Tips for new law students
After four years at law school, two of which have been affected by the pandemic, I am finally reaching the end of my very long journey to becoming a lawyer (one year to go!). I haven’t had a conventional or linear experience of law school - on the contrary, I have been both a full-time and part-time student, taken whole semesters off, dropped subjects, applied for extensions and support for mental health and familial reasons, and have come to law school from a low socioeconomic background. Ultimately, what I’ve learned is that there is no one way to do or succeed in law school, and you should never feel pressured to comply with the standards of others. Compete with yourself only.
This year, I had the pleasure of mentoring first year law students in their first five weeks. Not only was this one of the most rewarding experiences of my law school career (I chose this over pursuing a position with the law journal), but it enabled me to reflect on my experience over the past four years and share what worked, what didn’t, and what I would do differently if I had my time again. As we near the new academic year in Australia, I thought I’d share my tips for new law students:
Preparing for law school
At least in Australia, there isn’t really much you can do to prepare for law school. Unless you have legal experience (from studying other law-adjacent courses at tertiary level or working in the legal sector), reading cases and statutes is almost pointless as you don’t know what you’re looking for or how to apply the law.
The best thing to do is just to enjoy your time off before the intensity of studying commences. But, if you must do anything to prepare, the following are advisable:
Practice reading (not cases, just reading). This will help you get through the onerous amounts of assigned reading with decent comprehension. The year before I started law school, I took a gap year which I used to travel, hang out with friends, and read a ridiculous amount of books just for fun. This turned out to be an excellent decision as I felt rested and ready for the academic year and I always managed to complete assigned reading (and sometimes further reading) ahead of class.
Keep up to date with current affairs. Reading or watching the news is an excellent way to keep abreast of legal issues, retold for the layperson. Flick through an online news website or broadsheet occasionally to see what significant telecom mergers are taking place and how it impacts the community and the economy, or what new criminal justice issues are being debated in a courtroom in your city.
Spend time with your friends and family, and tell them you will be busy once the academic year commences. Law school absorbs a lot of your time. From reading to classes, assignments and exams, you barely have a minute spare between sleeping and eating. To maintain your relationships, it is important that the people in your life understand that your time will be limited, but you will make time for them when you can (plus, you will need their support when things get tough).
Surviving law school
You do not have to complete law school in the standard timeframe. You are young, you are not in a rush to catch up with peers. On my very first day of law school, my teacher asked why I was taking a full course load and I honestly had no answer aside from the fact that it was what I thought I had to do. He recommended that I drop down to part-time or least lighten the load by one subject to make sure I could enjoy the experience and not destroy my mental health. I refused his advice and was diagnosed with anxiety and depression during my first exam season. I have been a part-time student ever since.
Be consistent. This might depend on what kind of learner you are and the subject which you are undertaking, but I have found that being consistent in my study routine has paid dividends when it comes to my results and the stress I feel around assessments. Doing a little bit everyday means you can plan time for yourself, time with friends, etc., around your work and study commitments without feeling guilty. I generally studied in smaller blocks everyday, and even allocate small blocks of time or word count goals (e.g. 300 words/day) to complete assignments. This is reflective of the time blocking method for productivity, which basically involves setting a block of time to work on a singular task (such as responding to emails, writing an assignment, reading, etc.). The concept is tied in with Parkinson’s Law, which means a task expands to fill the time you allocate to it.
Find a note-taking system that works for you. Everyone takes notes differently - some by hand, others digitally across a variety of platforms. I have personally used Microsoft OneNote for my first two years, before migrating to Notion more recently. However, I have friends who kept all of their notes in a single Microsoft Word document which they eventually turned into their exam notes (meanwhile, I was duplicating a lot of material across). The main point is to stick to one method for the term so all your notes are in a singular place. In the increasingly digital learning environment, I would recommend digital note-taking for the purpose of being able to use CTRL+F/CMD+F while doing assignments or during an online, open-book exam.
Use your school’s resources. Most schools offer course guidance, career counselling, mental health and other health services, for students free of charge. In addition, there are often processes for extensions or special consideration where you have been unwell or experienced some form of hardship. Those resources are there for you. Use them. Access them early and get help if you need. Please do not feel any shame in seeking assistance.
Grades are not the only thing that matters. Your first few grades at law school might shock or surprise you. There are a few reasons for this:
You’ve never done this before
You’re still learning
Law school is hard
Whilst grades are important in some areas of practice, there are so many other areas where your demeanour and work experience will be the deciding factor. If you receive a grade that you are not entirely happy with, ask for feedback or meet with your teacher to discuss it. Take a “bad” grade as a learning experience - you can always access learning assistance through your school or online if necessary. Remember that your grades will get better with practice.
I hope these tips help ease some anxiety about what is to come for all you future law students. If you would like some more specific law tips, please comment and let me know.