Future law students often wonder how to spend the summer before law school. Should you rest? Or are there certain things incoming 1Ls can do to get a leg up? Read on for the details.
Future Law Students Should Learn Self Care and Spend Time Developing or Rekindling their Hobbies
Congratulations on your acceptance to law school! You are about to embark on a journey that few get to experience. Law school is rewarding, but it is also demanding.
You’ll spend the next three years studying and working towards your law degree. After graduation, you’ll begin studying for the bar. And once you start your post-graduate position, you’ll spend a lot of time learning how to practice law and putting your best foot forward.
It will be one of the most intense times of your life. But you’ve made it this far, so you can do it!
You belong here, but like every other incoming law student, you’ve got your work cut out for you.
So it is important to spend the summer before your 1L year relaxing, establishing solid self-care routines, and developing or reigniting your interest in hobbies.
After that, if you’d still like to gain a leg up, read on.
Future Law Students Can Gain a Leg up by Familiarizing themselves with Law School Resources
There is a lot to learn during law school, and the best people to teach you the fundamentals of law are your professors. But you can begin to familiarize yourself with law school resources and success tips before your first day.
Here are a few to get you started:
Five Great Resources for First-Year and Pre-Law Students: Click here to check out this article which features great resources, including links to an in-depth guide on outlining for law school exams!
Five Common Law School Myths Debunked: Law school can be a bit of a rumor mill! So check out this article here to learn about some of the myths you’ll hear during law school and the truth about them.
Five Tips to Succeed in Law School: Your studying habits will change in law school, and you’ll have a lot of questions about what and how to learn. Get a leg up by reading tips from a successful law student here!
Seven Things I Wish I’d Known in Law School: Finally, I saved the best for last. This article has practical advice about surviving and succeeding in law school.
Incoming 1Ls: Be on the Lookout for Communications from your Law School
Leading up to law school orientation, your school will likely send out communications concerning mandatory and optional pre-orientation activities.
For example, some schools provide incoming students the opportunity to meet their peers before the first day, while other schools send out optional summer reading lists.
Now you certainly shouldn’t read every book on that list, but if you’d like to read a few, here are my recommendations:
Why I recommend it: This book will help you to improve your writing skills before and during law school. And writing skills are crucial for success in law school and in practice. To purchase the elements of style, click here. Please note, that this is an affiliate link. If you make a purchase through my site, I may obtain a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Why I recommend it: This book teaches you how to write a successful law school exam. Law school exams are unlike anything you’ve ever encountered before. And since most if not all of your grade depends on the exam, Getting to Maybe is a game-changer. Please note, that this link is also an affiliate link. Like the link above, if you make a purchase through my link, I may receive a small commission, which helps me run this blog. My opinions remain my own, and Getting to Maybe is an excellent book that I would recommend to any future law student.
Incoming law students should Ultimately spend the Summer before 1L Year Relaxing
Again, law school is going to be an intense experience, so please take it easy this summer. The above advice will provide you with some quick and easy ways to gain a leg up while still taking time to rest and recuperate.
You’ve already been going hard for four years, so try to enjoy this summer as much as possible before you jump back into the fire.
If you liked Future Law Students: How to Spend the Summer Before Law School:
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