Law School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Law School Experience: By Students, for Students

For several months I was mulling over the idea of taking the LSAT and applying to law school. I asked people who had been through law school or were currently attending what it was like, but I still felt unsure whether or not it was a good choice for me. I ordered a few books to read what the law school experience would be like. The mistake I made was not reading this one first, because it's the only one you really need to get a great overview of law school, beginning to end. Using the opinions of former law school students, the book demonstrates from the beginning that the purpose of the book is not simply to sell people on the idea of law school. Some students say they loved the experience, some say they're not sure if they'd do it again, and others say they made a mistake by attending and now feel trapped in their law careers. Miller then leads the reader through what to expect throughout the years of law school. In the first part he discusses the application process, taking the LSAT, how to decide which schools are for you, and the reality of law school - good and bad. Then he dedicates the next parts to what to expect in each specific year of law school. All the while he inserts testimony from former students about what they felt they did right, and what they would have done differently. By the end, all the questions I had about whether or not law school is something I should consider seriously were answered. I was reading this book from the point of view of someone new to the idea of law school, and from that point of view I found it very helpful. I also believe this book could be helpful for people in other stages of law school. The parts on each individual year seem like they would be helpful, if I were in that position. The only potential drawback I can see is that this is not a lengthy book. The first roughly 100 pages had answered most all my questions, addressing what the law school environment is like and what you should expect potential careers to be like. If you are looking for a longer and more detailed read about law school, you may want to opt for a lengthier book. However, from my perspective, this is exactly the kind of book I needed to read to settle my questions.

When I first read the reviews for this book about six months ago, before I entered law school or purchased the book, I noticed that there seemed to be countless reviews from pre-1Ls saying how prepared they "felt" about law school. This was obviously worthless support since they had not used any of the advice first-hand. Although I have only completed one semester of law school so far, I believe that I can really testify that the book is a brilliant piece of writing for anybody preparing for law school. Its advice on book-briefing, using commercial outlines, and preparing for class are spot on and need to be followed by as many law students as are willing. Also, the advice it gives on securing a summer job, which I have used extensively so far during Christmas break for getting a 1L summer associateship, is terrifically helpful, especially since it provides an albeit somewhat outdated interview with hiring partners of both a small firm and a large firm. Anyone preparing for law school needs to get this book; it spells out what you need to do not just for your first year but EACH YEAR OF LAW SCHOOL, including Law Review (and the process of getting on journals), moot court, and all things 2L- and 3L-related. But if you are my classmate, don't buy the book... I want to stay on top of the curve as much as possible. :-)

INTRO I have read many and varied law school preparation books. To be forward, of all the books I have read, I found this one to be the most overrated. It is indeed useful, particularly if this is your first book on law school and you are interested in a very general overview. PERSONAL SUGGESTION (*warining* personal opinion) My strongest suggestion for those interested in law school is this: take one or two years off prior to entering law school to 1) adequately prepare and 2) make a determination whether or not you *really* want to do it. Whether you enroll into a graduate program, work, relax, explore, or engage in charitable activities - give yourself some time to pursue your varied interests. If you ever wanted to start a company, see a particular part of the world, or just take some time to think .. I highly suggest you do that prior to entering law school. If you just completed or are about to complete an undergraduate or graduate program, you might not have this opportunity again. Purge those urges and pursue those interests now while you have a chance. HIGHLIGHTS The book provides useful information regarding law school from financing your education to law school etiquette (share your class notes; do not boast about anything; avoid gossip; and never discuss grades). Furthermore, the author provides useful insights on applying for jobs to obtaining internships. Many topics are addressed in the book, and I appreciated the perspectives of former law students to hiring partners at variously sized firms. I do not necessarily agree with the author's suggestion on case briefing, however. I think it would be tedious and time-consuming to read cases using variously colored highlighters. It is better to use simply a pen and underline relevant material. SUMMARY & CONCLUSION The information in the book lacks depth but makes up for it for its vast breadth concerning prior to law school, while in law school (year 1, 2, and 3) and after law school. I am confident that most people who have an interest in possibly attending law school will find the book useful.

Very helpful book. For law students. And good price paperback. Highly recommend.

This is easily one of the best and most important books to read before starting law school. I bought a copy per the recommendation from a lawyer friend, and read it cover to cover over the summer before starting my first year of law school. The advice was incredibly useful, and I felt like I had a better understanding as to how law school would work and what study habits I needed in order to succeed. It's not just one author speaking either; it's a collection of law students combining their best advice into one solid book. Law school is highly competitive, and most if not all law schools are graded on a curve, so any advantage you can get over your peers really helps you out. I highly recommend this book, and I have gifted this book to incoming 1Ls starting law school, which shows how much I believe in it. Overall an excellent purchase.

I am starting law school this fall and purchased this book along with many others in order to prepare myself. I've read the relevant sections of Law School Confidential and it has been BY FAR more helpful than any other book I've read. I've found that most prep books written by one author turn into either a bragging soap-box or an over-exaggerated horror story. This book on the other hand has multiple authors with different experiences to share and who keep each other in check. Therefore you get a realistic and straightforward view of the law school process. My favorite aspect of this book is the way it is organized. There are 4 sections to the book. The first covers preparation i.e. considering law school, LSAT, Applications, etc. The next three sections are devoted to the next 3 years of law school. This breakdown makes it easy to identify what part of the book is right for you and which parts you can skip or save for later. I've already been accepted so I've been reading the chapters dedicated to the summer before starting and 1L. The advice so far has been extremely helpful and I feel more confident about starting school. I'm sure the advice found in the 2L and 3L sections will be equally helpful when that time comes.

There are far too many “5 things I wish I knew before attending law school” YouTube videos. And they all touch on the same ideas. If they all had read this book(and I am sure a majority of them did but they need to pump out content)there would be no such videos on the subject. THIS COVERS EVERYTHING. I am accounting major heading into my senior year. I took Business Law this summer, loved it and I entertained the idea of possibly going to law school. Reading this book brought me back to reality and I came to the obvious conclusion that enjoying a business law class is not in itself a justifiable reason to enter law school. The more I read, the more it became clear that it really isn’t the profession for me. I don’t like to write and I love to read extensively for pleasure, not for work. As my title suggests, this should be a mandatory read for people thinking of law school, those who applied to law school, and those already in law school. I stopped reading after Ch 21 as it no longer applied to me nor interested me. However, those chapters will apply to those about to graduate law school.

I cannot think of a graduate school experience that is more mythologized than the first year of law school (in the worst possible way), and as an incoming 1L, I sought to familiarize myself with what to expect as best as I could. Mr. Miller's book not only provides an extremely thorough rendering of what happens at every step of the law school experience, but he imbues his writing with a candor and perspective that was extremely refreshing to read. He was neither hyperbolic nor dismissive about the trials and tribulations of law school, and it is important for incoming students to see this sort of balance reflected in discussions of what law school will be like (since most of my peers tend to swing towards either end of the spectrum). I plan to give a copy of this book to all of the future 1Ls in my life, and even though I am only a week into my first year, I know I am much better off having read this book from cover to cover.

I am honestly so glad that I discovered this book before law school because it gives so much insight to what it's really like, which is something that I can't get if I ask my upper years friend. It gives you a lot of useful tips that teachers will not give you, so it makes me feel more secure and less stressed out about law school. I feel like can prepare well starting from this summer and succeed at school thanks to this book! Love it.

fantastic book

If you can't get into law school after reading this book.....you aren't meant for law school!!

Good book if you are interested in this field.

Very useful