An Open Letter To The 1Ls
Don't Give Up
A Well-Wisher
Issue date: 4/12/09 Section: Features
Every year, at about this time, a large group of 1L's begins to question why they came to law school. They started out with grand dreams of making the "big bucks" in "big law" but were unfortunately disappointed with how they did their first semester. If you fit into this group, please read on.
Let me begin by saying that not everyone wants or should pursue a biglaw job (a job with one of the various "large law firms"). The hours are grueling and not everyone can find satisfaction in document review.
However, when I entered law school, I knew I wanted to work in biglaw. Like most, I studied like crazy first semester. I spent hours each night briefing cases for Property and Contracts. I sat and pondered exactly what Prof. Krauss thought of comparative negligence vs. contributory negligence. Most importantly, I tried to find every edge I could over my fellow classmates in preparing for my first round of law school exams. I tried flashcards. I tried study groups. I tried it all. Sadly, however, I was deeply disappointed. A little more than two year ago, I received one of the biggest disappointments of my life - I finished my first semester in the bottom half of my class.
But that's not the end of the story. You see I could have given up. It would have been easy and possibly the rational thing to do. I had friends that effectively gave up. However, I kept at it. The second semester I worked even harder but this time I quit looking for an "edge" and just focused on learning the material.
When it came time to apply for Moot Court, I thought I only had a slim chance because I was eliminated in the first round of the FYC. I applied anyway.
When it came to journals, I thought I only had a slim chance because of my poor performance in the first semester. I applied anyway.
Something interesting happened over the summer. I received a phone call in June from the Chief Justice of the Moot Court Board, asking if I would like to be on the Moot Court Board. As you can imagine, I accepted it on the spot.
A few weeks later, I received a phone call from one of the editors of the Law Review, asking if I would like to be on the Law Review. Again, I accepted on the spot.
Most importantly though, I found out that my class rank had jumped from the bottom ½ of the class to the top 25%.
Fast forward two years and I just finished up my tenure as an editor on the Law Review, will graduate cum laude, and have accepted a job at a large, prestigious law firm.
I am not writing this to brag. Please don't take it that way. In fact, I am leaving this unsigned because I don't want anyone to know who I am. I am writing this simply because I want to destroy the rumor that says that if you didn't do well your first semesters then you are sunk. I am writing this to encourage those that might not love their class rank to keep trying. The game is not over yet.
Let me begin by saying that not everyone wants or should pursue a biglaw job (a job with one of the various "large law firms"). The hours are grueling and not everyone can find satisfaction in document review.
However, when I entered law school, I knew I wanted to work in biglaw. Like most, I studied like crazy first semester. I spent hours each night briefing cases for Property and Contracts. I sat and pondered exactly what Prof. Krauss thought of comparative negligence vs. contributory negligence. Most importantly, I tried to find every edge I could over my fellow classmates in preparing for my first round of law school exams. I tried flashcards. I tried study groups. I tried it all. Sadly, however, I was deeply disappointed. A little more than two year ago, I received one of the biggest disappointments of my life - I finished my first semester in the bottom half of my class.
But that's not the end of the story. You see I could have given up. It would have been easy and possibly the rational thing to do. I had friends that effectively gave up. However, I kept at it. The second semester I worked even harder but this time I quit looking for an "edge" and just focused on learning the material.
When it came time to apply for Moot Court, I thought I only had a slim chance because I was eliminated in the first round of the FYC. I applied anyway.
When it came to journals, I thought I only had a slim chance because of my poor performance in the first semester. I applied anyway.
Something interesting happened over the summer. I received a phone call in June from the Chief Justice of the Moot Court Board, asking if I would like to be on the Moot Court Board. As you can imagine, I accepted it on the spot.
A few weeks later, I received a phone call from one of the editors of the Law Review, asking if I would like to be on the Law Review. Again, I accepted on the spot.
Most importantly though, I found out that my class rank had jumped from the bottom ½ of the class to the top 25%.
Fast forward two years and I just finished up my tenure as an editor on the Law Review, will graduate cum laude, and have accepted a job at a large, prestigious law firm.
I am not writing this to brag. Please don't take it that way. In fact, I am leaving this unsigned because I don't want anyone to know who I am. I am writing this simply because I want to destroy the rumor that says that if you didn't do well your first semesters then you are sunk. I am writing this to encourage those that might not love their class rank to keep trying. The game is not over yet.
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