One approach to 1L success from someone ranked #1. Forum

[Holly Golightly]

As an about-to-be 1L, this thread provides a nicely detailed and appreciated insight into preparation options. While I believe in preparation, it isn’t a secret-sauce that always work. . . I was practice scoring in the 175-178 LSAT range, but apparently choked on test day―170―good enough for the bottom half of the T-6 (and a likely debt of +$200K). What I hope is addressed at some point is preparation for OCI. To me the primary benefit of a high “T” ranking are the OCI opportunities. If not for the inducement of the OCI, I would have opted for a free ride at a respectable Tier 1 school. Is Law Review, or Moot Court honors or [is it] something else that paves the way for a successful OCI outcome?

As a side note, I am glad to read that the OP suggests reading prior to entering LS. A number of posters have suggested that it is a waste of time because of various reasons. I just received my code to LexisNexis so I suppose reading indoors beats 103° outdoors!

...what could you possibly do on Lexis that would be at all useful before attending a single class?

[paulinaporizkova]

As an about-to-be 1L, this thread provides a nicely detailed and appreciated insight into preparation options. While I believe in preparation, it isn’t a secret-sauce that always work. . . I was practice scoring in the 175-178 LSAT range, but apparently choked on test day―170―good enough for the bottom half of the T-6 (and a likely debt of +$200K). What I hope is addressed at some point is preparation for OCI. To me the primary benefit of a high “T” ranking are the OCI opportunities. If not for the inducement of the OCI, I would have opted for a free ride at a respectable Tier 1 school. Is Law Review, or Moot Court honors or [is it] something else that paves the way for a successful OCI outcome?

As a side note, I am glad to read that the OP suggests reading prior to entering LS. A number of posters have suggested that it is a waste of time because of various reasons. I just received my code to LexisNexis so I suppose reading indoors beats 103° outdoors!

...what could you possibly do on Lexis that would be at all useful before attending a single class?

JUST USE YOUR IMAGINATION OKAY

[Kilpatrick]

As an about-to-be 1L, this thread provides a nicely detailed and appreciated insight into preparation options. While I believe in preparation, it isn’t a secret-sauce that always work. . . I was practice scoring in the 175-178 LSAT range, but apparently choked on test day―170―good enough for the bottom half of the T-6 (and a likely debt of +$200K). What I hope is addressed at some point is preparation for OCI. To me the primary benefit of a high “T” ranking are the OCI opportunities. If not for the inducement of the OCI, I would have opted for a free ride at a respectable Tier 1 school. Is Law Review, or Moot Court honors or [is it] something else that paves the way for a successful OCI outcome?

As a side note, I am glad to read that the OP suggests reading prior to entering LS. A number of posters have suggested that it is a waste of time because of various reasons. I just received my code to LexisNexis so I suppose reading indoors beats 103° outdoors!

You actually paid money to sign up for Lexis? You're not even 0L gunning right - you should've got Westlaw

[Borhas]

I just received my code to LexisNexis so I suppose reading indoors beats 103° outdoors!

this might literally be the biggest waste of time I've ever heard of

[Renne Walker]

You actually paid money to sign up for Lexis? You're not even 0L gunning right - you should've got Westlaw

It is free. . . unless one includes tuition : ). Westlaw should be available sometime soon. Whether or not these databases are helpful today is questionable. . . but when classes begin, they should come in handy. Right?

[goodolgil]

You actually paid money to sign up for Lexis? You're not even 0L gunning right - you should've got Westlaw

It is free. . . unless one includes tuition : ). Westlaw should be available sometime soon. Whether or not these databases are helpful today is questionable. . . but when classes begin, they should come in handy. Right?

The only class you're going to use those for is Legal Writing.

[brose]

@ prepping by reading lexis lol

[Kilpatrick]

You actually paid money to sign up for Lexis? You're not even 0L gunning right - you should've got Westlaw

It is free. . . unless one includes tuition : ). Westlaw should be available sometime soon. Whether or not these databases are helpful today is questionable. . . but when classes begin, they should come in handy. Right?

Oh ok good. I didn't realize you would get your law school Lexis pass so early. When classes begin it's handy if you didn't read for the day and you get cold called. Those summaries at the beginning of the cases can prevent you from being completely humiliated.

[romothesavior]

You actually paid money to sign up for Lexis? You're not even 0L gunning right - you should've got Westlaw

It is free. . . unless one includes tuition : ). Westlaw should be available sometime soon. Whether or not these databases are helpful today is questionable. . . but when classes begin, they should come in handy. Right?

Wrong. This is a bigger waste of time than the 0L who told me they're spending their summer reading the Bluebook.

[accepted10]

Wow your schedule is impressive. I know I couldn't have survived my 1L without doing prep. I took a 1L year prep course called Law School Bootcamp. They went over all 1L subjects. I also developed my own schedule similar to yours but I scheduled a little extra time for socializing. I hope this helps all of you entering your 1L year.

[Kilpatrick]

Wow your schedule is impressive. I know I couldn't have survived my 1L without doing prep. I took a 1L year prep course called Law School Bootcamp. They went over all 1L subjects. I also developed my own schedule similar to yours but I scheduled a little extra time for socializing. I hope this helps all of you entering your 1L year.

This is the 2nd shill for Law School Bootcamp I've seen today.

What exactly did they teach you in this camp that was worth a thousand bucks?

[NYC Law]

Wow your schedule is impressive. I know I couldn't have survived my 1L without doing prep. I took a 1L year prep course called Law School Bootcamp. They went over all 1L subjects. I also developed my own schedule similar to yours but I scheduled a little extra time for socializing. I hope this helps all of you entering your 1L year.

This is the 2nd shill for Law School Bootcamp I've seen today.

What exactly did they teach you in this camp that was worth a thousand bucks?

Did the other one also have <10 posts?

[Kilpatrick]

Wow your schedule is impressive. I know I couldn't have survived my 1L without doing prep. I took a 1L year prep course called Law School Bootcamp. They went over all 1L subjects. I also developed my own schedule similar to yours but I scheduled a little extra time for socializing. I hope this helps all of you entering your 1L year.

This is the 2nd shill for Law School Bootcamp I've seen today.

What exactly did they teach you in this camp that was worth a thousand bucks?

Did the other one also have <10 posts?

Three, and they all mentioned Law School Bootcamp

[NYC Law]

Wow your schedule is impressive. I know I couldn't have survived my 1L without doing prep. I took a 1L year prep course called Law School Bootcamp. They went over all 1L subjects. I also developed my own schedule similar to yours but I scheduled a little extra time for socializing. I hope this helps all of you entering your 1L year.

This is the 2nd shill for Law School Bootcamp I've seen today.

What exactly did they teach you in this camp that was worth a thousand bucks?

Did the other one also have <10 posts?

Three, and they all mentioned Law School Bootcamp

Just reported this one for spam then.

[Kilpatrick]

OLs - make an informed decision about whether to do 0L prep. There are arguments on both sides. But certainly don't pay a thousand bucks to do it. There's nothing they can teach you that you can't learn on your own for free or for cheap. Guides like the one in the OP are a way better resource.

[fish52]

This person's life sounds absolutely miserable. Congrats to OP on the #1, but at what price?? I'm sure there are plenty of people at peer schools who actually made friends, joined clinics, engaged in activities other than obsessing over class prep, actually had a LIFE, and will be making the same amount of money as OP after graduation.

Sure, being #1 might provide some additional security, but there are PLENTY of people in BigLaw that are not OP.

[NYC Law]

5 bucks says OP is a 0L trolling all the other 0Ls.

[BruceWayne]

....

[Dany]

This person's life sounds absolutely miserable. Congrats to OP on the #1, but at what price?? I'm sure there are plenty of people at peer schools who actually made friends, joined clinics, engaged in activities other than obsessing over class prep, actually had a LIFE, and will be making the same amount of money as OP after graduation.

Sure, being #1 might provide some additional security, but there are PLENTY of people in BigLaw that are not OP.

I'm positive there are many, many more people from similarly ranked schools who will be making much less than OP.

[NYC Law]

5 bucks says OP is a 0L trolling all the other 0Ls.

20 bucks says you're one of those posters who trolls 0Ls telling them that "0L prep is useless" and most people at my school with very high grades are "laid back" but "really smart and know how to apply law to fact". People push that garbage like mad on here but most of the people with tip top grades go berserk durinig 1L. Maybe not quite as beserk as the OP, but pretty damn wild. And honestly, the one's who are as high up as the OP do put in this kind of work.

Chill, I'm a 0L lol. It was just an amusing hypothetical.

But I don't really care either way, I've seen convincing arguments on both sides. It just seems like personal choice (I personally am going to do some 0L prep, just read the E&Es for a basic understanding).

[fish52]

This person's life sounds absolutely miserable. Congrats to OP on the #1, but at what price?? I'm sure there are plenty of people at peer schools who actually made friends, joined clinics, engaged in activities other than obsessing over class prep, actually had a LIFE, and will be making the same amount of money as OP after graduation.

Sure, being #1 might provide some additional security, but there are PLENTY of people in BigLaw that are not OP.

I'm positive there are many, many more people from similarly ranked schools who will be making much less than OP.

Umm....agreed? I think you're missing my point.

Conversely, there are probably many people at similarly ranked schools that will be making much MORE than OP. The world doesn't work in such a fashion that output equals input. One can slave away, be #1 in their class at a T6, and they will STILL end up making less than many who graduated in the middle of their class at a #70 law school who made smart investment decisions. Hell, Johnnie Cochran went to Loyola Law School and probably made more money than OP ever will. This kind of "lack of order in the universe" is far more common than most are willing to admit.

OP provides an....ambitious....schedule for 1Ls to try to imitate--and certainly, that's helpful. OP is #1, and certainly that is commendable. But Jesus, I'd rather jump off a bridge.

[crossingforHYS]

I'm ocd and will give this schedule a try.....but we will see

[Dany]

OP doesn't go to a T6. He goes to school where it's pretty much necessary to do extremely well to get biglaw. So you spouting off anecdotes about all the people who didn't work that hard to get biglaw is kind of ridiculous because the majority of those people probably went to the very top schools. They're not from OP's peer schools. OP posted what worked for him. He acknowledged his priorities and lifestyle are somewhat different than the average student's. You don't have to follow the same routine, nor does anyone else. But bashing OP's study habits for being miserable and suicide-inducing doesn't exactly encourage other people to post what worked for them, and that's certainly something useful for TLS.

[Wholigan]

68 paragraphs on being the uber gunner of all gunners

I just received my code to LexisNexis so I suppose reading indoors beats 103° outdoors!

I'm ocd and will give this schedule a try.....but we will see

I know someone is going to dispute this, but OP has an LSAT score 13-15 points higher than the likely median at his school. That's extremely rare, and I'd say it plays into his #1 ranking as much as, if not more than, all of the gunner tactics combined. I tip my hat to OP since this worked out really well for him, but I bet he could have been at least one of the top three people in his class doing 25% of the amount of work he did.

[23402385985]

68 paragraphs on being the uber gunner of all gunners

I just received my code to LexisNexis so I suppose reading indoors beats 103° outdoors!

I'm ocd and will give this schedule a try.....but we will see

I know someone is going to dispute this, but OP has an LSAT score 13-15 points higher than the likely median at his school. That's extremely rare, and I'd say it plays into his #1 ranking as much as, if not more than, all of the gunner tactics combined. I tip my hat to OP since this worked out really well for him, but I bet he could have been at least one of the top three people in his class doing 25% of the amount of work he did.

While true, it goes along with what a few others did who were similarly ranked at the end of their 1L.