Singing Loudly

This one is for all of you 1L's about to begin the journey of always worrying that the professor will call on you, listening to fellow students brag about how intelligent they are, shedding many a tear over not making that moot court team, and ultimately drinking more alcohol in one year than your entire Greek House (or the Greek House you hated because you, as an independent, were better than them) consumed at that last Bob Marley Weekend Bash. This is your serious (no, seriously) guide to law school.

1. Loosen up. Law school isn't so scary once you realize that you will graduate. You will make decent grades. You might not be the next legend of your law school, but you'll survive. Law school is expensive so you should take it seriously. You should study your ass off. But in the long run you shouldn't stress yourself so much that, as they say in Real Genius, if you stick a lump of coal up your ass a diamond would come out.

2. Use study aides. You were probably the smartest person in your college and think that a study aide won't help you. More than likely it will help you. There are going to be some concepts that you might not fully understand. For the cost of study aides it is worth it. Buy them used if you want. They are a great starting ground for understanding the law. Make sure that you take your understanding to the next level. Think about how the law is going to apply; or, as they say, "think like a lawyer."

3. Don't horde shared outlines. Nobody likes the person who gets an outline and won't share it. If you make your own outline then do what you want. If a 2L gives you a "good outline" then share it with people who ask you if you have an outline. More than likely they'll get a copy of it. More than likely it won't really be that great. More than likely you'll get pegged as an asshole for trying to get an artificial boost.

4. Figure out what works for you. If you don't need an outline to understand everything then don't worry about it, however, I think that you should make all your own the first semester. It's a good way to synthesize the law. It's a good way to make sure that you understand everything. For me it was easiest to work on my outlines every Sunday. I would synthesize the key concepts that we went over in class. Usually it just formed a page or less of the outline. I've always had short outlines, but I know some people have long outlines. Many people wait until the end of the semester to outline. Just go through the process at some point.

5. Study groups are a good idea your first year. After my first semester I got rid of the study group, but I think it was great at first. Law school can be confusing and it helps to have a few people you can trust. Just meet to talk about what's going on in classes. What is an offer? Go through hypos with each other. Take each other to task for not understanding it. They are helpful to center you on what is important. It's easy in law school to make things more complicated than it really is. Law school classes are often nothing more than common sense.

6. Follow Google's motto and "Don't Be Evil." Law school is competitive and often brutal. The last thing your school and classmates need is another jerk making it hell. Don't cheat, don't rip up books, don't horde shared outlines, and be friendly with your classmates. After you get your first semester grades don't brag to everyone if you did really well. Be proud of your achievement, but don't shove it in others faces. Help to keep law school as enjoyable as it can be by making it a collegial atmosphere.

7. Most importantly, don't forget that you have a life outside of law school. If you like creative writing then make time for it. Read a few books that aren't law related, go to the movies, grab a beer with friends, and don't ignore your family and friends that have nothing to do with the law. You need to have people who are laymen. When you hang out with non-lawyer friends, talk about things other than the law. I know that you're worried about getting good grades so that you'll be able to get a good job or a good judicial clerkship. Well, remember this, they want people who are well-rounded. When you interview they are going to want someone who did well in law school, isn't a bore, knows what's going on in the world, and is good humored. Law school is not everything that matters.

That's about all that I can think of as far as advice goes. Enjoy it as much as you can and good luck.