How Hard is Law School?

Acceptance into law school is an incredible achievement. It means the student excelled in their undergraduate program and successfully competed against hundreds of potential applicants for their spot in the class. Families are impressed, friends can be a bit intimidated, and there are constant messages that law school is very hard.

It’s intimidating to commit to a three-year program, hundreds of thousands of dollars of student loan debt, and a vocation for students who have no idea what law school is like. They don’t know how hard it is and they don’t know if they will succeed. Law school is a doctorate level program and therefore brings new educational challenges and expectations.

All new, green, and fresh “1Ls” are terribly excited and a bit frightened at the same time. The thing is, law school is hard. And it’s supposed to be. Here’s why.

Students learn to read and write all over again

Students who are accepted into law school are generally intelligent high-achievers with strong academic backgrounds. Basic mastery of the English language is foundational for new students.

Except- it’s not. The analytical skills required in law school- and of practicing attorneys- is different. The first semester of law school can be a shock. Students must learn to properly read and analyze a case, learn how to extract the rule of law, learn how precedent works, and learn how to apply these rules to other factual scenarios.

Students have to learn a very specialized legal vocabulary. This is a specialized, specific skill that is challenging and baffling even to successful English majors their first semester. And it can be a bit of a shock to the ego.

Speaking of …

Competition among your peers can be fierce

Law school classes are always much larger the first semester of 1L year than the final graduating class. Unlike undergraduate programs, law school is graded on a curve. That means every student is competing against every other student for their class rank.

Generally, the students who score a rank at the bottom of the class are at risk of failing out of the program. Landing in the “upper half” of the curve is crucial to success. And students will fight to make it there.

The intraclass competition depends on the culture of the law school; some programs are more collegial than others. But wherever a student goes, they can expect increased pressure with peers during finals.

Each year of law school will bring a special challenge

Just when students think they have law school all figured out, it throws another curveball.

1L Year (First Year)

1L is the hardest academic year. The professors of the core classes- criminal law, contracts, civil procedure, and the dreaded property- are trained to wear you down, scare students into working hard, and embarrass them publicly in front of their peers if they are not adequately prepared for class.

There is a reason for this.

Attorneys cannot miss deadlines or be unprepared for court- the consequences are severe. 1L professors are essentially bootcamp drill sergeants. They have a very limited amount of time to teach students to think like lawyers, properly read cases, properly write, how to process and memorize vast amounts of information, and how to compete with peers- all while acting in an ethical, professional, and decent manner. Only the strong survive 1L year. Kidding! Mostly.

2L Year (Second Year)

2L is the “what do you mean you don’t have a summer job yet?” year. Students survived the fire of 1L year, made it through finals, and have a basic legal skill set. However, 2L maintains the rigorous, and nearly overwhelming academic load of the first year, while adding consuming and, sometimes, soul-sucking commitments.

Law review, moot court, and mock trial are extremely demanding activities (and rewarding ones) that take up most, if not all, of students’ free time. On top of that, students must start thinking about summer jobs, apply for on-campus interviews, and hone their resume and job-finding skills. It’s a huge amount of work in a very short amount of time.

3L Year (Third Year)

3L year is the year before students take the bar. Almost all attorneys will say that the bar exam was the most excruciating and challenging experiences of their lives. Enough said.

All the stress can take a toll on physical, mental, and emotional health

Law school creates an incredible amount of stress. It is very common for students to experience health issues including depression, anxiety, and other psychological challenges. Some students turn to alcohol, Adderall, and other drugs to cope and succeed in the rigorous program.

It is vitally important students learn the skills to take care of their physical, mental, and emotional health during their law school career. This means enough sleep, adequate nutrition, sufficient exercise, and rest. Yes- rest.

Lawyers, as a demographic, suffer from very high levels of suicide, alcoholism, depression, and substance abuse. These problems begin culturally in law school. It can be very easy to deprioritize basic self-care under pressure.

It is crucial for students to develop a care network before starting the first semester. Every human needs a support team. Students should get their health insurance in order.

Meet with primary care doctors. Find gyms or a yoga class they enjoy that doesn’t conflict with class time. Students with a history of psychological distress (and it’s 2020 so who doesn’t?) should develop a relationship with a counselor or therapist they can depend on.

Students should also develop strong relationships with their professors. The students who succeed make sure professors know their name and who they are and they attend office hours. The importance of having professors as allies- remember they want to see every student succeed and thrive- can’t be understated. Students should also invest time to develop a couple solid friendships with other law students. Those friends will understand the law school experience more than anyone else will.

Remember, it is hard. And it’s incredibly rewarding

Law school is hard, but it’s hard for a reason. Attorneys have immense responsibilities to clients, to their practice, to the state bar, to the judicial system, and to the public. No student leaves law school the same person they were when they started. And that’s a good thing.

Considering the rigor of law school, some may seek alternative paths to legal practice. Discover how you can take the Bar Exam without attending law school, a unique option for those looking to enter the legal field differently.

Congratulations on acceptance into your program and good luck! If you are preparing for the bar exam, we’ve got you covered. With over 1,700 real MBE questions licensed from the NCBE, you’ll walk into the exam with confidence.