In a previous article, I shed some light on the challenges of law school, providing an unfiltered peek into its more daunting aspects. However, it’s only fair to turn the lens towards its brighter side. Indeed, many aspects of law school can be incredibly enriching and transformative.
Law school is not just about pouring over extensive legal texts or debating intricate cases. It’s a combination of a variety of experiences, where students not only foster critical thinking and cultivate pivotal life skills but also form bonds that can last a lifetime. But what are these celebrated aspects of law school, and how do they tangibly benefit students beyond their academic years? Delve into this article to discover the myriad ways law school can be a rewarding and life-altering journey.
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How Law School Transforms Your Thought Process
You might have heard before that law school changes the way students think, but you might not know what people mean by that. Students are forced to kick their “willful ignorance” to the curb when they enroll in law school or suffer poor exam grades. In the real world, most people suffer from a number of maladies when they are forced to look at opposite viewpoints. Confirmation bias and herd mentality are serious problems that most people are never able to get past. Another constraint is the echo chamber, people will exert great efforts to maintain their echo chamber.
Why am I bringing up these societal issues in an article about law school? Because everyone suffers from these maladies, even you, but law school can help you with this problem if you allow it to. Law school makes most 1L law students extremely uncomfortable because it challenges how we think about problems. Law school forces you to look at both sides of an issue, assess the merits of opposing arguments, and pick a side. Once you have picked a side you better be able to back your argument up with facts and logic.
Emotion vs. Logic: The Law School Battleground
Starting to see how law school might change the way students think about issues? In the real world, people often argue with emotional appeals and are held down by high stakes tribalism (I like psychology a little too much). You don’t have that luxury in law school. Just try and make an emotional appeal that Bob should be sued for harmful contact battery on your Torts exam. You will get laughed out of the room. Lawyers don’t have the luxury of ignoring the other side’s arguments, and as a law student, you won’t either.
Translating Legal Thinking to Everyday Life
This kind of thinking does not always translate into everyday life, heaven knows there are lots of law students that are absolutely certain of themselves and of the supremacy of their beliefs. But if you apply the same problem analysis thought process you learn in law school to everyday life, you will be extremely thankful for it.
The Value of Friendships Formed in Law School
Law student friends are one of the best parts of law school because they often have many of the same interests, they can be extremely useful during and after law school, and they are often intellectually stimulating.
Building Lasting Bonds in the Legal Community
I found it relatively easy to make friends in law school, and you likely have/will to. I say that because the vast majority of law students are there for the same reason: to be lawyers, and the majority of students will usually be from outside the area so they will all be looking for new friends as well.
Law student friends can be useful in a variety of ways. For one, finding a close law student friend is a must because everybody likes to gossip about what is going on at the law school. You need a really close law student friend for this because your friends from outside the school just are not going to cut it. You need someone in the school to vent about what is going on in your life at the school.
Collaboration and Diversity Among Law Students
Law students tend to be a pretty diverse crowd in terms of their thought process. I have met a lot of unique people that think very differently from one another. Your close friends are most likely not going to think exactly like you, and this can be extremely helpful for collaboration. Forming collaboration groups with your buddies to take practice exams or review outlines can be extremely effective, just remember that collaboration groups can’t turn into hangout sessions or they will be a waste of study time!
Leveraging Law School Friendships for Future Success
Finally, law student friends make excellent connections after law school. There are a variety of different places where you can end up, and your peers will likely go in a number of different directions. Keep in touch after law school, your friends today will make important parts of your professional network tomorrow.
Mastering Key Skills During Your Law School Journey
There are lots of transferable skills that you develop in law school. Some are over-hyped, but many of them are real. I touched on problem-solving and analysis skills above in how law school changes the way you think, but they are not the only skills you will likely develop.
Harnessing Negotiation and Public Speaking Abilities
Negotiation and public speaking skills are helpful in a variety of fields and you can target certain classes and participate in certain extracurriculars during your law school career to develop them. The key thing is that you need to take the initiative to learn these skills. Career services will tell you that you will develop these skills during your tenure in law school but that simply is not true if you do not pursue them.
The Importance of Proactive Skill Development
I know plenty of people that did not learn a thing about negotiation and are still terrible public speakers after three years in law school. Why? Because they didn’t try to develop these skills. During your upper-class years, you can take classes such as Arbitration or Negotiation. Your school may offer upper-level Mock Trial and Moot Court competitions, take advantage of these. Most 1Ls also have the opportunity to participate in at least one if not several skills competitions that involve negotiating or public speaking.
Internships: The Gateway to Multifaceted Skill Enhancement
Other skills such as presentation, problem-solving, and conflict resolution are generally developed and strengthened during your internships. Intern whenever you can during the school year and over the summer. Not only will you learn a lot about different legal subjects but you will also develop some of these useful skills I mentioned.
The Value of Mentorship and the Wider Law Community
One often-overlooked benefit of attending law school is the tremendous mentorship opportunities it provides. Law schools are frequently jam-packed with seasoned professionals, accomplished scholars, and respected figures in the field. This depth of knowledge offers students a real chance to learn from the very best.
Learning from the Experts
Professors at law schools aren’t just academic experts, many have had extensive experience practicing law. This real-world experience means that, in addition to all of that theoretical information you will learn, you will likely also get the chance to obtain some seriously useful practical insights. Engaging with these professionals, attending their office hours, and seeking their guidance can provide clarity on complex legal topics and shed light on potential career paths.
Networking with Alumni
Law schools often have vast alumni networks spanning various sectors of the legal field. Alumni frequently return to their alma mater for seminars and events. As a student, tapping into this alumni network can open doors to internships and job opportunities. Alumni can also provide an on-the-ground perspective on how the legal industry is evolving and what areas are ripe for growth or innovation.
Clinics and Externships
Many law schools offer clinics or externship programs where students can work on actual cases under the guidance of experienced lawyers. I interned at the Landlord-Tenant Clinic my 3L year and it was an absolute blast. It was certainly stressful at times but the depth of practical knowledge you learn in clinics and externships is second to none and I strongly advise that you do not ignore these opportunities.
Discovering Your Legal Passion: The Exposure to Diverse Areas of Law
Attending law school isn’t just about reading hefty casebooks and navigating the intricacies of legal doctrines. It’s also an exploratory journey, many students start with an idea of where they want to practice and end up in an entirely different field.
Broad Curriculum Offering
During your time in law school, you will be exposed to a vast array of subjects. The diversity of options offers students an opportunity to sample various areas and decide which aligns most with their interests and career aspirations. Whether you entered law school with a specific career path in mind or an open slate, there’s always something new to learn and explore.
Specialized Workshops and Guest Lectures
Apart from the regular curriculum, many law schools host specialized workshops, seminars, and guest lectures by experts in niche fields. This provides students with a deeper insight into specialized areas of law, the evolving landscapes of certain sectors, and the emerging trends in others. These sessions can be eye-opening and can often lead students to discover a newfound passion or interest.
Student Organizations and Journals
Law schools are home to a variety of student-run organizations and journals focused on specific areas of law. I’ll be honest, Law Review was great on the resume but it was a real pain to be a member of. If you are interested in a specific niche of the law I would strongly suggest that you lean toward joining a journal that specializes in your niche as you will find it incredibly useful as you learn more about the practice area. Engaging in the various organizations on a law school campus allows students to delve deeper into their areas of interest, collaborate with like-minded peers, and gain practical experience.
Internships and Summer Associateships
Internships, externships, and summer associateships offer students the chance to immerse themselves in real-world legal environments. Whether it’s at a bustling big law firm, a non-profit or a tech startup, these experiences can be pivotal. They not only provide practical skills but also help students discern which legal fields resonate with them the most.
Conclusion
Overall, there are a lot of great things about law school that I have really enjoyed. I have made some great friends, developed some transferable skills, and I believe my ability to critically think has developed significantly.
I hope that you find these things to be some of the best parts of your law school experience and that you take advantage of the numerous opportunities that law school provides you!