<p>I am about to embark on a journey. I am about to face my problem and deal with it. I will wait patiently until I see the white in it's eyes, and attack with a guarenteed blow. Will I conquer or will I fall?</p>
<p>Lend me a hand, and teach me the ways of overcoming this hellish beast.</p>
<p>I want to improve academically. I want to LEARN. I WANT LEARN skills and improve the skills that I will need as A FUTURE LAWYER.</p>
<p>I am 16 years old. You have been there, what advise would you secure in your memory before traveling back in time to my age?</p>
<p>How would you organize your day to get the MOST out of everything?</p>
<p>Assume: I get arrive home at 3 PM, and I do not go outside to socialize; nor talk on the phone, chat, and all of that other b.s.</p>
<p>How would one polish the skills needed for a lawyer? (Writing, reading, etc.)</p>
<p>Honestly, I'll say this: You are far too young, ENJOY LIFE! Enjoy your teenage years, and cherish them as they will never come back. Do not take for granted "all other b.s.", that too is a part of life. Of course, focus on your studies, too; but do not be obssesed with law and/or law school. A few years from now you may change your mind altogether and may want to do something else, it's just human nature. So, in short and repeatedly, enjoy life: "Carpe Diem"</p>
<p>As far as polishing your writing, reading, etc...well, write and read, and etc...lol, I am actually being serious. I would also present this inquiry to any teacher you may particularly like; he/she will most likely be glad you asked and be willing to help in a better manner than anybody here on the forum could -after all, they know your work, and know you in person. </p>
<p>I am sorry if this is not what you were expecting, but I am being honest. Best of Luck!:D</p>
<p>"Honestly, I'll say this: You are far too young, ENJOY LIFE! Enjoy your teenage years, and cherish them as they will never come back. Do not take for granted 'all other b.s.', that too is a part of life. Of course, focus on your studies, too; but do not be obssesed with law and/or law school. A few years from now you may change your mind altogether and may want to do something else, it's just human nature. So, in short and repeatedly, enjoy life: 'Carpe Diem'"</p>
<p>Never!
Honestly, this is my enjoyment. Like all the things we love to do, we desire to improve; to excell.</p>
<p>I want to be a head of the game. I want to be prepared for Law School, and my legal profession.</p>
<p>Can you help me?</p>
<p>P.S. I have thought LONG and hard about career possibilies. Law is what I truly love. </p>
<p>I worked a doctor's office, I worked at a law firm. I participated in Mock Trials, and I dug deeper and deeper into the mystical realm of law. And, to say the least, I LOVE IT.</p>
<p>Three years of serious thought, now it's time for action. I need to get those gears turning, help me oil it!</p>
<p>Well you still have to relate to people (clients, juries, colleagues), so developing your people skills may be more valuable than anything else you can do at this stage.
Study with rigor, play with vigor!</p>
<p>Train yourself to read as fast as you possibly can while still maintaining crystal clear comprehension. Work up to 100 pages per night, that's a good start. I am a fast reader and while other law students had trouble keeping up with the reading, I would see footnotes about law review articles and go and look them up and read them too.</p>
<p>Try to get a subscription to lexis or go to their website and take advantage of everything that's free. lexis.com also westlaw.com Also go to your state's judiciary website and state bar association website.</p>
<p>Go to the library. Read books. Read non-fiction periodicals. When I was a kid, I thought it was fun to read a set of encyclopedias. Of course, that was pre-internet and the set we had only went up to WWII but I did develop top notch reading skills. I think that's how I ended up being a history major. </p>
<p>Also, I would go to the library and just pick up books and read them. My idea of heaven was to pick up a book and read until something caught my attention, then I would go find a book about that and so on and so on. All that non-fiction informational type reading gave me some weird knack of being able to understand how information is organized, thus I am able to find information very quickly, a very useful skill for lawyers. It's like my mind is in tune with search engines. </p>
<p>What the good Dr. said. Most, if not all, succesful lawyers have one very common trait: they can communicate well with people. Cloistering yourself in your room with legal books will never give you that most important skill.</p>
<p>I found reading the encyclopedia interesting when I was a kid also LOL Talk about an industry that the Internet killed, the print encyclopedia. jeez</p>
<p>I bought a set of Childcraft encyclopedias when my oldest son was about three. I used to read it to my kids. I think it's a sickness. lol </p>
<p>I agree that it is also important to get out in the world but I think it's more important on a personal than a professional level. I'd say that about 20% of lawyers I've interacted with have what I consider to be an engaging personality. And those are litigators, widely considered to be the most personable. ;)</p>
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<p>I am very social. I have NO problem communicating with people. However, after school I choose to stay home and study; aiming to improve the much needed skills of a lawyer.</p>
<p>I will begin reading at least 100 pgs a day. I will start with the New York Times, move to some non-fiction books, legal briefs and legal news, cases, writing my own book (and short stories), and reliving american and european history through books and e-books.</p>
<p>In my school there is no room for socializing anyway. I am an introvert in respect with my peers. They party, I study. So getting out in the world is not much of an option. But do not get me wrong. I go outside and play basketball with some classmates as a break from study. I intern at a law firm over the summer, etc. So I do socialize. I am not easily intimiated, a big change if you had known me last year.</p>
<p>So that being said, is there anything else that I could do?</p>
<p>Play a sport (or two). It will help with the social skills mentioned above, and, depending on the sport, you can find most of your smart classmates there (at my high school, the varsity track team had an A- average). Athletes tend to get their best grades in-season, when they are the most disciplined and are forced to manage their time better. Also, it's going to help get you into a good college. </p>
<p>Finally - during college law school, you will need a way to blow off some steam. One of the worst things that happened to me last year was spraining my ankle, because there just was not any way to release tension. A lot (or most) of law school socializing, at least where I am, revolves around sports (and drinking, but athletics are better for your health and study habits ;) ).</p>
<p>I'm completely serious. Playing softball, doing IM swim, running around the mountains - probably the best way to relieve an unbelievable amount of stress.</p>
<p>"and drinking, but athletics are better for your health and study habits)" This is what I was LOLing -if you'll take the term- about, not the whole message.</p>
<p>I completely agree with you on the blowing some steam through exercise part. :)</p>
<p>My daughter has been the chair of the Stein Club this year. This seems to be a school sponsored (at least tolerated) entity, and yet she is not quite 21! I wonder how this sort of this happens!</p>
<p>My daughter has been the chair of the Stein Club this year. This seems to be a school sponsored (at least tolerated) entity, and yet she is not quite 21. I wonder how this sort of this happens!
On the bright side, she seems to have learned a good bit about beer.</p>
<p>Dr. you live in NOLA and you have to wonder! My son proudly announced that he was voted T.E.M.S.'s Hardcore Party New-New!! Makes a dad proud!! LOL</p>
<p>I would suggest you read and write as much as possible. I would also suggest you focus on editing your writing. This will help you develop your points precisely. I would also suggest you focus on political arguments - but with a twist. Instead of concentrating on arguments involving positions you support, try to create arguments against the positions you support. For example, if you personally oppose the death penalty, whenever you hear a politician or anyone else arguing against the death penalty, try to express every argument in favor of the death penalty. Good lawyers keep their personal opinions to themselves and focus on arguments favoring their clients.</p>