What happens at law school orientation? Most of orientation is a test-run where you can dip your toe in and get a sampling of what law school will be like when you are finally immersed in it. It can include legal academic lectures, social events, job and career information, a test-run for your legal writing and research course, and information on law school activities, law school fairs, law school organizations, and groups within law school. Depending on the school, it can feel like high school and it can also vary a lot from school to school.
What are the presentations like during law school orientation? You may experience a presentation from all of the deans, including the dean of the law school, the dean of admissions, the dean of academics, and associate deans. Law students may also be given an intro to briefing or the Socratic method. Some of the lecturers may impose some fear into new law students and sometimes the purpose behind this is to scare students into listening and paying attention during their classes and through the law school semester. This is really unfortunate because the student may take an extreme approach when they begin law school and it may not be needed, depending on the student’s ability to acclimate and absorb material to the point they can actually perform well on law school exams. We advise students to pay attention to the reasonable and practical advice that is given to them during law school orientation. We also advise students to keep in mind how professors and deans obtain their positions on campus. Many of them did well during law school so they may have forgotten how to relate to new law students and they may also struggle to inspire everyone to perform well, especially if they do not understand how difficult it can be for many individuals.
Who may you meet during law school orientation? Some new law students may give off an attitude and may start creating study groups already based on certain backgrounds. For example, we have heard of students creating a Harvard undergrad only study group and a Stanford undergrad only study group. Sometimes this excludes other students who are more worthy of being in the study group and contributing more toward other students.
Do students always need to attend orientation at law school? Usually, law schools make an implication that students must attend the entire orientation. Some law schools require attendance and make students sign in and out, throughout the day. Some law schools require that the students attend only certain portions of orientation. Sometimes students may skip events because they are so exhausted by all of the information including how to fill out their financial aid forms. It is usually not detrimental for students to miss some portions of orientation, since it is not actually law school.
What information should law students pay attention to during orientation? Law students should retain the information that is reasonable and practical. At this stage of law school, it may be difficult for the student to ascertain what is reasonable and practical. If you have questions about this and want to know the basics of what to look out for and what information is the most helpful information for a law student’s future success, please contact LST at info@law-school-tutor.com
What groups should law students pay attention to during law school? The fairs are there to show students what their campus offers them. Students who are too involved in many groups can easily be stretched too thin and not perform well. There is no one group for law students to join in order to get a clerkship or a job or a long-standing career. It is almost always based on good grades. However, the perks to these group events include free food. Usually it is free pizza so students may be attending these events merely for the food. What may be beneficial from being involved is the mere ability to know everyone on campus. That kind of network when you graduate proves to be beneficial for lawyers when needing to make a career change or needing to ask a question about a certain field of law.
What personalities work well during orientation? Often times, a shy or introverted person may have a difficult time being a part of a cocktail party or mix and mingle party. Students can spend time near the food or bar, and make a quick introduction to another person based on the food or drinks alone. It’s a great conversation starter.
Can small talk help you during orientation? Yes! We advise students in mentioning where they live, where they grew up, what undergrad they attended, and what type of law they may be interested in pursuing. It can be easier to start a group conversation than to join in an already existing group.
Can law students expect to make long-term friends or best friends during orientation? Sometimes! Law students should recognize that law school is a marathon. Acquaintances are just as useful to law students as are best friends. Sometimes certain law students take their academics seriously and sometimes students do not. At this stage, law students usually do not know enough about their needs for effective learning, so it can be difficult to ascertain which friends will be helpful to them in law school. Some law students are not great study buddies; however, they may make better drinking buddies.
What should law students wear during orientation? We recommend students be professional. This can mean dressing business casual or in business attire. Some law schools require students to dress in professional clothes during the entire orientation or at least during cocktail hour. During cocktail hour, law students may be exposed to alumni and individuals with whom they are making a first impression or from whom they may want a job in the future. This is the time to make a good first impression and not to get drunk.
What professional pieces of advice are most helpful during orientation? Many law schools suggest that students create a LinkedIn page and also an email address that does not contain any graphic or corny words. We advise that students do this as well so that they can become accessible to the world at large. We have heard of many law students and graduates obtaining jobs merely by having certain information on their LinkedIn page.
LST – Law School Tutor assists students in achieving high grades during law school, in order to ensure that they have better academic opportunities during law school and better job opportunities after law school.
For more information, please contact LST at info@law-school-tutor.com