A Day In The Life Of A Law Student At Stanford Law School
A typical day for this Stanford Law student involves early classes ("8:30 AM on Wednesdays"), followed by substantial reading and outlining for upcoming "Doctor finals," a process that often extends into the evening. Balancing academic demands with social life and extracurricular activities, like attending talks and studying with friends, is a key part of their experience.
Law School, Legal Studies, Higher Education, Academic Rigor, Time Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Isabel Mendiola
Law Student
Stanford Law School
Claremont McKenna College 2018
Stanford Law School (JD Forthcoming)
Psychology
Law
Legal
Honors Student, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Rigorous Coursework: Isabel's schedule includes early morning classes like Criminal Law and Constitutional Law, with significant readings and preparation required for each.
2. Active Learning: Class participation involves cold calling, demanding constant engagement and preparation. This highlights the active learning style prevalent in law school.
3. Balancing academics and social life: Isabel's day involves a mix of studying, attending class, and maintaining a social life, demonstrating the need for effective time management and work-life balance in law school
Transcript
What does a day in the life of your role look like?
Well, I wake up bright and early. They have what they call "Doctor finals," which are the legal basics classes. They choose your schedule for you, and they chose to have class at 8:30 AM on Wednesdays.
So, I wake up bright and early and go to class. In class, it depends; it can be 30 students or a larger lecture. Today I went to criminal law and then constitutional law. You talk about the reading you did for that night, and people get cold-called, so you have to stay on your toes.
After that, I usually come back to my apartment and make lunch. The rest of the day, I really just do my readings for the next day because finals are about to happen. I start outlining, which is basically creating a study guide for the final exam.
The readings are pretty hefty; they take me a good amount of time. That'll usually be until about five or six PM. Then I make dinner. All I have time for is to work out and see my friends. Often, I'll study with friends.
So, that's kind of a day in the life. Every once in a while, I have a student or a meeting, or there will be a really interesting talk. We get a lot of free food, usually during lunch or dinner.