Quick Advice for Future Law Students, From Law Students

Thinking about law school, but worried it may be a little overwhelming? Here's some essential advice from real-life current law students to prepare you.

This blog originally appeared on New England Law | Boston's website.

The time between submitting your law school application and arriving on campus for first-year orientation will fly by. Before you know it, you’ll be a full-fledged law student, taking classes, crushing clinics, and working with faculty on cases that feel like something out of a movie. So how do you make the most of it all? Following this advice from law students who’ve been there is a good place to start.

Be thoughtful

Sit down and really think deeply about what drives your desire to be a lawyer. Your first year is daunting, humbling, and eye-opening. Remember to prioritize self-care and mental health. Law school is a high-pressure environment, and you can easily forget to take care of yourself when you’re constantly putting your energy in other things.” — Czara Venegas, New England Law Class of 2018

It’s a full-time job

Treat the first year of law school as more than a full-time job, but do not abandon your family or friends. Study hard and be intentional so that when you recuperate, you feel like you earned it.” — Ben Strobeck, New England Law Class of 2019

Related: 5 Smart Ways to Prepare for Law School in Undergrad

But you can make work…work

I’m going to completely contradict everything everyone else tells you…but you can have a job and be successful in law school (even during 1L year!). Time management is key. If you’re like me and holding a job is important to your identity, you can make it work.” — Abbey K. Young, New England Law Class of 2019

Don’t give up

Keep pushing! You will always feel like you do not understand some of the material as well as you should or that you aren’t capable, especially the first year of law school. But at the end of the day, you have to tell yourself that you made it this far, and you would not have been invited to attend the school if the admission committee didn’t think you were capable. So keep pushing—you will get through it.” — Chevelle Allison-McIntosh, New England Law Class of 2018

Related: When Is the Best Time to Apply to Law School?

Enjoy it!

“Although law school can certainly be stressful, you will become part of a tight-knit community where there will always be someone to study with or just have fun with.” — London Lundstrum, New England Law Class of 2019

Related: How to Deal With Law School Stress in Healthy Ways

We can’t say that this advice will magically make law school easier, but it does show you how much you’re capable of—even when you doubt yourself. Keep this quick advice close to your heard as you go about your academic endeavors. Law school will be worth it in the end, even if you struggle a bit along the way.

Read the full article on New England Law | Boston's website, and start searching for graduate schools with law programs on CollegeXpress.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

Florida Institute of Technology

Melbourne, FL


Katelyn

Katelyn

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress gave me options of schools with my major and from there I was able to pick what was most important to me in a school. Everything was so organized that I could see all the information I needed.

Carlie Cadet

Carlie Cadet

High School Class of 2019

CollegeXpress has helped me learn about an abundance of scholarships available to me and my situation. I was able to do research for colleges in my best interest with your website. I've had multiple colleges email me and offer me multiple scholarships and things of that nature because of this website! Thank you so much for uploading scholarships I didn’t even know existed, even if my life took a huge turn and I wasn’t able to go to college straight out of high school. CollegeXpress helped me a lot in high school to be even more motivated to get into my dream college (which I did, by the way). I'm looking forward to using the materials CollegeXpress has kindly provided me for free to look for scholarships to help pay for college.

Mimi

Mimi

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has provided me with tips that were for college students, but as a high school junior, they were still very useful. Not only that, it also gave me an idea of what to expect when it comes to going to college or already being in college. I want to say thank you to CollegeXpress, and I hope you continue the wonderful tips until I hopefully get into college and throughout my college journey.

Kelly Nogueiro

Kelly Nogueiro

Counselor

For me, CollegeXpress has given me a valuable tool to use with my students to explore colleges easily beyond objective data. It helps me find colleges for students that fit their needs and wants that aren’t quite so black and white. It's a wealth of knowledge, and the Type-A side of me loves all the lists and the fact that I know they're coming from folks who know what they're talking about. I share it with colleagues and students alike, and it's always well received.

Kayla

Kayla

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress helped me organize the schools I wanted to choose from in one place, which I could then easily compare and find the school that was right for me!