Most of the advice for incoming first-year law students is based on an in-person education. When I was attempting to prepare for my part-time online JD program, I found myself searching for advice that didn’t seem to exist. The books, movies, and articles were all aimed at recent grads going into full-time in-person programs. When I read One L: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School, I wondered if I would even experience the Socratic method that dominated Scott Turrow’s first-year experience. When Test Max Prep’s blog recommended I move closer to campus, I giggled; my commute consisted of the walk from my bedroom to the office and I didn’t think I could possibly get much closer. One of the many perks of an online program is the commute.
Now that I have completed my first semester at Southwestern Law’s inaugural online JD program, I’ve compiled the advice that I wish I had gotten prior to my first day.
Pretend office hours are mandatory
In an asynchronous (no live classes) program, time with professors is limited at best. Every week, we would do our readings, watch a pre-recorded lecture, and complete a number of activities to assist with memorization and information digestion. These video lectures were short, ranging from 30 minutes to an hour or two of lectures per class a week. The workload was still intensive; in my part-time program, I spent about 40 hours a week on law school. This is also because I made it a point to attend as many office hour sessions as I could. In our program, office hours are jointly held, meaning all the students attend together.
It was helpful to have my own questions answered, but I attended even when I didn’t have questions because the questions of my classmates helped me understand the material. Sometimes they had questions I didn’t consider, sometimes they had questions I knew the answer to so I got to reinforce my understanding, sometimes they asked questions about something I forgot to do entirely. Sometimes the questions would spark spontaneous additional hypotheticals (or sample scenarios in which you apply the law, demonstrating that you understand the concepts) from the professor, ones that might come up later in a test or might make you rethink whether or not you really understood the law in the first place. Sometimes the professor would highlight topics that she would not test us on and that we therefore did not need to memorize.
For me, going to office hours also helped me get to know some of my classmates. I became acquainted with familiar faces and created a study group based on my observations at these sessions. I was able to see who I might want to work with, and whose work ethic matched my own. My first and perhaps most significant piece of advice for incoming students in an online program is to pretend office hours are class and go to them all.
Get Quimbee
During my preparations, I had heard about “study aids,” various texts or websites that summarize the law in easily digestible ways. I even bought a few books such as Examples & Explanations, Emanuel Law Outlines and Glannon guides. While these books were very helpful for studying for exams, my library has copies of them for free, and they were more of a single-use item as they really were modeled for exam preparation. Often, they also had some variance between what I had learned in my classes and what they were testing on. For instance, I enjoyed listening to Audible Study Guides because it was useful to access information while on the go, but sometimes the information was not identical, or covered topics my class was not covering.
Thus, my first piece of advice with study aids is to check your institution’s library. They probably have some already, and you can save a lot of money by just using the resources they have on hand (or at least reviewing them before you buy to ensure it is what you want). My library provides free access to Cali Lessons, Glannon Guides, Examples and Explanations, and Emanuel Guidelines.
All of that said, by far the most helpful resource for me was Quimbee. While Quimbee has a lot of test prep options, the resources I used the most were the case video summaries. Every time I read a case I would watch their video summary of the case (always with a critical eye, though most if not all were very accurate for our program) and use it as a tool to enforce what I learned and see if I missed anything during my read of the case. I like Quimbee because it isn't necessarily exam specific, and it assists with the day-to-day information acquisition that helps you succeed on the exams down the line. By the time I had to study, I felt I already knew the material. Quimbee, for me, was well worth the cost.
Make a (discord) group for your cohort
One of my classmates made a discord group for all online students in our program to connect. This portal became a lifeline for many as it was a way to quickly convey to our classmates information we got at office hours, or a heads-up for a particularly dense week on a specific subject. By the end of the semester, every student in our cohort had joined the discord and not only was it a helpful way to get information quickly, it also created a sense of community in a program where we didn’t interact much with one another.
When I was reading about law school, so many books and articles commented on the intensity of the competition between students.. In my program, however, our discord community was integral in also establishing that all of us were in the same place, in the same inaugural program, with similar questions and goals. It made me feel as though we were uplifting one another instead of in competition with one another.
On the day of the final, for instance, we all got a message on discord that before we start the exam we should check our email because there was a glitch with the exam upload and the real test wouldn't be available until 10 am. Many who didn’t look at the discord were stuck having to retake the correct exam.
Students also used the discord to verify information. I recall students asking, “The rule for unconscionability is….. right?” and people responded and gave her the correct answer. If your cohort doesn’t have a group chat yet, I highly recommend creating one because in an online program, you can’t ask your classmates in the hallway if they got the same answer as you.
Have dual monitors
This is a quick piece of advice though an important one. If you spend forty hours a week on your computer, you want a good one. For the first few weeks of my program, I used my 13-inch laptop. About half-way through the semester, I invested in dual monitors because I was tired of scrolling from screen to screen. Being able to access a reading, a lecture, and a notepad on the same screen not only saved time but also made me go faster. If you are wondering whether or not it’s worth the investment, it is.
Do one class a day (don’t class hop)
In our program, each class resets on Tuesdays. When I first started, I would do a general overview of each class and sometimes would jump from assignment to assignment or class to class. I realized that each jump was time-consuming because it would take at least 20 minutes to remember where I was and orient myself in a class. I therefore recommend you do one class at a time per day. Mondays are contracts, Tuesdays are criminal law, and so on. This can also make the classes feel less overwhelming, as you know you’ve already completed at least one class for the week ahead.
Watch and rewatch and rewatch again
Another perk of an online program is that you can rewatch the lectures. Many folks in an in-person program now have access to class recordings, however, their lectures are often three hours long and it can be difficult to find the point where the professor conveys the essential information. In my program, I had many weeks where a specific topic was covered in a 15-minute video (multiple of these were required for a week, but they were often separated into separate video lectures). I therefore recommend that if there is a topic that is difficult for you, just replay the video over and over until you can almost recite it.
Every day is a performance
Law school is a professional degree. Your professional reputation starts now. In an online program, this might look like: always have your camera on, always be dressed professionally, always be early, always have your background blurred or a professional-looking background (no messes), and remember to mute if the professor is talking. It’s all basic advice, but it’s important advice. Your classmates are your network; don’t forget it.
Take advantage of any grade buffer
Most in-person programs have a midterm (if you're lucky) and a final, and that’s your grade. Online programs, however, often have the gift of a grade buffer, and you should take advantage of it. Turn in every assignment and get 100% on any attendance-based grade bump, as it will put you ahead in terms of your ranking. Our program had fewer readings than the same classes being taught in person, and we had additional small assignments that the in-person students did not have. At first, many students were upset at the high number of assignments we had to complete each week. However, I would encourage students to take the gifts your professor gives you. These assignments are designed to help us understand the material, and I would rather have such an assignment and its associated grade buffer than try to learn it without any support.
Get an “A” in law school and a “C” at work
A lot of online students, particularly part-time online students, also have either a part-time or a full-time job. During one of the early weeks a professor told me to “get an A in law school and a C at work.” Because law school grades are extremely important in acquiring future opportunities, it is important to make sure you are putting law school first. As an overachiever, it was difficult to let some things go in one area in order to excel in another, but there just isn’t always enough time in the day to get an “A” in both.
Not all the advice is bad!
While some of the law school prep books, podcasts, and websites clearly are modeled for a different type of program, not all of their advice is bad. For instance, the Test Max Prep column mentioned above also recommends automating and reducing chores and responsibilities. This advice applies across education models regardless of the program; you will be busy.
Additionally, some other advice for in-person programs that I found useful was: apologize to your friends and family because you will be busy and you won't see them as much as you had hoped to, and take the no-credit Intro to Legal Writing class offered by your school. This no-credit class allowed me to make mistakes in a non-graded zone. I was able to get the “I already know how to write. I don’t need to listen to what the professor suggests” theory out of my system.
Going to law school is emotionally and intellectually challenging. While different studies vary slightly on the exact amount of time first-year students spend per week studying, attending classes, and writing papers, the general consensus is that it is more time-consuming than a full-time job. At Southwestern Law, our professors have estimated that a successful full-time student will spend about 60 hours a week on law school (studying, attending class, exam preparation, et cetera) and a part-time student spends about 35-40 hours a week on law school. Getting a JD is a massive undertaking, and preparing can be the difference between beginning a race on the starting line and the race starting when you’re still trying to find the locker room. Even if the advice and literature don’t precisely model your program, there are valuable nuggets throughout these columns. Take note, and get ready for 1L of a ride.
Cori Bratby-Rudd is a queer LA-based writer and co-founder of Influx Collectiv(e)’s Queer Poetry Reading Series. She graduated Cum Laude from UCLA’s Gender Studies department, and received her MFA in Creative Writing from California Institute of the Arts. Cori is a first year law student at Southwestern Law.
