Checklist for the past two weeks

For anyone curious what your to-do list might look like as a 2L, here's a partial list of what I had to do:

Read/evaluate 6 articles for possible publication in the law review.
Do copywork - checking footnotes for part of one article that will be published
Read and do assignments for 4 classes
Select firms to "drop" resumes for for OCI
Re-do my resume
Decide what to use for a writing sample, and edit it so it is presentable
Write cover letters for the firms chosen - I didn't customize mine very much, so I saved some time there. We'll see if that affects how many interviews I get, if any.
Decide on a topic for my law review note
Continue working for the professor I worked for this summer

And that's just the school work. But I did it and lived to tell the tale.

Two weeks down

Well, I've survived the first two weeks of 2L. For those of you starting your 1L year, based on my own experience, 2L is better. For one thing, you get to choose your own classes (with some required ones, but you can at least choose the time), so you can in effect select your own workload. The professors don't seem intent on scaring you to death the first week - if anything, they took it easy on us the first week and then increased the pressure a bit after that. It seems a little strange to not have the same schedule as everyone else in my section - in fact, the only class I have with my first-year friends is the one required one. I confess I did succumb to some second-guessing because of this - but we do have different career goals, so it makes sense we would have different classes. Still, it's a little isolating, but also a good chance to make some new friends.

So, to all of you 1Ls out there, especially those of you returning to school after an absence - you can do it! You're going to be fine - you can figure out how to study and how to balance a real life as well. Do what works for you, no matter what other people say they are doing. And try to spend some time learning the "system" - who can help you in the administration, etc. - you might need these resources! And again, take my advice for whatever it's worth. Good luck!

Tips from The Menagerie - How to enjoy law school and keep your sanity

Here are some great tips for incoming 1Ls - and some for continuing students as well:

The Menagerie - How to enjoy law school and keep your sanity

Good luck to the new 1Ls!

Good luck to everyone starting law school in the next few weeks - and also to everyone returning. I bought my books yesterday - yikes! At least they are large, dense, heavy books so I feel like I got something for the $100 per book. Naturally, all are brand new editions.

Just one piece of sort-of advice about law school for the incoming 1Ls - plan your money so you don't have to work over the summer. If you get a job, great - extra money. If you don't, even better, because you don't have to freak out about what to do for money. My solution of taking summer school was good, but not perfect - it meant one required class out of the way, but additional loans. Naturally, your mileage may vary.

Anyway, I'll be spending my last week before school starts "relaxing" - if by "relaxing" you mean doing resumes, cover letters, finding a topic for my note, cleaning my apartment, doing the first day assignments (60 pages for one class! It had better be a whole week's worth of reading!) and obtaining a new bus pass. Ah, the life of a second year student!