7 Essential Skills Every 1L Must Develop ASAP

Trying to figure out exactly what you should be focusing on at any given time can be confusing.

The first year of law school is notoriously difficult. There are so many differences between college and law school, which makes for a pretty steep learning curve. Trying to figure out exactly what you should be focusing on at any given time can be confusing. Here is a list of 7 essential skills that all first year law students must develop and master in order to be successful, not only in their first year of law school, but throughout their entire law school career.

1- Critical Reading

No shock here, but you spend a lot of time reading cases in law school. And, it isn’t just about getting through it all, you actually have to be able to critically read, break down, and understand the information in the cases. In undergrad, you may have been able to get away with skimming the readings in homework assignments, but that isn’t going to cut in law school. One of the first things you need to do to be successful in law school is figure out a reading system that allows you to gather all of the important information without taking an unduly long time to execute.

2- Case Briefing

One way to to ensure that you’re extracting all of the necessary information from the cases that you’re reading is to create a case brief. Simply put, a case brief is a template that you use to organize your notes on the case. While every student may format a brief differently, you must include the following information:  a summary of the relevant facts, the procedural history of the case, a statement of the legal issue, the holding, the judgement, and the court’s reasoning. Having this document prepared for class is beneficial because your professor will likely ask you questions directly relating to these topics. Furthermore, having strong case briefs will help you take better notes and ease the outline creation process (both discussed below in more detail).

3- Notetaking

The average 1L spends about 15 hours a week in class, and hopefully, they are taking notes at least some of that time. While there are many different ways to take notes, it is important to develop a system that allows you to discern what information is important. Be sure to pay careful attention when your professor is reviewing the black letter law, going over hypothetical questions, or giving the details of the final exam. Also, don’t forget to take note of any concepts that seem confusing to you so that you remember to go back through them later. Finally, don’t write everything down. Not everything that is said in class is important, and if you try to write down every single thing, you’re going to have a lot of notes that will be hard to sort through and use later on.

Sponsored

4- Outlining

Outlining is a new and mythical creature for many law students.  It was for me during my 1L year! If you are unfamiliar, a law school outline is a way of organizing all of the information you have learned over the course of the semester into a format that allows you to make connections, memorize laws, and apply the laws to a new set of facts (on the final exam). Outlines can be traditional roman numeral style outlines, but they can also take the form of charts, graphs, or audio recordings. Make sure that your outline fits with your learning style. A good way to test if your outline is working for you is to do practice questions throughout the semester. If your outline does not help you accurately answer the questions, you probably need to change it.  

5- Exam Writing

Many final exams in undergrad required you to memorize and regurgitate information. However, in law school, there is a much higher premium on analyzing information. How you analyze a given set of facts in the context of the law that you have learned throughout the semester will determine your grade on most essay exams. Many law professors prefer that students use a writing system known as “IRAC” to organize their exam answers. Find out early in the semester how your professor wants you to write for their final exam and get busy practicing for it.  

6- Time Management

Sponsored

I had always considered myself to be a relatively organized and efficient person. That is, until I got to law school. I didn’t realize just how much procrastination I got away with in undergrad until my first 2 weeks of law school when I spent allllllll my time studying but was somehow already behind. There is no denying that there is a lot going on in law school. You are trying to learn and master all these new skills, make friends, learn about internships, join student organizations, and a million other things. You have to have some kind of time management system in place to make sure that nothing important falls through the cracks. So, even if you were never a “planner person” before – it might be time to start.

7- Stress Management

Now that I’ve dumped a bunch of stressful things on you, let me tell you how important it is for you to manage your stress. But seriously, stress management is crucial in order to make it through law school in one piece. Yes, you’re juggling a lot of things and are under a ton of pressure. But, none of it will matter if you’re not well. It is extremely important that you find a way to mitigate some of the stress that law school brings, carve out time to implement it, and diligently protect that time in your schedule.

Take a few minutes today to do a quick inventory of each of these skills. If you’re feeling behind on any of them, or struggling in any of these areas, don’t ignore it. Reach out for help today. The academic support department at your law school is a great place to start. In addition there are several excellent books that cover these topics. Whatever route you take, make sure that you keep an eye on each of these things throughout your year.


Kerriann Stout is a millennial law school professor and founder of Vinco (a bar exam coaching company) who is generationally trapped between her students and colleagues. Kerriann has helped hundreds of students survive law school and the bar exam with less stress and more confidence. She lives, works, and writes in the northeast. You can reach her by email at info@vincoprep.com.