So You're About to Start Law School: An Incoming Law Student's Guide

My tips for 1Ls, now up on Youtube.

Every fall, about 40,000 new first-year students begin law school in the United States.  Most have a lot of questions, and students who don't know many lawyers have the most questions of all. Back in 2007, I wrote a short essay, How to Read a Legal Opinion: A Guide for New Law Students, to help incoming students with the basic task of reading cases. More recently, I thought it would be useful to record a video to try to answer common questions students may have about the first month of law school—things like preparing for class, the Socratic Method, social dynamics, case briefing, study groups, and office hours.  The result is below. I hope students find it helpful.

If students find this useful, I might add others in the series, such as on studying for and taking exams.

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[Area Man]

"Tips for starting law school? Don't. Run away as fast as you can."
--Every lawyer

[Frank Drackman]

First day of Med School we got our lab coats (Used, for Gross Anatomy) Microscopes (Used, for Histology, aka “Microscopic Anatomy” got a brief orientation of the Basic Sciences building, shown our study desk, photos taken, and most importantly, went to pay our Tuition, (“Uncle Sammy” paid mine)
Was finished about 1pm didn’t seem to bad, way more welcoming than Auburn, evening Soirée at the old Brookley AFB, free Beer, Bar, Buffett, didn’t have to worry about driving because I umm, wasn’t driving for 6 months, you know the “Don’t drive for 6 months” plan, amazing how much gas money you save when you don’t drive.
8am the next morning the Firehose started, and no Kingsfield asking for facts, the Anatomy of the Back, followed by the Axilla, followed in the Afternoon by meeting your Cadaver who did the real teaching.

Frank