One Essential Trait Of A Leader Is...Never Shying Away From Marching to the Beat of Your Own Drum

So much of what you hear in law school is going to be a myth. The only way to stay sane through it all is to be true to yourself, your values, and your ultimate goals. I came to law school because I wanted to do something that would place me in a profession that I can rely on ten years down the line, so I can take could of my parents and my family in the future. My first year of law school, it was hard to keep that in perspective. I almost felt as though I was thinking backwards because I never pictured myself being defined by my profession. When everyone around you keeps telling how you can only make money, live a normal life,  pay off your loans, be successful, and be respected  by working at a big firm;  and you won't get a job unless you are in the top 10% -  you start to think "hey will I only be happy working at a big firm and sacraficing my sanity for a 3.9?" Those are probably the biggest myths you will hear in law school.

Swearing Off Talking About Appearances

You heard it here first:  I will no longer be talking (or blogging) about other women's professional attire.  In roughly 10 years of professional life I've received "constructive criticism" from other women about every conceivable aspect of my appearance: shoes, makeup, pants, skirt, name, voice, handshake, walk, posture, jewelry, bag, you name it. And for the most part I've taken it in stride, knowing the advice-givers were well-meaning, more experienced, and in a position to make or break various opportunities for me. This, despite the care and pride in my wardrobe and the fact that the advice is often conflicting.

I've also "paid it forward," passing along the advice through this blog. I've contributed to discussions on this site about what to wear to an interview, whether or not to wear makeup, and just how girly is too girly when it comes to picking out a suit.

Then this morning, I read the latest on Careerist, a blog I really enjoy, and finally had enough. We have made news, nay a whole profession, out of gossiping about one another's clothes. And it's ridiculous. And it's sexist. Men are not chatting in the bathroom about the total impropriety of a female litigant's open-toed shoes, much less the shade of opposing counsel's tie. The stress and consequence of attaining a "professional" appearance is an evil of our own making. It's a game that cannot be won - believe me.  And only we have the power to diffuse it's potency by ceasing to allow it to dominate conversations about professional women.

Law students and recent graduates will continue to need general advice about what to wear and when to wear it. But it ends there. From now on, I only comment on a woman's appearance to complement her.

The Law School Don'ts

Ed Note: This summer, Ms. JD solicited advice from students across the country. Here are some of the law school “don’ts.”

Thinking about getting a pet? A student at the University of Oregon School of Law warns:

Don’t do it! You will live in the law school your first year, moving only between your classes, the library, and your bed. Don’t do it!

Joanna L. Visser, University of Pennsylvania Law School, offers this piece of advice:

Money Matters

Ed Note: This summer, Ms. JD solicited myths and truths from law students across the country. Many students discussed student loans, budgeting, tuition payments, and other “money matters.” A common theme? Create a law school budget—and then stick to it.

Jennifer Paige Friend, Walter F. George School of Law, writes that student loans are awesome. Well, sort of.

Yes, student loans are awesome! I would not be in law school without them.  However, every dime you spend, you have to pay back and a lot more.  Resist the urge to go shoe shopping with those loans, even if the perfect pair of stilettos is calling your name.  Remember, you will be calling yourself something else later when your shoes are long gone and you are paying for them at 4 times the price.  As much as I love spending money, I have realized upon reflection that I probably did not do myself any favors by acting like loan money is free money.   I am not saying that you should never go shopping, eat out, or have fun.  In fact, you absolutely should do all of those things!  But, try to live modestly and minimize your debt.  You will thank yourself in the long run.  


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.

A student from the 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 my name 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)

Law School is Just Like High School: Myth or Truth?

Ed. Note: This summer, Ms. JD solicited lessons learned from law students across the country. Many students mentioned the commonalties between law school and high school—the gossip, the dating, the lockers, and the drama.

Aileen, University of Pennsylvania, wrote:

“It’s exactly like high school.” Older friends warned me law school was a retreat to adolescence. “Everyone gossips and dates each other. You even have lockers!”

While I have found law school to be a cohesive community, I find these two experiences to be too different to be analogized, even jokingly. We have lockers. And many people date each other. But the similarities, I believe, end there.

Unlike high school, we are all in law school because we want to be here. Few of us can claim we went to high school because of our passion for calculus and pep rallies. Thus, while the community may sometimes feel youthful in its social interactions, academically and professionally we are united in a common, shared ideal.