What Should I Do Before Law School

It’s August, and that means for some of you, law school is just around the corner. Yes, that means stress, so what can you do BEFORE you start classes, that will help you avoid stress?

First and foremost, enjoy your remaining down time. Take the next few weeks to spend time with family and friends, and just generally get your life in order. You don’t want outside stress to come in, as much as you can help it, since law school itself is stressful enough.

Second, try to familiarize yourself with how to read and brief a case before the stress of class sets in. Many of your law schools might have an orientation program that focuses on this, and LawTutors, LLC has a “pre law program” that teaches you what to expect with your classes, as well as how to brief and read cases. I've also written a previous article on how to prepare for classes.

Becoming familiar with the layout of cases makes the reading less daunting when classes finally arrive. You may be thinking that you’ve made it into law school, so obviously you know how to read. This is true, but keep in mind that a case book looks nothing like a text book. And, in most law schools, no one tells you what you should be taking away from reading a case. The more practice you have, the easier it becomes, so take any free time in August to try your hand at a few. That way, they won't seem so strange when classes begin.

Before I started law school, I also glanced through a few Examples and Explanations, which is now my favorite supplement; I recommend them to all of my students. They allowed me to learn some very basic black letter law so that reading cases was not as daunting or confusing. It is important to note that your case books will not teach you black letter law, which is why books like E&E are very helpful.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions, you don’t want to go your entire semester without knowing what an outline is, or what it means to “brief”. Don’t be afraid to go to upper classman, professors or advisors. Also, a great book to read in August is Law School Confidential. It was a favorite of mine, and helped clear up a lot of confusion.

I also recommend Guerrila Tactics for Getting The Legal Job Of Your Dreams. Yes, it focuses on careers, but also imparts a lot of helpful hints on things you can do during your first year to help yo land that ideal firs job!

Also, don’t be afraid to go to professors with questions! As a professor myself, I consider part of my job to be answering student’s questions, and get very bored during my office hours if no one comes to visit. We don’t want our students getting confused or falling behind, so don’t be afraid to visit us! Many first years are terrified to visit during office hours, and I assure you, we don't bite!

Lastly, get to know the city you are in, find a good place to study, know your route to and from law school, find good places to eat, find a good gym, all that stuff that will make life so much easier when law school starts.