Learning How to Excel In, Outside of Class at Law School Orientation

On a recent Tuesday night, a group of professionals took a quiz which asked them to weigh how decisions they make now will affect their futures.

True or false: The amount I owe on credit cards does not harm my credit score as long as I make the minimum monthly payment on time. The answer: false.

True or false: It is never too early to be thinking about my future ability to be admitted to the bar. Credit problems are one reason why a person might be turned down for admission.

This one's true.

It's the first official day of law school orientation for Section 7 -- a group of part-time first-year students at the Georgetown University Law Center in the District of Columbia. Although classes have yet to start, students are asked to plan now how they can lay the groundwork for success during and after law school. Part of that planning includes making wise decisions about how they'll pay for school, which could later impact their ability to buy a home, car or other necessities, says Charles Pruett, the assistant dean for financial aid.

[ Survive the first week of law school with these tips.]

In McDonough Hall, Pruett is walking more than 40 students from the evening division, another name for the part-time program, through the basics of financial management for school and life after.

"What happens with your own personal finance is a good proxy for how you'll handle other people's finances," says Pruett. "If you had challenges, we have, in the evening division, four full years to work on it. And any state bar that's going to question it will say you dealt with this at probably one of the toughest times in your life."

For students in the midst of a financial catastrophe, Pruett has more advice: "If there is a problem, let's talk about it now."

Georgetown's orientation is organized much like those at other law schools. In addition to learning where to go for help with financial aid, 1Ls, as first-years are often called, spend a few days also getting hands-on tips for learning how to do well in class. Sessions can cover how to read cases and where to go for tutoring.

Many schools, such as the University of Washington School of Law, will also give students advice on how to manage their mental health during what will likely be a very stressful three or four years.

"We have a psychologist who talks about self-care in law school," says Mary Hotchkiss, the senior associate dean for students at University of Washington's law school. "A lot of students don't realize how intensive it's going to be."

The 1L year, experts say, is often the most challenging for students.

[Prepare now for outlining law school case briefs.]

"The first year is focused on teaching people to think like a lawyer, and that's a new way of thinking. It's very rigorous, and it's challenging," says William Treanor, executive vice president and dean at Georgetown's law school. "It's almost like learning a foreign language."

Schools use orientation to ease students into this new way of thinking. At Gonzaga University in Washington state, students are asked to read a case and then discuss it during orientation.

"They practice briefing it together," says Heidi Holland, the associate dean of students and a professor at Gonzaga. They also learn about federal vs. state law, judicial systems and why certain laws exist.

University of Washington puts new students through similar exercises to teach them about lawyering and how to interpret cases.

"We use a case to illustrate some basic concepts of torts and civil procedure," says Hotchkiss. "We're trying to give them a taste of what it's like to read and prepare for class."

At Georgetown, the part-time students in McDonough Hall are just getting started learning more practical tips that can aid them in the classroom. After Pruett ends his speech on financial planning, students get a few minutes to rest before hearing from a long list of speakers, including the president of the student bar association, professors and a number of academic directors. Tonight's orientation won't conclude until 9:30 p.m., and there are more events coming this week.

[Explore law school options for nontraditional applicants.]

For student Paul Shelton, so far orientation has been a good experience. Georgetown's "done a good job," he says. The 50-year-old stay-at-home dad and retired Marine knows how to meet a challenge, and he has been actively preparing for his law school experience. In his bag he carries around "Demystifying the First Year of Law School: A Guide to the 1L Experience." He's always wanted to go to law school, and this day is just the beginning.

Although orientation is the precursor of what many students find to be a difficult year, Shelton doesn't think life as a 1L will be his undoing. He's taking a practical approach for surviving it.

"You work at it, and you do it one day at a time," he says.

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Delece Smith-Barrow is an education reporter at U.S. News, covering graduate schools. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at dsmithbarrow@usnews.com.