How to Ace your Legal Journey in a Law School

A law school takes hard work and there is no getting around it but some students work harder than required and still get low grades taking a hard hit on their self-confidence.

There is no denying that a lot of law aspirants end up working too hard and spending too long on unimportant topics, thus, there is a need for law students to learn the right strategies as successful people are often not those who work hard but those who work smart.

In law schools, one needs to read more, the subjects are unlike anything one has ever seen before, and often there is no point of reference. Thus, the studies are more stressful for law students. But there are some tricks which can help one ease the legal journey of an aspirant.

Managing it right

You must have heard the trekkers saying, ‘when the climb is steep, a high jump won’t do’. The phrase may well be used for the journey of a legal aspirant. One must start early and be steady in one’s preparation. This not only keeps you calm but also helps you retain more. Studying too much in too little time can leave your head muddled up. This may not even give time to revise important topics before your exams.

The most suggested way to follow the approach is by preparing an outline and pre-deciding a topic which you want to cover each day. It is also crucial to take a mini-review of how much you remember of the topic after you complete the topic. The trick helps you realize the portions which need to be revised again.

Some students also find it beneficial to make brief outlines (or points) that help in recollecting the entire concept.

Master the language

A refined language – be it written or oral – is the best persuasive tool anyone can ever possess and when it comes to lawyers, it becomes an even greater tool. The correct framing of a sentence can help you achieve your purpose in the most effective manner.

Considering that most legal cases are argued in shades of grey, language is the lawyer’s only refuge. Thus, it is imperative upon a lawyer to horn his language skills. While others may say – talk to express and not impress, for lawyers, it’s not exactly so. A lawyer must use his/her words to express and impress. Thus, one must pay a great deal of attention on improving one’s writing and speaking skills.

Practice makes it perfect

Instead of loitering over a topic for long and taking in all the unnecessary details, it is better to take a mock test every time you finish a chapter. This not only prepares you better but also helps you gauge your preparation. Also, the trick sets your mindset in a goal-oriented manner.

Laws are no literature and you cannot score marks if you beat around the bush while answering specific questions. And as they say, a lawyer is as good as his knowledge of laws. Thus, one must formulate easy methods to categorize and memorize laws. The best way to do so is to write down the laws related to different areas in a tabular form and keep revising it at regular intervals.

The feedback

Most of the law schools fail to provide the necessary feedback their students need. Consequently, the students often miss the areas where they need to put in more hard work. Thus, it is advised for law students to keep the seniors and their teachers in loop.

The extra mile

What’s the difference between the achievers and the losers? Well, the achievers go an extra mile for success. Similarly, a law aspirant must not confine himself/herself to studies. Active participation in moot court sessions prepare for your legal journey once you graduate from your law school.

The moot court sessions are the closest experience a student can get of a courtroom and it helps one groom as a lawyer. Earlier, they were not a part of the curriculum but today, all major institutes have “Moot Court” as a subject.

Apart from moot court sessions, one must also read about the proceedings of the biggest cases. Today, one can find videos and texts of court proceedings of all major cases on the web. Carefully reading and analyzing these proceedings helps a student understand as to how the court works and what arguments stand in a court of law. This also helps you memorise laws better.

Further, we often see lawyers giving references of previous cases to turn the judge’s decision in their favour. Hence, reading the proceedings of previous cases also helps you prepare your bank of references which you can use in your professional career to get an edge over your opponent.

Networking

The world is a small place and it’s connected. Today, it requires much more effort to manage and sustain a successful law practice. Managing existing clients and acquiring new clients requires good networking skills and not just that networking also helps a lawyer while batting for a case.

Like other businesses, networking is not just about selling your service in the legal arena; it is also about maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship. College is the very foundation of your networking strength, ergo, a student must try to acquire all the skills required for good networking as networking is at the very foundation of all business development activities.

Importance of Internship

Today, every law firm wants to hire an experienced lawyer and oversees a fresher. Employers want people who are not only well-versed with the law but are also well-trained in taking the right decisions as and when the need be.

Joining an internship helps you apply your classroom knowledge and is good for resume as well giving you an edge in the job market. An internship also helps you realize the domain where you want to gain specialize and given that this is an era of hyper-specialization in the legal world, finding an area of interest will yield you positive results. An internship experience also gives you the much-needed exposure to multifarious people, situations and work. The experience also helps you learn better time management, increases your patience and inculcates team spirit.

There are ample options for legal aspirants to join internships including law firms, courts, public sector undertakings, NGOs, government firms, among others. However, one needs to maintain a constant vigil to bag internship at esteemed firms which could really take off your career. Law schools like the Indian Institute of Legal Studies provide opportunities of internship to students.

Legal Research

Every legal expert vouches for the importance of legal research hailing it as an indispensable asset for law students and legal professionals. It helps you to identify and retrieve information necessary to support legal decision-making.

Mastering the art of legal research will help you in solving complex legal issues during your professional journey as it helps in decoding facts of the case and point of law in disputed issues, building arguments, and even finding evidence.

Say no to stress

Long work hours, less-than-expected results, extremely unhealthy competitive behaviour of peers, discrimination, and what not. The legal world has it all. But the trick is to not let anything get into your head. The best way to do so is to take some out for activities that you love indulging in your past time.

Be around positive people and don’t ponder over the wrongs for too long. You can even try meditating if that helps.