What to do the Summer Before Law School
Going to law school? Here are tips for this summer:
1: Relax and enjoy!
Bottle up as much fun, carefree time with friends and family now.
2: Get Yourself In Order.
Start (and keep) healthy mind & body habits. 👉 This is my #1 tip that can make a difference in your academic success.
3: Get some stress-busters ready.
Prepare a “go-to” or two for daily breaks and start practicing them.
E.g., exercise, meditation, dancing to fun music, whatever suits.
4: Get Your Affairs In Order.
Take care of:
– doctor’s appts.,
– medication refills,
– contact lenses,
– housing arrangements,
– school supplies, etc.
You will have no time for such things once law school starts.
Insider Corollary: Buy your textbooks as soon as you know your professors. Watch for important email announcements. Don’t spend tons of time searching for bargain used books. Reading may be due for 1L Day 1.
5: Read.
That you read matters more than what you read. The key is to hone your concentration skills, even if you’re reading “junk.” Best, though, is to read well-written writing, as doing so also hones your writing skills.
— I’ll have a separate post on recommended, pre-law book titles, as well as a special gift for you, all coming up.
6: Prepare Family & Friends.
1L is not just “another year of college.” Unless you come from a family with lawyers, no one will really “get it,” but you will need as much unconditional support as you can get. Start preparing people for how they will need to support you.
7: Get on LinkedIn, Start Networking & Preparing for Your Job Search.
No, it is not too early. A prime reason you’re going to law school is to get a good job afterwards.
Avoid last-minute scrambling this fall & winter, when applications for 1L summer jobs start. You have FAR more free time now than you will then!
8: Hone Your Writing Skills.
Students tend to forget basic writing rules when trying to write about abstract legal doctrine.
Refresh and hone your skills this summer. The investment will pay off in spades, not just in law school, but for the entirety of your professional career.
Stay tuned for lots more about how to get in shape for 1L legal writing—coming up here.
***
Fondly,
💌 Amanda
#Dear1L
P.S. Get more tips & updates by following my newsletter at Dear1L dot com.
🗳️ Lawyers & law students: What’s your top tip for incoming law students this summer?