You have embarked on a new journey, but you have also joined a new community in the truest sense of the word. Think of those around you. Hold open the door for the person coming into class behind you. Introduce yourself to strangers. Say “Hi” to Carol when you swipe your ID card at the front desk.
We are more than half way through the fall semester, and for many law students, late October is a time for looking ahead to what is in front of them. You have settled in to a routine, finals are on the horizon, and you may be asking yourself questions such as, how much more reading can there be? When am I going to outline? Will I travel for Thanksgiving? Looking ahead is critical because knowing what you have to do and when you have to do it keeps you focused and on task. And really, time marches on no matter what anyone does. The semester will end and finals (like winter) are coming. Just as important, however, is looking back at where you have been. Like a coach or player at halftime, now is the time to think about self-assessment and adjustment. Granted, you don’t have a score to use as a measurement of your performance, but you can think about your classes, how you have approached them so far, and whether that approach is …
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 …
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