Most people entering law school know little about law or legal education. Unlike other graduate education, law school is not a continuation of an undergraduate major. Law schools gladly accept students with majors as unrelated to law as literature, computer science, or speech pathology; not surprisingly, many find the first year of law school difficult.
One reason is that, although law schools do not require a background in law, the first year curriculum actually presupposes a great deal of legal knowledge. Few students realize that before they start law school they should know some fundamental legal principles and terminology, as well as information about the court systems and the trial and appellate processes. Most first year students suspect that they don't fully understand their course work, but they don't know what to do about it. If entering students had some orientation to the law, much of their anxiety during first year would be eliminated.
For suggestions on how to be prepared for law school, click on the following:
The two paragraphs are from Law School Survival which appeared in the NAPLA Notes in November 1992. This is the newsletter of a regional association of pre-law advisors.
