Top Law Schools

I know that there's no such thing as 1LOL, but I feel like I'm there. I've missed several classes already, and I'm just now buying books for Contracts and Criminal law. Should I be crying myself to sleep? How do you find the motivation to make it through 1L? Do you have to be excited by the material or should you just power through, because practicing law is different from hearing lectures on legal topics?

Time to grow up, kid. Law school classes aren't fun and cupcakes, especially the 1L doctrinal classes. Practicing law is totally different, but also not similar to going to Disneyland. In fact, working any full-time adult job for years on end mostly sucks. Put on your big girl panties and power through. Or don't. Your choice.

If you want to avoid dropping out, go to a good school and don't be a total retard.

rinkrat19 wrote:Time to grow up, kid. Law school classes aren't fun and cupcakes, especially the 1L doctrinal classes. Practicing law is totally different, but also not similar to going to Disneyland. In fact, working any full-time adult job for years on end mostly sucks. Put on your big girl panties and power through. Or don't. Your choice.

How do you survive gems like, "The contract knows of the law; it doesn't not know"

Bildungsroman wrote:If you want to avoid dropping out, go to a good school and don't be a total retard.

Sticks and Stones...Buddy...Sticks and Stones

jas1503 wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:Time to grow up, kid. Law school classes aren't fun and cupcakes, especially the 1L doctrinal classes. Practicing law is totally different, but also not similar to going to Disneyland. In fact, working any full-time adult job for years on end mostly sucks. Put on your big girl panties and power through. Or don't. Your choice.

How do you survive gems like, "The contract knows of the law; it doesn't not know"

If any of my professors have said anything like that, I wasn't listening.

jas1503 wrote:

Bildungsroman wrote:If you want to avoid dropping out, go to a good school and don't be a total retard.

Sticks and Stones...Buddy...Sticks and Stones

What I mean is, the dropout rate at top schools is practically nil. If you're shooting just not to drop out, you might as well set your goal at not shitting your pants while using a urinal.

rinkrat19 wrote:

jas1503 wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:Time to grow up, kid. Law school classes aren't fun and cupcakes, especially the 1L doctrinal classes. Practicing law is totally different, but also not similar to going to Disneyland. In fact, working any full-time adult job for years on end mostly sucks. Put on your big girl panties and power through. Or don't. Your choice.

How do you survive gems like, "The contract knows of the law; it doesn't not know"

If any of my professors have said anything like that, I wasn't listening.

She was rolling down "rescission clause" lane. You probably heard worse in one of your classes so far.

Bildungsroman wrote:

jas1503 wrote:

Bildungsroman wrote:If you want to avoid dropping out, go to a good school and don't be a total retard.

Sticks and Stones...Buddy...Sticks and Stones

What I mean is, the dropout rate at top schools is practically nil. If you're shooting just not to drop out, you might as well set your goal at not shitting your pants while using a urinal.

I was contemplating a voluntary drop.

jas1503 wrote:

Bildungsroman wrote:

jas1503 wrote:

Bildungsroman wrote:If you want to avoid dropping out, go to a good school and don't be a total retard.

Sticks and Stones...Buddy...Sticks and Stones

What I mean is, the dropout rate at top schools is practically nil. If you're shooting just not to drop out, you might as well set your goal at not shitting your pants while using a urinal.

I was contemplating a voluntary drop.

So why do you want to avoid it?

jas1503 wrote:I know that there's no such thing as 1LOL, but I feel like I'm there. I've missed several classes already, and I'm just now buying books for Contracts and Criminal law. Should I be crying myself to sleep? How do you find the motivation to make it through 1L? Do you have to be excited by the material or should you just power through, because practicing law is different from hearing lectures on legal topics?

Are you even in law school? I mean you were waiting for the June LSAT.

1. Where do you go to school?
2. How much money would you get back if you drop out tomorrow?

Tips for avoiding 1L drop out?

Well fuck man, this is all on you. Law schools are so money hungry you could get straight Ds and they probably won't kick you out.


If you want a kick in the ass: 1L grades are the MOST important, and if your not at a top ranked school you can kiss an SA good bye after Fall of 1L if you are not a top student. Why, you ask? Surely I am a bitter asshole who is ruining your day! (possibly true). Well if your outside the top range of schools your ability to get an SA weighs heavily on what you did 1L Summer, and what you get 1L Summer widely depends on your Fall grades as you will almost certainly not get Spring 1L grades back until its too late to have a full and meaningful "1L summer."

So yeah. The next 3 months are the single most important in your law school career, and thanks to the nature of biglaw this semester may be the most important to your biglaw career.

Not interested in that "big firm snobbery" you say? Well too bad you still need to work hard. There are people with journal experience and legitimate 1L-3L legal experience taking jobs for $30,000 a year w/o benefits. These are not people who phoned it in. These are people who will compete for the most lowly of legal jobs against you.

Now, get to work damnit!

Bildungsroman wrote: So why do you want to avoid it?

I want obviate* this need to second guess my choice. Law school is something that I want to do, but my actions just have not matched this desire so far.


**This was the GRE word of the day that our non-law practicing-research driven professor used today.

Icculus wrote:

jas1503 wrote:I know that there's no such thing as 1LOL, but I feel like I'm there. I've missed several classes already, and I'm just now buying books for Contracts and Criminal law. Should I be crying myself to sleep? How do you find the motivation to make it through 1L? Do you have to be excited by the material or should you just power through, because practicing law is different from hearing lectures on legal topics?

Are you even in law school? I mean you were waiting for the June LSAT.

Yeah, dude. Sadly, I'm attending a TTT for just about 'free'

So you want someone to convince you not to be too lazy for the first couple of weeks of 1L, which are already the easiest and most coddling weeks?

Maybe you should drop out. If you can't stay motivated when it's all new and still exciting and different, how will you last through three years?

jas1503 wrote:. I've missed several classes already, and I'm just now buying books for Contracts and Criminal law. Should I be crying myself to sleep? How do you find the motivation to make it through 1L? Do you have to be excited by the material or should you just power through, because practicing law is different from hearing lectures on legal topics?

I know plenty of people who never bought the books and did well. They bought an outline from someone who did well in the class previous and printed out the case briefs. I don't think that would work for me but it worked fine for them.

I personally think you can miss the first month of law school and not miss anything. Especially if your orientation is a week long.

I am a believer that for 1L classes you play the professor not the subject. In my meeting with the Student Affairs Dean today, he essentially said the same thing.

Gorki wrote:Tips for avoiding 1L drop out?

Well fuck man, this is all on you. Law schools are so money hungry you could get straight Ds and they probably won't kick you out.


If you want a kick in the ass: 1L grades are the MOST important, and if your not at a top ranked school you can kiss an SA good bye after Fall of 1L if you are not a top student. Why, you ask? Surely I am a bitter asshole who is ruining your day! (possibly true). Well if your outside the top range of schools your ability to get an SA weighs heavily on what you did 1L Summer, and what you get 1L Summer widely depends on your Fall grades as you will almost certainly not get Spring 1L grades back until its too late to have a full and meaningful "1L summer."

So yeah. The next 3 months are the single most important in your law school career, and thanks to the nature of biglaw this semester may be the most important to your biglaw career.

Not interested in that "big firm snobbery" you say? Well too bad you still need to work hard. There are people with journal experience and legitimate 1L-3L legal experience taking jobs for $30,000 a year w/o benefits. These are not people who phoned it in. These are people who will compete for the most lowly of legal jobs against you.

Now, get to work damnit!

That's pretty scary stuff! Perfect Halloween-campfire story for prospective students

Bildungsroman wrote:So you want someone to convince you not to be too lazy for the first couple of weeks of 1L, which are already the easiest and most coddling weeks?

Maybe you should drop out. If you can't stay motivated when it's all new and still exciting and different, how will you last through three years?

Just looking for like-minded people who have had these doubts their 1L year, or 1Ls who have these doubts now. Obviously, I can't be the only.

jas1503 wrote:

Bildungsroman wrote:So you want someone to convince you not to be too lazy for the first couple of weeks of 1L, which are already the easiest and most coddling weeks?

Maybe you should drop out. If you can't stay motivated when it's all new and still exciting and different, how will you last through three years?

Just looking for like-minded people who have had these doubts their 1L year, or 1Ls who have these doubts now. Obviously, I can't be the only.

You go to a TTT and don't seem enthused. This is not a good combination. I'd really consider dropping out and thinking about this for a year or two.

MormonChristian wrote:

jas1503 wrote:. I've missed several classes already, and I'm just now buying books for Contracts and Criminal law. Should I be crying myself to sleep? How do you find the motivation to make it through 1L? Do you have to be excited by the material or should you just power through, because practicing law is different from hearing lectures on legal topics?

I know plenty of people who never bought the books and did well. They bought an outline from someone who did well in the class previous and printed out the case briefs. I don't think that would work for me but it worked fine for them.

I personally think you can miss the first month of law school and not miss anything. Especially if your orientation is a week long.

I am a believer that for 1L classes you play the professor not the subject. In my meeting with the Student Affairs Dean today, he essentially said the same thing.

Thanks for this post! Giving some hope to late starters that don't want to be gunning in September and October

ImNoScar wrote:

jas1503 wrote:

Bildungsroman wrote:So you want someone to convince you not to be too lazy for the first couple of weeks of 1L, which are already the easiest and most coddling weeks?

Maybe you should drop out. If you can't stay motivated when it's all new and still exciting and different, how will you last through three years?

Just looking for like-minded people who have had these doubts their 1L year, or 1Ls who have these doubts now. Obviously, I can't be the only.

You go to a TTT and don't seem enthused. This is not a good combination. I'd really consider dropping out and thinking about this for a year or two.

You're probably right. I have 3 "gentleman's agreements" in place to transfer up (T1) after 1L, if I stay in the top 50%. Not sure that's worth anything, or if it would be worth leaving my 'free' T3 to pay sticker at a T1.

I think you should drop out. You don't want to be there. Even for free a TTT is a bad plan.

What are your other options?

Need motivation? 2 words: THE VALE

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=192753

jas1503 wrote:

MormonChristian wrote:

jas1503 wrote:. I've missed several classes already, and I'm just now buying books for Contracts and Criminal law. Should I be crying myself to sleep? How do you find the motivation to make it through 1L? Do you have to be excited by the material or should you just power through, because practicing law is different from hearing lectures on legal topics?

I know plenty of people who never bought the books and did well. They bought an outline from someone who did well in the class previous and printed out the case briefs. I don't think that would work for me but it worked fine for them.

I personally think you can miss the first month of law school and not miss anything. Especially if your orientation is a week long.

I am a believer that for 1L classes you play the professor not the subject. In my meeting with the Student Affairs Dean today, he essentially said the same thing.

Thanks for this post! Giving some hope to late starters that don't want to be gunning in September and October

Here's the thing, there are plenty of people who will start on time and still do shitty, just as there will be people who start late and are confident they're smart enough and they will do shitty.

You don't know. Until you do, by taking a laid-back approach you are risking that you are not one of the people for whom it is easier for whatever reason.

You might be the smart kid who is unsure or the dumb kid who is unsure, but either way asking this question is pointless. Continue going or don't, who cares.