Wally's 1L Tips

[Ninja1]

Totally agree with all of the initial points. Well done.

Thank you.  A friend of mine read this and told me that, while it's true, no 0L will believe it.  I guess I'll have to settle for being the unwitting Cassandra of an unread forum at the non-TLS law school discussion side of the internet.

I would have believed it before law school, but I wouldn't have really understood it in the same deep, intrinsic way that I do now.

[Talk Is Cheap]

"The Law" isn't some solid block of information that you need to learn.  It's an amorphous gelatinous cube that you as a lawyer must become skilled in shaping. 

I'm pretty sure I learned in Civ Pro that it is a "brooding omnipresence in the sky." 

[Ninja1]

"The Law" isn't some solid block of information that you need to learn.  It's an amorphous gelatinous cube that you as a lawyer must become skilled in shaping. 

I'm pretty sure I learned in Civ Pro that it is a "brooding omnipresence in the sky." 

TITCR.

[bl825]

Personally, I think a 1L boycott of the internet would be a great idea.

[mnewboldc]

Agree with everything in the OP except the "make love, not law review" part. I would strongly advise 1L's to make allies, not friends.

Lawyers as a whole might be mildly interesting/entertaining people, and I grant that finding a few great folks in any sampling of 200-300 people is virtually a mathematical certainty. But far too often law students turn into cardboard jackals who will sell you out for a marginally better opportunity to acquire a condo and a swimming pool. It's all well and good for the first few weeks of school, but things like "I'm glad X is having family problems and missing class because that will lower the curve for the rest of us" become more the rule than the exception as the semester winds down. Why waste your time and energy forming substantive bonds with people like this? Divulge enough of yourself at mixers to ensure that you're not bored on Saturday night and will be able to garner business referrals in the years to come. Respect the fact that everyone else is working hard and that everyone will need a helping hand once and a while. Know that your classmate's attitudes will likely improve as time goes on. But anything beyond ally-forming is a waste of time, especially during the first semester, unless you're lucky enough to find the handful of people who you somehow know won't succumb to the anxiety of competition.

[sillyberry]

. . . It's all well and good for the first few weeks of school, but things like "I'm glad X is having family problems and missing class because that will lower the curve for the rest of us" become more the rule than the exception as the semester winds down . . .

Huh?  Seriously?

To each's experience their own, I guess.

[,.,.,.;.,.,.]

. . . It's all well and good for the first few weeks of school, but things like "I'm glad X is having family problems and missing class because that will lower the curve for the rest of us" become more the rule than the exception as the semester winds down . . .

Huh?  Seriously?

To each's experience their own, I guess.

Yeah, I also think that I have a few good friends, but I think that, as long as you're around median or above at my school, you should be fine.  So that probably takes a lot of the competitive edge off.  (assuming decent economy)

[Ninja1]

Agree with everything in the OP except the "make love, not law review" part. I would strongly advise 1L's to make allies, not friends.

Lawyers as a whole might be mildly interesting/entertaining people, and I grant that finding a few great folks in any sampling of 200-300 people is virtually a mathematical certainty. But far too often law students turn into cardboard jackals who will sell you out for a marginally better opportunity to acquire a condo and a swimming pool. It's all well and good for the first few weeks of school, but things like "I'm glad X is having family problems and missing class because that will lower the curve for the rest of us" become more the rule than the exception as the semester winds down. Why waste your time and energy forming substantive bonds with people like this? Divulge enough of yourself at mixers to ensure that you're not bored on Saturday night and will be able to garner business referrals in the years to come. Respect the fact that everyone else is working hard and that everyone will need a helping hand once and a while. Know that your classmate's attitudes will likely improve as time goes on. But anything beyond ally-forming is a waste of time, especially during the first semester, unless you're lucky enough to find the handful of people who you somehow know won't succumb to the anxiety of competition.

A touch cutthroat up in Ithaca, eh?

Personally, I already found a number of people that I think of as good friends who take finals seriously, but think of it more as a fight with themselves than everyone else. But YMMV depending on your school and personality, I suppose.