You may be overwhelmed with the amount of advice you’re getting as you get ready to start law school. Everyone you talk to has an opinion on what you should focus on as you begin law school. Do law review! Learn to argue both sides! Read Getting To Maybe! Focus on law school grades! Don’t kiss your classmates! Find a significant other that will graduate with a Biglaw job!
It can certainly be overwhelming keeping track of all the advice – especially when some of it is conflicting. We’ve been there so we know how you feel and we can assure you that most of the advice is take it or leave it.
Luckily, here at Law School Supplies we have made it to the other side and we can look back with wisdom to tell you what your absolute #1 focus should be as you begin law school.
Grades!
Ugh, you were hoping we would say kiss your classmates. While that is certainly an option for one of your priorities (and we will discuss below), the truth is that grades need to be your number one priority from day one. Here’s why:
The better your law school grades, the better your internships, the better your job.
The majority of the time, when the recruiting attorney looks at your resume, the first thing (and maybe only thing) they will look at is your law school GPA. Some positions have minimum GPA requirements (hint: if you are close, still apply because they aren’t always hard cut-offs) and you won’t even make it out of the initial stack of resume without a high enough GPA. Even if a firm doesn’t have a GPA requirement, they will still look favorably on the higher GPA candidates.
We don’t agree that this is the best way to hire someone, but it is a somewhat neutral indicator and the human brain is bias towards ranking numbers. And, the most important number is your law school GPA and/or class rank.
So, the better your law school GPA is, the better your summer internship prospects will be. And, in law school, your summer internships can often lead to your first full time job offer coming out of law school. So, if you want to have the best job prospects when you graduate, you should get the best summer internships possible and the best way to do that is with grades.
Your law school grades are in your control.
If there is one thing you can take total responsibility for and know that everything you do will lead to a better result, it’s your grades. Obviously, there are rare circumstances that may be out of your control than can disadvantage you. But, for 99% of the time, if you put in the effort, meet with your professors, do as many practice exams are humanly possible you will reap the benefits of your toils.
Many other things in law school are outside your control. You can’t know for sure if you’ll get on law review. Maybe the students making the selection don’t like you. You aren’t on the hiring committee for the firm’s summer internship program. Your favorite professor maybe likes another student better for the teaching assistant position. Unfortunately, life is full of circumstances we can’t control (and that’s a tough pill to swallow for all us A-type personalities in law school that demand perfection, right?).
The good news is that your law school grades are largely in your control. This is the most important thing that you can influence that will literally shape the trajectory of the rest of your life. And, your grades are forever. If you got an A in civil procedure your 1L year, nobody can take that away from you. You might still be bragging about it even after you graduate.
First year law school grades may be the only ones that matter.
If you’re starting to feel the pressure to make good grades, don’t give yourself an anxiety attack just yet. You may only have to prioritize your grades for one year. One year? That’s right! You can do that. It’s only a few short weeks. If there is a time to give it a go and try your hardest, the first year of law school is it.
The reason for this is because a lot of summer internships for the summer between your second year and third year interview in the summer between your first year and second year or the fall of your second year. This means that the only grades the recruiters have to look at when you apply are your first year grades. That is why your first year grades are the most important.
Once you have your second summer internship locked down, you can rest easy because that internship usually will become your first job offer. It is a weird thought that some law firm will pay you a salary based on your grades and resume after only one year of law school, but that is how it works.
So, if you get great grades your first year, those may be the only grades that ever matter. You’ll want to continue doing well, but as long as you don’t start failing classes, nobody will probably ever ask about your grades again.
And don’t worry, if you don’t do well your first year, you still have two more years to get good grades and bump the GPA up. Just know that it will be a little more of an uphill battle.
How do I get good grades?
It will take some trial and error to get the hang of law school learning but if you can remember these three tips you’ll be 80% of the way there.
- Pay Attention – you’ll be surprised how many of your classmates stop doing this after the first two weeks. You won’t, but they will. Always pay attention to the professor in class. Read all your cases. Brief all your cases. Be ready for a cold call. Don’t use Facebook or Instagram during class. Staying locked in and focused on the lecture all semester long will ensure you’ve got the knowledge.
- Practice Exams – beginning right before midterms you need to start doing practice questions. You don’t really know anything until you start trying to apply the law to random fact patterns. It will feel strange at first. Keep on trying and checking your answers against model answer. Eventually you’ll get the hang of it. Then, at the end of the semester get your hands on as many practice problems and old exams as possible. Do all of them. Check against the model answers. Ask you TA or Professor to grade them. This is the true secret to mastering law school exams.
- Meet with your Professor – this can be scary but it will be worth it. If you don’t know what to meet about, email your law school professor and ask if they would grade one of your practice exam answers. Email them the question and your answer ahead of time and then go to the office to review it with your professor. You’ll gain insight into how your professor thinks. Your professor will learn who you are. All of these things lead to higher grades.
But what’s the deal with the law school dating scene?
Alright, we know that is what you really wanted to hear. Despite every warning we can give, human nature has remained unchanged for millennia. When groups of people get together they start to bond. When the group of people gets together and goes through something difficult (like law school) those bonds become even stronger. And, when people get together and form strong bonds and find themselves in groups of two a common scenario happens.
You’ll see lots of your classmates dating in law school. Some classmates will pair up because they fancy each other. Other classmates come in law school as if they are on a fresh season of the ABC’s the Bachelor or Bachelorette. Even more shocking perhaps, some classmates will leave their long term relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend they had before law school for someone they just met because they like the future prospects better.
The law school romantic relationships can get ugly or blossom into a wonderful relationship. Marriage shortly before or after graduation is not out of the question either (we’ve seen it many times). Whatever you choose to do or how you choose to do it, keep these tips in mind.
- You came to law school to improve your career. Grades, internships, and job offers improve your career. Don’t let anything reduce your grades, internships, or job offers.
- Think about the worst scenario because it is more likely to happen than you think. The person you are swooning over is going to be spending the next three years in the same classrooms as you. If things end poorly between the two of you, they may be airing your dirty laundry. So, form those strong bonds with people you trust.
- You have infinity chances to find and date somebody. You only get three years to get the highest possible grades in law school. And, if you do well in school and head off to a great job, there may be even better prospects down the road.
Conclusion
So, remember that grades should be your number one focus because they lead to a better life for you. Law school can be full of dating opportunities, if you wish. We recommend you prioritize grades though. There will be ample dating opportunities once you’re a licensed attorney as well!