What should I do the summer before starting law school?

Alyssa Dragnich

Director of Academic Success; Clinical Professor of Law

Professor Alyssa Dragnich is Director of Academic Success at ASU Law, where she draws on her experience in energy regulation, legal practice and more than a decade of teaching to help law students achieve their academic goals through courses, workshops and individualized support.

Many students ask me what they should do to prepare for starting law school in the fall. Some students wonder if they should try to get a jump start by studying some of their 1L subjects in advance. My response is no! While I applaud their initiative, that is not the best way to prepare to start your JD studies.

Learn to type quickly

This one may surprise you, but being able to type quickly and accurately will be an advantage to you, both in taking your final exams and in your future career. You won’t want to spend time refining your typist skills once classes start, so take the time over the summer to brush up.

Some good and free online resources are typingclub.com, keybr.com, typing.com and typinggames.zone.

Read (a lot)

The best way you can prepare yourself for the academic rigor of law school is to read a lot. Law school reading assignments are demanding — much more so than you experienced in college, even if you were in a reading-intensive major. Law school classes assign a lot of reading, but more than that, reading legal opinions is challenging, especially at first. It’s almost like learning to read in a new language, and to read ten pages might take you more than an hour at the beginning. Students who read more quickly will have an easier time adjusting.

To prepare yourself, try to spend as much time reading this summer as possible. Good legal writing has a lot in common with good journalism, so you might read newspapers such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. You could also benefit from reading long-form journalism such as pieces published in the Atlantic, the Economist or the New Yorker, and definitely enjoy some quality fiction, too.

Get your life in order

Your days will soon be full of classes, readings and lunch talks hosted by different student organizations. Try to get all your “life errands” done before classes begin, if you can. Are you due for a dental cleaning? Does your car need an emissions test? Do you need to buy your mother a birthday card?

If you are relocating to attend law school, you’ll have even more to do. Scope out the most convenient grocery store, pharmacy, gym, etc. Do you need to transfer your bank account? Update your driver’s license or car registration? (Be thoughtful about these last ones, as they can affect your state residency.)

Develop healthy(ish) habits

Develop a system for preparing meals, doing some type of regular exercise that you enjoy and sticking to a regular sleep schedule. This may sound like childish advice, but it works! Eating regular meals, sleeping sufficient hours and getting regular exercise are proven strategies for better physical and emotional health.

Medical care

If you are relocating to a new city and you use prescription medication or allergy shots, you might need to find a local doctor. If you are a new patient, the wait for your first appointment could be many months. Call now to make an appointment to establish care. ASU Health Services is a convenient option, located half a block from the law school.

If you regularly see a therapist, you should continue that work. If you moved cities, your previous therapist might see you via telehealth, or you might need to find a new, Phoenix therapist. The ASU Counseling Center can help you find a provider.

If you need health insurance, ASU offers options for students.

Break your cell phone addiction

I admit it — I’m addicted to my cell phone, too. But you will need to be able to concentrate for periods of time. Test yourself: can you sit through a two-hour movie without checking your phone?

You will need to be able to sit through a two-hour class and pay attention, as well as be able to focus on reading your casebooks without interruption.

Why shouldn’t I try to learn some 1L subjects in advance?

A law student does not just take a class, such as Torts. They take “Torts from Professor ___.” While all professors teach the same core concepts, each professor will have their own unique spin on a course. You will want to tailor your studying to that professor.

In addition, law school classes are completely different from undergraduate classes or other types of graduate schools. ASU Law will teach you everything you need to know to begin classes, via our JD Summer Preparatory Series videos and our JD Orientation in August. If you try to teach yourself, you may need to unlearn some bad habits later.

Have fun this summer!

You’re about to embark on an exciting but challenging time in your life, so don’t exhaust yourself this summer. Meet up with friends and family. Play sports and watch movies, ride rollercoasters and play video games, whatever you like to do for fun.

Above all, try to start law school rested and ready to go in the fall.