If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you might remember my post last year: Elle Woods Made it Look Easy – Recap of my 1L year. After finishing 2L, I wanted to write an updated version! Because here’s the thing, Elle Woods made it look easy and in reality, it’s like really hard. I never want to paint an unrealistic picture of law school life, I want to stay raw and super transparent.
There’s a common saying that during 1L, they “scare you to death,” and during 2L, they “work you to death.” That is 1000% true. 2L was TOUGH. Here are some things that I’ve learned, some of which are a little taboo, but I want to talk about the aspects of law school that are far too often not talked about.
Sometimes life happens, and it is OKAY for school to take the back burner occasionally
Here’s the thing, law school isn’t life or death. Other things that may come up can be. In March, my grandmother passed away. It was really difficult for me to let myself take a break from school for a second and grieve with my family. But at the end of the day, school can wait. I ended up cancelling my MPRE registration and pushing it back to August, emailing professors and taking a few days off from class, and guess what? I survived. Life went on, I passed all of my classes, and I am so glad I took that time for myself.
It’s okay to never feel like you have your sh*t together
FYI even if other people in your classes seem like they have it all together, they don’t. No one does! Do the best YOU can do, whatever that may look like, and stop falling into the comparison trap.
Going to law school during a pandemic is freaking hard
Especially as someone who has ADHD, distance learning is no joke. I spent so much time feeling guilty for zoning out during Zoom lectures, but I finally accepted that going to law school during a pandemic has been a HUGE adjustment, and everyone is struggling. Even professors! It is completely normal to not be as present and focused as you would be during an in-person class.
Don’t force it when you know it isn’t for you
In law school, there can be a lot of pressure to follow certain steps and paths. Whether it’s joining law review, participating in OCI, getting a certain summer position, etc. DON’T DO THINGS YOU DON’T WANT TO DO! If you know you have no interest in big law, don’t feel like you have to do OCI because everyone else seems to be.
I’m all for creating your own path. I know that I haven’t taken the same steps as most of my classmates but I don’t care. What is going to make me happy, is making smart steps towards MY goals. Emphasis on MY, because working towards other people’s goals will do nothing for me.
Some people suck, but that’s a them problem
Just a little PSA, if someone laughs at you or is rude after you say something during a cold call or ask a question, you should feel genuinely sorry for them. Imagine being so insecure in your own life that you have to be mean to feel better. Unfortunately this behavior is relatively common, but remember it is a reflection of them, not you. No one likes assholes, and this behavior will eventually come back to bite them.
Be a genuinely nice person to everyone you meet. You never know when you will encounter someone later in your career, and first impressions are everything. Be a good person and just remember that other people’s opinions of you aren’t your business.
You need to give yourself credit & take time to be proud
There’s only so many hours in the damn day
Humans are not meant to be productive 24/7. Show up every day and give it your best, but know your limits and boundaries. It isn’t possible to be a superhuman and be productive every second of the day. Try your best to get things done, but give yourself grace, and remember to freaking sleep.
Don’t be “that person” in class
I love the acronym WAIT. Why am I talking? Please ask yourself that before speaking in class because wayyyyy too many people fail to do so.
A person who graduates last in their class, at the worst law school in the country, can still be a lawyer
You do NOT have to be at the top of your class or go to the best law school or get the best positions to be a successful lawyer. Look at the freaking President of the United States. I’m so sick of people being so negative about other law students. Anything is possible, and being the “best” isn’t worth space in your mind. All that matters is that you’re actively trying to be the best YOU can be, and only you know what that looks like.
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