An open letter to new law students

Dear 1Ls (and prospective students),

It’s pretty normal to be both excited and nervous about starting law school. It’s also normal to ask every lawyer or law student you meet for advice and to search the internet for tips and insider scoops. As I wrap up my second year of law school, here’s my advice to you.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to law school. You’ll probably get a lot of advice that sounds universal, but it’s not. Take all advice with a grain of salt (yes, even this letter from me). The thing about advice is that people tend to project their own preferences when you ask for it—or they assume that because something did or didn’t work for them, the same will be true for you. That’s just not how it works.

You might be tempted to lean heavily on advice from practicing attorneys. That’s fine, but be mindful of the argument from authority. Yes, they did make it through law school, and yes, they have valuable insights—but the world changes. Law school today isn’t the same as it was five, ten, or twenty years ago.

Consider this: the world isn’t static. As the Red Queen told Alice in Through the Looking-Glass, “My dear, here we must run as fast as we can just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere, you must run twice as fast as that.” The people who came before you have already run their race. They’re no longer in your shoes, and the world is now a different place. Take wisdom where it helps—but remember, you may not be trying to get to the same destination, so why would you follow the same path?

Some students feel like they need to do something before law school starts—maybe take a prep course, read up on contracts, even crack open their casebooks in June. Some of that is pure excitement and the desire to dive in. Some of it is nerves and a fear of being unprepared. From my experience, your professors and your law school will likely give you everything you need to succeed. Try not to panic. Maybe even go enjoy your summer or do something you genuinely love before you’re studying all semester long.

But if you absolutely feel like you need something to read or prep with, here’s my grain of salt: read You Are Not So Smart by David McRaney. It’s not a law book—it’s a psychology book written for regular people. When I was in a doctoral program before switching to law, this was required reading in our intro class. The goal was to prepare us for research and logical argument by helping us understand the common thinking errors our brains make because we’re wired for speed. It’s short, easy to read, and you can find a used copy for a few bucks. If you like audiobooks, the narrator is excellent—I doubt you’ll be disappointed. This book has been more useful to me than I can explain. Learning to avoid these pitfalls in your own thinking—and spotting them in others—will make you a sharper, stronger, and maybe even unstoppable attorney.

If I could leave you with just one more piece of advice, it’s this: you’re not playing the game of law school, you’re playing the game of life—and law school is just a part of it.

People will tell you that you need good time management and prioritization skills to be successful in law school. Sure. But that’s true for life, too. Life is a juggling act. And you know which ball is the most important when you’re juggling? The one that’s falling. If you don’t catch it, it drops—and you either leave it behind or you stop juggling.

Learn what you’re juggling. Learn which things are worth keeping in the air. Learn which ones are made of rubber and which are made of glass. Drop a rubber ball, and you can pick it back up. Drop a glass one, and… well, good luck piecing it back together. Law school will bounce more than you think. But if you’ve got other commitments—a marriage, kids, family, health—those may not bounce well. Don’t assume law school is always the most important thing. It’s just one ball.

That’s my unconventional wisdom to share as you begin this journey. There’s a lot of fun to be had in law school. It’s a big commitment, and not everyone chooses to take it on. For those who do, there’s a world of opportunity ahead. So don’t stress. Enjoy your summer. Maybe read that one book if you can’t sit still (or if you just enjoy reading). And learn to juggle.

Welcome to the club, 1Ls. Cheers!

- Hayden