“Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

—Abraham Lincoln

If you are starting your first year of law school, the last thing you may feel you need is more reading, so we’ll keep this short. Here are a few things we wish we’d known before starting law school:

1. Remember why you’re here. Law school is like a river: it moves fast and pushes you hard.  But if you have a clear sense of purpose—if you can keep in mind why you came to law school and what you want to accomplish while you’re here—you don’t have to drown in the demands of law school or get swept along in directions you don’t want to go.
2. You can’t do everything.  Like most law school students, you probably have the attitude that you can accomplish anything you want if you just work hard enough.  It’s an attitude that has served you well in life.  But it won’t work in law school!  Why not?  Because the river of law school  is bottomless. There are not enough hours in anyone’s week to do everything law school offers. Moot court, trial advocacy, law review, student government, meditation, clubs… there are dozens of worthwhile pursuits available in law school.  Saying “no” to a challenge may be a new experience for you, but you need to learn to do it. Better to accept that now than wait until you’re in over your head.
3. Find a balance. The law school river is not only fast and deep, it’s also long.  Three years long.  To do your best, you need to find a pace you can maintain. Do not ignore your health, your relationships, or your emotional and spiritual well-being for the sake of academics.  In the long run, staying balanced and healthy will give you your best chance at success.
4. Commit the time. We don’t want to downplay the importance of studying-obviously that’s crucial.  In our experience, the best approach is to decide (in consultation with your significant other) how much time you will commit to study every week.  Then block those hours into your schedule. Don’t leave it to chance to study “when you can”.  Decide exactly when and where you will put in those hours, and the stick to your schedule.  (Try starting with 45 to 60 hours of study-time per week and reevaluate after a few weeks.)
5. Form a study group. Find three or four classmates you want to work with. Each of you choose to be the “expert” in one of your core classes.  Do the reading and take notes in all your classes, but in your chosen specialty class go above and beyond.  Read supplemental materials.  Ask questions. Get to know the professor outside of class. Ask for extra reading. Master that one subject as well as you can. Then, once a week, meet as a study group to review your class notes for one subject. (For example, on the first Saturday of each month you may go over your Contracts together; Second Saturday may be Property;  Third Saturday, Civil Procedure, etc).   In that weekly study group, bring your class notes completely up to date.  Each member prepares his or her own complete class study guide, but you can help each other by comparing notes, asking questions and pointing out errors. The “expert” on that subject leads the discussion and helps other members by answering their questions, adding insights and making clarifications.

   Obviously, choosing your study group partners well can be crucial. Look for people you can work with and respect: capable people who are committed to being there and doing their best.  Being the “smartest” doesn’t necessarily make someone a good study partner.  Meet together and discuss your goals before committing to the group.  Make sure you’ve ironed out exactly what you’ll do and what you expect of each other.

6. Don’t let school get in the way of your education. As you settle into the routine of law school, and find your pace, try to stay open to extraordinary learning opportunities.  You can’t do everything, as we’ve said, but you can take advantage of opportunities that aren’t necessarily on the syllabus. An on-campus lecture, a service project, a research assignment for a professor, a recommended reading… they may lead to some of the most rewarding experiences you have in law school, even if they don’t offer any class credit.  Your classes are important, but your education is even more so.

If you’d like to share some of your  own advice for 1Ls, or if you have a question about law school, post it below.

–ASLLC Managing Editors