A Day-in-the-Life of a Law Student — What to Expect

Prelum offers an insider’s look at a typical day as a law student. From studying and participating in extracurriculars to how much downtime they allow themselves. 

Key Points:

• A big difference between undergrad work and law school is the rigorous out-of-class workload.
• Whether it’s studying before, in between, or after classes (or even over the weekend), it’s up to each student to find a manageable, structured schedule that best suits their needs.
• Many law schools provide first-year students with a preset schedule for the first semester; some even provide a set schedule for the entire first year. 
• The second and third years of law school allow students more flexibility in creating their class schedule, and in choosing more advanced courses.
• Many renowned universities offer relevant online college prep courses for high school students.

As you may know, becoming a lawyer is a long journey — spanning an additional three years after you receive your undergraduate degree. But by managing your expectations, you’re likely to experience better success easing into the process. 

So what does a typical day-in-the-life look like for law students? And how does it differ from undergraduate work? Here is a synopsis of what each year of law school demands, and a snapshot of how a few future lawyer’s days typically unfold. Plus, we’ll review pre-college prep courses to help you get started while in high school. 

So, what changes once you enter law school?

Differences in Workload Between Undergraduate and Law School Work

While the credit load is comparable to an undergraduate schedule in that 15 hours is considered a standard "full load" of courses, a big difference in law school is the rigorous out-of-class workload — the majority of it reading case examples. Many consider law school to be roughly the same number of hours as working a fulltime job (akin to 40+ hours). But, it’s a packed 40 hours. Getting behind in out-of-class work can be extremely detrimental to your success. Thus, students are encouraged to find a schedule that suits them best. Whether it’s studying before, in between, or after classes (or even over the weekend), it’s up to each student to find a manageable, structured schedule that best suits their needs. 

In addition, it should be noted that some may choose a part-time schedule. This typically adds a fourth year to their law school tenure, and will alter how they manage their workload. 

Now, let’s see how this plays out in average schedules for 1, 2, and 3L students. 

Year 1 (1L):

Many law schools provide 1L students with a preset schedule for the first semester. Some even provide a set schedule for the entire first year. While students may find it frustrating to be without the option to select their classes, schedule, or professors during their first year, law schools often assign schedules because all law students have to take the same required coursework during their first year. These courses include contracts; civil procedure; torts (civil disputes); plus constitutional, property, and criminal law.

Here’s what a personal experience might look like:

• 6:00 a.m.: Alarm goes off. I need to get up as soon as I hear it to avoid snoozing.
• 7:00 a.m.: Leave the house after eating breakfast, reading the news, doing various household chores, maybe stretching. If I have class reading to finish, I try to get it done now or on my way to school.
• 8:00 a.m.: Arrive at school, hole up somewhere quiet to review today’s work, plus start reading for tomorrow. 
• Noon: Eat a quick lunch. Read a bit more.
• 1:00 p.m.: Begin classes for the afternoon. 
• 4:00 p.m.: Leave right after class to get some exercise.
• 5:30 p.m.: Get home to cook and eat dinner, and get reading done for the next day.
• 8:30 p.m.: Try to cut myself off from homework to touch base with loved ones, or binge watch a little TV.
• 10:00 p.m.: Bed. No exceptions!
  

Let’s now review how a 1L experience differs from those a bit further along. 

A Common 2L or 3L Student’s Day

Year 2 and 3 (2L and 3L):

The second and third years of law school allow students more flexibility in creating their class schedule, and in choosing more advanced courses. Additionally, students might also want to go more in depth about a specific area of law. While most law schools recommend students balance elective courses with those featuring material required for the bar exam, there are plenty of opportunities for students to tailor their schedules to particular interests. In addition to elective courses, 2Ls and 3Ls might also earn credit through other programs, such as externships (a short-term, unpaid, and informal internship), legal clinics, law review, or moot court (working through simulated proceedings).

Here’s what a personal experience might look like:

• 8 a.m.: Since getting to law school, I’ve been trying to be more of a morning person, so 8 a.m. works well for me. This semester, I don’t have class until 11 a.m., so it provides a good opportunity for me to exercise and catch up on readings before class. 
• 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: In class with a short lunch break in between.
• Read and do assignments between classes.
• 5 p.m.: Dinner and a bit of rest, or time with friends/family.
• 6-11 p.m.: Reading assignments for the next day of classes.

While this may seem daunting, if you are a high school student interested in potentially becoming a lawyer, law courses online for high school students might be just the answer. 

College Prep Courses in Law

Many renowned universities offer relevant online college prep courses for high school students. These law courses can provide you with a solid foundation to begin your journey. Whether it’s familiarizing yourself with legalease, or learning the history of the U.S. Constitution (and its importance still today), there are a number of opportunities to explore. Here are a few.

Georgetown University: For students interested in learning about how laws are shaped on an international level, Georgetown offers International Law: Protecting the World’s Interests. Here, you will explore how international law is created, how jurisdiction works, how international treaties are negotiated, and how international law is enforced. Also available is Law: How To Think Like An Attorney. Discover a disciplined way to ask questions, and look beyond the obvious to make decisions based on evidence and analysis of the information you must consider.

The University of Notre Dame: In the course, Law: Thinking Like a Lawyer, you’ll learn how successful lawyers apply rules to facts, and analyze legal issues in sports law, intellectual property rights, and constitutional law. 

Rice University: Rice provides Law: Shaping a Just and Equitable World. In this course, you’ll explore the mechanics of the legal system; and the complexities of ownership rights, employment law, and access to education. Plus, you’ll learn about the crossroads between civil rights and the law.

Wake Forest University: Wake Forest also has an engaging course in criminal law. Criminal Law: Inside the Courtroom encourages you to delve into the anatomy of a criminal case, and learn through the lens of both prosecutors and defense attorneys.

William & Mary: W&M delves into the U.S. Constitution with Constitutional Law: We the People. Here, you will experience something unique — an inside look at how today’s lawyers and judges rely on the constitution to support their cases, and how they interpret constitutional rights.

As you can see, a successful law school experience is attainable, and you have many resources at your fingertips to ensure your personal path to success. Good luck!