As a Law School student, no matter which division you’re in, it is difficult to decide which organizations/activities to get involved in and how many you can handle. The rule of thumb is quality over quantity. I don’t mean to quote Admissions staff from various schools that provide this answer when asked what qualifications they look for on an applicant’s resume, but the sentiment of that answer rings true. You will feel more fulfilled if you find something you’re passionate about and get involved at a deeper level than just being a “general member” as opposed to being a general member of a variety of organizations.

This is not to say that you shouldn’t sign up for more than one organization when you start your Law School journey. Sign up for as many as you please! But do so with the idea that you are testing the waters to discover what peaks your interest, where you can see yourself thriving, and what best fits your schedule. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a step back from an organization if it is too much to handle on top of your classes and non-school responsibilities, or if it simply does not fuel your fire.

With this in mind, when you come to Law School, don’t get caught up in the array of organizations waiting for your membership. Find your passion and do some soul searching to figure out what will be a mutually beneficial relationship for yourself and the organization. Know your limits. Take it from someone who LOVES to pack their schedule, biting off more than you can chew is painful.

You may have read in our previous posts advice and tips on being successful in law school, but it seems like we tend to overlook the most important tip: self-care. Without taking time for yourself and your wellbeing, may that be physical or mental, there is a higher risk of burning out.

Law school burnout is real and affects many of us. As we are now halfway through the semester, the workload, stress, and pressure may feel even more intense than it did a couple of weeks ago (if that is even possible). The effects of burning out can be catastrophic on our goals, our mental well-being, and our academic performance. When we don’t feel the best that is reflected in our work. Every student should take time for themselves and the things they enjoy. Whether it’s going to the gym, watching TV, doing spa days, or making time for family and friends we all deserve a break every now and then. By taking the time for yourself, your academic performance betters, your social interactions better, and your mental health thanks you.

Remember: Law school is not easy. It’s okay to take a break and check up on yourself. It’s the little things in life that keep us going, so prioritize yourself, so you can better every other aspect of your life.

It doesn’t matter in what year you are in law school, if you’re regular division or evening division, everyone has to go through the interview process at multiple points during their law school career. 1Ls and 2Ls alike will be interviewing for summer intern/extern positions come winter into spring; 3Ls will be interviewing for full-time/part-time positions for after they graduate, and many students will interview for fall/spring positions that run through Widener’s normal academic year.

There are several important points to keep in mind when preparing for an interview. Firstly, make sure you know exactly who you are interviewing with, research the firm/office that you have an interview with and be sure to have some relevant points/questions to bring up during your interview. You never want to finish an interview without asking any questions. Secondly, dress professionally, pull out your blazer, tie, dress, slacks, or skirt and make sure that your clothes are appropriate for a business setting. Thirdly, it’s always good to take a few extra copies of your resume with you; there might be an extra interviewer present that does not have a copy with them. Lastly, be confident in yourself and honest about your abilities. Take a few deep breathes before walking in; everyone gets nervous before an interview, there’s no need to stress too much! Share what you want to get out of the experience, talk about your strengths, and don’t feel the need to lie about any weaknesses. The question of, “What are your weaknesses?” is a dreaded question that is asked in almost every interview. After doing a mock interview during my junior year of college I was told by a faculty member to not answer this question with a strength in disguise, “I guess my greatest weakness is caring too much” or “I’m a little too organized” is not what the interviewer needs to hear. Be honest and admit to needing a little more practice with Microsoft Excel or say that you sometimes need a bit of extra time when it comes to handling contracts cases. Tell them something that you need a bit more practice with, and assure them that you are working on improving. And remember to thank the interviewers for their time!

Good luck with any future interview that you may have!

Finally, after a whole year of Zoom law school, Widener Commonwealth Law is back in-person! Seeing the campus for the first time as a 2L felt bizzare. Being able to meet my professors and peers after a year of only getting to know them through a screen was well worth it. Instead of logging onto Zoom with a minute to spare and logging off as the professor says, “that is all for today,” my peers and I finally get the chance to small talk, make plans for the weekend, stress about upcoming assignments, and create memories together that we never had the opportunity to do last year. 

But with all this fun and excitement of meeting new people and making plans, it is easy to forget our workloads. After your first 1-2 weeks of law school, it is important that you create your own schedule and stick to it! What has worked for me is that I do all of my assigned readings and case briefings the day/night before my classes. By doing it that way, I give myself plenty of time to read and brief the cases, so I can find exactly what concept or rule is being applied and examined. After my classes, I add to my outlines right away. Sometimes if I have some free time before bed, I watch Themis and Barbri videos, which are third-party bar prep providers that provide free videos and outlines for law school students, to visualize how these concepts and rules are used. During the weekends, I use my time to apply to internships, write cover letters, study for midterms, and, most importantly, relax and make memories with my friends. Three years of law school may seem like a lot, especially after completing undergrad; however, the time goes by super fast. It is important to study hard in law school, but also, to enjoy the experience.

Law school is hard work and a lot of pressure. But it is doable. Don’t let anyone tell you, even if it is someone you admire or trust, that it is too hard for you. Everyone at law school is different. Different passions. Different work ethics. Different study habits. And different outlooks on life. So that means you don’t have to be like anyone else. Be yourself. Develop and adopt your own way of learning and succeeding. Most importantly, do not compare yourself to others. 

Law school is a marathon. Widener Commonwealth Law will hand out waters and towels for you throughout your race. But it is up to you to get yourself to cross that finish line and finish strong!

1. Don’t overcommit yourself

I could have benefited from following this advice, and this is the most important thing to remember in law school: you don’t have to be involved in everything. I was excited to be a law student and wanted to be involved in every organization I cared about or thought would be good to be involved in. I took on an ASF role, a research assistant job, and an internship for the fall semester of my second year, all in addition to the several student organizations and outside of school responsibilities I had. Well, guess what? That semester was my worst academically, and I was exhausted by the time finals rolled around. The way to fix it? Scale back and focus on a few areas that will really help you become a better person and attorney.

For me, I had a law job that I loved outside of school, so I kept it and I made sure that my effort there paid off. I learned so much more once I refocused than when I was stressed and overworked. Another reason to focus on an outside of school job? It could lead to something down the road. Your ASF work and on-campus jobs really limit you to success during law school, a line on a resume, and a professor recommendation. These are definitely important, but if you have to choose between a job that could turn permanent down the road and that student organization, focus on the job that helps you develop marketable skills you will need after school. I did, and I’m grateful for it.

2. Building Relationships is Important

Building relationships is the key to being happy in law school, staying the course, and earning your first job after passing the bar. First, getting to know your classmates is an important part of making it through law school. They understand what it’s like as a law student because they’re going through it with you. They form your study groups, help fill in gaps in your outline, and might even whisper the answer to a cold call. Either way, it’s better to go through law school with your classmates than to go it alone. It’s also important to build relationships with professors who can help counsel and mentor you as you navigate these three years. Professors were law students once too, and they often have great insight into how to navigate your particular law school. Building relationships is also what will help you earn your first job after school. It’s nice to have career services offered through school, but blindly sending your resume to hundreds of places doesn’t necessarily help you any better than finding a few really good places that you’d like to work. Every internship and job you have in the legal field is an opportunity to learn from attorneys and staff who are all looking to help people just starting in the legal field. Attorneys like to hire people they know and trust. The way you interact with professionals in the legal community will speak volumes to potential employers as to whether you are a good fit for them. Work on building relationships professionally throughout law school, and it will only help you when it comes time to find work.

3. Don’t Forget to have a Personal Life

It’s easy to get caught up in all the chaos of being a law student, but don’t just look at law school as three years of your life you will never get back. It most likely won’t be the best three years of your life–your classes may not interest you, you might have a few embarrassing cold call moments, and you won’t have any multiple choice exams–but they don’t have to be the worst three years of your life either. Look for opportunities to find personal growth and enjoy yourself outside of the classroom. It’s important not to let law school define who you are and to remember what you like to do other than study. If you enjoy reading for pleasure, make time to do it between chapters of Property Law. If you enjoy playing a round of golf, go out and don’t worry about three-putting. There is always more you can do to be a better law student–you can always read more, outline more, or start memorizing things for your finals earlier–but don’t forget to have a school-life balance that grounds you because that will help you keep your footing for the entire journey of law school.

A Final Thought

They say that law school is a marathon and not a sprint. I look at law school the same way I look at trips across the Pennsylvania Turnpike–exit by exit. Some exits inexplicably are 36 miles apart with a tunnel in the middle and no way out but through (looking at you, Somerset and Bedford), but you have to keep pressing on until the next rest stop. It’s important never to lose sight of the final destination, but it’s also important to take it one piece at a time.

When I started my first year, it made me crazy to think about being a 3L or studying for the bar. The best thing I did was set little mile markers and be glad when I got to each one. Trust me, you’ll get through it if you pace yourself and know that you don’t have to take the bar until you get through all the other pieces of school.

Enjoy the ride. It’ll be over before you know it.

This summer, I was able to work two internships, one for school at Widener’s clinic and the other with a professor of mine working on research. Towards the end of the spring semester I was scrambling trying to find an internship, and I was able to connect with a professor after just talking after class and the clinic presented as a good opportunity for me to satisfy my experiential requirements for school.

I was trying to work with connections I had back home for a summer internship hopefully as a job and definitely as a source for experience, since being only in the classroom so far hasn’t provided the most amount of real-world law practice. While I was in the middle of searching with the help of a family friend at home, I stayed back after my Copyright & Trademark class with my professor to ask questions, which turned into her asking about my summer. I explained my situation and she offered me a spot to help out with a project for her this summer working with her firm. I was able to learn a lot more about Trademark law which I became very interested in from her class, and make a connection with a professor willing to help me with the job search after school. I learned that it is incredibly important and can be extremely helpful to speak with your professors, since you never know what can come from it.

For the clinic, I knew that it was an option that existed for me to obtain my experiential credits out of the classroom and I was unsure what to expect. During the seven weeks there in the summer semester, I got more out of the experience than I thought I would. I learned a lot about different areas of law and how they work, but more importantly about working with other interns and bouncing ideas off of each other proved very helpful. Additionally, we were all able to help each other out figuring out what next steps to take in our case, drafting documents, and breaking down cases with each other, and we simply worked very well together. The experience there taught me a lot about what I want to look for in a firm when I’m job searching, and I’m glad I had other students with me to go through that experience with.

The summer was definitely difficult managing both of these internships as well as a class, but like every semester it always works out and the work gets done. I’m glad I took advantage of both of these opportunities and got a lot out of them both.

This summer was very unusual for me because my goal was to finish law school a semester early and also get my experiential learning experience.  So, what did I do? I decided to challenge myself and take 4 summer classes and do my summer internship. I was fortunate enough to have been offered a position at the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Industrial Affairs, Office of Workers’ Compensation. During my internship I had the pleasure to meet with the Director of Industrial Affairs, the Delaware Secretary of Labor, and the Deputy Attorney General who represent the Delaware Department of Labor. During my internship, I have conducted legal research, attended hearings, attended meetings, drafted motions, and communicated with different agencies regarding different legal issues. I had very busy days at my internship, and I would come back home to classes from 4PM to 8 PM. I was extremely exhausted. I was mentally drained. I was eager to finish. But the most important thing is that I wanted this. I wanted to finish early, and I pushed myself to prove to myself that I can do anything. Prior to signing up for classes and my internship, I did not imagine that I was capable of doing my internship and coming back to online classes. I imagined that I would be able to enjoy my summer during the weekend.  However, I had a lot of school assignments and studying to prepare for the following week. Some may say “that I had no summer.” Others may say “you’re setting yourself up for failure.” But one thing that I say is that I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me. The first year of any law student is always a battle and I know that if I survived the first year, I will be able to survive anything after that. All I know is that God has brought me this far and he will not leave me behind, no matter what anybody believes. I believe that I am capable of finishing both my classes and my internship like I planned. Yes, I did not have the best summer, but I wanted to finish early from law school to show myself that I am capable. The whole point is that despite what people say you have to believe in yourself in order to accomplish what you want and not what they want. So yes, summer classes or internship, just why not do both and push yourself to do better- for yourself!

I started law school in an unconventional way. Instead of starting on campus and meeting everyone in person, my entire 1L class started law school in a completely virtual forum. For someone like me, virtual was not ideal. I do not do well in a virtual setting where I have to go and reach out to people I have never met before. I looked forward to making connections with people in person, but as circumstances would have it my first year was not what I originally imagined.

When law school started in the fall it was completely virtual which had its pros and cons. Pro: I got to stay at home in Georgia. This was beneficial because law school takes a lot out of a person, physically, emotionally and, mentally. Being at home gave me the comfort and support I needed to navigate the busy lifestyle of being a law school student. Con: I spent the first semester at home making only small connections with people and feeling a little FOMO from the connections I could be making if I just moved to Harrisburg whether we were going to be virtual or not. I knew some of my classmates were already residing in Harrisburg and the best way to get to know them was to step outside of my comfort zone and leave home.

When Spring 2021 came around, I was settled into my apartment in Harrisburg and already making those in person connections with my classmates in the area. The only thing I did not account for was how much I’d miss being home. I decided to live by myself, so when I moved in January for classes it was just me in my apartment for most to all of the day alone doing school work. I went from a boisterous household balancing out the stress of law school to virtual law school, but now alone in a city over 600 miles away from my home. I was homesick and going out occasionally with the friends I had made here was not always enough to curve that homesick feeling.

In the end, moving was the right decision because no matter when I would have moved I would feel homesick. The trick is if you let that feeling bring you down or not. I choose to focus my energy on doing things I enjoyed. Law school helped by keeping me busy, but the friends I made helped as well by giving each other a shoulder to lean on and people to explore a new city with. I may be far from home, but in a way, I found a way to make this place my home.

As many people say, law school is hard and challenging. ANY law school is hard and challenging, but there are many things that make this easier. One of the biggest pieces that makes law school easier is having a supportive and available staff. After touring many undergrad schools and law schools, I place Widener’s faculty above the rest. 

After finishing my first year, I have noticed that Widener Commonwealth Law professors are the most caring and giving professors that I have ever dealt with. With being online, they have separated themselves from the rest.

During the semesters, I could email any professor I had and I always got a response within an hour. These professors would answer questions in detail, offer to zoom, or even call me on their personal phones.

Further, the professors at Widener want to know you on more than just a teacher-student relationship. With over fifty students in each of their classes, they have come to learn everyone’s nickname, what level of law we want to do, and our favorite past times. These professors were available to discuss class hypotheticals, exam reviews, what nature trails to take, or even top notch bread and cookie recipes. With this type of connection, I felt like I knew my professors without actually ever meeting them face to face.

My favorite experience with Widener faculty was when I emailed my Torts professor that I was having an off day and was struggling. In law school, it is important to vent to people, and I felt comfortable enough to reach out to someone I trusted and who I knew has been in my shoes before. This professor went out of her way to ask me for my phone number, called me within ten minutes, and talked to me for an hour to tell me that how I was feeling was valid, that I was doing great, and that she was proud of me. When I heard those words I was relieved and ready to go back to studying. 

Beyond the professors, the support staff is the backbone of Widener Law. Although being on zoom has caused me to be somewhat more “techier,” I would not have made it through the semester without our faculty secretary and our media services director. These people have made themselves available 24/7 to help students tackle zoom law. The faculty secretary has been hard at work publishing each document for every class and handling all online quizzes and finals. Further, our media services director has been available at any time to help me get into my online account, to even showing me how to fix a printer (more times than I would like to admit). 

When deciding on attending a law school, know that when choosing Widener Commonwealth Law, you are accepting your admission, but you are also accepting a support system of professors and faculty that will be with you every step of the way, no matter how big or small. Good luck on your law school journey!