The Whole Lawyer Podcast
Ep 44: The 1L Survival Checklist - 5 Things Every Law Student Needs
Your 1L year can feel overwhelming, but there are things you can do right now to make law school more manageable. In this episode of The Whole Lawyer, Akeem D. Earle and Tonee Earle break down five practical tips for succeeding during your first year of law school. We talk about why focus matters, how to actually read and brief cases, preparing for finals without cramming, using professors and TAs as resources, taking care of yourself during law school, building relationships, protecting your reputation, and why you should be careful about relying too heavily on AI during your 1L year. Whether you're starting law school, currently surviving your first semester, or preparing for finals, this episode is designed to help you build habits that will carry you through law school, the bar exam, and eventually into practice. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 02:40 Five Tips for Passing Your 1L Year 03:27 Tip 1: Focus and Eliminate Distractions 06:08 Organize Now So You Don't Cram Later 08:57 Tip 2: Actually Read Your Cases 10:15 Why Case Briefing Matters 14:40 Why Lawyers Are Still Needed in the AI Era 17:00 Tip 3: Breathe and Take Care of Yourself 20:21 How to Calm Yourself Before an Exam 22:58 Find Your People and Treat Yourself 24:49 Tip 4: Use Your Resources 26:44 Using AI and Quimbee During 1L 28:23 Why Your TAs Matter 30:23 Tip 5: Build Connections and Your Reputation 34:39 Be Careful Choosing Mentors 36:20 Your Reputation Starts in Law School 39:07 The Legal World Is Smaller Than You Think 40:35 The Five Tips Recap 43:04 Outro evenaftermedia.com Subscribe to The Whole Lawyer for conversations about law school, becoming a lawyer, building a legal career, and everything that comes with life in the profession.
