4 answers
Emily
Student
Clayton, North Carolina
1
Question
Updated
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What is the most challenging aspect of law school?
Hi! I am a high school senior looking to earn my undergrad in pre-law and political science and then attend law school. I plan to play sports during undergrad, and I am most interested in going into prosecution.
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4 answers
Paul Goetzinger MPA
Academic and Career Consultant and Freelance Writer, TRIO Program Administrator
1009
Answers
Tacoma, Washington
Updated
Paul’s Answer
Learning to write the legal language required for success in law school. Many people have issues learning the IRAC or FIRAC (Issue-Rule Analysis-Conclusion) way of writing, because it can be very different than the way normal English is utilized.
In order to pass the bar exam, you will be required to have mastered it. So learning to write like a lawyer, is always the most challenging in my opinion.
As far as playing sports in college, I might consider doing the following.
Utilize a Sports Resume and Cover Letter.
It is exactly what it sounds like. Except with a Job Resume and Cover Letter, you will be trying out for a job, with the Athletic Resume and Cover Letter, you will be applying and trying our for the sports team.
There are many examples of these Athletic Resume's and Cover Letters found online. Basically you will be emphasizing to the coach all about your athletic abilities, strengths, positions you played, school and state accomplishments and successes, athletic awards, future goals, and your future academic plans. Introduce the resume, and yourself, to the coach by utilizing the cover letter.
When you complete the Resume and Cover Letter, send it to the various coaches, via postal service letter, directly to their office on the college campus. You see, they literally receive thousands of emails each week, but if you contact them via a written letter, it will land directly on their desk, and they are most likely going to respond and send you information on their program and about academic possibilities on their campus. I mean, who gets an actual written letter these days from the postal carrier? This is one way to get their attention.
I did this with many of my advisee, over the years, with a great amount of success. College coaches do seem to enjoy getting a personal letter in the regular mail, than getting an email. It shows you are serious and are willing to make an effort in continuing your athletic career. I hope this has been helpful, Good luck in achieving your future athletic and academic goals.
In order to pass the bar exam, you will be required to have mastered it. So learning to write like a lawyer, is always the most challenging in my opinion.
As far as playing sports in college, I might consider doing the following.
Utilize a Sports Resume and Cover Letter.
It is exactly what it sounds like. Except with a Job Resume and Cover Letter, you will be trying out for a job, with the Athletic Resume and Cover Letter, you will be applying and trying our for the sports team.
There are many examples of these Athletic Resume's and Cover Letters found online. Basically you will be emphasizing to the coach all about your athletic abilities, strengths, positions you played, school and state accomplishments and successes, athletic awards, future goals, and your future academic plans. Introduce the resume, and yourself, to the coach by utilizing the cover letter.
When you complete the Resume and Cover Letter, send it to the various coaches, via postal service letter, directly to their office on the college campus. You see, they literally receive thousands of emails each week, but if you contact them via a written letter, it will land directly on their desk, and they are most likely going to respond and send you information on their program and about academic possibilities on their campus. I mean, who gets an actual written letter these days from the postal carrier? This is one way to get their attention.
I did this with many of my advisee, over the years, with a great amount of success. College coaches do seem to enjoy getting a personal letter in the regular mail, than getting an email. It shows you are serious and are willing to make an effort in continuing your athletic career. I hope this has been helpful, Good luck in achieving your future athletic and academic goals.
Amber Lee
Tax Associate
83
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Amber’s Answer
Hi Emily,
Different people experience law school differently. For me personally, I struggled a lot with adapting to reading legal texts because they are often very long and dense--one also cannot merely read passively! It also took a while for legal jargons to finally click in my head.
Another major challenge for me was time management and maintaining a health work/life balance. By second year, I was juggling a full schedule, summer job search (e.g., completing job applications, attending interviews, going to various networking events, etc.), and extracurricular activities that required significant amount of time commitment per week. I barely had time for anything else outside of school, and it was really exhausting. But of course not everyone had the exact experience I did, but I think it is fair to say you will spend a lot of time reading and preparing for class (it's not surprising to be assigned 100+ pages of reading for a single class period).
Different people experience law school differently. For me personally, I struggled a lot with adapting to reading legal texts because they are often very long and dense--one also cannot merely read passively! It also took a while for legal jargons to finally click in my head.
Another major challenge for me was time management and maintaining a health work/life balance. By second year, I was juggling a full schedule, summer job search (e.g., completing job applications, attending interviews, going to various networking events, etc.), and extracurricular activities that required significant amount of time commitment per week. I barely had time for anything else outside of school, and it was really exhausting. But of course not everyone had the exact experience I did, but I think it is fair to say you will spend a lot of time reading and preparing for class (it's not surprising to be assigned 100+ pages of reading for a single class period).
Jaime Freed
Legal Editor
6
Answers
Northport, New York
Updated
Jaime’s Answer
Hi Emily,
I would say for me, the most challenging aspect of law school was adjusting to a different way of learning. The famous line that is said of law school is that it “teaches you how to think like a lawyer.” What this means is that you learn how to spot issues and how to apply the existing rules to new scenarios. So you don’t just memorize rules and spit them back out on an exam; you understand the rules and exceptions and you analyze how they apply to a totally new fact pattern. There are a few variations on this (and individual professors may prefer different styles), but the one I remember most was “IRAC” - which means on exams, you identify the Issue, state the Rule, perform an Analysis, and draw a Conclusion.
The other thing that challenged me was the Socratic method, which you may have heard about or seen in movies. Only one or two of my first year teachers did this, but they will choose a student randomly each class and ask them questions about the cases we’re studying. The idea of that was more intimidating to me than it was in actuality, though. So long as you do the reading and understand the elements of the case, you can give informed answers!
Since this answer focuses on the challenges, I just want to add that there were many amazing and interesting things about law school as well! I really enjoyed learning this way and I had some really great classmates and teachers. I found my people there and had a great 3 years. So I hope you find the same if it’s the path you choose!!
Best,
Jaime
I would say for me, the most challenging aspect of law school was adjusting to a different way of learning. The famous line that is said of law school is that it “teaches you how to think like a lawyer.” What this means is that you learn how to spot issues and how to apply the existing rules to new scenarios. So you don’t just memorize rules and spit them back out on an exam; you understand the rules and exceptions and you analyze how they apply to a totally new fact pattern. There are a few variations on this (and individual professors may prefer different styles), but the one I remember most was “IRAC” - which means on exams, you identify the Issue, state the Rule, perform an Analysis, and draw a Conclusion.
The other thing that challenged me was the Socratic method, which you may have heard about or seen in movies. Only one or two of my first year teachers did this, but they will choose a student randomly each class and ask them questions about the cases we’re studying. The idea of that was more intimidating to me than it was in actuality, though. So long as you do the reading and understand the elements of the case, you can give informed answers!
Since this answer focuses on the challenges, I just want to add that there were many amazing and interesting things about law school as well! I really enjoyed learning this way and I had some really great classmates and teachers. I found my people there and had a great 3 years. So I hope you find the same if it’s the path you choose!!
Best,
Jaime
Katherine Lee
Attorney
4
Answers
Madison, New Jersey
Updated
Katherine’s Answer
Law school, especially in the first couple of years, can be challenging. There's a lot of reading and analysis, and sometimes the cases are complex. But remember, the main goal is to help you learn to think independently rather than just finding right or wrong answers. Law school will improve your reading, writing, and analytical skills. Consider why you want to become a lawyer, as there are many types, like intellectual property, transactional, real estate, and immigration law. Each area is unique. Taking a legal internship during college can be very helpful. Even if it's unpaid, it offers valuable insights into the field you're interested in, allowing you to see what lawyers do before you commit to three years of law school.