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So there are positives and negatives to summer classes, but I'd appreciate advice on my specific situation, so here it goes:

I've been accepted to a school which has offered to cover all tuition and fees, plus cover summer courses. These are actual law courses taken in the summer prior to regular 1L and 2L. Now I understand that normally people would say that you might want to take time to save money in the summer, but I already have my finances covered - I've got outside funding that will cover food/housing and then some, and it (with the school) is covering tuition and fees. Some might say to take some time to relax, but the classes don't run for the whole summer, so I will have plenty of time to go home and spend time with family.

At this point, I think that it'd be good to take summer classes before regular 1L (it'd lighten the 1L load a bit, spreading the same coursework over a longer period, making it easier to do well), but I think that in the next summer it'd be best to get a summer associate position.

Aren't you already a law student?

I wouldn't do it because taking the summer off before law school was awesome. Law school takes three years, no point in extending that.

What kind of school offers summer courses? How does grading work? Aren't you supposed to be graded against your peers?

Depending what school it is, getting a 1L summer associate position is going to be very difficult (I'm presuming if the money they're handing out is tied to taking summer courses, their students aren't getting a lot of SA positions).

I do think that getting actual legal experience is more valuable than summer courses, if you have to choose between the two.

PeanutsNJam wrote:What kind of school offers summer courses? How does grading work? Aren't you supposed to be graded against your peers?

No idea, no idea, no idea... wait, I think I might know about this one. I'm pretty sure you're still graded against your peers, the idea, rather, is simply that if you have 4 classes during your fall 1L, and you take one of them in the summer, then you only have 3 classes during your fall 1L, and it's easier to stay on top of things, study, etc., and ultimately just do better in *those* regular term classes.

And again, I'm no expert, and not exactly advocating for this, I'm asking.

zot1 wrote:I wouldn't do it because taking the summer off before law school was awesome. Law school takes three years, no point in extending that.

From my understanding, it should be about 6 weeks to do 1L course over the summer. And the idea is to lighten the courseload during 1L.

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I don't know, dude. I still wouldn't don't it. Take the time off. Travel. Do something crazy. But of course, don't get arrested.