you+rewor/ing to get your degree in the #rst place% )a(e a plan for the in(estment andhow you+re going to ta/e care of your li(ing e0penses while you+re in school% t+s alsowise to wor/ hard to #nd scholarships so that you don+t ha(e to bear the full weightof law school on your own%

http://lawiscool.com/2011/01/06/how-to-stay-healthy-and-sane-as-a-law-student/http://lawyerist.com/prepare-law-school-success/http://freelsattest.com/2011/10/21/4-keys-to-law-school-sanity/http://www.lawschoolpodcaster.com/2010/09/22/law-school-survival-guide-2/http://lawiscool.com/2011/01/06/how-to-stay-healthy-and-sane-as-a-law-student/http://lawyerist.com/prepare-law-school-success/http://freelsattest.com/2011/10/21/4-keys-to-law-school-sanity/http://www.lawschoolpodcaster.com/2010/09/22/law-school-survival-guide-2/


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(. )se *he +u,,er ﾧf you 'ust can+t get anything done, a(oid distractions, or focus, using The 6uermethod for law school can be incredibly helpful% Gith this method, you+ll set a timerfor ?5 minutes, wor/ straight through without any interruptions, not e(en bathroombrea/s, and then ta/e a brea/ and repeat% 9ou may not get anything done, butchances are that at some point in the ?5 minutes, you+ll get bored and want to start

doing some sort of producti(e wor/% f this method wor/s for you, it can help sa(eyour sanity and ma/e you get things done so you can mo(e on and do things thatdon+t re(ol(e around law school%

-. ug a puppy ﾧet some perspecti(e and release endorphins by ta/ing a minute to hug a puppywhen you+re at your most stressed% At eorge *ason ni(ersity School of Law, 15homeless puppies were enlisted in the #ght against e0am stress, and madestudents feel li/e they could 2get to be human again% The 9ale Law Libraryhas added a therapy dog, *onty, as well ﾧ, and theGashington Cost reports that hehelps to brea/ the pressure on campus%

/. *hink about the e0am on the 'rst day of class ﾧ

The irl+s uide to Law School shares a secret- what+s tested in law school isn+tnecessarily what+s taught in law school% t sounds weird, but it+s true% So that meansyou+ll need to consider what you really need to /now from the (ery beginning, andsa(e your energy by simply wor/ing on that% Shoot for a We0ible understanding ofthe law, or, as The irls+ uide to Law Schoolsays, 2#gure out what+s set in stone,and what+s malleable%

1. ave an outlet ﾧGhen law school is consuming your life, it+s easy to forget that you+re a real personwith interests other than legal brie#ngs% 6ut you actually are a real person withneeds, and an outlet is a great way to meet them% 7o something fun for yourself,li/e going to the gym on a regular basis, or ta/ing the time to go to the mo(ies onoccasion% t+s essential that you indulge yourself from time to time so that you don+t

burn out%

http://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/08/tips-time-management-awesomeness-with-the-buzzer/http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2011/12/02/law-school-puppy-day-takes-the-edge-off-exams/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/education/22dog.html?_r=1http://www.lawschoollabyrinth.com/4/post/2010/12/the-aftermath-of-your-first-law-school-exams.htmlhttp://grockit.com/blog/lsat/tag/what-to-expect-in-law-school/http://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/08/tips-time-management-awesomeness-with-the-buzzer/http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2011/12/02/law-school-puppy-day-takes-the-edge-off-exams/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/education/22dog.html?_r=1http://www.lawschoollabyrinth.com/4/post/2010/12/the-aftermath-of-your-first-law-school-exams.htmlhttp://grockit.com/blog/lsat/tag/what-to-expect-in-law-school/


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11.ecogni,e and minimi,e procrastinationf you+re feeling stuc/ and lonely during long nights of studying, it might feel li/e agood idea to log on to aceboo/ and spend a few hours connecting with your friendsand family that you ne(er seem to ha(e time for anymore% 6ut the more time youspend putting o@ studying, the less time you ha(e to actually participate in real life%6uc/le down when it+s time to do the wor/, and en'oy the fruits of your labor when

it+s appropriate%

12. void coping through chemistry ﾧ7rugs, alcohol, and o(erloading on ca@eine can ma/e a small stress problem e(enbigger% 7on+t be a 2drun/en lawyer and gi(e the 6ar a reason to refuse yourapplication% Learn to cope through healthy outlets, and use, but don+t abuse, alcoholas an occasional way to relie(e stress%

13. 4on5t be afraid to rely on the study skills you already know ﾧClenty of people will tell you that law must be studied in a way that+s radicallydi@erent from anything else, and you ha(e to do things completely di@erent fromthe methods you+re used to% 6ut lya Somin of The olo/h Jonspiracy does not

agree, remar/ing that if it wor/s for you, you can certainly study the same way yougot through your wor/ as an undergrad or graduate student% 9ou may need to ma/eminor modi#cations, but it+s certainly possible to go with what you /now and a(oidthe stressful process of learning a brand new way to learn%

1!. +reak large pro6ects down into small tasks ﾧ*a/e humongous e@orts feel li/e less wor/ by ta/ing them one small step at a time%dentify tas/s within large pro'ects, brea/ing things into subtopics and assigningsmaller time bloc/s so that you can focus on manageable pieces% This will help you/eep things organied, and gi(e you moti(ation to /eep going as you accomplishsmall goals along the way%

1#. 4on5t be a perfectionist ﾧLaw school naturally attracts highly dri(en students who are bent on doinge(erything perfectly, but life is much easier if you accept that some things don+tha(e to be perfect% *any schools ha(e a 6$ cur(e, and some professors simply don+te(er gi(e As% ecognie that a good grade isn+t always an A plus, and that you don+tha(e to be in the top 1!Y of your class to become a good lawyer%

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/academic_support/2011/07/managing-stress-and-anxiety.htmlhttp://law.rwu.edu/blog/dealing-law-school-stresshttp://volokh.com/posts/1219874974.shtmlhttp://www.entrepreneur.com/200wayshttp://www.shpoonkle.com/blog/2011/08/law-student-issues-depression/http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/academic_support/2011/07/managing-stress-and-anxiety.htmlhttp://law.rwu.edu/blog/dealing-law-school-stresshttp://volokh.com/posts/1219874974.shtmlhttp://www.entrepreneur.com/200wayshttp://www.shpoonkle.com/blog/2011/08/law-student-issues-depression/


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1%. 4on5t get sick ﾧLaw school can ma/e for close =uarters and a perfect en(ironment for pic/ing upgerms that can /noc/ you down and ma/e studying e(en harder% Stay well and onthe top of your game by putting up a good defense- maintain a regular sleepschedule, a healthy diet, and practice good hygiene and hand$washing techni=ues%

1(. &ocus on what you really need to know ﾧAs Listless Lawyer ﾧ notes, "5Y of what you want to achie(e in law school will bebased on your grades, which come from your e0ams% And while you+ll spend lots ofclass time loo/ing o(er the minutia of cases, chances are, that same minutia isn+tgoing to show up in the relati(ely short e0am% ocus on the 2holding thatsummaries the rule that the case stands for, and anything else you may retain isgra(y on top%

1-. void taking on too much ﾧ*S Law recommends that you simply focus on the stress of law school withoutadding to it unnecessarily% etting in o(er your head and o(ere0tending yourselfwith too many society and association groups can seriously bog down an alreadybusy wor/load% Jonsider which opportunities o@er the most (alue to you, and focuson doing well with them% And of course, /now yourself and what you can reasonablyhandle%

1/. ut everything where it belongs ﾧEmily ushing, law librarian, recommends that law students /eep their li(es neatly

#led% Peep emails, notes, pro'ects, and anything else you might collect in the rightplace% 6y putting information where it belongs, you can easily retrie(e it whennecessary% As she points out, being smart is often more of a =uestion of whether youcan #nd information, rather than how much you can absorb or retain%

2. *ake short breaks when you5re feeling the pressure ﾧt+s natural to feel a little o(erwhelmed in law school, and it+s also understandablefor students to want to push through and wor/ as hard as possible% t+s important tobe human, and ta/e short brea/s before your stress and an0iety turns into full$

http://www.top-law-schools.com/self-care-in-first-year.htmlhttp://www.listlesslawyer.com/blog/?p=682http://www.listlesslawyer.com/blog/?p=682http://www.law.msu.edu/blogs/students/?p=511http://www.geeklawblog.com/2011/07/elephant-post-how-do-you-make-sense-of.htmlhttp://lawstudentguide.com/the-guide/law-school-stress/how-to-manage-law-school-stresshttp://www.top-law-schools.com/self-care-in-first-year.htmlhttp://www.listlesslawyer.com/blog/?p=682http://www.listlesslawyer.com/blog/?p=682http://www.law.msu.edu/blogs/students/?p=511http://www.geeklawblog.com/2011/07/elephant-post-how-do-you-make-sense-of.htmlhttp://lawstudentguide.com/the-guide/law-school-stress/how-to-manage-law-school-stress


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blown panic and a situation in which you 'ust can+t get anything done% Ta/e shortbrea/s, do mindful breathing, and allow information to sin/ in while you rest%

21. *reat law school like a 6ob ﾧf you let law school become your life, you truly will go insane% Set limits much li/eyou would with a 'ob% Clan to wor/ on law school studies during certain hours, andthen actually put in the time, but when it+s o(er, you really do ha(e to put the boo/sdown and stop studying% f possible, study away from home, and when you gethome, lea(e your boo/s in the bag%

22. emember that it5s only temporary ﾧ

f you+re a #rst$year law student, it+s easy to feel the strain and feel that the realityyou+re in will continue for years two and three as well% 6ut JLA law students Syl(ieLe(ine and 7a(id 6ur/e point out that things get more rela0ed as you go% Thesecond year becomes a little more rela0ed than the #rst, particularly with fewerclasses to attend% The third year is the most rela0ed, as most students ha(e alreadysecured 'obs, and with their eyes on the prie, are 'ust hoping to get things donewithout screwing up enough to lose their 'obs% All of this is to say that law school isa downhill battle, one that may be tough in the beginning, but gets easier as yougo%

23. 7aintain relationships in law school ﾧAs law school wears on, it+s easy to crawl into your own hole and buc/le down with

wor/, but maintaining relationships with your classmates and professors isimportant% se the people you /now in school for

certainly #nd opportunities to call on them during your 'ob search and career as alawyer%

http://www.frugallawstudent.com/category/success/http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/article/2008/09/handling-strain-and-staying-sanehttp://www.thelawstreetjournal.com/3l/staying-positive-throughout-the-discouraging-3l-job-search/http://www.frugallawstudent.com/category/success/http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/article/2008/09/handling-strain-and-staying-sanehttp://www.thelawstreetjournal.com/3l/staying-positive-throughout-the-discouraging-3l-job-search/


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2!. Know your deadlines ﾧAlways /now when your assignments are due% This is a simple tas/ that will sa(eyou time and allow you to better 'uggle your schedule% Ghether they are papers,pro'ects, or assignments as a summer associate, always #nd out the date and timean assignment is due, and don+t be afraid to as/ for clari#cation if you need it%

2#. ave friends outside of law school ﾧAlthough law school relationships are important, you should also ma/e a point tomaintain your friendships outside of law school as well% Ghile you+re frea/ing outabout e0ams, your law school friends can+t really help you- they+re dealing with thesame issues% 6ut people in the real world can bring you out of your dar/ hole whenyour law school friends fail to do so%

Ta/e 5 Steps .(er the Summer to Crepare for Law School

Cractice reading and absorbing information and ma/e a study plan the summer

before law school%

6y Shawn C% .OJonnor ﾧ April 1, !13, at 11-!! a%m%X *ore

• ﾧ• ﾧ• ﾧ

A(oid some stress by preparing

yourself to handle the wor/load

of your #rst year of law school

the summer before%

!ou mastered the 4S)Tﾧ, perfected your applications and will start your first year of lawschool ﾧ this fall. 3ongratulations: 1ut the real work has ust begun.

!our first year, or 64, grades are critically important because law firms ﾧ and public

interest organiEations inter$iew you in the fall of your 94 year for summer internships.Those internships often turn into students/ first fulltime positions after law school, and

those hiring decisions are typically made based primarily on 64 grades.

>isco$er ways to pay for law school ﾧ.There is a great deal that you can do this summer to alle$iate much of the stress during

your first year of law school. 1elow are fi$e ways to prepare for law school that should

make your law education more successful and less stressful.

1. Learn 1L material before you arrive on campus: It may seem strange to learn

concepts that will be co$ered during your first semester before setting foot on campus asa student, but many future law students choose to take a course specifically geared

toward prepping them for their 64 year. The more deeply and precisely you understandthe material, the better you will do academically because 64 classes are based on a forced

cur$e F your grades depend specifically on your performance as compared to that of your

peers.Geremy, a student of Stratus &rep/s summer program, earned a C.H grade point a$erage

at 'ordham 4aw School ﾧ and then was admitted to 3olumbia 4aw School ﾧ and


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!ork ni$ersity ﾧ as a transfer student ﾧ. The two schools e$en competed for him by

offering him more and more co$eted 94 law firm inter$iew slots. 2e chose 3olumbia and

is thri$ing there. Geremy attributed his unheardof 64 success to his summer efforts.When e$aluating prelaw summer programs, find one that is taught by graduates from top

law schools as they will gi$e the real inside scoop on how to succeed. Some programs

use law professors to prep you for the 64 year which is of much less $alue because theyoften gi$e students many of the same suggestions as their own law professors. Why pay

twice for the same ad$ice?

>'ind out what to epect as a first year law student ﾧ.

2. Practice reading: !ou will be assigned significant reading throughout law school,

often hundreds of dense pages per week. In college, some students got away with

skimming *or skipping0 the assigned reading, but in law school, you need to do all of the

reading and fully understand the concepts because you are often tested on concepts thatwere included in the reading but ne$er discussed in class.

3onsider taking a speedreading course. 1e sure that the course focuses on how to absorb

information efficiently, rather than how to read as fast as possible without fully digesting

the material.3. a!e a study plan: Since you are graded based solely on a final eam,

procrastination represents a serious risk and is the top eplanation for poor law school performance. 3reate a plan to a$oid this temptation.

) couple of weeks before you start classes, make a plan or calendar that will keep you on

top of your studies+ reser$e time for class, athome reading and outside acti$ities. !ou canalways amend it once school starts and you ha$e a more concrete idea of your time

commitments.

>Jet more tips for law school success ﾧ.

". #ee! advice from current and former students: 3urrent students or recent graduatesknow what you are about to eperience better than anyone. )d$ice from recent law

school students will be infinitely more $aluable than that from indi$iduals who graduated

97 or more years ago as law school has e$ol$ed significantly.If you made any contacts while you were $isiting campuses or ha$e friends who recently

finished their first year, check in with them. Thank them for any pre$ious information

they ha$e offered and ask if they ha$e any additional thoughts to share.>(plore ways to get off the law school waitlist ﾧ.

$. %n&oy your last taste of freedom: Keep in mind that you are about to enter perhaps

the most stressful year of your life. on/t forget to spend some of your summer with

family and friends, enoying acti$ities about which you are passionate.2ow are you preparing for law school? 4et me know in the comments, email me

at shawn.oconnorLstratusprep.com ﾧ or contact me $ia Twitter at Stratus&rep ﾧ.

Life as a Law Student- Things 9ou eally )a(e to Pnow

" oogle X1! F "

1/ 8ovember9 213

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/new-york-university-03110http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/get-in-law-school/2011/01/03/consider-this-before-you-transferhttp://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/law-admissions-lowdown/2012/05/21/what-to-expect-as-a-first-year-law-studenthttp://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/law-admissions-lowdown/2012/02/27/3-pointers-for-success-in-law-schoolhttp://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/law-admissions-lowdown/2013/03/04/5-tips-for-getting-off-the-law-school-wait-listhttps://twitter.com/stratusprephttp://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/new-york-university-03110http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/get-in-law-school/2011/01/03/consider-this-before-you-transferhttp://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/law-admissions-lowdown/2012/05/21/what-to-expect-as-a-first-year-law-studenthttp://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/law-admissions-lowdown/2012/02/27/3-pointers-for-success-in-law-schoolhttp://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/law-admissions-lowdown/2013/03/04/5-tips-for-getting-off-the-law-school-wait-listhttps://twitter.com/stratusprep


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'bout the 'uthor

Samantha Lo'e read Law at (erton "ollege# $)ford# and is currently following the *"L course.

MINm studying law at uni$ersityO, or e$en MINm applying to study law at uni$ersityO sounds great,

doesnNt it?

You should also read:• An ntroduction to the Jore *odules of a Zualifying Law 7egree ﾧ• F ital and nspiring Jases and Legal ideas for the Law Enthusiast ﾧ

2owe$er, whilst we ha$e all heard a little about studying law ﾧ at uni$ersity, whether throughfamily, friends or films ﾧ, it is difficult to know what it really does in$ol$e F and thereNs no

shortage of stories out there, from the mostly accurate to the utterly fantastical. This article

should debunk a few myths, confirm a few and make sure you know what you are signing up for

when you fill in that application form: It also includes a little ad$ice to help you settle into lawstudent life ﾧ that bit ;uicker. 4aw is a great subect to study at uni$ersity but it does ha$e its

challenges+ hereNs what you can epect.

1% There is a lot of reading%

onNt

underestimate

how muchreading law

students ha$e to

do.Gust to get thescary one out of

the way first, it is

difficult toeplain how

much reading a

law degree

https://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/core-modules-qualifying-law-degree.htmlhttps://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/interesting-legal-cases.htmlhttps://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/studying-law.htmlhttps://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/law-myths-dispelled.htmlhttps://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/oxford-summer-lawhttps://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/oxford-summer-lawhttps://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/core-modules-qualifying-law-degree.htmlhttps://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/interesting-legal-cases.htmlhttps://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/studying-law.htmlhttps://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/law-myths-dispelled.htmlhttps://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/oxford-summer-lawhttps://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/oxford-summer-law


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in$ol$es other than to say that there are a lot of law books: 4aw students get a reputation for

clocking up the library hours because each week you need to learn what the law actually

is andacademicsN opinions of it from scratch, and neither of these will be particularly short. Thereis definitely an art to managing the reading lists and you will get all the ad$ice you need from

older students when you first arri$e, but it does take a while to get used to the pace of learning.

That said, by the end of your first term you wonNt belie$e how ;uickly you can pick up the keythemes of an article or find the important passages from a case. Gust be ready for the ine$itable

long nights when you need to stay up getting through an endless reading list. They do happen but

they are *almost0 only as common as you want them to be5 you are ne$er set more work than it isfeasible to do if you manage your time well. Selfimposing a schedule for getting reading done,

plus whate$er other assignments you ha$e been set, is a habit ﾧ to get into $ery ;uickly.

% There is no single


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these alternati$es are no less competiti$e but re;uire you to look further afield than your 4aw

Society emails, which may tend to focus on the big 4ondon *and increasingly international0

opportunities. !our tutors, personal ad$isor, careers ser$ice or e;ui$alent will gi$e you plenty ofad$ice about careers, and where to start looking for opportunities in a field youNre interested in.

-ake sure you think seriously about where you want to start off Q it is easy to be swept along

with the crowd:It is also ust a fact of life that the legal sector, like anywhere at the moment, is $ery

competiti$e ﾧ for finding a ob. Keep on top of your work, get in$ol$ed with etra

curriculars ﾧ and apply to any placements or schemes which may interest you so that your 3#looks as good as it possibly can when you get to more serious applications.

?% 9ou need to sweat the small stu@%

There will be alot of reading to

do, and it will

re;uire closeattention to

detail.

The Psharp mindN

you need for uni$ersity study

comes in

different$arieties, and

each degree

demands a

particular mi of certain skills.

4aw re;uires both absolute command of the details of legislation and cases,ﾧ and a wider $iew of

how different areas interlock and what they *aim to0 achie$e. This is shown most clearly in thetwo main types of eamination ;uestion. &roblem ;uestions re;uire you to apply the law to $ery

specific *and sometimes outright preposterous0 factual patterns and eplain why in this specific

set of circumstances a piece of legislation or principle of law would@could be applied in a certainway. !ou need to know the legislation and the case law, because although you may be gi$en a

copy of the legislation it wastes time if youNre using it to do anything other than check minor

points. (;ually if you donNt know part of the case law in an area that can lose you marks ornarrow down the number of ;uestions you could potentially answer. (ssay ﾧ ;uestions re;uire

you to make a broad point using specific eamples, so you need to ha$e a whole arsenal ofeamples to hand.

1asically, you need to remember a lot of things: )nd you need to be prepared to sit down andlearn cases, and at the $ery least the structure and key clauses of the rele$ant legislation so that

you can find it in the statute book during the eam. It is absolutely normal to ha$e legislation and

case summaries stuck up round your wall during eam season *rent agreements permitting:0. 1ut because all this knowledge also needs to be grounded in the wider picture for the purposes of

essay ;uestions this isnNt ust an eercise in memorising names, which makes the process a lot

https://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/highly-competitive-careers.htmlhttps://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/highly-competitive-careers.htmlhttps://www.o

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Tips for Entering Law School Students