Hey guys – silly question but was wondering what a 1L class schedule would be like. I know 5 days a week – does that mean I should expect to be in school 9 -5?
It isn’t constant 9-5, probably more like 3-4 hours/day in class. But you should focus on getting into schools first…every school I’ve gotten into has included a typical 1L class schedule in their accepted students materials.
Yeah, won’t actually be in class from 9-5, but you should plan to be at school for that period and make good use of your time between classes (i.e. do assigned reading). You might have a class at 9, 11, and 2, or something like that. If you have a dog at home that you need to let out during the day or something, you could probably manage that.
It’s just like undergrad. About 14 hours in class a week, and then utilize your time out of class. Cept if you are doing clinics/externships other stuff like that, then it can vary more, but usually just working with groups, or on-site.
Disregard this. Your first year of law school is not at all like a typical undergrad experience. As far as scheduling, classes are grouped together, beginning mid-morning and lasting till mid-afternoon at most schools. Studying for each course generally requires far more time outside class than the vast majority of UG classes. This is especially true during the first semester due to the learning curve, and the second semester due to the summer job search and moot court. YMMV, but be prepared for law school studies to consume your life 1L year.
Legal writing/moot court can also be a ton of hours of wrench-time for the (relatively) few credit hours you earn.
You also should not be doing clinics or externships 1L year.
It really isn’t much different from undergrad, but the classes will be chosen for you and your grades will be awful if you study as rarely as most of us did in undergrad.
Well, my classes were not grouped together. Started class at 9 my first semester, got done at 4:20 on M, T, R, then had class from 9 to 3 on W. And I said you are in class for 14 hours a week, then you utilize your time outside. In that respect, it is like undergrad. I never said it was the same time amounts.
Then I was giving info about law school in general, not just 1L year with clinics and such.
This is really the only ‘issue’ I took with your original statement. For the vast majority of students and law schools, studies did not consume your life in undergrad.
To suggest without further explanation that your schedule during the first year of law school is ‘like’ undergrad would be to suggest that studies do not consume your life. That’s just not true for 99% of law students.
definitely not 1. was series of 2-3 hour breaks between classes. My section had first class, and last class of day. People would see us leaving our last class, coming from home, after showering, eating, and coming back to the library to study. Was a drag because it was long breaks every day, but not long enough to go home.