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Written by S. Colin Mabrito
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Sunday, 11 November 2007 03:24 |
Of all the educational experiences one goes through in life, none is quite like the first semester of law school. The first semester is humbling, and it’s supposed to be. Not unlike boot camp, it is intended to break down your thought process before it builds it back up. The idea (at least) is that you should come out of it with a whole new way of approaching, analyzing and solving problems. The process can be somewhat uncomfortable. However, there are several ways to make this first semester transformation less jarring.
1. Pre-game
Go into the first day of class already having seen at least some of the vocabulary. This will help you to begin comprehending the concepts on the first day, instead of spending the first few weeks just learning the language. The Black’s Law Dictionary will have a decent listing of the pertinent words and variations. A cursory run-through during the month preceding the first day can really make the first weeks more productive.
As well, many students go into each class period with no real context of how that session fits in with the overall landscape of the course. To orient your self, it really pays off to spend some time looking at the table of contents of each book to see a loose outline of how it all fits together. For the most ambitious student, this can be enhanced by reading through a study aid/supplement keyed to that professor’s textbook. A loose outline of the concepts and how they interrelate will be a great reference tool as the semester progresses.
2. Social Studies
As with any classroom setting, there is a strong social element to the law school experience. With such strong personalities abound, it is easy to write off other law students as obnoxious or radical. And, to be honest, a small percentage will actually be obnoxious and radical. I’m not suggesting you befriend these folks. What I am suggesting is that you mingle with your classmates (and future colleagues) to find those that you do get along with. It is extremely important to have this group for a couple of reasons.
First, you need to be connected with the goings on of the law school. Your connection to your law school classmates will be a finger on the pulse of the campus. You can share outlines, advice, and class notes. Loaners tend not to do as well in law school because there is some information that is only disseminated by word of mouth. More importantly, you need to know people within the school (the same way you need to know people outside of it) to maintain your sanity. You will spend an inordinate amount of your time reading cases and code sections that your significant other and college friends will not want to discuss with you. You need to spend at least some time with people that “get it” and are going through the same struggles and debacles as you.
3. The Recitation Proclamation
It is very likely that, within the first couple of months of law school, each professor you have will force you to speak at least once in class. It is also very likely that on one of these occasions you will be embarrassed by your performance. Let it go. This type of thing happens to every law student at one time or another. Some professors will claim to deduct points from your final grade for poor recitations. Rarely do they follow through on this threat.
Remember that eye contact is a guaranteed way to get called on in a law school classroom. Use this to your advantage by making good eye contact when you understand the subject matter and have read the assigned cases. Conversely, when you are less prepared, you should keep your eyes on your laptop and look as if you’re typing away.
4. Plan and Scheme
Success in law school is largely a product of good organization and planning. This applies from your study schedule and outlines all the way to which classes you select and when. You should always ask around about professors you have been assigned or are thinking about selecting for a course. You should never be shy about trying to get the registrar’s office to move your classes around in order to have professors who give higher grades. Many schools will provide the grade distributions for professors and classes. This is a great resource to help you decide who to take, or even which classes should be allocated the most time.
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