Lia is a second-year student at Loyola Law School with a strong passion for civil litigation.
If I knew during my first year of law school what I know now, I would have approached 1L with a little more intention and a lot more grace. While the workload and pressure felt overwhelming at times, experience has taught me that success in law school is less about perfection and more about strategy, consistency, and balance.
One of the biggest things I would do differently is focus earlier on understanding how to study for law school exams, rather than trying to master every reading in isolation. During 1L, it is easy to get caught up in briefing cases line by line and equating time spent with effectiveness. Looking back, I wish I had prioritized outlining sooner and spent more time practicing how to apply the law in exam-style hypotheticals. Law school exams reward issue spotting and analysis, not memorization, and that is something that becomes clearer with experience.
Perhaps the most important advice I wish I had known sooner is to stop comparing myself to everyone else. Law school creates a constant stream of visible achievement, and it is easy to assume that everyone else has it figured out. In reality, most students are navigating the same uncertainty. Focusing on your own progress, rather than someone else’s, allows you to learn more effectively and protect your confidence.
If I could give one piece of advice to incoming 1Ls, it would be this: treat law school like a marathon, not a sprint. Build sustainable habits, trust your process, and remember that growth often happens quietly. With time, clarity comes, and what once felt overwhelming becomes manageable.
TOPICS: 1L