How to Survive the First Day of Law School
Tips for 1Ls on Reading Cases and Getting Adjusted
Aug 16, 2008
The best strategy any law student can have going in is the familiar Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared!" Law courses, especially first-year courses, are reading intensive and focus almost entirely on court cases. However, the predictability also makes it easy to develop a strategy.
Arrive Early and Read the Assignment in Advance
First year students, or 1Ls, should try if at all possible to get all personal affairs out of the way at least a few days before classes start. Especially if a big move is involved, there's nothing worse than having to miss all the orientation lunch breaks and optional social activities to take care of things like opening a bank account, getting a parking pass, or attending a computer workshop. It also doesn't help to be exhausted from the move on the first day of class.
Different law schools do orientation differently, but it's best to buy books and get a university e-mail account set up as quickly as possible. Law school professors expect students to have done the reading on the first day, and be ready to answer questions. Some professors are particularly aggressive with the Socratic method on Day One. The assignment may be e-mailed to all students in the class, or it may be posted somewhere in the building.
Most law schools have some sort of introductory course that goes on during orientation, so that students aren't hit with several different subjects right away. Whether or not this is true, the best plan is to start the first assignment(s) as early as possible, because the material will be new and unfamiliar.
How to Read Cases and Prepare for Class
Every law student discovers the method that's best for them, and the best method is whatever helps the individual be prepared for class, understand the material, and organize thoughts well for exam preparation. Law school is always reading-intensive, so taking extremely detailed notes usually won't last for very long.
Most students do some form of highlighting, whether it's briefing through highlights or simply trying to make note of some key points. Some prefer to brief cases on the computer or paper and highlight rules and other non-case-specific information that will be useful for exam study. Others pull this type of information from class notes or notes taken using the highlights and type it into an outline.
Whatever the method, it will be useful for the first class to have a few things available – a very brief description of the facts of the case (helpful both when asked directly and to jog the memory in a stressful class situation), the main issue or issues addressed, and the holding. These are all part of a brief, and the most likely things the professor will want to know.
Above all else, however, students should keep in mind that everyone is in the same boat. Being prepared for class will make it easy to follow what's going on and take effective notes for the exam – in many classes, the exam grade is the entire grade for the course – but making friends and attending social events, as well as being able laugh at mistakes, is the best way to find future study buddies. Many upperclassmen will attest – the more stressful and unenjoyable the experience, the lower the grades.
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