The Socratic Method Myth

Ed. Note: This summer, Ms. JD solicited law school myths from law students across the country.  Many students discussed the Socratic method, most agreeing that it isn’t as bad as the myths indicate.

Aileen McGill, University of Pennsylvania Law School, writes:

Before law school, I was certain the Socratic method had two functions: intimidation and embarrassment.  Every student, I thought, would be looking at me to misstate a case holding, and the professor would eagerly await a misstep to inform me of my intellectual inferiority. Thus, the first time I heard, “Ms. McGill!” shouted from the front of the classroom—in a tone that only law school professors and angry parents can verbalize—I was beyond terrified.  A girl I barely knew sitting next to me recognized my unease, and subtly turned her notebook towards me to help out.  I was able to answer the question without her notes and, after a calm discussion about the case, the professor complimented me on my preparedness and my comprehension of a difficult concept.

The Competition Myth

Ed. Note: This summer, Ms. JD solicited law school myths from law students across the country.  Many students weighed in on the subject of competition. Are law students really monsters that will tear pages from books, steal notebooks from lockers, and hide outlines?

Sara Brucker, UC Davis School of Law, writes:

Law students aren’t monsters. I lost a close friend my first year of law school and missed several weeks of school. Without request, without explanation, several of my classmates sent me their class notes and picked up copies of worksheets and handouts for me. I was not expecting such a generous gesture. I really believed the scare tactic books that every law student has read (or secretly read), that tell you the unseemly stories of cutthroat students ripping pages out of books, deleting outlines, stealing flash drives, etc. I wish I would have started school with more faith in the honesty and integrity of my fellow students.

Myth: Law School Leaves No Time for a Healthy Lifestyle

Ed Note: This summer, Ms. JD solicited lessons learned from law students across the country.  Several law students mentioned the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle while in law school, including weekly exercise, nutritious meals, and plenty of sleep.

Joanna, a student at the University of Buffalo, wrote:

In listening to 1L war stories, I was often told that the only things I would have time to do were go to class and read.  I took this advice to heart, and often neglected to exercise regularly or pay enough attention to what I was eating.  That was a big mistake.  I am sure that my 1L year would have been more productive and less stressful if I had worked in a daily visit to the gym.  In addition, packing healthy lunches and snacks would have saved me both time and money (both of which were often spent by running to the nearest convenience store or restaurant when I was hungry). It is truly an error to underestimate the value a healthy body contributes to a healthy mind.

A student from the University of Oregon fully agreed:

Managing my time was the most difficult thing to learn while I was trying to pass my first year of law school.  However, with my first year over, I now know that I could have done things differently and that forcing myself to work out and eat healthy could have significantly improved my physical and emotional condition. Exercising is crucial, it might be one of the few ways to relieve stress, feel energized after hours of reading in a cold and dark library and days of recitation.

Don't Say Goodbye to Your Social Life

Ed. Note: This summer, Ms. JD solicited law school myths from law students across the country.  Many students agreed that becoming a law student does not mean saying goodbye to your social life.

Sara Brucker, UC Davis School of Law, writes:

You can have a life outside law school! Law school is one of the few things you truly can devote every minute of every day to. Don’t do it. You may be one of the lucky people who never ever burns out, and yes we’re spending more money than many of us have ever seen in our lives, but there’s more to life than Civ Pro and Evidence. Don’t let your nose be perpetually stuck in a book and let life pass you by.

Try to stay true to your pre-law school self. Continue doing the activities and hobbies you enjoyed doing before you started school. One of the most tragic moments I’ve had in law school was staring a questionnaire that asked me what activities and hobbies I enjoyed outside of law school and I drew a complete blank. Not one non-law related thing came to mind. Don’t let that happen to you!

And if that alone doesn’t scare your nose out of the books, the fear of making a fool out of yourself at an interview should!

Are Grades Everything?

Ed. Note: This summer, Ms. JD solicited law school myths from law students across the country.  Grades were a popular topic, with many students dispelling the myth that grades are the only accurate measure of law school success.

Myth: Grades are the only guarantee to job placement.

Excelling on law school exams and earning high marks are helpful to gain interviews.  An interview is nothing more than a foot in the door towards employment.  Scholastic legal achievement is very misleading in defining how talented a person is in the real world or how far they will excel professionally.  Some employers recognize that many skills are not tested on an exam but are requisites to outperform competitors.  These employers look for law students who have prior practical experience and likeable personas capable to persuade others in addition to strong academic credentials.  Thus, a student must sell all of their talents and skills to an employer and not rely on law school grades to gain employment. (Kathleen Broughton, Case Western Reserve University)

1● 5 ● 14: Numbers for Starting Law School

I will be serving as an orientation ambassador at my law school for the second year in a row.  In this volunteer role, I assist in orientation activities and serve as a mentor to incoming students who are beginning law school.  I felt compelled to do this job as a way to give back for all of the great friend-mentors I was lucky enough to have during my first year of law school.  Beginning the process is a jumbled mix of emotions: excitement; fear; apprehension; intimidation; and hope.  That last one changes as your first semester unfolds.  You hope you won't get called on; you hope you can get through your reading; you hope no one will figure out how scared you are to be there.  But over time, the hopes change: I hope he asks me about that case; I hope I get into that class; I hope I get that job.  And this is why the numbers above are so important when beginning your process.  Do not walk into your first day worrying about how you'll get though 3 years of law school, sit for a bar exam, and find a great job.  That is not your concern right now.  It will come up sooner than you expect, but it should not be on your docket right now.  Focus on 1, 5, and 14.  Get yourself through that first day (1).  Get yourself through that first week. (5)  And then, the third will come more easily than you expected: your first semester, roughly 14 weeks.

Hollywood Myths and Truths

Ed. Note: This summer, Ms. JD solicited lessons learned from law students across the country. Many of the responses explored Hollywood’s interpretation of law school and the legal profession. From Legally Blonde to Law and Order—not to mention the 1970s classic The Paper Chase—students told us where Hollywood got it right and where Hollywood completely missed the mark.

A student at UC Davis School of Law says that the scary professor in The Paper Chase is not an accurate depiction of law professors:

When I decided to go to law school, my dad rented me The Paper Chase, a 1970s movie about Harvard Law, which featured an extremely intimidating Contracts professor. In visits to a couple of law schools we prospective students were made to read a case and were called on by a professor as an introduction to the Socratic method. These experiences TERRIFIED me. I just knew that I’d be called on in a class and have no idea what the answer was. It didn’t turn out that way though, as all my professors have been sympathetic to our fright, and none have made a point of embarrassing unprepared students, as happened in The Paper Chase.

Erin, a student at Harvard Law, agrees that The Paper Chase is not an authentic representation of law school:

Legally Blonde is probably a more accurate look at life at law school today than The Paper Chase. There may not be an Elle Woods in your 1L class, but these days you’ll have a better chance of sharing a power outlet with a Barbie look-alike than that crazy guy from The Paper Chase who made the 800-page outline. Plan accordingly.

A student at Quinnipiac University School of Law says that Legally Blonde is at least partially correct:

7 Truths that Every Working Woman Should Know Before Having a Child -- Part VII

Finally, the 7th and final installation of the series that I started many months ago and haven't been able to bring myself to finish.  Way back in November, I promised to tell you the truth about the seven things that I wished I would have known about being a mom -- information that I thought would be helpful to professional women that are not yet moms but are contemplating starting a family.

I hope that my series was information and helpful, even if it was personal and only one girl's opinion and advice.  (I've put links to the other six posts below.)

The thing that I promised to write about last was: "You'll be the Same Person But Now You'll Just Have a Kid".  I've been putting this off because, well, the myth is self-explanatory.  However, with a lot of thought I think I have nailed the reason why this is a myth -- besides the obvious reaons like how could you possibly be the same person if you are only getting sleep in 1.5 hour increments or painting you two-year old daughter's toe nails with peel-off polish instead of getting a pedicure of your own in your free 30 minutes on a Saturday afternoon!  The truth to counter this myth is that the center of your life changes when you have a child...