Student Advice

Looking Back: Three Things I Wish I Had Done Differently In Law School

Amanda Reed Commencement Speaker Temple Law

This past May, I graduated from Temple Law School. Let me tell you, it was a satisfying feeling. Law school takes up so much of your time and most law students are consumed with not only doing well in law school but doing law school “right.” What is the best way to read cases? How should I set up my outline? What classes should I take to prepare for the bar exam? It can be a period full of uncertainty. You might ask any of those questions to five different people and you will receive eight different answers.

Contrary to what some folks will tell you, or try to sell to you in a book, there is no “right” way to do law school. Of course you have to do the work and go to class, which is true of any academic program. Beyond that, the three or four years you spend in law school are your own and you can make of them what you wish, but for what it’s worth, I would like to offer you my own reflections.

From one young lawyer to another, here are the three things I wish I had done differently during my time at Temple Law:

Go to Office Hours

I never rarely went to my professors’ office hours. I read cases, paid attention during class discussion, and occasionally stayed after class to ask a few questions, but that was about it in terms of engaging my professors. Office hours intimidated me. What should I say or ask? What if my professor asks me about another case that I wasn’t prepared to discuss? I know that I don’t understand this material, but I don’t even know enough to know what I don’t understand! It was so overwhelming I avoided office hours as much as possible until I figured out the answers to my questions on my own, or at least until I believed that I had figured out the answers.

The truth is, office hours exist for any and every reason you need them to exist. If you are someone who does not understand the material, you should be first in line to make appointments with your professors. When I did muster up enough courage to meet with a professor, I found that the process of talking through cases and the law outside of class helped my learning and improved my success. In short, it helped me become a better lawyer. That process teaches you to think critically and ask questions, and over time, it becomes second nature. You always consider a case from multiple angles. You read a regulation with an eye for comma placement and the words “may” or “shall.” That type of thinking not only prepares you for the exam, it prepares you for your career. This week, a senior attorney pointed out to me the use of the word “may” instead of “shall” while reviewing a contract from opposing counsel.

“Contrary to what some folks will tell you, or try to sell to you in a book, there is no “right” way to do law school.”

In hindsight, I needed to get over my fears and myself and just go see my professors. If you have not yet met with your professor this semester, it’s time to make that appointment. You will thank yourself later.

Seek Out Non-Temple Opportunities

One aspect of law school that can be a bit frustrating is everyone’s obsession with participating in the traditional law school activities – Law Review, Trial Team, Moot Court, SBA, etc. These are all great activities that provide you with invaluable skills, especially at Temple. However, many of us do not take the time to sit back and consider the other ways we can be using our time. During my three years in law school, I wish I had been more open to finding and participating in non-Temple opportunities. There are countless opportunities with legal organizations or academic competitions and programs that are focused on specific areas of the law. I should have taken it upon myself to seek out these opportunities and apply for them. Ask your professors (during office hours!) about ways you can seriously and thoughtfully explore different areas of the law. You will never have another three or four years to dive into whatever it is that interests you, so take advantage of them.

Don’t Get Caught Up in the Hype

I’m going to end this post with a very personal story. In mid-October of 1L year, I was seriously considering dropping out of law school. My fellow classmates seemed to be doing much better than me and I knew I had made a huge mistake. They understood the material, answered every question right, raised thoughtful questions during class, and just seemed to be holding it all together. I, on the other hand, was a mess. I remember sitting in my apartment one night unable to grasp yet another contracts case, and I just burst into tears. It was terrible and I was over everything. Thankfully, I had a great friend in my section who gave me some much needed tough love and important advice. He told me to stop worrying about everyone else and just worry about Amanda.

The rest of the semester did not get any easier, but I approached it in a different way. I cared less about who spoke up the most in class and became more focused on how I was doing with my outlines, how I was interpreting the material, and how I was preparing for final exams. That turned out to be one of my best semesters in law school.

Above all else, the one thing I would have done differently during law school is avoid the hype. Over my remaining semesters, I still found myself worrying about what other people were doing, but my worries were far less frequent and less intense. Law school is most definitely a scary place and if anyone tells you they did not feel inadequate at least once, it would be a lie. Try not to worry too much about how everyone else is “succeeding,” and just worry about how you are going to succeed and I promise you, it will turn out in your favor.

Questions about this post? Drop us a line at lawcomm@temple.edu.

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