Surviving 1L: What to Expect in Your First Year of Law School

So you just started your first year of law school or are getting ready for the fall semester to start. At this stage, you are probably feeling a mix of emotions. Excited because you got into law school (congrats!) but also nervous because you’re not sure what to expect in your 1L year. You’re sure to have a ton of questions as a first year law student. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

I’ll be the first to admit that when I was in my first year of law school, I was very intimidated. I was sure that I was the only student in the class who felt like they didn’t belong and didn’t have everything figured out. I didn’t have anyone to turn to that had gone to law school and that I trusted with my questions. You can learn more about my journey here.

It’s my honor to now be in a position to pass the knowledge I’ve gained on to current law students. Today we’re going over what you can expect in your first year of law school: from classes to workload. We’ll also cover some tried-and-true tips to set yourself up for success.

What Are Law School Classes Like?

The classes you will take as a first year law student will vary depending on the law school you are attending and the program that you’re in. Typically, first year law students take the following courses: Criminal Law and Procedure, Torts, Contracts, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law and Property. These are the substantive classes in which you will learn the law. You are also likely to have some sort of legal writing or legal research class.

In your substantive classes, you will be assigned cases to read each week. The assigned reading contains the opinions of judges in real cases. The cases you are assigned each week will discuss various legal issues relating to the rules of law that you are studying that week. Your job when reading these cases is to create a case brief for each case and try to identify the rule of law that the court relied on in reaching its decision (AKA the holding).

In class, your professor will lecture on the rules of law covered in the assigned reading. Typically, the conversation is centered around the assigned cases, with students being called on to brief. For obvious reasons, you should always be prepared to discuss the cases in class. If you’re lucky, your professor will clearly lay out the rules of law in a PowerPoint. But this is not always the case. Either way, it is your responsibility to identify the rules of law and how they relate to one another. This is essential to your success on the exam.

How Hard is Law School?

I like to compare law school to parenthood – you never really know how hard it is or what it’s like until you get there. And by then, it’s too late. Most first year law students find that law school is more demanding than they expected. So, what exactly is it that makes law school so hard?

For starters, there is a huge learning curve with law school that is different from undergraduate programs. In law school, there is a certain way you need to study and a certain way you need to write your exams. There is a unique set of skills that you must develop to succeed in law school. Unfortunately, however, these skills are typically not taught in law school classes. Rather, law students are often left to figure out how to be a law student all on their own. Our How to Approach Law School Workshop covers how to approach your studies throughout the semester to be prepared for your law school exams.

Then, there’s the reading. You can expect about 30 or more pages of reading per class each week. Many law students struggle, especially in their first year, just keeping up with the reading. To make matters worse, the language in the cases is often archaic and littered with legal jargon. In other words, it can be hard to even figure out what the heck you just read because the cases are not written in everyday language. Further, the law school environment can be competitive and there are always a few class know-it-alls (and even impatient professors), all of which create unnecessary pressure to completely understand the cases and prevent law students from asking questions. Thus, many first year law students spend too much time on each case because they want to get it perfect.

Perhaps the biggest hurdle you must overcome as a law student is understanding the rules. As I stated above, it is your responsibility to figure out what the rules are, to understand how they relate to one another and to understand how to use them. The rules that you will need to know are complicated and, frankly, confusing. Even lawyers rely on legal research tools like WestLaw and LexisNexis to help them recall and understand the law. As a law student, you will need to figure this out for yourself using the cases, your professor’s lectures, and whatever other resources you have at your disposal. Our law school outlines save you the time and stress of figuring out the rules of law and also include templates that you can use for your exams.

Tips for Success: How to Succeed in 1L

Now that we’ve covered what to expect in law school and what makes law school challenging, here are some simple, but effective tips to set yourself up for success in your 1L year and beyond.

1. Spend your first year building a solid foundation in your study routine. It will take some time and experimentation, but make it a goal to master your day-to-day studies and exam prep. Figure out what study strategies work for you and stick with them.
2. Master the skills of outlining, briefing cases, and memorizing the law. If you don’t master these skills in your 1L year, they will haunt your for the rest of your law school journey – and even as you prepare for the bar. Do yourself a favor and make these skills a priority. The best way to do this is simply by doing the work – no shortcuts!
3. Learn how to say no. Set clear boundaries with yourself and others. I always recommend that law students eliminate as many outside obligations as possible, at least for the first year. After 1L, you can re-evaluate and see what else you can fit on your plate now that you have a better sense of how time-consuming law school is.
4. Create good study habits as a 1L. Write out your case briefs and make it a priority to always do the reading, even if you fall behind. Make your own outlines and keep them up to date with the material you covered each week.
5. Ask for help when you need it. Whether you are confused on a rule of law or need a helping hand around the house, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Law school will be one of the hardest seasons of your life. Reach out to your people. It takes a village.

I hope you found this helpful. I wish you the best of luck on your first year of law school and beyond!

We offer a wide-range of tutoring services for law students to help them learn the law and develop the legal skills they need to succeed in law school. We provide private tutoring, workshops, outlines, and more.