I second the recommendation to "do nothing." Though I will qualify that a bit. Do nothing that involves reading boring or dense materials. I barely did any reading during my summer before 1L. I drove cross country, listened to music constantly, read a few books for pleasure, and absolutely never opened a case book or any law school related book until I got my assignments for the first week of classes. I went straight from undergrad to law school, though, so I felt I needed to let my brain detox a bit before tackling 1L. Perhaps those who took time off after undergrad before going to law school wanted to read law school prep materials in order to get back into the zone of academics. But I survived 1L without ever reading any of those books that are often recommended for new law students. That said, I highly recommend doing nothing. For real.

The law-school related things I might consider reading are the books like Getting to Maybe on how to take law school exams. I've heard people recommend Law School Confidential as well. By the time exam period rolled around, I had no time to read these books, and I really regretted it. I think that if I'd read books on what law school exams are testing, I would have been better at studying, taking notes, and knowing what to pull out of reading assignments all semester. In terms of books purportedly on "law school life", I don't think they're worth your time. I couldn't even get through the book 1L and found it pretty outdated. It was written over 30 years ago and had very little to do with what I found law school to actually be like (and it makes law school seem horrific, so it just freaks you out unnecessarily).

It's not as fun as going to the beach, but the absolute best thing you can do before starting law school is to understand your student loans and set a budget for yourself. There's all sorts of information to help you. Student loan calculators are available online to calculate what you'll be paying when you get out. There are tons of great books out there on how to set a budget, including some geared towards women and some for students. Also, a session with a financial planner who charges a flat fee is not a bad idea, especially if you've been out in the workforce for a while and have other issues to address like retirement savings. I'm amazed at how many bright people in law school don't have a clue about their finances. There are a lot of smart moves you can make before and during law school to ease the financial burden a little bit, and keep from feeling like your debt is controlling you. Trust me, paying off your credit cards, setting a budget, and having a plan for how to deal with your loan debt is a much better use of your time than reading One-L.

I get this question all the time from clients - what can I do this summer before I start law school? Should I read? Should I enroll in one of those "pre-law" week-long seminars?

I say - NO. You got into law school so you're a reasonably bright person.  Enjoy this time. Read mystery novels (law school will ruin them for you - you'll figure everything out by the end of the first chapter from now on). Go to the beach (the next few summers that won't be an option as you build your resume).

Read the assignments sent to you by your school and leave it at that. You really don't know what's important to understand from your reading yet anyway. Just spend some time enjoying life with friends and family.

Ann K. Levine, Esq.

www.lawschoolexpert.net

http://lawschoolexpert.blogspot.com

Magic Cookie has a book review up on the Slackers Guide to Law School, and it sounds like a pretty good read for the summer before law school (I haven't read it myself).

I was in a complete panic the summer before law school, worrying that there was a book I should read or a course I should take.  I wondered if I should be reading the Constitution or looking through statutes or something.

 Not so much.

I tell every almost-law student that asks me that they shouldn't worry about ANYTHING that I fretted over during those precious months before school.  I had no legal experience and I felt inadequate to other entering students who seemed to have an undergraduate degree more useful than mine. (mine is in English)  BUT, I can tell you that your law school would not have accepted you if you did not show the aptitude to handle law school.  And because it's such a unique experience, everything that is new or different is totally self-contained within those 3 years, and you'll figure it out as you go along.  DO NOT be intimidated by obnoxious people that seem to spout off acronyms you don't know the meaning to, or make outrageous claims about their immense knowledge.  Chances are, those people end up disappearing sometime around Thanksgiving. Befriend a 2 or 3L that won't mind you asking silly questions--chances are, they did the same a year or two ago.

Before you start school, enjoy doing the things you won't get to do, or won't get to do as much once you're in law school: travel, visit family, go to a concert or play, read a NON-LEGAL book, volunteer, go on a bike ride, see a movie, etc. etc.  Now, I have gotten to do all of these things--some of them several times--since I started law school.  You will have a life.  It just might not be during first semester!

Best of luck to you all--and I know that this is hard to impute to others, but I promise: it's going to be ok! 

Mary Nienaber Foster

Capital University Law School

Columbus, Ohio

I'd like to second the suggestion on reviewing your financial position before you start. Set up an approximate budget and get rid of whatever you pay on monthly. By Christmas, I was down to $40 and had 2 weeks to go before the next infusion of loans. If you can, pay off as much consumer debt as possible - i.e. credit cards, car loans, lines of credit. I closed down all my credit lines, deciding that if I was going to be over $100k in debt upon graduation, I wanted it all in student loans that will do forebearances and income sensitive repayment programs.

I worked for 3 years after undergrad and even though I was used to working hard, I was not used to thinking hard. My job had beome fairly rote by the time I left. The toughest part about getting started with the reading for law school was feeling really inadequte that it took me 1:30 hours to read 10 pages of the case book. My brain hurt! It's like starting a tough workout program after you have let your body go to flab - those first few days were awful.

That said, I watched Paper Chase this summer (I'm a 2L) and laughed the entire way through at its accuracy.

My suggestions other than the finances is catch up on novels you want to read and movies you want to see. Visit friends and family and warn them they might not see you again until Christmas!

I would definitely second the recommendation that you read for pleasure before the start of school. Law school really changed the way I read - I became a closer, more critical reader. It also felt like I was reading all day every day.  As a result I found it difficult to enjoy novels and other works of fiction during my 1L year. So I would recommend relaxing with a good book at some point over the summer, because you might not be able to again for a while.

If you're going to school away from friends and family I'd also invest some time in those relationships. You will want the support and distraction of non-law school friends during your 1L year and you won't have a ton of time to maintain those relationships. So be sure they're solid before you head off.