Aspiring barristers: five things I wish I knew before starting law school

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When friends and I think back on our law school experiences, our first year often comes to mind. We all remember our first experience being called upon in class, struggling to pull together our first study guides, and facing that one final exam that would determine our final grade in the course. I, along with thousands of others, have encountered and conquered these situations. But it certainly would’ve been nice to be more prepared for what I’d face. Thus, I wanted to share my learnings with anyone who’s about to enter law school. 

1. “You mean, it’s hard?”

Yes, law school is going to demand a lot of your time. In my first year, I had to take five classes per semester and was assigned to read hundreds of pages each week. I also took a legal writing course, which required me to complete research and writing assignments. It was easy to feel overwhelmed, but there were many resources available to help, including:

• legal research professors who were experts in navigating online databases and helped save a ton of time in my initial forays into researching legal subjects; 
• a legal writing centre staffed with upper-level law students who’d drafted similar assignments; and
• tutors for each course who had a solid grasp of the subject and good insight as to the final exam.

It took me a while to realise that it’s completely normal to face anxiety, stress and other mental health concerns while in law school. Use the resources that are provided for you, including your mentors, instructors and peers. Your law school or university should have counselors who specialise in school-related mental health. The most important thing is to recognise when you need help and to seek out assistance.

2. “You don’t have to have it all figured out right away”

I had no idea what type of law I wanted to practise when I entered law school, but that seemed like the only question people asked me once they found out I was going to law school. I felt pressured to figure it out quickly but later realised that it’s okay to not know your legal specialty or path immediately – or even in your third year. Many legal jobs require you to have skills to practice in a wide array of legal fields, so take a variety of classes to expose yourself to different areas of the law. Remember, you don’t need to be at the top of your class to have a successful legal career. Be sure to focus on what motivates and interests you.

Read these Practice Area Profiles for insight from barristers and King’s Counsel into the various types of law you can practice!

3. “Make a practice of public speaking”

While in law school, you’ll be required to participate in public speaking. It’s common in class for professors to call on students without any notice. This can be an anxiety-inducing experience, but don’t worry if you don’t deliver the ‘perfect’ answer. The goal of these exercises is to teach you to think like a lawyer. Professors will purposefully ask questions that don’t have one right answer. So, just stay prepared and answer to the best of your ability and with confidence.

4. “Stay a step ahead when it comes to the Bar exam”

I made the mistake of not thinking about the Bar exam until my third year. Even then, I didn’t really grasp the amount of time and effort I’d need to devote to preparing for it until I started my Bar review course. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you get to that stage:

• Study how you learn. There’s no one-size fits all approach to studying, especially for the amount of information you’re expected to learn for the Bar exam. Seek out different resources and study methods that are going to help you succeed.
• Budget your time/money accordingly. You’ll likely be studying more than 40 hours per week, so you’ll need to plan for that post-graduation and pre-job period. This is typically two months for studying and anywhere from one to four months waiting for the results. 
• Failure isn’t the end. If you fail the exam, that’s okay. Presidents, governors and other famous government officials have failed the Bar exam and still gone on to lead successful careers. You can always take the exam again or you can find a job that doesn’t require you to be licensed. Your Juris Doctor will open plenty of doors on its own. 

5. “Every now and then, you’ll get to be a part of justice being served”

Law school introduced a lot of new challenges for me, but it was also a rewarding experience where I met some of my best friends and developed skills that I’ve been able to use in my career. Just remember, you aren’t alone and there are plenty of resources available to help you along the way. Utilise your professors, peers, mentors and university staff to help you through the tough times and you’ll come out of law school with memorable experiences and a strong skill set to start your career with.

Ryan Zajic is a Bar review content developer at UWorld, where he creates online test preparation resources to help students succeed on the Bar exam and in law school. He can be reached at [email protected] or on LinkedIn.