“I’m taking this summer to ROCK my law-school prep. I’ve bought textbooks for Torts, Contracts, Civ Pro, Property; I’m going to read every single page.

That curve will not get me!”

—(an incoming 1L actually said this to me last week)

ME: (sigh)

1L: “What’s wrong? I know it sounds onerous, but I don’t mind.”

ME: (longer sigh)

1L: “Don’t you think reading those books will help me?”

ME: “No.”

Here are TEN BETTER WAYS to spend your time:

🔹 1: Update your resume, put it into a proper law-student format, and save it as a PDF for this summer.

🔹 2: Research legal practice areas so you understand the different fields lawyers work in and the roles they play.

🔹 3: Do some honest reflection about what you want from your JD. Narrow to 1–3 areas of law and types of employers that interest you.

🔹 4: Think about where you want to live and work. Narrow to 1–3 geographic markets and start ranking your preferences.

🔹 5: Identify college and law school alumni working in your preferred locations, practice areas, and roles. Build a top-10 list of people to contact for informational interviews.

🔹 6: Build a strong LinkedIn profile. It’s the first place people will look.

— Include a professional headshot, a clear tagline, and complete education and experience sections that match your resume. If you add an “About” section, keep it concise, enthusiastic, and error-free.

🔹 7: Start connecting with current law students, lawyers, and other legal professionals.

— You’ll want that resume PDF ready; people ask for it.— Aim for around 10 informational interviews before law school starts; keep good records; send thoughtful thank-you notes. Handwritten notes still go a long way.

🔹 8: Learn and practice the rules of English grammar, usage, and punctuation.

🔹 9: Learn how to structure a 1L fall memo.

🔹 10: Learn how to structure an IRAC essay for doctrinal exams.

ME: If you finish all ten of these before the summer ends, then we can start talking about books.

I’ve got one I especially recommend.

(And it’s the antithesis of a textbook.)

 💌 Amanda
#Dear1L

P.S. The book is called "Dear 1L," and it’s on Amazon and other usual places. See comments for a link.

(My copy is a little worn. 🙂)