Time really does fly! It’s hard to believe it’s been about three months since my first semester of law school started. As I’m writing this post, I’m finishing up my second graded memorandum for my legal writing class, and finals are beginning in a few weeks.
Being a first-generation law student, and not knowing a lot of people who went to law school, I wasn't sure what to expect. During orientation, I heard from other first-years that they were worried about “outlining” and “cold calling.” I was so confused, because it was the first time, I had heard of these terms in reference to law school and had no idea what they meant. So far, both of those things haven’t been so bad as they were initially made out to be. Outlining was tough at first but helps me synthesize and study the plethora of information I learn during class. Even if someone doesn’t know the answer when they get “cold-called” on, the professor will generally help the student figure it out. “Cold calling” seemed intimidating at first, but it motivates me to stay prepared for class so I can participate when it is my turn.
The most challenging thing for me so far is reading. Reading for law school is much more different from any other reading I’ve done for other classes in college. Like for many of us, it was my first-time reading court opinions and learning about these new legal concepts. I find myself rereading often and I also like to highlight when I read. I find it funny sometimes when I go back and review a case, to see that I had ended up highlighting almost all the page.
Even though law school has been challenging, it’s also been a fun and enriching experience. I’ve joined a few clubs, and I’m a 1L Representative for APALSA (Asian Pacific American Law Students Association) and IPCLS (Intellectual Property & Cybersecurity Law Society). I’ve been able to make new friends, meet so many people who share the same interests, and receive advice on classes and extracurricular activities. The events organized by the clubs are also very insightful and it’s inspiring to hear from alumni panelists. An event I attended recently was a panel about cybersecurity with alumni from Loyola. I was able to learn about the importance of cybersecurity but also the possibilities of different career paths post law school.
I’m excited to be finishing up my first semester of law school. The next thing I’ll be doing is looking into internships for my 1L summer. Hope everyone does well on their exams and to have a great holiday season coming up!