Law school is a challenging journey, but it's also an exciting one. Throughout your first year, you'll have many new experiences, meet new people and learn a lot about yourself. Whether someone in your family inspired you at a young age or you're the first in your family to graduate from college and go to law school, here are five helpful tips for a successful first year of law school:
1) Start With a Plan
Your first year of law school can feel like a whirlwind with a lot of new information, legal terms and new concepts thrown at you all at once. It's important to have a plan for how you're going to stay ahead of the curve and make sure your reading and outlines are completed each week. Here are some tips:
Have Open Communication with Friends and Family
Law school is going to take a lot of your time and it’s important for your loved ones to understand that you won’t be able to make some parties, family gatherings, etc. Make sure your family and friends understand your commitment to law school by having time management conversations with them as soon as possible. They'll appreciate how much their support means to you and you'll set the tone for your availability during the school year. Current student, Karen Lopez-Pena, said establishing a strong support system from these conversations can make or break you because having that system in place lets you come to school and focus on what needs to get done.
Make a Schedule
Only you know which strategies work best for your own academic success. Whether you organize everything in one agenda or calendar or use multi-colored highlighters and pens to organize notes, having a strong learning system in place can save you time, energy and help you get the job done. Alumni Ryan Heller (JD '22) said time management in law school isn't just important, it's everything. He says the best way to do time management, especially during your first year, is to overdo it and give yourself way more time than you need for everything. Over time, you'll see things that used to take you two or four hours to do won’t take nearly as much time.
Time Management
Create blocks of time for each subject, class or reading assignment in advance so there's no room for excuses when it comes down to reading and creating outlines. Many of our law students have families, so it can be difficult to separate study time from play time. Gail Zurek, a current SJCL student who also works full time as the President & CEO of the Visalia Chamber of Commerce and has a family. She said most working students make the mistake of thinking they're able to do 100% all of the time, but that's not sustainable. She prioritizes her week ahead starting with an Excel spreadsheet with an overview of things that need to get done for the week and she fills in the specifics in the open time slots.
2) Stay on Top of Readings and Join a Study Group
Develop good study habits early. This will be critical to your success later on. Join a reliable study group and hold each other accountable. Forming a community of others who are also working hard toward their goals is one of the best ways to stay motivated and succeed in law school. Vanessa Martens is a current SJCL student, took the First Year Law Students Exam (also known as the Baby Bar) and passed, allowing her to skip her undergrad and be admitted to law school at 20 years old. Being younger than most of her classmates and with no college experience, she was intimidated to start her first year and felt like "a little fish in a big pond." Meeting classmates who would turn into lifelong friends and joining a study group of motivated friends became huge pillars of support for her and allowed her to lean into her community at San Joaquin College of Law.
As a result of our collaborative learning environment where students are graded to a standard and not a curve, we've helped cultivate and encourage students to form study groups in order to process all the legal information they're learning more efficiently. This kind of environment is unknown at most law schools and when you combine our small class sizes and dedicated faculty, the result is well-informed law students with a support system that's dedicated to their success.
3) Start Networking Early
Known as the process of cultivating long-term relationships with classmates, faculty, administration and alumni to get information and learn about job opportunities, networking while you're in law school can benefit you tremendously. It's a smart and efficient way to get to know the legal community and your peers while you're still a student and also a taste of what life is like after law school.
Asking questions in class and scheduling time to meet with professors during their office hours are great ways to get to know your SJCL professors (many of which are current legal professionals or own their own practice). With a vast amount of knowledge in so many areas of law, there are plenty of things to learn and building these relationships now can help you in the long run long after you've graduated.
In addition to networking with faculty, you should start building relationships with the SJCL administration. Our Director of Student Services, Joyce Morodomi, is dedicated to providing valuable insight into what life will be like once you’re done with law school, as well as connecting you with internships or job opportunities with SJCL alumni and potential employers.
Also, joining student organizations is a great way to meet new people while also being part of a supportive community of like-minded law students. With plenty of fun events throughout the school year as well as more networking opportunities, it's a great way to balance socializing with your peers while still focusing on law school.
Finally, don’t forget about alumni! What better place to get advice and learn more about a career path you're interested in than from someone who's been in your shoes? Our extensive alumni network (LINK) knows how hard you're working and what it takes to be successful in law school and after graduation. Many of our alumni come back to speak to new law students at our Career Panel and love to share advice and information to those who are interested.
4) Try to Maintain a Healthy Balance
Taking care of your health is your first priority and maintaining a healthy balance between school, homework, family time and any other important areas of your life is essential to your success. Exercise, sleep, and eat well. This is important for everyone's overall health and wellness, but even more so for law school students. Make sure you take breaks in between studying and take the time to do things that make you happy, like working out or going for a hike. Fresno State alumni and current SJCL student, Lisa Talley, says studying or working in bite-sized chunks is helpful. When you look at reading, deadlines and projects lumped together, it can feel overwhelming, so she recommends focusing on the next step, one bite at a time, and chipping away at the things you need to accomplish.
5) Always Remember Your "Why"
During your first year of law school, there will be stressful days. During those times, remember "why" you chose to go to law school in the first place. Like Mae West once said, “I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it.” Law school will challenge you, push you and may even make you question whether you made the right choice at times. When that happens, remember the reason you chose to go to law school and remind yourself of the impact that attending law school will have on your life, career and community. Whether you want to show everyone in your family that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to or you want to be a shining example for your children that hard work pays off when you're working towards your goals, this motivation will keep you going and help you power through those tough days. When the time comes to walk across that graduation stage, you'll be glad you kept going.
Want to learn more about San Joaquin College of Law, attend a virtual student forum or set up an appointment to discuss your law school future? Contact our Assistant Director of Admissions, Francisco "Javier" Rosas, or our Director of Admissions, Diane Steel, today.