4 Things I Wish I Knew 1L Year Of Law School

Need help adjusting to and surviving law school life? Take some of this advice.

There are few times in my life when I have been more overwhelmed than my first year of law school (and that is really saying something). It is definitely one of those “if I could go back and make changes I would” times for me. Luckily, working in law schools over the last five years has provided the opportunity to ponder exactly how I would do 1L year differently if I had the chance. Hopefully, these tips will help you navigate your 1L year with a bit less stress.

1. You don’t have to do it all.

It seems like the second you walk through the doors for your first day of law school you get hit with a million different things you need do, be, or learn. You have to learn a new way to prepare for class (case briefs) and to prepare for final exams (outlines). You have to learn an entire new way of writing (IRACing). You also have to adjust to the concept of the Socratic method and being cold called during class. And these are just a few of the academic things you have to worry about.  You also immediately start hearing about how you have to join clubs, do externships and internships, and go to networking events in order to be successful, and find a job.

It is true; all of these things are important. But, you don’t have to do them all at once or on day one of law school. If you’re going to make it through law school in one piece, you have to pace yourself and learn to prioritize. First and foremost, make sure that you build a solid academic foundation. After you do that, you can start to explore joining clubs and experiential learning like internships and externships. Do your research and participate in the things that are most interesting and important to you. Don’t feel pressured to do it all.

2. Planning.

I love a hyper-detailed, super-organized plan as much as the next person (and probably more than most people). So, unsurprisingly, I went into law school with a very specific plan for what my law school career and life after graduation would look like. I wanted to to be a prosecutor, and the plan was to take all the criminal law courses, do all the prosecutor internships, and attend all the criminal law networking events. I executed that plan well and still didn’t get a job as a prosecutor. And boy, oh boy, did I wish that I had diversified my interests and experiences when that happened. Look, I still love a good plan, and I’m certainly not suggesting that you should just fly by the seat of your pants. Just don’t tie yourself so strongly to one idea of success such that any other outcome feels like failure. Not getting my dream job was one of the best things that ever happened to me. But it took me a long time to see and appreciate that because it wasn’t “the plan.”

3. It is okay to let loose a little bit.

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For as much as I loved planning in law school, I was equally uptight and rigid (shocking, I know). While I joined a lot of clubs and participated in many law school events, I didn’t do much “for the fun of it” socializing and that is something I often regret.  Law school is an important, serious, and expensive endeavor, but it spans several years of your life and it is definitely okay to have some fun in that process. Make sure that you aren’t filling your calendar to the brim every week with work or résumé-building activities and that you carve out some time (however minimal) to enjoy your life a bit.

4. Pretty much everyone is as lost and confused as you are.

During my 1L year, particularly during the first semester, I often felt like I was totally clueless and the least intelligent person in the room. I engaged in a lot of negative self talk by saying things like “you’re not good enough,” “you’re not smart enough,” and “you don’t belong here.” Now, none of that was true, but I spent many tortured years truly believing that crap. It wasn’t until I started working and my new colleagues and I were reminiscing about law school that I realized they all felt exactly as I did during their 1L year. After I started working in law schools, this concept was solidified by countless students confiding that they felt the same way as well. So, when you feel lost or overwhelmed, remember that it is part of the process, that everyone goes through it, and that there are tons of resources (such as the academic support program at your law school) to help you get through it.

There is no amount of advice that will make 1L year completely smooth sailing, but I know for a fact that if I had heeded this advice, I would have had a much easier time adjusting to and surviving law school life.


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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.