Ten Things you should know before starting Law School

Landing among the best Law school doesn’t come as easy as it seems to be. No wonder it needs a hell of a lot of patience, hard work, determination to fetch one’s dream job in this field.

What is significant to note is that a career in the Legal field in India does not surely mean serving clients in tribunals or courts but it has a wider variety of scope. Apart from giving advice to parties, government agencies, individuals and businesses on legal disputes and other issues, Law graduates can also work as Judges, Analysts, Litigators, Consultants, etc. career options are wide open for an upcoming lawyer in this field such as the judiciary, one of the most prestigious job then second comes Corporate law, it touches on the obligations and rights of all of the personalities involved with training, controlling, operating and accomplishing a corporation. Corporate law is meant to be beneficial for business. It’s not meant to make it more laborious to get things done.

The work profile further gets intensified when one specializes in a field of choice. if you are wondering that what jobs are there in law then, have a look at some of the major profiles or sectors you can operate in to build a successful career in Law:

Here are various types of law careers:

• Corporate Lawyer
• Litigators
• Paralegal
• Lecturer/Professor of Law
• Public Prosecutor
• Banking and Insurance: Specialist Law Office, Administrative Law Officer
• State-Level or Local-Level Judge
• Investigator
• Criminologist
• Litigation Support Professional
• Solicitor

There are several challenges you must overcome before landing a law school. These comprise demanding academic, hard work, determination and heavy work course loads, tons of reading, and gaining knowledge of the unique grading system.

Now, here are the top 10 Things you should know before starting Law School. 

Think like a lawyer

Getting into a good Law School is a dream of many ambitious lawyers. But the real, actual experience of Law school can be much more complex or difficult from the image learners have in mind of their law school life. Therefore, being aware of the realities and challenges of Law School is something that is of utmost importance, even if one is completely convinced that becoming a lawyer is his sole aim in life.

And Soon, After you graduate, the struggle has just risen. You might have to pursue more specialized courses, more internships, higher studies, vocational training etc. before you land a reasonable job.

Choose the right course for you

Here are the prime law courses over various specialisations and education levels that you can choose from:

• B.Com LLB
• BA.LLB
• BBA-LLB
• BSc-LLB
• LLB
• LLM
• Master of Business Law (MBL)
• MBL-LLM 

Research your law school before starting

Don’t go by rumour or saying, decide yourself what you exactly need to do. Having a clear roadmap in your mind at the start of Law School can give you the headstart you need to get you before you go. Here are some of the information you can do to be better prepared:

• Research the area of your college surrounding. Where to have meals, where to shop, where to get essentials.
• Research the branches of your college. What location, committees, editorials, research cells do you need to get involved in and which subjects or courses to take up further.
• Research about your faculty members. Their CV's, resumes, achievements etc will help you familiarise yourself with them beforehand and know who is going to teach you and grow your worldview and representations for the next few years.
• It's to better understand the areas you need to excel in on an individual level to stand out amongst the crowd. Also, know about where your university lacks
• Having a basic idea about the functioning of your Law school will give you a clear head start in operating through the challenges or difficulties you will inevitably face.
• Communicate to your seniors and discover more about how to flourish in your university. Seniors often give the most helpful advice, as their experience is fresh and firsthand.

Entrance to clear for best law school

To get admission to the top law colleges in India and abroad, one needs to either go through a rigorous selection procedure or needs to clear Law entrance exams. Given are the names of the exams that you need to clear in order to start a career in Law:

• Common-Law Admission Test [CLAT]
• All India Law Entrance Test [AILET]
• Law School Admission Test [LSAT]
• IPU-CET (Law)
• Army Institute of Law Test [AILT]
• Cambridge Law Test
• Law National Aptitude Test [LNAT]
• DU LLB exam

Improve Your Reading Skills and Comprehension

If you seriously consider yourself enrolling in Law School, it would be practically assumed of you to be a greedy reader, because Law school seriously expects you to eat down the books like fried chicken. From journals to statutes, articles, research papers, even poetry and literature. Law school demands extensive reading and it should be an essential habit to have in your stockpile if you really want to succeed in Law School.

Law faculties encourage students to analyse appellate court decisions. The student will examine the judge’s reasoning and findings and conclude general legal principles from any landmark or specific cases. Throughout the course of your first year of law school, you will be expected to read and concise or summarize hundreds of cases. Students are typically allotted about 30 pages per credit hour, which amounts to approximately 460 pages per week. To overcome this large volume of reading, you must know how to learn, how to read promptly while knowing complex material.

These are some quotes from law students 

“Study, study, study, and study smart - meaning learns how to outline and prepare for class early on.”

“Start your outlines as early as you can. The sooner you do this, the less stress you will feel at exam time.”

“Do not stress about grades and exams. Just work hard and do your best. A relaxed brain is a happy brain and being exhausted will not improve your chances of success.”

Sharpen Your Writing Skills 

Acquire good writing skills and the ability to incorporate large amounts of data into precise sentences. Extraordinary writing skills are essential for every law student. You can also brush up on your writing skills by taking pre-law writing courses, reading resources on the craft of writing or completing practice exams, You must be capable to:

• Examine and gather information
• Recognize issues
• Organize your information
• Draft a well-reasoned argument
• Summing up with a suitable conclusion 

Academic is not the only key

Excelling in your academics is not just enough to succeed in your law school, this is what I have personally learnt and experienced in my law college so far. Being a bookworm might help you become the most proficient student in class, but it does not teach you the practical, realistic skills which require to be applied in real-life acknowledged situations to solve obstacles and excel in your profession.

 Law is a profession that is based mostly on your communication skills. When you graduate, it is your personal efforts and networking-that you’ve done throughout your course, which will encourage you to land your dream job and push you towards greater heights.

Some students manage to be overly academic, excelling all their exams, having legal maxims at the tip of their tongue and memorizing all the case laws while this tendency towards academics is unquestionably helpful, it is not sufficient to excel and may eat tirelessly into the moment you should be establishing into other developing essential skills. 

Participating in Moot Court competitions, debate competitions, Mediation and Arbitration seminars and conferences etc. are instrumental tools in determining your law school success.

Think Different! 

Developing analytical thinking skills is quintessential as a lawyer. Don’t simply accept what you read and learn in your college or University. Challenge it, reject it, put your own ideas forward without hesitation. Ask as many doubts as possible with your professors in class, review articles and always value your own unique opinion. Students should actually use their time in law school to develop their communication skills. Establishing mature and professional friendships with your peers, working on your public speaking skills, and building your collaborative skills are some areas that are essential for a law aspirant to be good at.

“Don't be afraid to ask questions, but don't be afraid to use a dictionary, either.”

Get Important Resources

A few of the very essential resources for boosting any law student in their career include; 

• BARE ACTS is the “bible” for lawyers-so you don’t look like a fool in class.
• Black’s Law Dictionary should be a best friend for any law student. 
• The Elements of Style by William Strunk is the basic manual for acing your legal English write-ups or research paper. 

Studying as a Full-Time Hobby 

There is no escaping out from this. They say the more you learn the more you earn and it is rightly applicable here. Studying will become a full-time occupation here. Some advisors will suggest you spend at least two hours of study time for every single hour of a class hour for each subject you are taking. Clear out your misunderstanding and just focus on your aim, Work hard no matter what! Remember, law school is a single-player game. 

Conclusion

Law school, despite all its hurdles, is a way more lavishing and the most rewarding experience of your life. It not only gives you a tag of the lawyer but also teaches you the work ethics, awareness about the legal world and keeps you updated with all new basics amendments. You just need to conquer in the right way and in the right direction.