Law School Without Fear

My assistant is headed to law school in the fall. She asked me whether I thought she should read Law School Without Fear or Bridging the Gap Between College and Law School. I told her I hadn't read them, and thought she'd probably be fine without them, but that they probably couldn't hurt.

The only way they could hurt is if you begin to imagine that someone else, the author of these books, or even your professors, holds some kind of secret "trick" to succeeding in law school. If you relinquish your own common sense about the process, the objectives, and the things that will work for you to some expert, some blogger out there on the Internet or some author of an "Insider's Guide" or some message board full of competitive gossips, I'm not sure anything you read is going to help you navigate your way through without fear or doubt. I think you've got to trust yourself and your ability to discern what you're doing and how you want to do it. You're smart enough to have gotten in. You're smart enough to sort out the nonsense from the useful stuff. It might take a semester or two to get your legs under you, but you'll be okay. If you trust that, I guess these books might have some things that could be helpful in them. But if you're reading the books without that underlying faith in your own abilities, I doubt the books can take away the fear.

Any readers have experience with pre-law school reading that is actually helpful?

Comments

[DGJ]

I read One-L and I don't think it gave an accurate picture for law school today (or at least my law school experience). I went to Iowa and didn't find it to be competitive or cutthroat. However, I've talked to classmates who thought it was very competitive. I think the sensation of competitiveness is all in the student's head. If they go in thinking of it as a competitive experience, it will probably feel that way. If they go in a little more laid-back, I think it will feel a lot better. I found all of my classmates (even the competition-minded ones) to be cooperative and willing to help out or answer questions. I never experienced book-hiding, etc., although I heard rumors about it happening. For what it's worth, I finished in the top 20% of my class, so it isn't necessary to be cutthroat in order to succeed at a good law school.

Rather than read a book, I'd just recommend students recognize that during the first year all sorts of material not related to the technical subject of a class will be covered. For example, in your first semester of contracts you will spend tons of time on procedural issues. There is a generalized law background that is taught in all of the first year classes. This can result in a lot of class time spent on topics that won't be on the final. It is important to absorb this information, but the student shouldn't lose sight of the class-specific content. Similarly, professors will spend a lot of time discussing what the law ought to be and it is possible to lose track of what the law/rule actually is. Students should keep this in mind and make sure they are absorbing the ultimate answers (to the extent they exist). Outlining is a fantastic way to make sure this information is being absorbed. Of course, I was very lax in my outlining and still feel pretty stupid because of it 7 years later.

The only really useful thing I got from a book about law school was the fact that the professors assign homework to be completed prior to the first class session.

[Pia]

I'm pre-pre-law -- planning to apply this fall. I read Law School Confidential to give me an idea of what law school would be like and help me figure out whether I really wanted to go. I found it extremely helpful, even though I can't say whether its advice is accurate. It starts out with law school applications and ends with getting a job, with sections on each year of law school in between. It does give advice on how to succeed in law school, but more importantly, it told me what to expect. I think the real value of these books isn't to give you some secret trick, but just to alleviate your anxiety and make sure you know what you're getting into.

[Jonathan Lang]

I have to second DGL's suggestion of Law School Confidential. I didn't read it until about halfway through my first semester of law school and I couldn't help but think; wow… that is exactly what I have been going through. I think the authors (there are around 5 or 6) do a good job of presenting multiple viewpoints on how to approach/handle law school. It is a quick read and certainly cannot hurt.

But books on law school can only give you a perspective on someone else's experience. Law school is a different experience for everyone and you will be no different. Just have to jump in feet first and give it your best.

[DG]

I read Law School for Dummies. I enjoyed it, and I give it a thumbs up.

[gretchen]

I read Planet Law School and it was the only book I've ever wanted to ritually burn. I read One L and spent ridiculous amounts of time comparing my experience to Scott's, inevitably finding that mine was missing out. I highly advise reading nothing but Jane Austen (or whatever floats your boat) and making the choice to not compare, evaluate, or measure your experience against anyone else's. I wish I'd done that.

[cmc]

I read One-L and watched the Paper Chase before law school. I don't think either one was meant to alleviate anxiety. And my law school experience certainly was nothing like either One-L or the Paper Chase, which both date from an earlier era.

But I realized from One-L especially that a lot0 of law student anxiety stems from fear of looking stupid in class. So I just kept reminding myself that it doesn't matter how dumb you look in class because dumb answers in class don't affect your final grade (at most schools, as far as I know.)

What is legitimately anxiety-inducing is the dreaded law school curve. I never quite got over the fact that even if I knew the subject backwards and forwards I could still get a "C" if everyone else knew the subject well, too. After all, with a curve, someone HAS to get a "C."

[jdz]

I read Law School Confidential and have mixed feelings about it. I think that a lot of the advice will be useful when I start law school in the fall, BUT I know that my personality is very different from those of the authors. I am fully prepared to study a LOT next year, but I am NOT prepared to let law school completely take over my life, as the book seems to suggest will happen. I have talked to many many people who have been there/done that and it seems that everyone's experience is VERY different... some day its three years of hell, some say its not bad at all... the book seems to prepare you for the hell-aspect while shying away from the more positive parts of law school. Just my 2 pennies. :)

[Amar Weisman]

It seems like society today worships the laid-back and scorns the competitive. I disagree that believing in oneself is the key to succeeding in law school. You can believe in yourself all you want, you'll still fail.

I too am entering law school this fall, and to prepare I am reading Emmanuel Outlines and Gilbert Law Summaries for all my first year courses, and additionally a Bar/Bri book on how to succeed on examinations.

I believe the people who say being a 1-L is excruciatingly difficult, but hopefully a little work up front over the summer (in addition to healthy doses of physical fitness and the opposite sex) will go a long way to doing well come August.

[Dave!]

I just finished "Law School Without Fear" and I thought it was OK. It's a quick read, so if she has the time, why not? I also read "Anatamy of a Lawsuit" which, while somewhat dated, was pretty decent as well. I found One-L highly entertaining, but I don't think of it as a "prep" book for law school... just as a decent read. Frankly, if my wife weren't a lawyer, I'dve had her read it... seems like it might be more valuable to friends and loved ones of law students than students themselves. :)

I'll pick up "Law School Confidential" and see how that goes. Also on my "summer reading list" are the Torts, Contracts, and Legal Writing "Nutshell" books, on my wife's recommendation (she went to the same school I'm about to attend) and I've also picked up a few legal writing books recommended on other blogs. Oh yeah, and some fiction. I wrote a "mentor" professor at the school to see what he'd recommend, and his advice was "as much fiction as you can, you won't have anytime later"... :)

[gretchen]

Oh, two more things--first, the one book I actually would recommend is A Civil Action. A great diagnosis of a tort suit and a great book. Second, I just got through my first year of law school and I was reading fiction all year. And lots of it! Law school doesn't prevent you from doing anything. You just make choices.

[em]

I also read LSC and found it pretty straightforward without being over-the-top in terms of heightening anxiety.

I'm about to start A Civil Action just as soon as I finish The Brethren (by Bob Woodward, not John Grisham), which I would suggest is more important to read than any other prep book.

[John P.]

One piece of advice that I read during the summer before law school still sticks with me: Law is such a wonderfully varied profession that it's almost impossible to read something that does NOT prove useful to you in some way.

That being said, law-school-advice books can be especially helpful simply to give you an idea of what law school will be like. (One L is IMO quite accurate in this regard, although it's ridiculously melodramatic.)

If you're the kind of person who likes to read anyway, and you want to do some substantive preparation, then I would recommend (of the countless law-related things that you *could* read) a good introduction to economics (such as Todd Buchholz's From Here to Economy, which is available in paperback and reader-friendly) and Joseph Glannon's Civil Procedure: Examples & Explanations. As someone pointed out above, civ pro runs through all law school courses, and a basic grasp of it will make your beginning studies much easier.

And don't forget to read Stay of Execution!

[MS]

I agree with Gretchen about "A Civil Action" and Em about Woodward's "The Bretheren." Rent "The Paper Chase" for laughs and watch some "Law & Order" reruns. Otherwise, tell your assistant to just read for fun and don't worry about things ahead of time!

[monica]

Yeah, I'd recommend reading fiction and just chilling out over the summer.

Also, keep in mind that not all law schools are the same. For example, some don't have grades at all (Northeastern, Yale, etc.). It was important for me to remember that I was going to school that was dedicated to making sure they weren't as scary as Harvard in 1L.