Law Schools, Politics

8 Tips For Studying Under The Trump Administration

A law professor's advice to law students on how to make it through these turbulent times.

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studyingI have received several messages asking, essentially: how in the world am I expected to focus on getting through law school when the world and the very foundations of American way of life are in trouble? Aiiiiiigh!!!!!

Oddly, I have not received any messages asking me how in the world someone is expected to study when things are just awesome and wonderful. I assume the high is carrying those folks onward.

Studying when there’s a constant barrage of drama is troublesome. I remember after 9/11 students attempting to return to normal on the day of the attack. I remember that I held class that day anyway, just for the sake of normalcy. That was one particular day and, over time, students were able to return to studying. But it was a struggle.

The news today is different. There is something happening every day. And, if it isn’t to your liking, you can feel frustrated, helpless, angry, and despondent. If that describes you, I have some advice to help you focus more on studying.

  1. Limit your social media. I know that this is a statement against interest (follow me @lawprofblawg), but social media can be an echo chamber of outrage. You don’t have a lot of time to be outraged when you’re studying. Thus, limit social media.
  1. Do not engage in debate with your colleagues. It might be helpful to realize you are not suffering alone, and to find like-minded individuals. But for goodness’ sake, do not engage in a debate. No one will win, and chances are you’ll just be more upset.
  1. Stay on schedule. A study schedule, a workout schedule, and scheduled times to relax are your best friends. The workout schedule will keep your emotions in check. The study schedule will keep you prepared. And the scheduled off-times you can use to lower your stress. Or you can use that time to follow your political heart and protest, write letters, etc.

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  1. Understand that there are some things that will happen with or without you. In other words, you might feel that you must do something to fight the power, but then law school studying calls you. This time, let someone else fight the power. You’ll be in a better position to fight the power once you graduate from law school (if you choose to do so).
  1. Be flexible. It might be frustrating to be in an immigration law, constitutional law, administrative law, election law, or really, any law course and wonder if you are wasting your time in light of today’s particular events. Remember, law is studied in historical context. The reason we law professors make you read the dissents in cases is that the dissents often become the law. Thus, what is true today may not be true tomorrow. And it’s always been that way. Embrace the ambiguity. That’s where the law (and money) is made.
  1. Practice mindfulness. Now is a good time to help your focus by meditating. Of course, I’m a big fan of Jeena Cho’s and Karen Gifford’s book, which is specifically designed for lawyers. Mindfulness gains you some distance from the daily (or hourly) news drama. A few minutes can make the difference between calm and devoted studying and your mind wandering aimlessly as you attempt to dig into the material.
  1. Avoid other types of drama. I’ve already written on avoiding people who create stress. It’s particularly important to realize you only have so much energy, and the more you spend on drama, the less you’ll have for studying. Just don’t do drama, and avoid those that do. That includes those that are so worked up that they are distracting you from your own studying.
  1. Get enough sleep. It’s usually the first thing a law student throws out, but in doing so you’re asking for increased stress. To facilitate sleep, turn off all electronics an hour before bed. Set a routine around when you sleep and what you do before going to bed. It will help your mood, your stress level, and help you retain information better.

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Focusing on studying while in a tempest is no easy trick. By using some skills and tools, you’ll be able to get the most out of classes and reading, while still managing to stay informed.

Good luck.

LawProfBlawg is an anonymous professor at a top 100 law school. You can see more of his musings here and on Twitter. Email him at lawprofblawg@gmail.com.

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