Law School Advice: 2 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Law School

2 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Law School

Our registrar used to say, “college is the longest vacation you get in life”. When I was in college, the gruelling schedule along with the cutthroat competition made me think that such a statement was absurd. But having graduated and entered professional life, I now appreciate it more than ever.

In the hope that this makes your college journey slightly more enriching and fun, I am sharing a couple of lessons/pieces of advice based on my law school experience:  

1.     Education is not limited to classrooms

While attending classes sincerely is a strong predictor of good academic outcomes, one of the most surprising lessons from my law school journey was the realization that a significant amount of my learning took place outside the classroom. Many of your experiences outside classes will teach you more than most books in law school.

Interacting with your peers will expose you to their journeys and struggles in life. You might start seeing them in a new light after knowing about the hurdles they had to cross to reach where they are. This might make you aware of your own privilege. It is useful to remember that everyone has their stories. Always be open to that.

Some activities will require you to convince people you don’t agree with. For instance, working on a group project or participating in a team sport might expect you to build consensus especially when there is stark disagreement. This is a critical skill to have in today’s times.

Your own struggles during law school can be profoundly illuminating. Failing a subject, going through a painful breakup, falling out with a close friend, etc., can teach you difficult but crucial life lessons. I remember that my first year at law school was very difficult. I was always homesick and also failed one of the papers. That helped me become a much more sincere student in the following years.

So, make sure that your classroom learning is supplemented with overall growth and development.

2.     Law school is not just about learning the law

Law school is not just meant for learning more about the world around you. It is equally important for you to understand yourself. This requires grappling with difficult questions about yourself: What are your dreams? What principles do you stand by? What do you like? Whom do you like? These questions seldom provide clear answers and your responses will likely evolve as you mature.

While it is challenging to engage in such introspection, it is critically important. We live in a world where the force of conformity is overwhelming. Most of our choices are influenced by what is in fashion these days be it the clothes we wear, food we eat or careers we choose. In this context, it becomes easy to lose yourself in the crowd.

That is why, I would encourage you to resist the force of conformity. Embrace whatever makes you unique. Be eccentric. This means being bold and not shying away from taking untraversed paths. 

John Stuart Mill, the great English philosopher (whose works would also be a part of your syllabus), rightly believed that: "the amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigour, and moral courage it contained."

Finally, have principles in life. You will generally be advised in law school (and life) to be practical, street-smart and super competitive. To adopt a whatever-it-takes attitude. We tend to glorify coldness and practicality so much that there is hardly any space for ethics. I would advise you to be ethical and have principles in life.

Be honest even if you know that it might not be very easy in the short run. Work hard even if you know that by shortcuts that are generally not too ethical, you can overtake others. Discharge your friendships diligently even if that means you might not get an O grade yourself, but you can help your friend pass the paper.

No doubt, a principled journey is more difficult. In many different contexts, you will face the choice of sacrificing your principles to achieve quick success. In such situations, go with words of Albus Dumbledore (“life is a choice between what is easy and what is right”). I hope you all choose the second option.

Cheers!

*Alind is an Assistant Professor at the School of Law, UPES. He teaches Property Law. He did his BA.LLB from National Law University, Delhi and LL.M from National Law School of India University, Bengaluru.