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Take Heart 1Ls

By BootStraps

This is the week that you have been dreading since you first sent in your acceptance letter to attend law school. You have seen the paper chase and have read 1L (scott turrow). You have read Law School Confidential and have talked to many older law students. This as you now know...doesn't help.

Law school exams are like the matrix....You can't be told what it is like, but you must see it for yourself. This is a moment that you will be able to say...."Before that, and after that" in terms of your law school career and maybe farther.

In the words of the 3L RA in the Paper Chase, "everything they tell you about grades is true".

Well, sadly it is...but you know what? Its ok.

Some people were meant to work for BigLaw. Some were meant to blindley follow the man. Some were meant to become great plaintiffs lawyers some were meant to work solo practioners. Some were meant to work insurance defense.

It is difficult to grasp this right now 1L's, and honestly I still wrestle with it.

But know that the top 10% is precisely that. The top 10%. Not everybody can be in the top 10 % or it would be the top 100%.

So if you don't do as well as you had hoped this first round...keep your chin up. Though you may not be the managing partner at Cravath, Swaine and Moore, you can still be a damn fine attorney. You just wont feel that way till after your top 10 counter parts are passively rubbing it in your face that they summer with 3 different firms.

Realize how far up the academic mountain you have come. Though most law students only look up where they want to go, I encourage you to look down and see how far you have come. You may feel a little better. You may actually feel a little smart once again. (which of course you are)

So basically what I am saying is. Fuck It. Get the tests done, go get drunk, let the cards fall where they may and see where you come out.

Full post as published by BootStraps and Lawyers on December 13, 2007 (boomark / email).