A law degree is one of the hardest degrees there is and surviving law school is a real challenge. Your GPA and class rank have a direct impact on your career after your graduate, so it’s crucial that you perform well if you want to be successful as a lawyer. Unfortunately, a lot of people struggle, and it seriously impacts their ability to find work later in life. If you are planning to go to law school, make sure you read these survival tips first.
Take Notes
Studying is hard, but it can be made easier if you make good use of your time. Taking notes during class is one of the best things that you can do because everything that is said in class will be important. Those obscure laws that you haven’t heard of before are being mentioned for a reason and they’ll probably come up in the exam, so make detailed notes of everything.
Network With Older Students
The last thing that you want to do is go through law school alone. The people who are a few years ahead in their studies can teach you how to survive because they’ve been through it all already. You should reach out to these older students and ask them if they would be willing to give you some advice. They’ll tell you the things that worked for them during study sessions and give you tips on how to manage the workload. They can also give you guidance on which courses to take, depending on your future career plans.
Don’t Be Afraid To Transfer
If your school isn’t working out or you change your mind about which area of law you want to go into, don’t be afraid to transfer if it furthers your career. You will have to write an application and a solid transfer law school personal statement, but if you can get a place at a different school, it can help you meet your long-term goals. However, make sure you are transferring for the right reasons and not just because you are struggling with the course material. The difficulty will be the same at your new school, so you won’t solve the problem.
Learn The IRAC Format
The IRAC method of essay writing is a very effective tool for anyone looking to pass the bar. It stands for Issue, Rule, Application, and Conclusion and it’s used by law students all over the world because it helps present arguments more effectively. This format will also help you during your coursework and research papers, so practice using it with every assignment that you get back. Your grades will suffer if you don’t follow this format closely, so learn it early on.
Join Extracurricular Activities
There are some great extracurricular activities at law school like moot court, law review, and trial team. These activities look great on your resume and can help you stand out from the crowd. The more desirable extracurriculars that you join, the better chances you’ll have of getting a job with a top law firm when you graduate.
Law school is always a huge challenge but if you follow these tips, you stand a much better chance of success.
