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Welcome ILs!
Posted by Admin on Aug 24, 2004, 09:21
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Hi Everyone. I’ve been asking everyone I know what I should say to the incoming first years, and uniformly I hear – keep it short, keep it funny. So that’s what I’m going to aim for – brief and funny. I want to start with two pieces of advice that I wish were given to me as a 1L, or rather, two pieces of advice that were likely told to me but I wish I had followed.
First, go to the gym . . . a lot. Very few people start law school in their most ideal shape. You add in caffeine, tenderloin burritos, nine hours of sitting on your bum, and an exercise regimen that consists of little more than lugging around 80 pounds of textbooks – it’s not pretty. Law school does physically take a toll on you. Working out is a phenomenal coping mechanism. I did it my first year, and it kept me sane. I didn’t do it my second year because I thought I was too busy, but I wish I had. So go to the gym . . . a lot.
Second piece of advice: make sure you spend less time worrying than you actually do studying. Fear and apprehension exists mainly in our heads, which means we have a fair amount of control over it. Reading for classes and starting to outline early, that is, before Thanksgiving, helps to keep that anxiety at bay.
I know Hastings has a reputation for being cutthroat. In fact, there was once a time when the entering first year class at Hastings were asked to look to their left and to look to their right. You would have been told that, statistically, it would be unlikely for you to see either of those people at graduation. That’s pretty scary if you think about it because one of the possible reasons for not seeing those people at graduation was because you didn’t make it to graduation. I want to reassure everyone that American law schools have changed quite a bit in the last three decades. Statistically, nearly all of you WILL graduate. Not only will the person seated beside you graduate, but I also want to remind you that that person is your classmate, a future colleague and very possibly a friend. Law school is a difficult and harrowing experience but it’s much more bearable if you go through it with people you know and like.
So, third piece of advice - and this one I did follow - meet as many of your classmates as possible. Go to the first Beer on the Beach next Thursday, even if you don’t like beer. Pretty soon, there’s going to be a slew of student organizations who will entice you with free pizza to attend their first general meeting. Go, you’ll find the second and third year students more than willing to give you advice and maybe even some of their old supplements. Also, think about joining ASUCH, student government is good practice for being an advocate.
Every first year class has the opportunity to set the tone for the school. This year, it’s your turn. So be good to each other, and act with honor because our reputation means quite a lot in this profession.
You have a very fulfilling and enriching year ahead of you, and I wish you all the greatest academic and personal success. Thank you.
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