Greetings Legal Eagles!
If your golden feathered friend commonly identified as ‘sleep’ has flown away from your nights; if time is moving so fast as if it has sprouted wings; if you dedicate half of your time to enduring lengthy, tedious lectures and the remaining time flies away amidst stacks of books, engrossed in reading extensive manuscripts and in the realm of friendship: all that remains with you is coffee and bare acts, then hold on tight, because tides are about to turn.
Heartfelt Congratulations on your arrival to a LAW SCHOOL!
Wait, wait, wait, what’s that on your face? Ah, I can observe anxiety marked on your features. Oh gosh, this terrible introduction to law school would have choked me up too! RELAX. As a law student, I confirm that this is not how law school is and assure you to show the honest version of a ‘law school’. Pardon me for that terrible introduction.
I will address some common prevalent myths and subsequently present the factual realities surrounding them below.
Myth: The most widespread myth is that Law school is monotonous. The students, faculty, and overall atmosphere here are grave. It’s not true though.
Fact: Law school is as interesting as venturing on a thriller journey with countless plot twists. Though it might feel challenging sometimes it would never be correct to say that it is boring. You will learn new things every day, and not only learn but enjoy as well. Students at law school study hard as well as party hard.
Myth: Law school only teaches you law.
Facts: Definitely, law school is all about law but with tons of practical learnings. Law school teaches you to have different perspectives on one simple aspect, it teaches you to have and express your opinion in front of any human being. Moreover, it shows you different aspects of the world. So, law school offers you much more than law.
Myth: One of the most common myths among students is that ‘Everybody’ at Law school is Genius.
Facts: NO. There is a variety of creatures here. You will find people who are bookworms, people who are allergic to books, people who open their books a week before exams, and many more different beings. You do not have to be a genius to be a good lawyer or a brilliant law student; rather be ‘Disciplined’ because that is something exceptional but highly expected at law school or in practice of law.
Myth: Everyone at law school is a chatterbox.
Facts: Whenever I tell someone that I am pursuing law, then people would often ask: “Why are you so quiet? Aren’t law students very talkative?” Their question sometimes made me question myself as if I am an alien at law school. The only quiet student. This is not the reality though. Once the Dean of my university said: “The worst thing a law student or a lawyer can do is advise someone for free.” So, speaking too much is not the key rather knowing when, where, and how to speak. So, a law school does not expect you to be talkative if you want to succeed rather makes you aware of the value that your words hold.
Myth: Once you go to a law school you lose your social life.
Fact: At law school, you will meet new people every day, build connections, and have the liberty to enjoy your personal and social life beautifully. Sometimes you might lose your friends and go through hard times but trust me, there are always many more friends, companions, and wonderful people waiting for you. So, do not blame law school for something that is a part of life as no matter where you are, you will always lose something and gain something.
Myth: I am tired of hearing that law school is all about memorisation.
Fact: The truth is that law school is all about understanding and analysing. It requires you to activate and use your mind for something more than just remembering the law. Memorization is important but it does not hold any value without understanding. Understanding the law and analysing the case law will help you to remember it easily. And if you are thinking what about sections, let me clarify it, as a law student you will be using the sections and articles in moots, class discussions, writing research papers, articles, or blogs, the sections will gradually make space in your mind and you will need not to sit for hours and hours to remember it. One more thing, you do not have to memorise all the section numbers but only the important ones. At the end, you will have a bare act to refer to.
Myth: This is the most prevalent myth that I used to believe too before coming to law school. The myth is that if you did not make it to NLU then you will not succeed in Law.
Fact: I acknowledge the charm of NLU and its significance among law students. However, not being able to make it there is not the end of your career rather it is a robust start. You can succeed by studying at a private law school, all that matters is your dedication, hard work, and knowledge. Universities are only mediums to enhance your skills, some universities may provide an excellent platform for skill improvement while some may not. But you can always access books, and the internet irrespective of whichever university you go to. Make use of what you have rather than crying for what you do not have. Many great lawyers do not come from NLU or any prestigious university.
Thank you for dedicating time to read this blog.
Do let me know your thoughts about Law schools in the comment box below!
*Manshi Kumari is a law student at School of Law, UPES
It was a fun read 😃
You should bust myths surrounding other schools as well.
Manshi, what a brilliant read. Loved it. Keep blogging. Eager to read your next piece.