In just a few short weeks, New England Law will welcome its latest groups of 1L students to our law school community. While this is an incredibly exciting time, it's normal for students to feel a bit apprehensive about what’s ahead too!
That’s why we checked in with the New England Law faculty—who were all in your shoes at one time—to get their best advice for incoming law students.
Victor Hansen
Professor of Law
“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Develop a strong study plan and focus on getting through each day and week by following it.”
Caryn Mitchell-Munevar
Clinical Law Professor
“You have all that you need to succeed. Own your power, speak your truth, claim your space, and ignore the haters!”
Lawrence Friedman
Professor of Law
“Remember that the first year of law school is in many ways a marathon, not a sprint—you probably wouldn't wake up tomorrow morning and run 26.2 miles without training, and you shouldn't expect to master the skills of the first year of law school in the first few days, weeks, or even months.”
Peter Karol
Professor of Law
“Don't assume there is one right way to study for everyone. Learn what truly works best for you and then stick to that. But be sure not to fall behind. And remember: we have tremendous resources here at the school—make the most of them!”
David Siegel
Professor of Law
“Know what you should be learning from class reading before you read. Law school class reading is intended to develop your knowledge, skills, or both. It is designed to show you specific aspects of rules or doctrines, their application or problems in their application. Using clues in the section headings, syllabus, introductory notes in the book, or material provided by the instructor, you should know what you are supposed to learn."
Monica Teixeira de Sousa
Professor of Law
“Visualize your success and don’t give up!"
Lisa Freudenheim
Dean, Professor of Academic Excellence
“Law school does not have to be a solitary endeavor. Our strongest students recognize the need for guidance and support, especially in taking on the unique challenges ahead. Your weekly Academic Excellence class has been designed to give you a community of support as you learn core skills to succeed, like how to read a case effectively and engage in class, how to schedule your time, and how to put yourself in the best position to succeed on exams.”
Ready to start your law school journey? You can learn more about admissions here. Or if you’re an admitted student joining us this fall, you can find more information about the orientation schedule here.