How to prepare for law school Forum

[ebailey1212]

I was accepted to my top choice back in December, however in the meantime the only thing I have done is complete my FAFSA.

I work full time as a Paralegal right now, but what should I be doing between now and August to help prepare for the transition to being a Full Time Law Student?

[totesTheGoat]

Streamline your life, get your lifestyle ready to cut back when you go back to school, and enjoy your summer. There are a few books that people recommend if you absolutely have to prepare in advance, like "Getting to Maybe." Don't do any substantive studying for class materials, because you'll be completely wasting your time.

[zot1]

Take a three month vacation to Europe and Asia. Enjoy it.

[Londonbear]

Agreed with the above posters. Just have fun and get ready to work your butt off for the next year, or two. Depends.

[Julio743]

I was accepted to my top choice back in December, however in the meantime the only thing I have done is complete my FAFSA.

I work full time as a Paralegal right now, but what should I be doing between now and August to help prepare for the transition to being a Full Time Law Student?

You don't prepare for law school Enjoy the time off.

[Tls2016]

I was accepted to my top choice back in December, however in the meantime the only thing I have done is complete my FAFSA.

I work full time as a Paralegal right now, but what should I be doing between now and August to help prepare for the transition to being a Full Time Law Student?

You don't prepare for law school Enjoy the time off.

Practice typing. Get really fast.

[Julio743]

I was accepted to my top choice back in December, however in the meantime the only thing I have done is complete my FAFSA.

I work full time as a Paralegal right now, but what should I be doing between now and August to help prepare for the transition to being a Full Time Law Student?

You don't prepare for law school Enjoy the time off.

Practice typing. Get really fast.

LMAO! that's funny you mentioned that. I used to write novels before law school. BRO—I type loud and furious. People are scared to sit next to me during exams. I am self conscious about it now.

I'm dropping out tho, so...

[cbbinnyc]

There are many threads on 0L preparation (and many threads on 1L success that include thoughts on 0L prep). Check this one out: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=123092 Reading "Getting to Maybe" seems to be a pretty universal piece of advice. LEEWS is also a popular option.

Personally, I am going the "gunner" route and am planning to read through the E&E series for my first semester classes - just ordered them and am a couple hundred pages into the Contracts book right now. There are split opinions about whether this is useful, but at worst it seems to have negligible benefit and at best it might give you a head-start in understanding big concepts and starting to think in a lawyerly way. Certainly not necessary for success in law school, but I'll take any possible advantage I can get (plus I'm 30 and I've been out of the academic scene for a while - did an MFA, but that doesn't really count as "academic" - so reading dense material is probably especially beneficial in my situation).

[Londonbear]

Burnt out is real. Never had a problem with it before, even when I was a triple major in undergrad. But law school is like this bubble, where the pressure just builds. It's only the first year that's so insane. I think by 2nd year you're pretty numb with the crazy, although if you don't have something lined up, the pressure is still there. Point is, enjoy your life so when you start, you have fond memories to look back on to get you through the boring hundreds of cases you should be reading, instead of looking back and thinking "i wasted x hours reading x" b/c you won't get it until you're actually in it.

[First Offense]

There are many threads on 0L preparation (and many threads on 1L success that include thoughts on 0L prep). Check this one out: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=123092 Reading "Getting to Maybe" seems to be a pretty universal piece of advice. LEEWS is also a popular option.

Personally, I am going the "gunner" route and am planning to read through the E&E series for my first semester classes - just ordered them and am a couple hundred pages into the Contracts book right now. There are split opinions about whether this is useful, but at worst it seems to have negligible benefit and at best it might give you a head-start in understanding big concepts and starting to think in a lawyerly way. Certainly not necessary for success in law school, but I'll take any possible advantage I can get (plus I'm 30 and I've been out of the academic scene for a while - did an MFA, but that doesn't really count as "academic" - so reading dense material is probably especially beneficial in my situation).

They never learn...

[KiltedKicker]

Take a three month vacation to Europe and Asia. Enjoy it.

I was planning to backpack Europe all summer. Think I will still, but I'm a little hesitant to go now. Curious what other people think, would you go?

[lavarman84]

Take a three month vacation to Europe and Asia. Enjoy it.

I was planning to backpack Europe all summer. Think I will still, but I'm a little hesitant to go now. Curious what other people think, would you go?

Yes. Go. Enjoy it. You'll be wasting your time if you try to do substantive prep work.

[zot1]

Take a three month vacation to Europe and Asia. Enjoy it.

I was planning to backpack Europe all summer. Think I will still, but I'm a little hesitant to go now. Curious what other people think, would you go?

Yes. Go. Enjoy it. You'll be wasting your time if you try to do substantive prep work.

If I went back in time, I would do totally do it. I took the whole summer off and did nothing and it was brilliant. However, I should have used the time to travel.

[White Dwarf]

I wish I had done more front-loading of work during my first semester, but I have no regrets about doing little of anything my 0L summer.

Only thing I would recommend is reading a popular history of the Supreme Court, and maybe another couple "history of law" books geared at the general public (Scorpions, Devil in the Grove, and Gideon's Trumpet are all easy reads, and very interesting). Won't make a meaningful difference in grades, but I found it helpful.

[landshoes]

Once you know who your profs will be, you can actually do stuff. (Get outlines, etc.) Before that, you run the risk of confusing yourself, which can be a real problem.

The best thing to do is deal with small, discrete, but important non-law school issues. Break up with that SO you're unsure about (or lock that shit down if you are sure). Get your teeth cleaned and checked. Get your eyes checked & get new glasses (and a backup pair.) If you take medication, stock up on it (including OTC meds). Seriously consider how you work best and put organization in place (download software you need, find a comfortable desk, etc.) Get into a solid exercise routine. Identify 4-5 healthy and easy snacks and write that shit down so you don't buy yourself a bunch of junk.

Go clothes shopping and have 2 business casual outfits and at least 1 formal businesswear look, including shoes and undergarments. Know how to maintain those outfits. Make sure you have an updated resume, and get 4-5 people to comment on it. Think about what you want to apply to for 1L summer.

That's the most useful prep.

[bacillusanthracis]

I was accepted to my top choice back in December, however in the meantime the only thing I have done is complete my FAFSA.

I work full time as a Paralegal right now, but what should I be doing between now and August to help prepare for the transition to being a Full Time Law Student?

You don't prepare for law school Enjoy the time off.

Practice typing. Get really fast.

This is by far the best advice for preparing for law school. I thought I could type pretty fast until my first finals. I actually practiced on speeding up my typing skills after that and it helped. And as the bar looms closer and closer, I'm so glad I did.

So how about this: when you're flying to Europe and back before law school starts, practice your typing on the plane.

[totesTheGoat]

Burnt out is real. Never had a problem with it before, even when I was a triple major in undergrad. But law school is like this bubble, where the pressure just builds. It's only the first year that's so insane. I think by 2nd year you're pretty numb with the crazy, although if you don't have something lined up, the pressure is still there. Point is, enjoy your life so when you start, you have fond memories to look back on to get you through the boring hundreds of cases you should be reading, instead of looking back and thinking "i wasted x hours reading x" b/c you won't get it until you're actually in it.