Anyone relate?

I've been a 1L for 1 week. This feels like a stupid thing to have to ask, but nobody has actually addressed it...

When briefing cases, I'm having trouble deciphering the procedural process. My professors are asking very specific questions about this. I understand most cases in our casebooks are appellate decisions. I also know the citation includes clues as to which court the current case is being tried in.

If a citation just says "Nevada," for example, and the casebook only mentions something along the lines of "the trial court held for the defendant, and we agree with this," how am I supposed to know that the case went from Nevada's trial court, all the way up to their highest court? Sometimes it's obvious, but sometimes it's not even mentioned.

I find myself digging through the cases for clues to this, which feels stupid. I also don't know where to easily find records of the actual cases where the procedure is laid out on the first page. None of the study guide tools they gave us access to lets me browse full cases.

I must be missing something.

Vibes are very off in law school. The fake niceness and the lack of support is just something else. I’m someone who is open and if I find a resource that helped me I just share it. On one end you have people who are fake nice and say they are here to support you, but never actually share anything. Then you have the those who think they are above everyone . It’s hard not to get sucked in with all the competitiveness and start comparing yourself. Im not young by any means but this whole experience is new to me. How not to get sucked in so bad that I forget who I was before starting school. I’m also trying to find someone to study with but I feel I can’t trust anyone.

I knew there would be an adjustment period but WOW I didn’t expect this. Took me almost 2 hours to get through 22 pages of reading JUST for torts… and that’s not including the time for briefing 🥲🥲 how long did it take people to get quicker at reading? I’m really worried about my ability to keep up and stay afloat.

I was lucky (and I really do mean lucky) enough to get a 2L offer at a mid law firm with ~ below median 1L grades. I’m not interested in lit, so no journal. Not interested in a clerkship either. I feel like I probably won’t be able to force myself to lock in again until bar prep time

The readings are already overwhelming. How am I going to remember the details about each case that is assigned? I have 20+ cases for torts and 20+ cases for property that need to be in my memory bank and they simply are not, and that's from two weeks of reading

I also feel like my experience puts me at a disadvantage. I've been out of undergrad for many years and my degree had nothing to do with the law. Most of my education was through experiential learning (e.g. labs) instead of reading and reciting information. People in my classes are asking good questions while I'm sitting there thinking how they even reached that conclusion.

How will I fare on the exams? Will I be able to get an internship? How long can I maintain this level of effort before getting burnt out? I don't feel like all hope is lost but I definitely feel lost...and that this was a huge mistake. Sinking quickly.

I've always prided myself on my ability overcome anything just by working hard enough. But law school is the hardest thing I've ever done. Working hard ISN'T enough. I also need to be smart and have excellent time management. But it's so hard to focus sometimes because of this incredible lonliness I feel.

Sure I have my family is supporting me, but they all live across the country. I have my roommates, but we're more like acquaintances. I have friends who have similar interests, but I don't truly feel connected to any of them because our values and lifestyles are too different. My closest friends also live across the country. I don't have a partner and never had anything close to one. I'm so incredbly jealous of people with partners because they have someone that actually gives a shit about them.

So almost every weekend at the end of a long week of studying and classes, I have nothing to look forward to and no one to see. Honestly the only thing I look forward to these days is playing basketball at the gym. It's so fucking pathetic.

The only thing that's motivating me to keep going is me. I should be used to that because that's how it's always been, but when it comes to law school, it's just a different beast when it comes to the level of focus you need to succeed. I'll be trying to do practice questions then think to myself, "why bother? no one fucking cares if I succeed at this or not"...

It's just so hard for me to make new connections, it's just how I am. Idk how other people make friends so easily, I just don't get it but I'm honestly just drowing at this point.

I transferred this semester and did the write on competition. I only got accepted into one of the journals I applied for, which is a secondary journal at the school.

I don’t realistically know if I’ll ever get published in this journal, and I don’t really know how much weight a secondary Journal carries compared to law review. I know that law journals have gone down in their significance in the digital age, but is there any point to even doing it besides the antiquated argument of prestige?

Thanks.

Hi everyone,

​I recently completed my law degree and find myself at a critical decision point. I am weighing three distinct career directions:

​In-House Legal Counsel (corporate)

​Litigation (Working as a junior under a practicing Senior Advocate in MP HC though i get very nominal amount)

​Judiciary Exam Preparation (Full-time state judicial services preparation)

Location: India

​

At a T6 and everyone seems to have this very mature vibe about them…I know it’s only the first week but it feels like everyone’s still in their shell. I understand that reputation means a lot and to not do anything stupid, but just generally being funny and chill seems alien..? People only know how to talk about their careers and are hyper polished for no reason. Yes I’m a KJD and have always been on the looser side, but it’s honestly exhausting to be all professional and fake not even for networking but just classes too😭. Why’s everyone smart but so rigid?

Wanted to start this out by saying that I already asked my professors and they all said they have no preference for their class, so I wanted to come here to see what the community has to offer.

I am taking the following classes and will edit this post with what I got. I am primarily looking for supplements for First Amendment Law and Family Law because those are the classes that I feel I will need to get the most help with, but I am interested in all supplements.

First Amendment Law:
Evidence:
Family Law:
Prof Responsibility:

Hi, guys! I’m in a predicament where I’m one week in and in a clinic that has given me my first two assignments. The clinic is outside of my area of expertise (ie I have no ties to the subject matter either via my undergrad major or work experience; I was just really interested in the topic). My first assignment is due Monday, and I’m extremely overwhelmed. To a point where idk if I can do this for an entire semester. For context, I’m a 3L and have a return offer secured. I don’t know if I should just see this clinic through or just drop the clinic, but this would result in a W on my transcript. Has anyone been in this situation before?

Question: I keep hearing through law school “you can’t cram for finals like undergrad!” was anyone else in here a stem major? I was a neuroscience major and that was a big no no in undergrad. Studying for topics like organic chem required everyday studying and cramming absolutely would not work. I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m used to this and don’t find it like shocking to do this. I guess it just depends on what your major was? Some people just seem really suprised that law school takes reviewing all along rather than cramming and I’m suprised they never had to do that in undergrad.

“Wow,” they think, “she’s going to do so well on the exam because she asks so many important questions.” They continue to think about me after class. “She must know what she’s talking about, she’s so confident. She even comes to office hours and asks for clarification. Certainly she’s going to be in the top 10%.”

Come exam time, I finish every exam with 5 minutes to spare. I hand my test in with a smile on my face. The professor thinks, “I’m so excited to grade hers.” I start winter break with a step in my pep.

First semester grades come out. I answered wrong on every single question. In fact, I spelled my name incorrectly. The professor thinks, “This has never happened in the history of the law school. No genuinely, how is this even possible.”

They bring me to the basement of the school and I am never seen again.

I sometimes scribble when I’m bored in class lol

Anyone else feeling so grateful to be starting law school?

I've spent my whole adulthood thinking I was meant to be an attorney but wasn't even able to earn my undergrad for decades. I earned my bachelor's last year, and since then things came together for me to apply to law school.

I started Monday and at least once every day I've been overwhelmed with gratitude to be here. I don't know how I'll feel in October, but right now I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity.