New Law Student Guide to the First Weeks of Class

It’s that time of year when law schools are preparing to welcome new students to Orientation and their first semester of classes. As a new law student, you have probably received numerous communications from your law school, providing a variety of instructions regarding your 1L year. You may have read some books which describe the law school experience, and you may have current or former law students giving you advice. There are a wealth of articles on this blog to help you during your transition to law school, but I thought that I would highlight some that may be particularly useful in the first few weeks. Here they are:

First, a couple of articles explaining one of the common approaches to the law school classroom, Socratic Method:

• Introduction to Socratic Method for New Law Students; and
• Socratic Method Survival Guide.

Here are some articles about reading and briefing cases for law school:

• What is a Case Brief;
• A 3-Step Approach to Reading Cases in Law School;
• Key Components of a Case Brief;
• Making the Case Brief Yours;
• Case Briefing Shortcuts; and
• 5 Tips for Maximizing Your Casebook Reading in Law School.

Next, a couple of articles about taking notes in your law school classes:

• Taking Effective Notes in Law School; and
• What to Include in Your Law School Notes.

Finally, here’s an article about how to create a good study schedule while in law school:

• Time Management and Law School Success.

More posts about how to be a successful law student coming in the future. In the meantime, does anyone have any specific questions or concerns about starting law school? Feel free to put your questions in the comments section for this post.