How to Survive Law School

If you’re starting law school this semester, I have a few things to say–first, congratulations!  This is a super exciting endeavor and you deserve a lot of acknowledgment! So Yay!

My second piece of unsolicited advice is to not let anxiety and fear of the unknown overcome you.  Instead, become fearless and adopt a badass attitude.

This new chapter will be overwhelming, and if you’re going to survive you have to fortify yourself with confidence–it’s the only way you can make it through the next three years.

For some of us, that self-confidence may come naturally.  But if you’re like me, you’re feeling not only excited and anxious, but also completely blown away by the fact that 1) you’re actually in law school and 2) you’re now competing with some very smart individuals.

Before I continue, let me give you a flashback:  Chicago.  August 2007.  First semester 1L year.  Wow, was I happy to be in school!  The entire summer of 2007 I had participated in a brutal summer program that helped me prepare for law school, but I was also so financially strapped that by mid-July I still didn’t know how I was going to pay the final deposit for my place at school.  I can admit now that I spent quite a few summer nights sobbing from fear that I would have to withdraw before I even started.

Fortunately, my stars aligned, and when orientation rolled around (by then my deposit was paid in full),  I was so happy to be there. Relieved, actually.  Giddy, I kept thinking that I was finally, finally just three years away from my life-long goal.  I mean, what else could I be, but happy and grateful?

I remember for the first half of the semester I kept thinking to myself, “I’m just happy to be here.”  Because I was.  But that line of thinking quickly  became a detriment.

I was just happy to be there, while a lot of my classmates felt like they had a right to be there.  Most of these classmates weren’t people of color, and many of them came from families with at least one attorney.  Their background and economic security made them not only feel like they belonged, but they didn’t hesitate to think that they would excel.  They didn’t need to be grateful because not attending school was never a question.

You can’t buy that type of confidence, and it really makes all the difference. Confidence makes a difference in how you answer questions in class; how you prepare for your oral arguments; your memos; and how you decide to advance your career. In my case,  I took the falls and bumps I had experienced throughout summer 2007 too personally–as if my financial state determined my intellectual ability.  Because  I could barely afford to be there I didn’t think I deserved my spot.   I become detached and unsure of myself.  It didn’t help that I was also in awe of all the people around me who seemed so smart and sure of themselves.   It took far too long for me to snap out of my daze and realize my worth.  Unfortunately, this delay in self-assurance affected almost all aspects of my study.

Mercifully, one day late into my 1L year, my perception radically changed when during class, the professor called on an obviously very smart person, and after painfully walking the student through the answer (a very long walk, btw), I realized I had the answer in my notes all along.  I realized that I had understood the concept from the get-go.   And like that, it clicked.  I realized if this person, who was very intelligent, didn’t immediately understand the concept, but I did; then hey–I belonged here too! That was the kick that I needed to start seeing how much I actually did belong in law school.  I realized that my intelligence would get me to the finish line, and that I shouldn’t just be happy to be in school, but that I could actively excel in it.

So what is my advice to you?  If you’re a 1L, be happy, be grateful, but know your worth!  You belong there, even if no one in your family knows one single lawyer.   You belong there, even if you are worried about your loans and finances.  You belong there, even though law school is overwhelming, the grading system is arcane, and you feel completely out of your element!

Statistically speaking, Latinas have to overcome more financial, social, and educational barriers to even get accepted  to law school than other groups.  If you think of all you had to do to get to orientation, I bet you’d agree with that statistic!

Use those adversities to your advantage.  Think of all the things you had to overcome to make it here–you’re 1L year, and feel proud!  Adopt a badass attitude because you will need in the long run.  That confidence will help you persevere in class, and that feeling will get you through those long, sad nights of outlining and self-doubt.

Law school is scary, and it’s not for the weak.  But you are strong!