Starting Law School in August, what should I expect?

[miajag]

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Expect to be a complete douchebag in about 5 years.

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Lawyers who are douchebags were douchebags before they started law school. Don't get me wrong, it definitely attracts douchebags. But I've never seen it really change anyone.

[Poofler]

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Expect to be a complete douchebag in about 5 years.

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Lawyers who are douchebags were douchebags before they started law school. Don't get me wrong, it definitely attracts douchebags. But I've never seen it really change anyone.

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Very true. Most of the newer douchebags, IMO, are the kids who think "I can make $135K in three years? At 25? W00T!", and really have no pre-existing interest in the law other than the perception of being young and rich.

[MrMon]

If you want a top job, it will all be determined by what you do your first year, if not your first semester. Be prepared to devote every waking moment to doing well and getting that first plum summer job. Do that and you can coast the rest of the way. If there's any way to get started now, do so. Find out everything you can about how to write the tests, what the profs want, etc.

Your goal needs to be top 10% in each of your two semesters, top 20% minimum. Life will be much easier if you do. Much better to do well early than to try and make it up in the last year.

[niss]

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The only time you should brief cases is if you know you are going to be called on to speak in class on that particular day (a lot of professors predesignated a handful of students to be "on call" for each class). Otherwise it is a waste of time. Instead, take notes in class on what your professor says about the cases...that is what you need to know.

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This is terrible advice.

[HDPM]

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The only time you should brief cases is if you know you are going to be called on to speak in class on that particular day (a lot of professors predesignated a handful of students to be "on call" for each class). Otherwise it is a waste of time. Instead, take notes in class on what your professor says about the cases...that is what you need to know.

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This is terrible advice.

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I agree it is terrible advice. IMO if you figure out how to read and brief a case you are on your way. Read some of the stuff out there on how to do it. Briefing them serves a couple of purposes. It forces you to read them, and read them with an eye to distilling what you need out of them. If you do that you will actually learn something. If you brief them, then you can do any of the other stuff people like to do, huge outlines, trying to memorize commercial outlines, whatever. If you have briefed the cases everything else falls into place, including anything the professor might say about it in class.

Generally, I see a lot of problems with legal education, and think a lot of it could be done better and more efficiently. The first year of law school actually does some things right tho, IMO. If you can't read, understand, and brief a case you won't be able to "think like a lawyer" or write well. Including on exams. So learn how to do it your first year. On some things there is no shortcut. Third year in some class you don't care about there is a shortcut. First year don't take the shortcut.

[NickMPK]

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The only time you should brief cases is if you know you are going to be called on to speak in class on that particular day (a lot of professors predesignated a handful of students to be "on call" for each class). Otherwise it is a waste of time. Instead, take notes in class on what your professor says about the cases...that is what you need to know.

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This is terrible advice.

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I agree it is terrible advice. IMO if you figure out how to read and brief a case you are on your way. Read some of the stuff out there on how to do it. Briefing them serves a couple of purposes. It forces you to read them, and read them with an eye to distilling what you need out of them. If you do that you will actually learn something. If you brief them, then you can do any of the other stuff people like to do, huge outlines, trying to memorize commercial outlines, whatever. If you have briefed the cases everything else falls into place, including anything the professor might say about it in class.

Generally, I see a lot of problems with legal education, and think a lot of it could be done better and more efficiently. The first year of law school actually does some things right tho, IMO. If you can't read, understand, and brief a case you won't be able to "think like a lawyer" or write well. Including on exams. So learn how to do it your first year. On some things there is no shortcut. Third year in some class you don't care about there is a shortcut. First year don't take the shortcut.

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I agree that if you can't brief a case, you won't be a successful lawyer. But that doesn't mean you need to brief every case you are supposed to read in law school. It's something you need to know how to do. But just because you know how to do it doesn't mean you have to do it at every opportunity. It is hugely time consuming and mostly wasteful if your goal is to prepare for an exam. For most classes, you can glean everything you need to know from a case from the classroom discussion and, if necessary, a commercial outline. I finished in the top 10% of my first year class at an elite law school, and stopped briefing cases on the third day.

[bobman0330]

This thread should make it abundantly clear that everyone studies in their own way. You would probably be best served by ignoring all their advice and figuring it out yourself. Try everything for a little while, then decide what best helps you learn, then do that. If you don't get anything out of a study group, don't participate in one. If you love commercial outlines, read them no matter what your profs say. Etc.

Also, study your ass off for your first year. It will probably be worth it.

[SackUp]

Things to do:

1) Go to class and take good notes. I used my computer and took notes in outline format - this made it much easier for making outlines at the end of the semester.

2) Read the cases. Use case briefs to help you out, but you cannot rely on them solely in many classes. The high court case summaries are by far the best and actually do allow you to get away w/o reading most cases. Make sure to read the note cases as profs love to use them.

3) Get outlines from someone who took the class before you and did well. This will do a couple things. It will show you how to make an outline and what goes in it. And it will tell you what you need to know to do well in the class. Supplement this with your own notes.

4) Use commercial outlines. They can be very very helpful for many classes and help add to your own outline. The Examples and Explanation Series is very good for most classes. Emanuel and Gilberts are hit and miss (Gilberts is teh bible for property though). The black book by chemirinsky (sp?) is the best for con law.

5) Make checklists for classes like torts and crimlaw where there are a set number of laws to know. They are good for other classes as well.

6) Take old tests - lots of school have them in teh library or online. The flashcard series is good as well - lots of libraries have these and other outlines available. The more practice you get with real problems the better. Examples and Explanations is really good for this. Make sure to find out the format of your test for each class - essay, multiple choice, etc and prepare accordingly - though you really need to know teh law either way.

7) Study your ass off for finals - it is worth it.

8) Pay attention in your legal writing class. Knowing how to set up an essay is important. It is actually very helpful when you get a real job.

9) Have a life - you need to have some releases wehther it is poker, tv, whatever. Also, interact with people and make friends - they can be helpful to study with and quiz you.

Good luck!

[ClevelandWasp]

The first year will suck, but two and three are much easier. Also, if you know which state's bar exam you are taking, figure out which subjects they test and take as many of those subjects as you can. You might have to pass on some fun/interesting elective like sports law or something, but do it. I never understood these students who plan on learning secured transactions etc. entirely from Bar/Bri (commercial bar review program). Those people are nuts IMO.

[sethypooh21]

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8) Pay attention in your legal writing class. Knowing how to set up an essay is important. It is actually very helpful when you get a real job.

9) Have a life - you need to have some releases wehther it is poker, tv, whatever. Also, interact with people and make friends - they can be helpful to study with and quiz you.

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These are the two most important things, IMO. Legal writing was the only class I took that had much, if any, application to my job as a real life attorney.

I'd also advise you to not live right by the school, and do most of you studying at school/in the library - that way, when it's time to go home and be done, you're done. (Obviously applies less during exams)

Finally, decide now whether you want/need a biglaw job. If so, prepare to work your ass off for a year (top 10-20%, as quote above), and for all of your classmates to hate you, because you will be that guy. Which is fine, just know what you are getting into.

DO NOT watch "The Paper Chase" the night before first classes. That was a very bad decision on my part.

And as a study tip, "Law and Order" marathons are useful, low stress tools for Criminal Law, I kid you not.