LR Advice Forum

[HiiPower2015]

I know most people say always do LR but I was hoping for some guidance.

I just finished 1L year and go to a TTT and want to do criminal defense/general practice in my small hometown when I graduate or a PD office if possible. Next year I will be working for a local prominent capital defense attorney, the local PD's office and will be a RA for one of my professors. I really don't want to give up any of these two internships because they will both give me great experiences. I am not sure whether I would have the time to LR on top of these three things and my classes, and if so would it be worth it considering my career goals. A few attorneys I've talked to have said I should focus on as much actual hands-on experience as I can. My grades were pretty good first semester, top 5%, but haven't gotten back any for this semester yet. Wondering if I should even do the LR write-on or just focus on my internships next semester. This summer I will be working for the same capital defense attorney and also with a regional Legal-Aid office.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I think if you know for certain that you want to do criminal defense, LR isn't very helpful to you - as the attorneys said, getting hands-on experience is much more important. You clearly have excellent grades, so that part of your resume is covered. The advantage to doing LR would be if you decide you want to clerk, it helps, or if you suddenly decide you want to try for biglaw or something, LR is one of those boxes to check to show you're accumulating the right credentials. But I know any number of people who went into criminal defense without LR and it wasn't the slightest detriment to them.

If you're risk-averse, doing LR will probably not hurt you. But I don't see it being especially helpful given your goals (or, not as helpful as the other things you could do with the time.)

[HiiPower2015]

I think if you know for certain that you want to do criminal defense, LR isn't very helpful to you - as the attorneys said, getting hands-on experience is much more important. You clearly have excellent grades, so that part of your resume is covered. The advantage to doing LR would be if you decide you want to clerk, it helps, or if you suddenly decide you want to try for biglaw or something, LR is one of those boxes to check to show you're accumulating the right credentials. But I know any number of people who went into criminal defense without LR and it wasn't the slightest detriment to them.

If you're risk-averse, doing LR will probably not hurt you. But I don't see it being especially helpful given your goals (or, not as helpful as the other things you could do with the time.)

Thanks for the advice, that is how I was leaning but hearing everybody else talk about doing the write-on and they all thought I was crazy not to do it. And we don't have any sort of criminal law journal or anything that would be helpful either.

[NotMyRealName09]

I don't know, an accolade is an an accolade, and there is no more universally recognized law school accolade than Law Review. Just do it, you're in law school to position yourself for a career. You're a 1L, who knows what you'll actually be doing in five years. You say criminal defense now, but you don't know anything about the actual practice of law yet. And if an opportunity comes knocking, LR on the resume is a big help - not just for "big law," but ANYTHING law related. In fact, if you're top 5% and don't have LR, that might raise questions - I'd wonder. Sure, maybe it won't help, but maybe it will.

No one on earth ever did law review because of it's practical application - law review is simply another way to rise above your peers. Just do it. You're in law school to work hard, so don't let the potential time sink dissuade you - you're not there to have fun, you're there to prepare for a lifelong profession. Don't be a wuss.

[hiima3L]

Is your LR one of the types where they will be anal and enforce or report people slacking off?

If not, the credited plan would be to just do it and do the absolute minimum of work and do it poorly. There is no one who will care except some gunner 3Ls.

[LSATNightmares]

One thing I learned my 2L year: sometimes you worry it will be too much work, but if you make time for it and practice efficiency, you can do it. There may be a few stressful days, but Law Review will follow you the rest of your life. Since you go to a TTT, you want to do your best to differentiate yourself. Career goals can change with life, and you should do everything you can to make yourself marketable. Plus, I know people who have made something like that work.

Honestly, every Law Review is different, but the work ebbs and flows. I never found it overwhelming. But I worked very hard during my Christmas break writing my note so I wouldn't have to during the semester.

In short, you may regret the stuff you didn't do rather than the things you did.

[HiiPower2015]

Is your LR one of the types where they will be anal and enforce or report people slacking off?

If not, the credited plan would be to just do it and do the absolute minimum of work and do it poorly. There is no one who will care except some gunner 3Ls.

Since I'm not on it I obviously cannot give a definite answer, but from what I have seen from the leaders of the LR I easily see them being anal and seem to act like they are above other students

[DorothyV]

just do it and do the absolute minimum of work and do it poorly. There is no one who will care except some gunner 3Ls.

This.

I put in way too much time and effort working on my LR assignments this year and my GPA (from actual graded classes) dropped big time as a result.

As stated above, put in the absolute minimum amount of time into your LR assignments. Some of the 3Ls may chew you out (or bitch about you behind your back), but you will not get thrown off of LR. When employers see LR on your resume, they won't know (or care to wonder) whether you put in 20 hours or 2 hours of time into each assignment. All they will care about is that you were selected for LR.

[hiima3L]

Is your LR one of the types where they will be anal and enforce or report people slacking off?

If not, the credited plan would be to just do it and do the absolute minimum of work and do it poorly. There is no one who will care except some gunner 3Ls.

Since I'm not on it I obviously cannot give a definite answer, but from what I have seen from the leaders of the LR I easily see them being anal and seem to act like they are above other students

That's not surprising. But who cares? Unless they can kick you off or are one of those ridiculous journals that consideres it a C&F issue, then the worst thing that can happen is pissing off a 3L who is taking everything too seriously.

[Tiago Splitter]

Sounds like you're looking for an excuse not to do the write-on assignment. Can't say I blame you, but just do it and decide whether or not to join LR if they actually offer it to you. If you find out over the next few weeks that your grades dropped you'll be glad you did.

[lawyerdown27]

Sounds like you're looking for an excuse not to do the write-on assignment. Can't say I blame you, but just do it and decide whether or not to join LR if they actually offer it to you. If you find out over the next few weeks that your grades dropped you'll be glad you did.

/tapped into the heart of this thread