Law School Discussion

If it's that much of a problem, then turn your phone off during dinner and/or add your school's phone number to your address book like so:  RWU IGNORE and then don't answer.

There.  Problem solved.

No, that's not normal.  I've been out of school for a year, and my now-husband was with me for the entire ride.  I did go to events and study groups without him, but I kept him very involved, brought him to any event that was appropriate for guests, made sure when I went out in a big group for dinner/a drink, etc., that he came along to socialize.  And I made sure to schedule date nights or "quality time days" where I did no work and we went out or just made dinner and watched a movie together.  In contrast, it sounds like your husband has simply abandoned you.

It takes both partners to survive law school.  While it's important for you to support him, be understanding of the work load, etc., it's just as important for him to balance.  He needs to remember that while the work, networking, building relationships with classmates, etc. are all important, he has a wife and a daughter at home as well.  While balancing is difficult, what he's doing is just unreasonable, and (if I were in your shoes) unacceptable.

I suggest you get him to come home one day before 3 am and have a long, long talk with him about what your expectations are, how you're feeling, and try to ask him what's going on.  And if he starts complaining that you're not supporting him or understanding the needs of a 1L, you need to call him on his BS.

Obviously, take classes that deal with whatever area of law you want to specialize in.

And otherwise, I really don't think there are any beyond the "generic" classes you've discussed.  The only classes that I can honestly say have been very helpful during my first year of practice are evidence, civ pro, and business orgs.

One suggestion I'll make if you're heading into the transactional side - see if your school offers a drafting/writing class that centers on transactional documents.  Some do.  Talk to people who have taken it to see if its helpful/worth the time, and if so, take it.

Bottom line is really that law school really does not prepare you in any way for what you actually do in practice.  The most you'll get is a basic understanding of some topic.  Even with that basic understanding, you're going to have to double check everything, find sources, look for previous work product to use as a template, etc.  So don't sweat it, and take stuff you find interesting.

didn't do so well during 1L-can I drop out and retake the lsat to try to get into a better school?  will the 1L grades haunt me?

You just need to suck it up and continue, at least if you really want to be a lawyer.  Just network, network, network, and try to do clinics and externships to get as much experience as you can, and you'll find some job.  It won't be BIGLAW, but midlaw isn't so bad.

And I hate to say it, but I hope more people over on the pre-law board see this post.  This is an unfortunate example of why 0Ls should NEVER choose a law school that they wouldn't be 100% happy attending because transferring is never a sure thing.

Going to class may or may not improve your understanding of the law.  But what class will almost always do is give you a window into what the prof wants.

If you skip out on class, how will you ever know that the professor LOVES policy arguments, and expect to see that on the exam?  How will you know that the prof rejects one of the main points/theories in the casebook, and will teach his own "pet" approach?

Just suck it up and go to class.  Do whatever, surf the net, play solitare, etc.  But keep an ear out for the stuff like I mentioned above.

And who knows, if you just relax and go with the flow during class, you may learn something.  (I would guess that if you're automatically assuming that class will suck, and that you're getting stressed out as soon as it starts, your frustration level will rise almost immediately, guaranteeing you won't learn anything)