<p>What I picture is reading a whole lot, show up to class and the professor goes crazy on the Socratic method and tries to tear everyone apart and the grade for each and every class is based solely on the final exam. How true is that?
What are classes like on average (I know they will be different depending on the university of course) and how is grading usually determined?</p>
<p>I know a lot of people have negative feelings towards everything about law school (for very understandable reasons), but I'm asking for a honest view please. Thanks.</p>
<p>Law school is not like “Paper Chase”, at least not like that for most students. There IS reading for the very first day of class, and for every class thereafter. You cannot get behind. The reading is usually not long, like reading a 100 page novel for Monday. But it’s usually somewhat short but tricky reading. Depending upon the prof and class, there may or may not be only Socratic Method questioning. In my law school, not all 1st year classes were Socratic. Certainly not after 1st year (at which time few students are willing to answer any questions). The grade IS based entirely upon the final. There are no quizzes. The bar exam is the same. Get used to it. The hardest part of law school is the first few months of the first year. That’s how long it takes most to figure out how to read a case and determine what’s important and what’s not. 2nd and 3rd years are typically dozers for most. In grading, some profs want just the answers, some want you “to show your work” in your exam responses, as it were. (“It’s not A because X, it’s not B because Y, it’s C because Z”). Most 1st year classes are year-long courses. After that, semester-long (long) courses. Those that do well in law school learn early that there are many review books that summarize the law and/or cases, everything from subject review books (“Contract Law”, to notes on the particular textbook that you are using (“Smith on Contracts”) which summarize every case printed in the textbook. These early “tuned in” law students buy these books in week one, not one week before the final. It is possible to hide in law school and not get called on too often, after all, many who go to law school are those who held up their hands in high school when a question was asked and oohed like they had to go to the bathroom. They are usually selected by the profs to answer the questions. (They are NOT always right, but they have such great egos that they THINK they are always right). If you do not do well in law school or have not developed a speciality, or have no contacts (either through summer or part-time work), it’s difficult to get a job after law school. It’s a lot of tuition to end up flipping burgers at MickeyDee’s. And sorry to say it, but MANY lawyers are as advertised annoying, “I want it now”, etc., especially in litigation where you typically see the worst attributes in people. (This after 25+ years practicing). Good luck.</p>
<p>I haven’t been around these parts of the internet in awhile, and I see this is a late response. That said, my experience has some similarities and differences with the above poster, so I thought I’d share (I’m a 3L right now).</p>
<p>1) Read a whole lot -> agree with above post, not too long but dense and tricky.</p>
<p>2) Show up to class for Socratic torture -> slightly different from above. I’d say my classes have been split; a lot of straight cold callers, some place certain panels of students on call, some hybrid systems, some never do it. Generally, they call on a couple people a day to deal with one case in detail, some do it for the sake of appearances and only want the facts, the second and third year classes have been heavier on prolonged discussions to extract the reasoning and underlying policies. Seating charts prevent hiding, but in large classes you’re looking at getting called on 2-3 times a semester if you don’t like talking, it’s really nothing to complain about. Also, where I’m at we do not have any year long classes, all classes take one semester.</p>
<p>3) Grade based solely on the final -> almost universally true, participation is usually a tiebreaker. Just to note another slight disagreement, a lot of my 1L profs said the review books referenced above were unnecessary, I believed them, I felt that the finals I submitted were high quality, and that was reflected in the grades (and I know of another like me). That said, the vast majority of people will use them, and use them early. </p>
<p>4) Getting a job is no joke. Have an understanding of the recruiting processes and job prospects of a given law school before starting up. Talk to current students about on campus recruiting and other sources of summer and entry level jobs.</p>