An Introduction To Law School From The Property Advocates: What To Expect During The First Year Of Law School

Taking the LSAT and receiving a law school acceptance is only the beginning of the challenging journey ahead to pursuing a legal education. First-year graduates will find that law school is different from the undergraduate years of college classrooms that typically use the lecture method. In fact, the first year of law school, often referred to as the “1L” year, is one of the most difficult and foundationally essential years for legal studies. Attorneys from the full-service Florida insurance law firm The Property Advocates share a list of what new graduate students can expect during their first year of law school.

1. Case Method

Undergraduate classrooms in college commonly use the lecture method to teach students, which is why the first year of law school can feel like an unfamiliar learning space. Law students will find no signs of the lecture method in a law school classroom but rather the case method approach . The case method consists of learning law through a deep examination of numerous judicial opinions, otherwise known as cases, that highlight legal rules. To succeed in a classroom that uses the case method approach, students have to cover a significant amount of reading and be promptly prepared before entering the classroom.

2. Socratic Method

In combination with the case method, the Socratic method is also utilized in law school classrooms. The Socratic method fosters critical thinking , an essential skill to have as an attorney or when working with the law, through shared cooperative argumentative dialogue between students and the teacher. In the law classroom, a professor will lead discussions by asking questions that engage and stimulate the critical thinking brain. Discussions typically begin with a professor asking students to abridge a case that students were assigned for reading. The professor then continues to put students in the hot seat, asking thought-provoking questions, including questions that manipulate the facts to challenge students’ way of thinking.

3. First-Year Curriculum

Each law school requires first-year students to follow a specific course of study that covers vital legal knowledge that helps to build a strong foundation for law learning. For example, Berkeley Law requires first-year J.D. Program students to take specified courses about civil procedure, contracts, criminal law, torts, legal research and writing, as well as written and oral advocacy. Though it is not required as a part of the J.D. Program’s first-year curriculum, Berkeley Law recommends that 1L students add a particular constitutional law course to their first year of classes. Other law schools might require 1L courses like criminal procedure, legal method, and property law, or require students to argue a hypothetical court case in a moot court exercise.

4. Limited Measurements for Academic Progress

The average undergraduate college class grants students a guide to academic progression with multiple assignments, quizzes, and tests. At a minimum, an undergraduate college course might only take an overall grade from a mid-term and a final. The nature of offering multiple opportunities to influence an overall grade is considered a rarity when it comes to first-year law courses. The majority of first-year law courses offer only one chance, a single exam, to completely determine a student’s final grade.

About The Property Advocates

The Property Advocates , P.A. is a Florida-based insurance law firm that offers a range of personalized legal services, specializing in property insurance claims. They currently have offices in Tampa and Miami, and almost 14 knowledgeable attorneys who are ready to go to bat for their clients. The team is well-versed in all steps of handling insurance claims, from filing a claim to appealing a denied claim or filing a lawsuit if needed, as many of their team members have worked for insurance companies and engaged in aggressive trial litigation.