It helps immensely to be first or SECOND in your class.

Turd

Offers your insights everyday in class. Don't worry if they are not at all related to the topic at hand. This is especially true if you are an older student with "real life experience."

1. Quit

2. If you fail #1, make sure you know right people

3. If you fail #1 and #2, cheat

Law is a joke. In three years time you could earn $100k and you know, be on your way to a career as opposed to starting a job you will leave in less time it took you to spend $150k to get the degree in the first place. And don't start in with the "I want to help people and make a difference". Anyone can help people and make a difference and a law degree from any school will allow you to represent those people who truly need it.

Having a JD gives you a better chance of scoring a date with Kash, who thinks she knows something about the law because she was billed out at $250/hr as a paralegal doing cite checks and making photocopies, but only made about $10/hr for said work.

6: Kash rocks.

4: hey, i take that personally. i was an older student, and my real life experience taught me to "shut the hell up when you don't know what you're talking about, and most of the time even when you do."

now, if you had said "especially true if you are an llm student and can enlighten us all on a daily basis how things are done 'in your country'." . . .

Find a picture of Kash and study it like your life depends on it. It'll open doors to biglaw and prestigious clerkships.

p.s.
Love ya Kash.

Commercial outlines are your friend. And read those books about how to IRAC.

Don't get GULCed. It will scar you for like and it stings a little.

QUIT Immediately. You've chosen an oversaturated industry filled with freaks. #5 offers the best advice.

Get Glannon's on Civil Procedure.

Regarding 4 and 8,

My experience was that the most obnoxious people in the class were those that had been out of school long enough to acquire a bit of confidence, but not long enough to acquire the wisdom to keep their mouth shut.

Geezer

Skip class and just show up at final. You will get same grades.

go find a more rewarding career, it is what you are going to looking for about 2 years out of lawschool anyway, so why not save yourself the debt.

Don't be that tool that reads one assignment ahead before every class, and brings up startling questions and insights from that next assignment to the class discussion at hand to show how smart you are. Everyone knows what you are doing, and we laugh at you behind your back.

If you won't take #5 and #12's advice, always remember to go to your professor after an exam and bitch about your grades. I know someone who did this and received higher grades as a result. She may have been the biggest bitch at my school, and everyone hated her for it, but she's at a big NYC firm now, and only from a T50 school.

My advice is don't listen to the terrible advice people give you.

My advice is to find 19 and beat him or her

If your professor wrote his own book/case packet for the course, don't use a commerical outline.

Sleep with a 3L, and have him or her get you outlines for your classes.

If your professor wrote his own book/case packet for the course, drop the course

Strive to be perceived as a "gunner." It is a surefire way to get good grades.

Drop out now unless you're on scholarship or going to a top school and come from a top undergrad.

Drugs. Hard drugs.

Truckers usually have the best stuff around so make sure you know where the local truck stop is. Dress pretty when you go there.

Yeah 24 is right.

The more you talk in class, the more your classmates will respect you and the higher class rank you will get.

Also: get the Civ Pro Examples and Explinations. It is The bible.

Yeah 26 is right.

Sniffles are a small price to pay for banging out 10+ pages of brilliant A work in a single sitting.

Never pay for your own lunch. There is always free pizza to be had at lunch time if you look hard enough.

Your real-life experience will be more informative to your classmates if you pick out one point about your life and relate every concept to it. For instance, if you spent a year in Germany, make sure the first words out of your mouth each time you are called upon are "In Germany . . ."

You will be SBA president in no time.

29 = FACT

Don't join a study group. They are time wasters.

Also, despite all the talk about how law school is supposed to teach you to "think like a lawyer", succeeding in exams is 90% based on how well you memorized the class.

Oh, and don't reinvent the wheel. Just get old outlines from others who took the class with that professor.

Guys -

Identify the smartest girl in the class and endeavor to make her fall in love with you by 3L year (flowers, lifetime network marathons, pearl diving..whatever it takes). When she secures an offer from a "prestigous" firm after 2L year, lay it on thick. Upon graduation, take some of your loan money and buy her a rock. When it is time to study for the bar exam, change your mind about the practice of law and tell her you want to raise the kids. And just like that - you've made law school worth it.

Peace, Dandy Gadfly, III

Study groups will suffer from the free-rider problem. What's more, first semester of 1L year, no one knows who is smart and who is dumb. Most of the gunners will actually wind up being dumb.

Don't bother with study groups for actual learning.

I agree with the Listless Lawyer that "your only goal should be good grades."

Get good grades, especially If you don't go to a top school. Grades in law school matter, big time.

Your 1L year is one really long vocab lesson. Treat it as such and you'll be fine.

Grades. Grades. Grades. Grades. If you want Biglaw, clerkships, or top-shelf government work, GRADES.

Grades are less important if you go to a T10 school, but not very as they still rank you for the absolute cream jobs.

Outside of that, grades are paramount.

If it's not a strength of yours, don't do your own outlines. I got scared by people saying that you're doomed if you use somebody else's outline - absolutely untrue. If you have a great outline from the class from a previous year done by somebody who did well, just follow along in class and insert anything that's changed. I found physically outlining classes a huge waste of time, but I know people who thought it was essential to their revisiting the information. Different strokes.

V Monky say fuck first-fuck HARD!

drink, heavily.

Quit now.

Check grade distributions. Take the profs who gave the best grades.

@43 is great advice if you actually do well, but take the profs that give everyone the grade at the curve if you want to do no work and get the same grade as everyone who does

Take seminar courses as early and often as possible - then tend to have higher curves and will help your GPA. Save all the Bar courses for 3L year. Their only purpose if to help you pass the Bar...your only goal is to pass the Bar and get as high a GPA as possible

1. Law school is largely a game of hide the ball, wherein you are expected to derive “the law” from reading cases. BS. Get the Nutshell series or Examples and Explanations for each 1L class (I prefer the E&E, but go with what works for you), and read the relevant section before reading the corresponding assignment for class. Instead of reading and rereading a case and going WTF, you will have context, and therefore comprehension, on the first read through. This will save you hours of studying and much frustration.
2. Commercial outlines are a waste of time. Write your own outlines, and rework your outlines every few weeks. The learning comes from the assembling and condensing of your own outlines, not from having an encyclopedic outline given to you.
3. Class is a waste of time, but attend enough to monitor how things are going, glean the individual professor’s personal predilections, and not be perceived by the proff and classmates as irresponsible.
4. Relax. Seriously. If you take the above advice and are reasonably intelligent, law school can be a relaxing three years. Smoke some pot, meet your neighbors, get a dog, go to the beach. Life is too short to stress all the time, and you won’t ever get these three years back.
5. Constant efforts to reveal your brilliance in class reveal, rather than conceal, your insecurities.
6. Wear the patch for exams and the week or two before, even if you don’t smoke. Nicotine helps long and short term potentiation (memory), and reduces the deleterious effects of stress on recall.
7. The law is a human endeavor, directed at regulating human conflict and most other human endeavors, so try being a human being and not an a**hole.

34 is kind of right in that you don't know who is the smartest and who isn't. Answering all the profs questions isn't what makes you do well. However, working with other people and teaching them what you know can be helpful for you to improve your understanding. Also, after a class finishes a major section of the course you should write a small essay one what you learned. This is helpful to build a writing style and really put your thoughts into words, which is essential for writing exams answers quickly. All of your work should be geared toward getting ready to write exams, and follow IRAC.

Amend your application now

I agree with a lot of these posts - quit before the tuition grace period ends and go do something you really love with your life.

If you decide to stick with it, whatever you do - DO NOT take any classes where the exam is multiple choice. Everyone in the class will have all the questions and answers from past exams and if you miss just one question, you are almost guaranteed a B.

Don't fuck someone in your same little section. It can get ackward.

Don't fuck someone thats is in the same little section you are in. It can get ackward.

"From the Listless Lawyer, 'your only goal should be good grades.'"

Ugh. Figure out what makes you happy first, then go all out. Don't listen to what someone else says is the ideal life.

And yeah, you should probably quit.

First year grades matter because that's what potential employers will look at during interviews for the 2L summer. Exams matter - if your professors make old exams available, it wouldn't hurt to do a couple of practice exams before your first real exam. (I found that a lot more useful than revising my outlines.) As others have said, what happens in class generally doesn't matter at all

DO NOT focus on reading the actual cases. People get bogged down in b.s. like Pennoyer vs. Neff before they realize, halfway through the semester, that it was overruled. Find good briefs and avoid reading the case over more than once.

Rules, rules, rules. A few facts. The general concept of, for instance, promissory estoppel. That's it. There's nothing more in those fifty dense pages for you. DON'T READ THEM.

Spend the first two weeks of class looking at exams. Read Getting to Maybe. Fixate on what you'll have to learn in order to do well on these exams, which is often very little. Do you understand proximate cause? Good. Now take 50 practice exams on which you have to analyze it and ignore all those obscurantist Cardozo-penned opinions and cases.

Ignore everyone else. They have no idea what they're doing. They're still reading Pennoyer. Guess what, genuises? It was overturned in International Shoe with minumum contacts. Enjoy the bottom of the curve.

Take practice exams. Talk to your professors about them. Take more. Practice exams. Practice exams.

Don't ignore your professor's bloviating too much. NEVER FORGET THAT YOU CLASS IS GEARED TOWARD UNDERSTANDING HIS VERSION OF TORT'S, NOT YOURS. You will only need to know what he covers. Ignore everything else. Didn't get to strict liability in Torts? Who cares? Leave it to the partner to teach you that. You don't need to know it for the final.

And have fun! If you're at a T10, don't sweat it. Places like Cravath may look good on a resume, but you can learn just as much at your regional firm back in Idaho, and they'll respect your degree from Columbia much more.

Best,

Mr. Practice Exams.

After 1L year, grades don't matter. But they matter a hell of a lot the first year. So study a lot initially and then forget about it.

Wear an adult diaper to exams so you don't have to waste precious time getting up to go to the bathroom.

RESIST the urge to change the way you speak to others...Please do not adopt the phrase, "I would argue" like all 1Ls do. Gawd I was sick of people prefacing every statement with that f'ing phrase.

Con Law - Chemerinsky
Contracts - Chirelstein
CivPro - Glannon
Legal Writing - Volokh

No one listens to the 'quit now' message, stop wasting your breath.

I was told to either a.) do something else or b.) quit during first year (pre- massive debt load) and do something positive with my life. So were you.

Law students are all the same. If they were truly smart and listened well, they would not be enrolled in law school.

Also eliminate the phrase "It seems to me..."

We don't give a sh*t.

the people you have sex with in law school will be, on average, smarter than the people you had sex with in college. a mixed blessing.

When discussing Roe v. Wade, do not say:

"When my aunt died, she left me her cat. Now, I hate cats, but when I couldn't find anyone to take it from me, I had to have it put down. When I think about how hard it was to put that cat down, I cannot imagine what it would be like to have an abortion." -- Girl who will forever be known as "CatKiller"

57 - I'm of the opinion that it seems as if you should stop prefacing your comments with "I would argue." It could be argued, rather, that you should simply say, "I think."

61 - you must've gone to a TTT college AND a TTT law school.

don't use a rolly-bag. those kids were obnoxious.

54 is right, except that the facts are damn important. if you don't know why the rule came out a certain way, you're clueless once the facts change. law school exams are all about analogies.

45 is also right, but forgot to mention that the only "bar course" worth taking is Evidence. don't bother with the rest; you can learn what you need to learn in bar/bri. i took fed tax "for the bar," and regretted it b/c: A) fed tax sucks, esp 3L year; and B) the tax part f the bar is ridiclously easy.

I second #62. For Con Law in general, be sure to contribute your viewpoints on all issues. It's really more than a law school class -- it's a forum for the brightest 20-somethings of our generation to really come to grips with the most important issues of our day. Tips:

-- if you have an interesting perspective on an issue, be sure to preface your comment with "As a [blank], I feel..." so the room knows to pay attention.

-- try to include at least one wrenching personal anecdote a week.

-- remember, it really doesn't matter if you read the assignment or not, just as long as you have something to say! You're there to learn AND share!

Prepare for a terrible three years. Followed by many more of drudgery and toil.

"You can't all be real military men; we don't need that many and most of the volunteers aren't number-one soldier material anyhow...[W]e've had to think up a whole list of dirty, nasty, dangerous jobs that will...at the very least make them remember for the rest of their lives that their citizenship is valuable to them because they've paid a high price for it."

- Fleet Sgt. Ho, attempting to dissuade Johnny Rico from enrolling.

Because Kash is awsome I will overlook the fact that 1L's don't pick classes.

Seriuosly though, get teh Glannon guide and some good outlines, thats about it.

Extracurriculars are really important. Law firms love seeing them on your resume and it will definitely help you get a job. Some good extracurriculars to get involved with are P.A.D. (Pi Alpha Delta), Student Government Association, Barristers Ball Planning Committee, local Bar Association, and the law school newspaper.

Quit now!

66 - The Restatements have annotations that deal with different facts. You could probably ace the exam if you mastered their discussions of different facts and mimicked the courts' reasoning.

NEVER forget that the case method is inefficient b.s. that doesn't have anything to do with your law school exams. Stay as far away from the casebook as possible.

The key is on the first day either kick someone's ass, or become someone's bitch...

OUTLINES ARE USELESS. There. I said it. Totally useless. You either understand the concepts and cases and can do some improvised analysis of what happens when a computer manufacturer sends a lemon to a customer or you can't.

Law school exams are a lot like rapping. Having a rhyme dictionary is not helpful. You just gotta know how to bust a rhyme.

If you are at a school not in the T14, or at least a school that hires well in your region (and you want to stay in your region), be prepared for a shit job when you graduate unless you are willing to put in the time it takes finish in the top 5-10% of your class. Maybe $120K in law school debt does not sound so bad when you are making $160K/year, but the vast majority of students at non-T14 schools are not making close to $160K straight out of law school.

Eat right and take advantage of the athletic facilities. The gym and yoga classes will never be this cheap again in your life.

Do you know a lawyer? It's not what you know, it's who you know...

Sit in the back row in class. Don't join a study group. Write down every word the prof. says, verbatim, and make that your first study guide.

i disagree with 70, extracurricular activities are pretty worthless- what matters is top grades and a journal or moot court.

46 -- You simultaneously suggest that 1Ls relax, smoke pot AND wear nicotine patches for four weeks every semester -- Following your advice virtually guarantees erratic behavior and twitchy, nail biting, sweaty students.

You are one hard-core, Type-A, psychopath -- Well played.

75 - way to state the obvious. and stop the GULC trolling. anything beneath NYU, Chicago, and Columbia doesn't place that well besides the top half of the class.

70 = someone who had shitty grades and couldn't get on Law Review so filled his/her resume with garbage activities. Trust me, they don't mean shit to employers - all that matters are Grades and Law Review!

By the way, don't participate in class unless you are called on. You will find, without a shadow of a doubt, that those who know it the least know it the loudest.

1-Don't make direct eye contact with the prof.

2-Keep your hand down. No one really wants to hear what you have to say about the true meaning of footnote 3. As a former appellate clerk, I can tell you that most appellate judges don't possess a motiviation to insert hidden messages or meanings in their opinions.

3-When called upon, turn the situation around and use leading questions with the prof to establish the point you want to make. He or she has likely never actually practiced law and will be uncomfortable with your technique. That should keep them at bay from calling upon you later in the semester. It also entertains your fellow classmates - and that's what's most important.

4-Don't use student loan money to make investments in the securities markets with the thinking that you can get a better rate of return than the interest on the loan that you will one day repay.

5-Go home when class is over. Don't be that guy who lives in the lobby or library. No one is really that impressed with your dedication to spending every waking moment at school.

6-Keep your shoes on in the library. Can't stand people who wallk around there like it's their living room.

7-Don't be a name dropper. No one cares you worked for Congressman so-and-so as a legislative aide.

8-Keep your politics and religion to yourself, especially in class. Don't be the ideological fanatic.

9-Keep in mind that law school is a trade school, not graduate school. In the real world, there are few esoteric conversations among lawyers. Your thoughtful insights about World Wide Volkwagen and the true extent of personal jurisdiction are a waste of everyone's time, including yours.

10. Lay off the Starbuck's. You're going to wish you had all those $4 back when you're repaying your loans.

11. Don't get engaged during your IL year. Don't plan on getting married then either - or the week after spring exams. Also, try not to impregnate anyone, which would result in the birth of a child during spring semester. All of these things have a way of wrecking concentration/grades.

12. Participate in the writing competition for the journals.

Hey I had a rolly-bag. You mean it wasn't cool.

All I can say is carrying 50 pounds off one's shoulder may look cool, but having one hand that hangs down to your knee and another that reaches your waist looks f-cking weird.

79, 70 here.

I disagree. Holding an officer position in P.A.D. is way more important than being on a journal. P.A.D. is a national fraternal organization of law students. What better way to make some important life long contacts and gain real life experience than by joining P.A.D.? Extracurriculars are the golden ticket.

85 -- you and all other members of P.A.D. are f-cking tools, unfit to wipe my ass.

I pray you are being sarcastic for the sake of all the 1Ls who may be reading this.

Hey No. 88, take your own advice about name dropping (Your rule #7). No one care you were a "former appellate clerk" (Your rule #2). And be honest with the blog, you were a FILE clerk for a former appellate clerk ...

DON'T WORRY ABOUT BEING a D-BAG. Stop listening to those who want to ostracize you from the social groups because you have a rolly-bag, listen to Outkast at maximum volume in the library, and flirt with all the girls.

STOP thinking about what other people think. They're wrong. This is your life. This is your stint in professional school, not theirs. You can listen to thousands of smart people talk about how they made Law Review, but that's the extent of it. People are jerks in LS because they're stressed; their opinions means jack.

Law school is great--you can go to a TTT, plagiarize stuff there, graduate at the bottom of your class, and go on Meet the Press and say this:

"I’ll tell you why I criticized the Supreme Court. They upheld the ban, and then they engaged in what we lawyers call dicta that is frightening. You had an intellectually dishonest rationale for an honest justification for upholding the ban, and that was this: They went further, and then they, in the language associated with the decision said, by the way, they blurred whether there is the first trimester and third trimester in how much—I know this is going to sound arcane to the listeners—but whether or not they blurred the distinction between the government’s role in being involved in the first day and the ninth month. They blurred the role in terms of whether or not there is—they became paternalistic, talking about the court could consider the impact on the mother and keeping her from making a mistake. This is all code for saying, “Here we come to undo Roe v. Wade.” And it went on to say, by the way, that the life of the mother was, in fact, permissible exception, and it went on to say that even—that any woman could challenge, even if her health is at risk, could come back to the court to challenge that. So the bottom line here is, what they did is not so much the decision, the actual outcome of the decision, it’s what attended the decision that portends for a real hard move on the court to undo the right of privacy. That’s what I’m criticizing about the court’s decision."

and still have people thinking you have gravitas.

lol @ maxi-P.A.D. DTP 4 Lyfe.

Don't pay attention to all the d-bag gunners who pretend to know everything and constantly discuss their monster outlines. They're usually filling out the bottom half after the first year. Find what works for you and stick to that. I've actually found class to be quite helpful as it seems most my professors tested pretty much exactly what they covered in class (which often ruled out a lot of the crap you read in the first place).

Hey No. 83, take your own advice about name dropping (Your rule #7). No one care you were a "former appellate clerk" (Your rule #2). And be honest with the blog, you were a FILE clerk for a former appellate clerk ...

lol @ maxi-P.A.D. DTP 4 Lyfe.

Drop out. Go to MBA school.

85, no I'm being completely serious. I got cut by all the frats in college and then only got into a T4 school, so I was feeling pretty down about my life. But P.A.D. changed all that. Now I'm a member of the greek system! I wear my P.A.D. t-shirt and go back to my undergrad campus all the time. It's awesome to be greek now. Also, remember to wear your P.A.D. pin on interviews. It's a great conversation starter and way to bond with your interviewer who was probably in P.A.D. too.

All the student associations are unimportant. Get on a Journal, even a secondary one and if you feel passionate about some other student organization join it.
Speak in class only if what you have to say is relevant. it may be an interesting tidbit to you but the rest of the class does not care. Also do not discuss your study abroad experience, noone cares.
If invited to any firm sponsored event, attend, mingle, don't say anything stupid.

All the student associations are unimportant. Get on a Journal, even a secondary one and if you feel passionate about some other student organization join it.
Speak in class only if what you have to say is relevant. it may be an interesting tidbit to you but the rest of the class does not care. Also do not discuss your study abroad experience, noone cares.
If invited to any firm sponsored event, attend, mingle, don't say anything stupid.

All the student associations are unimportant. Get on a Journal, even a secondary one and if you feel passionate about some other student organization join it.
Speak in class only if what you have to say is relevant. it may be an interesting tidbit to you but the rest of the class does not care. Also do not discuss your study abroad experience, noone cares.
If invited to any firm sponsored event, attend, mingle, don't say anything stupid.

All the student associations are unimportant. Get on a Journal, even a secondary one and if you feel passionate about some other student organization join it.
Speak in class only if what you have to say is relevant. it may be an interesting tidbit to you but the rest of the class does not care. Also do not discuss your study abroad experience, noone cares.
If invited to any firm sponsored event, attend, mingle, don't say anything stupid.

Why are comments being deleted or removed...?

Censorship on a law blog. For shame.

Honestly, if you don't go to a Top 20 law school, you should drop out.

I went to Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and graduated in the top 20% of my class. Worthless. Literally worthless. And don't listen to the people who tell you that Loyola provides a "practical education." That's code for, "this school is not respected by larger law firms and, therefore, those firms will not offer you employment."

1. Read all of the assigned reading. You may have to read cases more than once. Briefing your cases is good, but taking notes heavily in the margins is often sufficient.

2. Go to all of your classes.

3. Take notes by hand. Many (not all, but many) students screw around too much on the Internet. It's best to think about what your professor is talking about, and take notes on what's important.

4. Don't worry about outlines--commercial or otherwise. Make your own.

I did steps one through four. I graduated at the top of my class. I was on Law Review. I earned a federal district-court clerkship.

There's no substitute for hard work.

102 - Reading cases is worthless. You spent hours learning how to extract rules and understand legal reasoning in a way that could have been explained in a few days.

82,

Yes, you are correct. You also forgot to add "attends a Tier 4 school and had graduated in the bottom half".

But at least I understand sarcasm and you can never take that away from me.

Now leave me alone because I have to go find a date for barristers ball. The organizer of the ball cannot show up unescorted.

101 is right.

<Top 20 = insurance defense out of law school, starting pay $55,000.00 a year. Actually, you will learn a lot, but about state civil procedure and bullshit arguments about the state rules of evidence. You will also become close and familiar with the underbelly of society.

Drop out now and go volunteer at a homeless shelter for two years. You will have a better sense of satisfaction, not all of the debt, and will be motivated to make something of your life.

73 is right. Also, don't ever drop the soap in the shower.

If you're going to a top-tier school, don't worry about extracurriculars. Don't worry all that much about grades.

If you're not going to a top-tier school, worry about both.

But please, if you have a question about the material, ask in class. Don't be among the suck-ups who rush the professor at the podium at the end of class so they can be the only ones to benefit from knowledge. It may make you feel weird to ask a question in class, but it looks even worse to be a kiss-ass than a gunner.

Try to get into the joint JD/MBA program. Worth the extra money and time. A JD by itself leads nowhere but to being a lawyer. You'll be incredibly frustrated on the other side if you went to law school for any other reason than that.

"I may go to a shitty school, but I'll be in the top 10% because I KILLED IT in college!!!!"

For all those that have thought the foregoing, there is a 98% chance you will not be in the top 10%. The math works. Trust me.

Get out now.

81 -- OK, point taken, doesn't everyone graduate in the top 50% of their class?

102 is absolutely right.

"I may go to a shitty school, but I know the V5 firm I want to work for hired someone from my school, so it could happen to me too. Right? Anyone? School rank isn't that important? I mean, there are Tier 4 grads at top firms. Anyone?????........

Everyone suggesting Glannon and Chemerinsky is exactly right - huge helps first year.

If you don't make Law Review, do another journal or moot court as a 2L and be sure to have some "other activity" you enjoy outside of class as a go to answer during OCIs. If you don't make Law Review you should have a good reason or be a really interesting person.

It's easy to procrastinate by doing too much homework. Don't read all the notes after cases. Put down your notes once in awhile and just think. It can help the readings make more sense as a whole if you stop to think about them.

73--great reference

Especially refrain from sleeping with people in law school if you are not well endowed. Girls WILL tell everyone. And then forever your future work colleagues will know you as pencil dick.

112, you're right, tier 4 grads do get into top firms. However, the odds are stacked against you. To land a V5 job after attending a tier 4 you would essentially have to be number 1 in your class from a law school in one of the cities that firm practices in. Even if you are number 1 you still won't get wachtel or cravath to pay attention.

Seriously, if you are planning on going to a tier 4 school you should truly ask yourself what you want out of law school. If you find the only compelling answer to be "work for biglaw" you might be in for a long and hard road before you reach your goal.

I'll do what I can to help y'all. But, the game's out there, and it's play or get played. That simple.

Take as many practice exams as you can.

Also, don't be afraid to drink during finals while studying. It's a great stress reliever and will help prepare you to get in a few extra billable hours after happy hour. Plus, when you summer at a firm you'll be able to go round for round with the partners (most lawyers are alcoholics) but will avoid stupid decisions like making out with someone of the same sex or stealing a car.

Some of this repeats previous comments, but it is my two cents...

1. Do not be a gunner - everyone will hate you, including the professors.

2. Avoid gunners like the plague - everyone will hate you by association, including the professors.

3. Fall 1L grades are the most critical of your law school career, as others have noted above. Those are the grades used for Spring 1L OCI that get you the summer job that can turn into a good career. If you tank Fall 1L, you are fighting an uphill battle.

4. Write on to journal if you are not asked to join. All other extracurriculars are 100% irrelevant in the eyes of employers.

5. If you do not get onto journal, take moot court, rock the class, and get on the national team. It is an inadequate substitute for journal, but better than nothing.

6. Do not get a backpack with wheels and arrive late to class and sit anywhere but the end of the row - everyone will hate you, including the professors.

7. Do not ask stupid questions. A question is stupid if it is not 100% on point or asked with less than five minutes before class ends. If you ask stupid questions - everyone will hate you, including the professors.

8. Learn the subject as it will be tested. Study old tests and maybe old outlines from that professor and subject. Talk to the professor outside of class if necessary. You will learn the REAL law and how to pass the bar in a one month nightmare known as BARBRI after you graudate.

9. The best outline is the one you write yourself. By writing it, the exercise helps you commit it to memory. Feel free to compare it to other outlines, but use your own.

10. Go out, drink, have some fun or you will get an ulcer.

11. Don't talk about class rank. No one wants to know where you are and very few want to divulge where they are.

12. Come to grips with the fact that, as a 1L, or even as a 3L, you don't know sh*t about the law. Don't try to act or talk like a lawyer because you are not a lawyer and you will appear absurd and stupid. Plus, everyone will hate you, including the professors.

13. Don't listen to the PAD or DTP guy telling you about the career connections - he is a liar. Join because you want to go to some parties and happy hours, which is all those legal fraternities are good for.

14. Begin networking in the legal and business community immediately. Connections get jobs where grades cannot.

15. If you can sit for it, take and pass the patent bar early, but don't let it adversely impact your grades.

if someone makes a semi-political point in class or is wrong about something, don't be a bitch and loudly sigh or hiss or nudge the guy next to you and whisper your contempt. Raise your hand and make the counterpoint. Everyone will thank you. Especially the fellow who otherwise would have been nudged.

DO NOT attend Con Law the day something controversial is being discussed, especially abortion. The zealots on both sides of the argument have been chomping at the bit to talk about it. Class will be a miserable experience, and you will cringe and writhe in your seat the whole time. Go bowling and have a beer and come back when the next class starts later that day.