Jeff ,
Im not trying to be "that guy " in class . I was never the hand raising type and def not a know it all in High School or College , so I cant imagine that changing in law school . Im just trying to come in ahead of the game and maybe save myself a little bit of time while in school by prepping before it .
What year are you in school ? Did you prep before you went and did you find it didnt help you at all ?
Hey, I totally get it. The question becomes: to what end. What did I do the summer before law school? Well, I was a spring start so that doesn't really count. BUT, I was doing well enough to quit my full time job in my former career 60 days out, so I had a bit of a mini-summer (that was a fine year for sales). What I did was, in my opinion, dead wrong.
I read:
-law school confidential
-getting to maybe
-One L
- Law school without fear
I found XOXO and LSD, lawschoolblogger.com, boyinsuit.com, 4lawschool.com, jollylawger.com, etc. etc. etc. and sat in front of my computer watching youtube video's to try and get a sense of what school was going to be like. I went and bought a copy of the Paper Chase, rented devil's advocate, the rainmaker, and any other legal movies I could find. I bought Boston Legal seasons one and two (I would have done that anyway). I read whatever I could about the law, practicing the law, learning about the law, studying for the law, etc. And you know what good it did me? None. I wasted 2 months obsessing over something which made me a little fearful and a little apprehensive.
Then orientation started. Day one, everyone was quiet and afraid to speak to each other. By day 2, some of us started introducing ourselves to each other. On the last day, we had our outing and some of us spoke. A week later classes started. There are some different things you are going to be feeling. You'll want to be alert, so much information is going to be coming your way and you are going to be worrying about how to accomplish your goal of learning as much as you can and doing the best you can.
You will be overwhelmed. Then things will pick up and you'll feel like you are reading more than ever before and working harder than you ever have. A few weeks later, you'll think 'did the workload just ease up or am I getting better at this?' followed immediately by 'Am I slacking off?' You will find yourself frustrated and behind in at least one class, wondering what you can do to catch up.
During the course of the semester you will be called on in class and asked to discuss a case or concept in front of the others in your class. This doesn't SOUND too bad, but that first time is usually the most terrifying thing about being a One L. You have to stand up, usually, and everyone in class is watching. You will expose your intelligence and preparation level to everyone for the first time. You cannot hide from it. The first time, you are likely to say the wrong thing, make a ton of mistakes, and possibly even misinterpret the law. The important thing to remember is: don't worry, other people got it wrong too. That's the process of learning the law - mistakes, errors, and misinterpretations spark learning through proper application of the socratic method.
Suddenly, you'll find yourself realizing that you don't think the same. When you watch Judge Judy, you'll be infuriated when they use the word 'assault' instead of the word 'battery'. When you watch Boston Legal, you'll find yourself trying to see if what you are watching may be grounds for an IIED claim.
The best thing, for you, is to relaxificate yourself. Put all the law school crap that you think is going to help you to the side and enjoy your damn summer! The ride is going to begin in the fall and it's going to be the same ride if you ruin your summer, just with more regret.
Good luck. if you are anything like me, you'll ignore the advice I offered you and obsess anyway!
