By Ashley Heidemann
The first year of law school is very different from college. Understanding how it is different will help to prepare you for success in law school. There are three primary differences between law school and college: the homework assignments, the teaching method, and the law school grading system.
Difference # 1: Homework Assignments
The vast majority of assignments in law school consist of reading cases. Cases are opinions written by judges that state why a lawsuit should turn out one way or another. Some of the cases are old and difficult to comprehend. These cases are especially challenging for first-year law students as they often contain archaic and unfamiliar legal vocabulary. Other cases are current and easier to understand. You will likely be expected to read several cases each day in preparation for class.
Difference # 2: The Socratic Method
Another difference between law school and college is the style of teaching. First-year law school classes are traditionally taught using the Socratic Method. Thus, instead of lecturing about the law, a professor will call on a student during class and ask the student questions about the assigned cases. Some professors call on students at random. Other professors will tell you ahead of time when you will be on-call.
The questions asked by the professor are usually difficult and do not always have a right answer. Indeed, the point of the Socratic Method is to challenge you and teach you to think like a lawyer. This method of teaching makes for a lively and entertaining class. However, it can also be intimidating and take a while to get used to.
Difference # 3: The Grading System
For the vast majority of first year law school courses, your final grade will be determined by how well you do on the final exam. In general (with the exception of any legal writing or research course), you will not have any quizzes to take, essays to write, or homework assignments to hand in during your first year. The lack of feedback throughout the semester as well as the stress of having one exam determine your entire final grade leads to a competitive and challenging learning environment. Adding to the competitiveness is the fact that first year classes are graded on a strict curve so not many students receive A’s.
Overall, the first year of law school is a difficult year that requires a lot of hard work. However, it is also intellectually challenging and enlightening. Understanding the differences between law school and college will help start you on the right track to have a successful first year.
Ms. Heidemann graduated as the number one law student out of over 200 in the class of 2011 at Wayne State University. She now teaches a law school preparatory course and works as a tutor for law students and the bar exam. Her website and blog can be found at http://www.excellenceinlawschool.com.
