Dear Law Student Neophyte,
Welcome to the path of the oldest, noblest profession, becoming a lawyer. Congratulation is in order because you were brave enough to take this journey. One thing that could be guaranteed, entering law school will definitely change your life and your lifestyle. You will laugh and cry, you will be happy and disappointed, and you will be serene and frustrated. As they say, law is the most jealous mistress of all time; it will eat your time, your space, and your life. An opium that may destroy your relationship with others since you’ll really have to spend a chunk of your waking moments (and even your sleeping hours) getting to know and understanding law.
The purpose of this letter is not to terrify or discourage you from continuing with your voyage towards becoming the ultimate Student of the Law. Instead, its aim is to help you survive the whole ordeal. This letter intends to assist, thus the name, DECLASSIFIED LAW SCHOOL SURVIVAL GUIDE.
We usually encounter a hundred or so books giving us a hundred or so tips to pass the bar exams. But reality bites, and, before we even get to those bar exam days, we still have to hurdle blank number of years in the challenging world of law school. So here are some best tips we reckon would get you sailing through law school, sane and alive.
1. PRAY
Seek first the Kingdom of GOD and HIS righteousness and all such things shall be added unto you.(Matthew 6:33)
A lot of people say that every individual who attempts to finish law school suddenly becomes uber religious and prayerful in the whole duration of their law school life. Even the most notorious can be found kneeling down, asking help from the Sovereign Being.
But come on, nothing beats Divine guidance. There is just so much a person could do, and the rest can be left to Him who has ultimate control over all things. Before you do anything, before you say anything, before you even think of anything… try to be still, seek His presence. PRAY.
Whether we like it or not, nobody survives law school without imploring the Almighty. Whether it be prayers before, during, or after exams, prayers for postponement of quizzes or recitations, or even prayers for choosing materials, in law school, it’s an accepted fact of life that you simply can’t survive without praying.
In fact, to save yourself from heartaches, tortures or even bruised egos, it’s best if, before you even set foot in law school, you must have already taken real quality time praying and seeking GOD’s will -- meaning, take time to consider whether you were made, created or molded for law school. Seek Him first and foremost, if this is the path He wants you to take, because if it is, then you will always be assured that He will faithfully see you through (but you must do your part as well) until the results of the Bar exams.
But if you haven’t taken time do that, no worries. All is well, since you can always spend whatever’s left of your holidays or breaks to really seek wisdom from the Almighty. After all, wouldn’t the Creator know best what His creation ought to pursue? It’s only a matter of humbly asking for His guidance and acknowledging that nothing takes place without His imprimatur.
It has been promised, “ask, and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened.” So go ahead, do the first step, or if you’re already at it, continue and finish this first and most practical step.
However, if along the way, there is that heavy tug in your heart that tells you this isn’t the path He has chosen for you, humble yourself and accept His will. Learn to trust that He knows you more than you know yourself and that He is preparing a much better career path for you.
2. KNOW THY SELF
Having already done step one, or even while still at “silent” (prayer) mode, try to know your limitations and strengths. Jot them down as reminders. This self-assessment can help you in many ways, including the ability to track down one’s weaknesses and crack them down.
The most needed ability to survive law school is the ability to read and correctly comprehend the law materials-from the provisions of the law itself, as well as the annotations and the jurisprudence related to it. But if you’re not much of a reader, then it would be better to practice reading more than what you have been used to.
Try to find the most effective and balanced schedule for yourself, when to study, to sleep, and to have a good time. Time management can help you remain sane and help you cope up with the stress. Always remember though that you need to prioritize your capabilities for law school in order to survive, before trying to fit in with the crowd. This may mean having the ability to say no to people or events which may only worsen rather than improve those areas of limitations.
3. INTERNALIZE THE LAW
As previously discussed, it is a basic requirement to understand the black letters of the law before delving into the explanation of the provision. A lot of law students often forget to stick to the exact provisions.
Although it is not wrong to also study the annotations, remember there are a lot of law books in the market that boast to explain the law, but all of them oftentimes have different interpretations. Two authors can see one law from different perspectives. Even the Justices of the Supreme Court have differing interpretations of the law. So make sure that you know the law by heart, that you understand what it means to say and that you can explain what it says before you rely on the explanations of others.
4. BE AGGRESSIVE BY MAJORING ON ALL THE BAR SUBJECTS
Strive to get the big picture or bird’s eye view of the whole law curriculum. Know which subjects are basic ones.
Just like in the undergrad, law school also has major and minor subjects. However, “minor subjects” are not of the same definition as the minor subjects of our college course. In law school, there are a lot of subjects, often disguised as “minor subjects,” which are really major subject in the context of the Bar, because they are actually part of the Bar. Make sure you know them. But if you don’t, don’t be embarrassed to ask those in the know, how these major and minor subjects relate to each other. You can do this by getting hold of each subject’s syllabus or by gathering useful information from fourth year students or from those who have just taken the bar or those already in the legal profession. Knowing what to expect can also be helpful in deciding which materials to purchase or borrow.
But after getting the bird’s eye view, do not simply rely on it, or be contented with the memory aids. Read, read, and read. Make sure that you have also read the comprehensive annotations of the law as well as the cases in its original form as oftentimes, the makers of those digested notes have different interpretations which may end up confusing you. Thus, it would be advantageous if you have read those cases and annotations yourself. You may think that you don’t need it for the exams in law school, but you’d realized when you finally take the Bar that not everything you have been taught are sufficient. You need to take an extra-mile for yourself while still in law school, and read more than the required. This would beat the cramming mode in the event you’ll be reviewing for the Bar.
Try to have at least three different law books for one particular law subject, for reference purposes. This is not to say that you have to read all of them at the same time, but this would be useful when you are having difficulty understanding the context of the law and the prescribed book only has a paragraph to say about it.
5. TAKE DOWN NOTES!
Note-taking is one of the easiest ways to imprint facts or data into one’s brain. Medically speaking, the act of writing down notes allows muscles as well as brain neurons to work hand in hand thus enhancing memory. When one takes down notes, one’s eyes, ears and hand muscles participate in the capturing of data into the memory bank.
Further, not only is note-taking helpful in focusing one’s attention on a subject matter, it’s also good practice for the Bar exams since on all the four Sundays, good handwriting skills are required, that is, one must not only write legibly, but must do so under time constraints.
Lastly, the most important advantage of writing down notes is to avoid dozing off in class especially if the professor is boring and monotonous.
6. FOCUS MAINLY ON LAW INFORMATION
You entered law school to learn about the law. Therefore, do everything to keep you focused on the law while you’re inside the classroom. If you can, by any means, stay away from people who could easily distract you from hearing the lecture. It would be best if you’re seated in the front row. You won’t regret leaving your posse behind since those seated in front usually get all the juicy details of the lecture and get distracted the least.
Yes, sitting in the front row may not be your cup of tea, but this will help you by talking less with your seatmates or friends and force you to listen to the lecturer. Oftentimes, what the professor discusses in passing may happen to come out of the exam or even in the Bar exams (if by some stroke of luck, that same professor becomes one of the examiners in YOUR Bar exams). Many times what the professor discusses in passing cannot be found in the particular book you’re particularly using.
Sitting in front would also allow you to hear in full decibel the lecturer’s lovely voice (we all know that some professors talk as if they’re just talking to themselves). Sitting in front would be like he/she was talking to you exclusively. First hand information. You can argue that you can always ask your seatmate if you’re seated at the back, but what they will be telling you would be hearsay, based on their own interpretation and just like the game message relay, the farther the distance, the greater probability this message gets distorted.
Like in all schools, gossipmongers take no exception of law school. Law students usually enjoy gossip to amuse themselves and to drown the lull of boredom. Hence, try very hard to stay away from the grapevine. First, not everything you’ll hear is true. Gossips are interesting only when YOU’RE not taking its full brunt. Be reminded that not only is it inappropriate, immoral, and disrespectful, it is also entirely useless and will consume another portion of your time. It is rather best to remain in the bliss of ignorance than to meddle with other people’s business. It will only crowd your brain with all sorts of unnecessary information which definitely won’t come out in any of the exams.
Be wary of the library. It may be a place full of resource materials but it is also a place with so much potential for malice. Make sure that if you go there, a huge amount of your time must be spent on gathering law information and not baseless chitchats.
7. BRUSH UP ON GRAMMAR
You can’t go wrong with good simple English. In law school, your examination grades depend largely on the language by which you express your answers. Facility of the English language can be your ticket to aces! Don’t just settle for knowing how to speak the English words, or worst converting Filipino terms to their English counter-parts. Know how to express yourself through correct English usage. Brush up on the basic rules on English grammar and sentence construction. If you think you need some help in this area, make use of your free time reviewing grammar rules either from the internet or your old college English 101 books. Your nieces’/nephews’, sisters’/brothers’ grade school books can also help you big time in reviewing those pesky grammar rules. Another suggestion is to take hold of the book “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk. It’s affordable, it’s in most bookstores and it’s quite thin making for a very easy read.
This is also quite helpful for the Bar exams since it’s rumored that bar examiners usually throw away grammatically incorrect exam notebooks.
8. BE BRIEF, CONCISE AND DIRECT TO THE POINT IN YOUR ANSWERS, AND DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CHEAT!
When writing answers to examination questions, practice simplicity in getting your points across. Avoid writing in flowery and fancy manner, reserve that ability for your blogs and journals. In law school, professors do not have the luxury of the time to read your answers, much more in the Bar exams, where examiners have to check thousands of notebooks in less than 6 months. Thus, it would be helpful if you know how to answer in a brief and concise manner.
Avoid cheating. It's your ticket out of law school and out of the legal profession. If you get caught, you'll be branded for life. If not, it will come back to haunt you. For one, you will not know how to answer on your own when you’re no longer surrounded by your partners in crime. For another, it would dangerous to carry the practice to the Bar, where super strict proctors with wandering eyes eventually catch you red-handed and that will definitely be the end of your legal dream.
9. CLIMB THE LADDER, ONE STEP AT A TIME
Take one day at a time, if this day doesn’t turn out the way you expect it to be, don’t fret, tomorrow’s another day. If today, you weren’t able to answer the question when you got called for recitation, don’t be devastated; you have another tomorrow to do your very best.
Treat every semester of law school as a single step up the ladder which you must successively take. Just as when climbing a ladder, as you put your foot on the first then second and third steps, you go higher until you reach the peak. Remember, you can’t go up the second step unless you put your foot firmly on the first step.
Ergo, strive to get a good grasp of the subjects during the first semester and this will make a big difference in making your way through the second. Getting passing grades in all your subjects isn’t so much important as gaining an exceptional understanding of those subjects. This way, by having a good foundation, when you get to the second step, you’re knees won’t wobble and you’re more certain to reach the peak of that ladder.
10. KNOW WHEN TO CHILL
After a hard day’s work, every person would want to find ways to chill and relax. Similarly, in law school, after every exam, find time to treat yourself to a relaxing day out. Don’t be too harsh on yourself by immediately studying for the next exam as soon as you step out of the room. Go out and watch movie, eat at a fancy restaurant (if your allowance can afford it), or spend time with people you’re close to. This will help avoid burn-out.
Hoping that some of these tips would help you survive the stressful life of law school. As caveat though, these advices may not be the end all and be all for you to endure the frenzied life of a law student. As they say, “different strokes, for different folks.” You may even think that some may or may not apply to you. Just give your best so you’ll have no regrets. And as you give your best, do so for the Law-giver Himself, the One who establishes, the One who gives strength.
-Ate Dana and Ate Marian
WHILE we all dreamed of fairy tale-like-endings in our law school journey and we have timetables in realizing our goals , obstacles and delays are possible parts of the chapters thereof. If we cannot be consistent in upholding what we think as best, we must not lose heart when the natural consequences of our complacency unfold. To become a lawyer is not..............will continue next time
