Getting a Running Start

The most common reason that people fail or drop out of law school is because they fall behind right at the start, and that has a domino effect. Even though you may be working hard, if you’re not successfully keeping up with the workload, you’ll be spinning your wheels. It doesn’t take very long to fall so far behind, you may never catch up.

The best foundation for a successful legal career is a successful law school career. Reaching the pinnacle in law school means getting high grades and then working to get on the Law Review (which is basically a student newspaper about the law). Getting on the Law Review may be challenging in itself, but surprisingly few students know enough to ask about it in the first place. Finally, you should try to get an internship during your first year summer.

If you get poor grades at the beginning of your first year, even if you improve once you figure out how everything works, it may be too late to build your success in a way that would have been possible otherwise. Getting good grades is a solid foundation but it’s not just grades that distinguish high achievers. Your path to success depends upon adding to that foundation with other accomplishments, and not just passing classes.