21. Take advantage of the free food because as a student, your income is limited and because usually the free food is offered at a panel or other kind of event where you might learn something.
20. Take notes by hand if possible because the evidence really does show you learn better that way...but if you have an open-notes exam where you can do control+F to search Microsoft Word outlines you wrote, then it may be worth it to type...so maybe take notes by hand and then type them out, which itself can be a form of review.
19. Keep tabs on what's going on in the news. Often, major news stories end up being the topics of exam hypos and end up presenting interesting issues related to the law that will keep your mind working and fresh.
18. Go to law school-related social events to get to know your classmates and professors (if they are events at school) and to unwind because it will help you understand each other better.
17. Go to non-law school social gatherings, parties, etc. with people outside of law school...as much as possible. It's a key way of staying sane.
16. Attend office hours; professors will often zone in on the key information you need to know and will dissect it for you in easily comprehensible ways.
15. Take courses in subject matters that appear on the bar exam, especially in your 3L year as they will be fresh in your mind.
14. Buy or rent your textbooks on Amazon because you will save lots of money!
13. Don't. be. a. gunner. under. any. circumstances. (case in point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpVtqbnRatU).
12. Legal writing classes are the most important classes you will take because literally, that's where the money is: 55 percent of the entire bar exam in Pennsylvania is essay-based, much of the work you'll do as an attorney will likely include lots and lots of writing (including in your internships), and it's a skill that takes some time to craft so do not get discouraged easily if it does not come to you easily at first.
11. Civil procedure is, arguably, the second most important class of law school. I often cite civil procedure when family and friends ask me what surprised me the most about law school. I had no idea about the rules of civil procedure, how they operate, and how crucial they are. This class is one worth fully diving in for because it'll equip you with the information and knowledge you need as you approach the real world. You will find too that the concepts you learned here will be useful to you in other courses you take.
10. If you are in a class where there is no cold-calling, find ways to stay engaged with the material throughout the semester. Keeping the information fresh in your mind throughout the semester in a class like this is vital because it is easy to not feel as motivated to continually review in a class where there is no cold-calling because there is less pressure. Therefore, it is crucial to keep reading, keep reviewing, doing other exercises, etc. so that you don't feel like you need to cram right before finals.
9. Enjoy the summers of 1L and 2L as much as you can, while also working hard in your internships, because the summer of bar prep is genuinely grueling.
8. Sign up for a bar prep course as soon as possible and stick to their plan because they know what they are talking about and they can keep you on track and disciplined to get to where you need to be to pass the bar.
7. Pursue positive-minded, fun-loving, relaxed classmates as friends; they can form a great study group for you and more importantly, can become lifelong friends. Somebody who is truly your friend and loyal and dedicated to you, and willing to put up with you, through the stresses of law school is someone worth keeping as a friend.
6. Avoid negative people: it obviously is said a lot but it is absolutely crucial. In law school particularly, you will find some folks who are incredibly arrogant, mean-spirited, and selfish. It is easy, especially in 1L year, to let these individuals' attitudes get to you. I fell victim to this even though I intellectually understood that the negative energy was draining and unnecessary. Try to ignore these individuals as much as you can and remember to prove them wrong through your own hard work and dedication.
5. If you need to and can afford to, prioritize the job search over classes. As someone once told me, "you're in law school to eventually work, not to be in school all the time." It's better to prepare for an interview the night before that interview than to read as closely as you usually would that night.
4. Pursue clinical programs and other extracurricular opportunities, particularly public interest opportunities, offered in law school. The single most valuable experience in law school for me was the asylum clinic at Villanova because it is where I honed key legal skills and talents; I even got to argue in court, compile evidence submissions, interview clients, perform legal research, and do almost all of the things that an attorney usually would do. I learned a lot and nothing prepared me more for the "real world" than this experience.
3. Seek out genuine diversity in your friend group, in your classes, and in all of your pursuits in law school. Truly, this cannot be said enough because the value of this diversity is seen in perspectives offered in class, in ways to think about the law and how it impacts different communities, and in even mundane conversations you might have with friends and classmates. You will learn more and grow as a person, in your understanding and in your empathy, if you prioritize these interactions.
2. Study smart by looking at past law school exams, if they are offered by your professor, and sample answers because they often indicate how a professor expects you to answer a question, what topics they frequently hit, and what issues to highlight; review your notes from lectures because professors often say in class, "this is something you should expect to be on the final," and that material (or something they emphasize repeatedly) should be more heavily studied than something relatively minor in comparison.
1. Never lose sight of the most important values and priorities of life: your family, your loved ones, and your mental and physical health, and your character. All of these pillars of life are monumentally more important than law school. If you take care of yourself and those around you, you will leave a far greater legacy and a greater impact on the world regardless of what happens in school. I write this now as a happily engaged man; I am marrying the love of my life and I could not be more thrilled about it. She has been there with me through the entirety of law school and helped me overcome stresses, regain my focus when needed, and kept me going as I always knew that she believed in me and would love me no matter what happened. My parents have also been incredibly helpful to me in this time as I know that I would not be where I am today without them. They've provided me with all of the resources and tools I need to succeed and they've given me key inspiration throughout the years to work hard and to put others first. Without them, I would not be the person I am today.
This is excellent Omeed. Your humanity and goodness shines through which will help make your readers recognize the usefulness of your tips.
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