Law school can be tough and only those that are dedicated will survive. We reached out to several lawyers and law students and asked them to provide advice for those trying to succeed in law school. Below are some of their responses.
Get a tutor or mentor
Surviving law school is really just surviving your first year since most of your core courses are given in your first year and you take mostly electives in your second and third year. I suggest getting a tutor for the subject(s) you are struggling within your first year because if your GPA is too low in your first year you will not be able to continue on with most law school programs. I also would find a mentor in your interested area of law and try to get on law review and or mock trial as they make you more attractive to large firms.
Attorney Jehan Carter, Esq.
New York Law School and University of Virginia
Principal Attorney, The Carter Law Group in Washington, D.C.
Study first then network
My advice to those trying to survive law school especially 1L is to focus on grades. The extracurriculars and socializing are cool and necessary for networking purposes but your studying must come first. You should also take advantage of office hours and any workshops your school has on exam writing
Sidney Owens
Northwestern Law Student
Don’t waste time
Don’t just “survive” law school, own it. Law school is all about time management. Sit down for 1 hour and write down your daily routine Monday through Sunday. Anything that isn’t conducive to helping you achieve your goals should be removed. You’ll be surprised by how much time you waste.
Ali J. Awad, Esq., MBA
Ali Awad Law Injury Attorneys
Take care of your mental health
My advice to law students trying to survive in law school is mental health is important you are your own competition. It’s ok to take a break and it’s ok to not know something. Don’t fall victim to Socratic method
Desiree L. Talley, Esquire
Entertainment Attorney | Law Group PLLC
Co-host of POPLAW Podcast
Focus on the goal
Remain true to your goal. When law school gets frustrating and your intellect is tested remember this, YOU ARE smart enough. If you weren’t you wouldn’t be here. There is truly light on the other end of the tunnel. Aside from that treat law school like a full-time job. Specifically, don’t concern yourself with social life, especially if you don’t want decent grades and you want to do well in law school. Work hard, stay in the library for long hours. Review your material after class while the info is still fresh in your mind. Review your outlines for each class, at minimum once a week.
Sam Q. Elira Sr. Esquire
The Law Offices of Gabriel J. Christian & Associates LLC.
For more insight about a career in law read the step-by-step journey that got her to achieve success.
PURSUING A CAREER IN LAW || INTERVIEW WITH AN ATTORNEY PT. 1
PURSUING A CAREER IN LAW || INTERVIEW WITH AN ATTORNEY PT. 2
