Because every individual is different, everyone’s law school experience is different. Still, there are some features of legal education that are more or less universal.
First, some vocabulary. For most students, law school is a three-year commitment. Students in their first year of law school are called “1Ls”; in their second year, they become “2Ls”; and in their third year, they become “3Ls.” However, some students participate in part-time programs in which law school lasts for four years. In their final year, they are referred to as “4Ls.” (For more law school vocabulary, check out our free introduction to the basics of law school, Law School Unmasked™.)
The Typical 1L Curriculum
While there are always variations, the 1L law school curriculum is strikingly uniform across the U.S. The vast majority of students will take Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Property, and Torts as their “doctrinal classes.” This means that these courses focus on substantive legal doctrine — that is, the rules of law that govern a particular field. Generally, these courses last one semester, and which classes you take in the fall or spring semester depend on your school. In addition, all law students take some form of a legal writing course in their first year. While this course will also explore substantive legal doctrine, the focus is on acquiring the skills of legal analysis and legal writing. With a few exceptions, students do not get to choose their first-year courses.
Another truth about the first-year curriculum, and courses in law school in general, is that they rely on something called the case method. This means your reading will consist largely of cases, also known as judicial opinions, and you will then discuss those cases in class. The goal is not to memorize what happened in each individual case, but to learn how the law developed over time and how courts applied the law to the facts in front of them. Remember, reading cases is very challenging, especially at first, but with practice, you'll find it much easier over time.
The Classroom Experience
Speaking of class discussion, in law school, many professors use an approach to teaching called the Socratic Method. This means that, instead of presenting a lecture about the significance of the cases you have read for class, your professor will call on one or more students and ask them various questions about the reading. The goal is to guide the student — and the entire class — to a critical understanding of what each case stands for and how they all fit together to form a legal framework.
Law School Exams
The traditional approach in law school is to offer a single exam, at the end of the semester, that constitutes 100 percent of your grade in the course. However, this tradition is changing. More and more law professors offer midterm exams, as well as other types of interim assessments (frequently referred to as “formative assessments,” meaning they are intended to help you evaluate the extent to which you are properly learning the material throughout the semester).
How to Get Ready
The first semester of law school — especially the first few weeks — is often compared to drinking from a fire hose. There is no way to fully prepare for this except to experience it yourself. Still, it’s possible to prepare somewhat the summer before 1L by learning how to read and brief cases, participate in Socratic dialogue, and analyze exam questions. You’ll find guidance on these topics and more in our suite of courses specially designed to prepare you for law school: Law School Unmasked, which is free, and Law School JumpStart and Legal Analysis Boot Camp, which are included in a LawHub Advantage subscription.