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Three years may seem like a long time now, but it goes by in a flash. There are so many great things to experience. If you only attend classes, you will miss out on some of the best law school experiences. After the initial onslaught of 1L confusion, you will begin to understand the many benefits and opportunities law school has to offer. It may seem now like you’ll never have time to take advantage of the entire law school environment. However, once you learn the ropes of studying, you’ll find that you do have time to expand your horizons professionally and personally.
A. Plan Ahead
Many people starting law school make the mistake of not planning. They “go with the flow” and don’t really sit down and think about what they want to get out of the experience. You have three years to prepare yourself for this new career; law school is your rite of passage. You have a limited number of months, weeks, days, hours. How do you want to spend that time?
1. Course Selection: Choosing courses is the foundation of your law school experience. As a 1L, you’ll have little or no say about the courses you take and will be assigned to one of many sections of first year classes. In most law schools the courses of contracts, torts, property, civil procedure and criminal law are required in the first year. You will get through these mandatory courses, but they will make you work. In the second and third years (four semesters or six quarters), the classes are generally yours to choose. Choose wisely.
a. Consider Your Career Objective: If you have come to law school with a specific career goal in mind - constitutional law, tax law, employment law, patent law - take all the classes you can in that field. Talk to practitioners in your preferred area of practice about what classes and skills are valuable. Law school is the time to really grapple with a topic and explore it in depth. As a practicing lawyer, you will rarely have time to learn the nuances of law. Avail yourself if this unique educational opportunity. You’ll be glad you did.
b. Consider Your Interests: On the other hand, don’t restrict yourself too much. If a course interests you, take it, even if it is outside your planned practice area. You never know when the path of your future can change with one inspirational course or professor. If your career doesn’t move you to do great things, it will never be a truly great career. Find out where your passion lies.
c. Be Aware of Graduation Requirements: Keep close track of your credits and graduation requirements. Your student services office should be able to prepare a document for you showing your progress and what requirements you still need to complete. Keep up and even get ahead if you can. This will be of great benefit when you are a 3L.
(1) Prevents Burnout: Nothing is more depressing after two and a half years of law school burnout than realizing you’ve fallen behind. Students who spend the last two or three months of their third year in law school catching up on credits or writing their major paper are not happy campers. This is the time to be celebrating your law school success.
(2) Allows for 3L Employment/Job Search: You will either have a job or be seeking a job during your 3L year. You’ll want to have plenty of time to commit to the job search. As you probably already know, the only thing tougher than having a job is finding one.
2. Organizations and Activities: There are scads of interesting extracurricular activities to explore and participate in during your time in school. Some are considered “high profile” and some you may have to seek out to discover.
a. Cultivate Your Interests and Goals: The important thing is to involve yourself in activities that are interesting to you. This will help you to develop valuable skills, and help you to connect with people and organizations. Don’t assume that an organization is right for you just because other people say so or because it “looks good” on a resume. Find out all you can and make up your own mind. Some of the typical law school organizations are described below. This is just a taste; the list is not meant to be comprehensive.
b. Student Political Organizations: Every law school has numerous political groups - the largest is usually the Student Bar Association (SBA) which has numerous officers and committees. This may be the easiest way to meet your fellow classmates and become involved in law school life.
c. Moot Court and Law Review: Two major organizations at almost every law school are Law Review and Moot Court Board. Membership in Law Review and Moot Court is selective, and usually becomes available at the end of your 1L year. The method of selection varies depending on the school, but usually only a few top students in each 1L section are extended invitations for membership. Very quickly the buzz will begin about these groups. They have an almost glamorous reputation among 1Ls. They are often characterized as the “golden ticket” to future legal success. So what are they?
(1) Law Review: This is primarily a scholarly journal edited and published by students. Law school professors write most of the articles, which are usually focused on uncertain tangled areas of the law. Some law reviews also publish the work of their member students (called “Notes and Comments”). Member students usually write a major article in addition to their editing responsibilities. There may be other journals in addition to the law review, including topical journals like Environmental Law, Native American Law, etc.
(2) Moot Court: This is an organization that coordinates and administers skills-based activities such as Appellate Advocacy, Mock Trial, Client Counseling, and Mediation exercises. Sometimes these are competition-style formats and sometimes they are collaborative learning exercises. At some schools, only Moot Court members can participate in moot court competitions. At other schools, the competitions are open to the student body.
(3) Myths and Truths About Membership in These Groups: Strangely, the early discussions about these groups will likely revolve around how to become a member of these revered organizations, and not whether to become a member. Yes, it is true that membership can sometimes help you in your job search. But let’s dispel a few myths about these groups:
Myth: If you aren’t on law review or moot court, you’ll never get a job.
Truth: While many employers may value the “resume power” of membership in these groups, many others do not. Not all potential employers are created alike; each looks for a specific array of qualities, talents, and experiences in their new hires.
There is a wide variety of valuable experience available in law school. Building a resume that reflects the kind of law you want to practice may be the best way to become an attractive candidate for jobs that interest you.
Myth: If you are on law review or moot court, you are guaranteed a job.
Truth: Sorry. While these activities may open some doors, they won’t guarantee employment. The rest of your resume is also important and your in-person interview is the clincher.
Myth: If I have the opportunity to be on Law Review or Moot Court, I would be an idiot not to accept.
Truth: You’d be an idiot not to think about it seriously and inform yourself about the commitment. Membership in these organizations entails a great deal of responsibility and tons of work. Spending Saturday and Sunday nights at school, slogging through administrative tasks, extra reading and writing responsibilities are to be expected. Don’t underestimate the time commitment. You may have to deal with the politics of the law school, and take some flak from students who think members are geeks or snobs.
Think hard about how membership will affect your ability to commit to other important activities, like participation in a legal clinic, membership in other groups (Environmental Law, Civil Rights, Immigration Law, etc.), an externship that may lead to that dream job, or simply having time to yourself. Moot Court and Law Review membership are great opportunities that you should consider carefully, but they are not right for everyone.
Myth: Without membership in these groups, I’ll never have the chance to develop the skills they teach or avail myself of the opportunities they present.
Truth: There are plenty of opportunities to develop both your advocacy skills and your academic legal writing without being a member of these organizations.
Most law schools require a major research paper as a condition of graduation. If you embrace the opportunity and find a good advisor, you can learn a lot about academic legal writing. If you are proud of your work, get it published! There are more than 500 law reviews and journals nationwide. Many might be interested in a high-quality student piece, particularly if the journal specializes in a particular topic area that your piece covers. Potential employers may be very interested in your specialty.
If moot court competitions are open to the student body, participate! Sometimes you can get academic credit for it. If they are not open, there are many moot court competitions that you can attend simply by paying the entry fee. This may require creative fundraising if the competition requires travel, but your law school might like the publicity it will garner and help. Your school’s Moot Court Board should have information about competitions nationwide on topics ranging from Environmental Law to Admiralty to Bankruptcy.
(4) Consider Pros and Cons: The bottom line is that you should choose your own path. If you are interested in membership, look into it. Find out if these political or academic organizations are right for you. Talk to current members and ask them about their experience. Don’t be intimidated - people love it when others are interested in their lives. What are they learning? How many hours per week do they spend working for the organization? What the best part and the worst part? Would you do it again? Remember that these activities will take time away from your study schedule. It is an important decision and you should select carefully.
d. Public Service / Special Topics Organizations:
(1) What They Are: These are essentially student-run clubs, societies, and associations that facilitate awareness, policy development, lobbying, and service opportunities in a number of specialty areas. A few examples:
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) law school chapters - Defending the Bill of Rights
Ethnicity - or Nationality-focused associations - for example, Asian and Pacific Islander Law Students Association
Innocence projects - Assisting in appeals of those wrongfully convicted, often in death penalty cases.
Public interest law associations - Providing access to civil justice
Immigration law projects - Protecting the human and legal rights of immigrants
Environmental law associations - Advancing legislation and policies to protect the earth
Law Women’s Caucus - Promoting equality for women in the law
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) helping low income and elderly people wade through the quagmire of our tax system. (2) Reasons to Join:
(a) Working On Issues That Matter: You can help to develop the law and raise societal awareness about issues that are important to you.
(b) Networking and Career Development: Organizations can open many doors. You can make personal connections, learn about areas of the law that interest you, and help you find peers who have similar goals. Participation in these groups can lead to future job and leadership opportunities post-graduation.
(3) If No Organization, Start One: If your law school does not have an organization that appeals to your interests, create it! Send out an email and find fellow students interested in the same subject. Go to a faculty member with experience in the area (don’t just go by what subjects they teach - their histories and credentials are usually published on your law school’s website) for advice. You can find funding sources in the larger legal community as well as host creative fundraisers at your school.
3. Law School Work Experience: One of the best benefits of law school is the opportunity for real-world experience with the help of top professionals. Take advantage of externships, clinics, summer employment, volunteer legal services organizations, anything that gives you get the chance to do real legal work. It will remind you of why you are in law school, give you the chance to hone your craft, create context for your educational experience, provide a nice break from reading cases, help you to explore different career paths, and provide many more benefits.
a. Clinics: If your school has a clinical law program, participate. Legal clinics are organizations in which law students provide free, supervised representation for real clients. Professors or practitioners operate and supervise the clinics. The director of the clinic trains and assists students in every aspect of client representation.
(1) Learn about a Practice Area: Common clinical areas include Family Law, Bankruptcy, Criminal Law, Tax Law, Unemployment Compensation, and Immigration. You can learn boatloads of practical knowledge about these areas that you’d never get reading a law school textbook.
(2) Represent Real Clients: Even if none of the clinics offered at your school directly relates to your planned practice area, the experience of representing real clients is educational and empowering. You will receive in-depth training in real legal work as well as in dealing face-to-face with clients, a highly underrated skill. If potential clients do not feel comfortable and confident with you, they will leave.
(3) Provide Access to Justice: You will also be serving people with serious legal problems who otherwise would have nowhere else to go. Lack of access to justice for low-income people is a crisis in this nation. If you are charged with a crime, you are guaranteed a lawyer. But if you are threatened with losing your children, are being pursued by the IRS, or fearing any other number of serious legal consequences, you’re on your own. Only under-funded legal service agencies, busy lawyers doing pro bono work, and law school clinics stand between many people and devastation. By participating in a clinic you help those in need, as well as hopefully inspire yourself to a lifetime of service to the public.
(4) If Your School Has No Clinic, It Should: If your school does not offer a clinical law program in your area of interest, advocate for it. If you are successful, you will change your school for the better.
b. Externships: Nothing sounds more exciting than working for free, right? Okay, maybe not. But how much would you pay to have a ready answer to that most daunting of interview questions, “So what experience do you have?”
(1) What An Externship Is: You work for a quarter, semester, or summer for no pay. This is usually arranged through your law school and academic credit may be available. Many students take a quarter or semester away from classes to extern. Externships can be full time or part time.
(2) What It Can Do For You: The benefits are immeasurable: work experience, networking, a chance “try out” a job and perhaps to impress a potential future employer. Many students take post-graduation jobs with employers for whom they externed during their law school career.
(3) How to Make the Most of It: If you extern, make sure it is a place you really want to work. After all, you’re working for no pay; you should be getting the best education you can. Your presence is a boon to your employer - you’re slave labor! Don’t be afraid to demand the best from your experience. Seek out the most interesting projects, do a lot of networking, learn all you can. Write at least a short paper or keep a journal about your experience, even if it isn’t required. If the work isn’t panning out the way you’d hoped, talk to your supervisor.
c. Summer Employment For 1Ls: The ABA requires law schools to prohibit students from seeking legal employment until November of their 1L year. In November, a few of the more ambitious students scramble to begin the job hunt. Some professors use 1Ls to assist in their summer research projects. From an employer’s viewpoint, summer employment after your 1L year is really just a “getting to know you” process. As a 1L, you will not yet have many of the legal skills required to truly be of assistance to your employer. You will at least be able to demonstrate your personality, integrity, and commitment. That is what your employer wants to see.
d. Summer Employment For 2Ls: This is more typical than securing a job at the end of your first year. Students need to work to secure the more competitive positions and some of the on-campus interviewing (OCI) is directed towards this objective. Many law firms use this as a way to determine if they should extend an offer of post-law school employment. Contrary to popular belief, getting a job through OCI is not a guarantee of post-graduation employment, although it often happens. 2L summer jobs are paid, sometimes very well, depending on the employer. The summer associate programs at the bigger firms are often quite luxurious - easy work (often doing pro bono work for charitable organizations), good pay, and tons of great social events.
e. Volunteer Work: Regardless of your paid employment or externship status, you can still volunteer at any legal services organization for a couple of hours a week. You’ll get additional work experience, contribute to your community, make connections, and get a mental reality check. Law school can cause you to become extremely myopic and self-centered. Volunteering can help you regain your perspective.
(1) How to Find It: Pick an organization and make a call. Chances are, they’ll be happy to have volunteer help.
(2) Don’t Expect Job Training:
4. Post-Law School Employment: Believe it or not, you will start thinking about permanent employment after law school in the spring of your 1L year. That is about the time you first hear about OCI, which stands for “On-Campus Interviews.” OCI is the most famous (and infamous) way to find employment, but it is not the only way.
a. On Campus Interviews (OCI): You will hear the zombies chant “OCI, OCI, OCI.” You will be under the impression that OCI is mandatory. You will hear horror stories about the ruthless resume selection process, the high-pressure 20-minute interviews and the tiny percentage of callbacks for second interviews. You will also be told that OCI is the only way to get a good job after law school, and that if you fail to garner one of the prized summer positions, your legal career will be over before it begins. O-me-oh, oh-my-o, OCI-o.
(1) What OCI Is: OCI is an organized process by which a number of major law firms, public and state agencies, and other employers find suitable law students for permanent employment and to fill their summer programs after the completion of the students’ 2L year. Some employers may make presentations at your school while others may coordinate with the career services office. For students, the process is voluntary, not mandatory.
(2) How It Works: If you choose to participate, the process begins as you assemble your resume, cover letters, recommendations, writing sample, etc. You can choose from a list of employers and apply. The employers select interviewees for the fall and come to your law school. After the first round of interviews, you may be asked to come to a second interview at the employer’s office. Usually, this office interview lasts several hours as you meet with various people in the organization. If you receive an offer or offers, you can choose to spend your 2L summer there. Some positions offer the option of continuing to work part-time during your 3L year.
(3) OCI Is Only One of Many Options: You should go through the process only if there are employers for whom you genuinely want to work. It is usually prudent to have other irons in the fire in case the summer job doesn’t pan out. There are hundreds of thousands of legal-related employers out there and most of them don’t participate in OCI.
b. Beyond OCI: For other ways to find summer employment, a little research is in order. At this point, it might be beneficial to thumb through some lawyers directories, the career services filing cabinets, websites, and even the phone book under attorney specialties. Figure out what you want and go after it - don’t wait for it to come to you!
c. Persistence Pays: Even if an employer is not hiring at the moment, getting a foot in the door could put you at the top of the list when a position does open up later. There’s nothing wrong with calling an employer who interests you and asking about opportunities. Many might be willing to set up an “informational interview” if you ask. This is basically a chance for you and the employer to find about each other under less formal circumstances than an actual interview.
d. Get the Word Out: Most importantly, be resourceful and creative by putting feelers out with every person you know. Talk to anyone who will listen about your career aspirations. When that person gets word of a position in your field, you want them to think of you first. Talk about what you are interested in and why - this will leave an impression and get that person into your corner. If anyone says, “I heard about this position and I thought of you,” thank her/him profusely and follow up, even if you aren’t interested in the position. You don’t want to burn bridges, and the next referral may be the perfect opportunity.
e. Keep an Open Mind: There is more than one path to a fulfilling career. Don’t let anyone tell you that there is only one way to get a job, or that OCI is the only method for attaining summer employment leading to a post law school job. Being resourceful and creative is much more likely to get you off the beaten path and where you want to be.
B. Networking
Let’s talk about the elusive but vital practice of “networking.” People in law school discuss networking all the time, but few really take the time to specify what it is or how you do it. No matter what your background, you’ve networked before. It’s called “socializing.” The only difference between socializing and networking is that while networking you have the ulterior goal of trying to make future job connections. It’s not difficult, but you must be somewhat methodical and calculating about it to make the most out of networking. Everyone knows the best way to network is through past and present job connections. But another good way to network is at social gatherings.
1. Get Out to Events: If some local group of lawyers of the Bar Association has a reception, event, or volunteer opportunity open to law students, go! Many CLE (continuing legal education) events are free or cheap for law students. Don’t go just to network, or you’ll probably be bored. But if the event is interesting to you, avail yourself of the opportunity.
2. Find Out About the Participants: If the event is sponsored by a firm or other organization with a website, browse through it and look for people who might have things in common with you. Maybe they went to your undergraduate alma mater, practice in an area you’re interested in, or once handled a high-profile case you’ve heard about. If you happen to run across that person and strike up a conversation, you’ll have some neat discussion issues to score brownie points. Just be subtle. You don’t want to sound like a stalker.
3. Go Alone or Split Up: You are much more likely to get a robust conversation started with a stranger if you don’t have a “safety pal” right next to you. Remember, you aren’t going to this event to demonstrate how socially popular you are, but to meet people and make helpful connections.
4. Don’t Drink Too Much: If your event is a cocktail party or the like, watch your drink intake. Law functions are notorious for their free-flowing alcohol. If you would like a glass of wine to take the edge off or to have something to do with your hands, fine. Nurse it. Whatever you do, no matter how much you think you can “handle it,” don’t have more than two drinks. You need your wits about you. You don’t want to wake up the next morning remembering that you told a State Supreme Court justice the “hilarious” story of when you were arrested for disturbing the peace.
5. Worry About Being Interested, Not Interesting: So many people make the mistake of thinking they can’t network because they aren’t gregarious and outgoing. This is wrong, wrong, wrong. The best way to make people remember you is not by dazzling them with your stunning personality. Ask questions, listen carefully and express genuine interest in what the other person has to say. This will send the message that you are gracious, mature, intelligent, well mannered, and kind. If you try too hard to entertain or impress, you could come off seeming overbearing and self-promoting.
6. Remember Everything You Can: The legal community is smaller than you think. If you run into someone you’ve spoken to previously, remembering his/her name is a super way to develop the networking relationship. Remembering and inquiring about some event or tidbit that person told you about are even better. How do you remember? Some people have great memories. Some people have to run into a bathroom or coat closet to take notes every fifteen minutes. Whatever you must do to remember, do it actively. This is the “work” part of successful “networking.”
7. Always, Always, Always, Follow Up: Regardless of whether you think a connection is “going anywhere” for you, always take people up on offers to have a cup of coffee or a phone chat. You never know who knows who, and what small suggestion, tip, mention, referral, or recommendation will get you into that dream job.
8. Networking Pays: You’ll be truly amazed at the path your career can take just because you went to that one reception or lecture and took the time to talk to someone. You don’t have to be a super-charismatic person to network. Just going to events, shaking hands, and introducing yourself can be enough. That personal face-to-face time can get you into many doors that would otherwise be closed.
C. Make Time for Life Outside of Law School
Just because you’re in law school doesn’t mean you abandon your other interests. There may be other activities of interest to you if you look around. Get involved in a meaningful (non-legal) political or social cause. Join a theater troupe, choir, or band. Find a city recreational league for your favorite sport. There are many benefits to developing all aspects of your life while in law school.
1. Make New Friends: If you are from out of town, outside activities are fantastic for mining that rarest of precious and normal commodities, “non-law school friends.” These are the people who will help you keep mental balance and prevent you from taking yourself and law school too seriously.
2. Keep Old Friends: It is easy in the fishbowl of law school to let your non-law school friends drift away. Don’t let it happen.
3. Explore Your University: Another advantage of law school is membership in the larger university community. Don’t forget there’s a campus all around you with thousands of lectures, cultural events, student organizations, classes (sometimes you can get credit for non-law school courses!), people, and even athletics. How about intramural basketball? Participating in student senate? Taking a philosophy or acting course? Depending on the size of your university, the choices could be almost infinite.
4. Work Hard on Your Relationship With Your S.O.: If you have a significant other, law school will be hard on your relationship. Don’t underestimate this - the rate of breakups and divorces in your class will shock you. Don’t let your relationship become a victim of the law school steamroller.
a. Three Challenges: First, you’ll be incredibly busy. Second, you will be learning and growing, and that experience changes your personality, your perspective, even your vocabulary. Third, your S.O. may be helping to support you financially while you study, taking on extra child-care responsibilities, or just generally keeping the rest of your life together.
b. The Solution: Take care to reward and appreciate this special person, and thank him or her often. Schedule time to spend together, because it will rarely happen spontaneously. Don’t make leisure time with your loved one the lowest priority, or it will never happen. And remember, dealing with the stress of a breakup will take much more of a toll on your time and energy in law school than simply making the time to appreciate your S.O. in the first place.
5. Pace Yourself: Remember, law school is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t make it all work and no play, or you’ll be seeing a road sign that reads “Burnout City. Population: YOU.” You are going to be working hard in law school, treat yourself to some fun every so often!
6. Get Out of the Law School Building: If you are in a new city, explore. If you stayed close to home, get out and see some new places in the region. Even if you are not a nature lover, few things help clear the mind like a trip to a beach, mountain, forest, museum, or any place there is beauty and serenity.
7. Maintaining Balance Keeps You Sane, and Sanity is Marketable: Those who tell you law school is a “zero sum game” - that law students who are cutthroat, ruthless, and eat/sleep/breathe/live law school or break all the rules will come out on top - are dead wrong. There is a familiar saying that goes, “If you look around and you don’t see the jerk, it’s you.” Don’t be the jerk. Law school, like life, is about balance. If you care for yourself and approach everything with a healthy, relaxed attitude, your serenity will translate into confidence and composure when you deal with peers, professors, and legal professionals. Your resume can open the door but your friendly, professional, and positive personality will get you through it and help you toward a happy and successful career.
D. Time Is Precious
You are probably wondering how one person can do all the above activities in law school and still have a life. There is a way but it takes organization and planning beyond what most undergraduates are accustomed to doing.
1. Proficient Time Manager: A successful law student must develop a daily routine and become a very proficient time manager. Law students need to make time allocation decisions on an ongoing basis. This often means priority matters have to be scheduled and you must learn to say no. If 1Ls do not learn to prioritize and budget their time they may fall hopelessly behind. It is usually suggested that a priority in your 1L year be given to class and exam preparation, which we cover in detail beginning with the next chapter.
2. Schedule: Most students eventually find that a consistent daily time schedule promotes efficiency. If you can look at your day, you can prevent burnout and overbooking, and gain a sense of control over the experience. Also, remember to include rest and relaxation in your schedule - don’t let it always be the lowest priority! Your schedule can be organized on one of many formats, including the following.
a. Daily Schedule: The daily schedule on page 22 is excellent for tracking those exceptionally busy days, where classes, functions and meetings are endless. Once you start keeping this kind of detailed schedule, you may find that you have more time than you realize. Lots of time can be frittered away if you don’t have a clear idea of which hours are available and which are occupied.
b. Weekly Schedule: The weekly schedule below will help you get an at-a-glance view of the weeks ahead, to help you quickly plan and schedule events that are farther out. It is also a good place to plan your leisure time - do it regularly!
.DAILY SCHEDULE AND “TO DO” LIST
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7-8 AM breakfast, brief cases for class TO DO 8-9 AM 9-10 AM 10-11 AM 11-12 AM 12-1 PM lunch 1-2 PM 2-3 PM 3-4 PM 4-5 PM 5-6 PM 6-7 PM dinner 7-8 PM 8-9 PM 9-10 PM 10-11 PM WEEKLY SCHEDULE FOR 1L YEAR
MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 7-8am 8-9am 9-10am 10-11am 11-12am 12-1pm 1-2pm 2-3pm 3-4pm 4-5pm 5-6pm 6-7pm 7-8pm 8-9pm 9-10pm 10-11pm 11-12pm
