Law School like High School: Overcoming the Unhealthy, Competitive Environment

One of the rumors regarding law school is that it’s a lot like high school. Think about it—you have lockers, you have the same schedule as other classmates, you have prom—add high stress, fear, and competitiveness and it’s basically adolescence all over again.

Ok, not really but kind of. The reality is that the environment of law school can create a breeding ground for petty behavior. It may seem surreal—you’re working with adults, how can this be?! But human nature is a pretty predictable thing: put a group of people together that have to stop being polite and start fighting for limited good grades and it can get testy.

I always considered myself lucky that my school’s general atmosphere was pretty chill (or maybe I was oblivious?), but I had friends going to different schools where the competition was so thick that “friends” weren’t really friends because they were so distrusting of one another. It was a mean environment, but more than that, it was a draining environment. Look, everyone is competing for a good grade and the chances at a great career. I totally get it. But the law school environment makes it so easy to get caught up in competing with others that you forget that the only person you need to worry about is yourself.

I know that sounds school teacher-ish, but it’s true. And it’s true for all areas in life, really, but especially law school where you will see a lot of people succeed and an ugly voice will climb inside your head that says, “why them and not me?!” and that breeds so much discontent with your own successes.

I remember law school, not for the competitive nature, but for the way it completely seemed to destroy my self-esteem and confidence in my abilities and intellect (high school all over again?). I would try hard and not make the team, not get the grade, not get the job. It was hard. I would see people that didn’t have to try as hard and get so much. Why them, not me?

Instead of worrying about others, I should have worried about myself. Here are some things you can do to avoid these bad feelings.

The first is to remember why you’re there. Remember your ultimate goal helps you see the forest past the trees. It helps you zone in on what you really need to do and allows you ignore the small things that make you feel like you’re not succeeding in school. Keeping your goal in mind also helps you remember that law school is but a brief moment in your life. Three years (usually) and you’re out so the hiccups you experience there won’t affect you once you’re gone.

Second, remember how you got there. Yes, I will pull the statistic-card here. Statistics said you wouldn’t graduate high school; enroll in a college; or earn your four-year degree. But you did it anyway. When I saw classmates that seemed to understand topics so easily; write their briefs perfectly—it did such a number on me. I didn’t see that they had always had the benefit of having attorney parents that were there to guide them. And I didn’t appreciate the hard work I had to do to get to the same position as them. Appreciate the hard work you’ve done, because it shows you’re not fearful of more hard work and in face of statistics you can achieve your goals.

Finally, a simple goal: make friends with good people. Don’t get in the mindset that because you’re all competing that you’ll complete this endeavor on your own. Because law school is not fun, but making friends with good people will be one of the biggest reasons you don’t regret attending law school (other than earning your degree). I count myself so lucky to have been able to build great relationships with people at my school. Friends that were legitimately happy for my achievements and vice versa—it really makes all the difference.