Ten Rules for Law Students

Over a year ago, I wrote 15 Thoughts for Law Students.  It was one of my first "Rules" posts, though I wasn't calling them that at the time.  Since then, it has been one of the more popular items on this blog, and was even republished in the Canadian Bar Association magazine. 

I've revised it just a bit, and shortened it to 10 "rules" for the law students out there.  Enjoy.

1.  Law school is a trade school. The only people who don't believe this to be true are the professors and deans.

2.  Being good at writing makes you a good law student. Being good at understanding makes you a good lawyer.  Being good at arguing makes you an ass.

3.  You can learn more about client service by working at Starbucks for three weeks than you can by going to law school for three years.

4. Law school doesn't teach you to think like a lawyer.  Law school teaches you to think like a law professor.  There's a huge difference.

5. The people who will help you the most in your legal career aresitting next to you in class.  Get to know them outside of law school.They are pretty cool people.  They are even cooler when you stop talking about the Rule Against Perpetuities.

6.  Law is a precedent-based profession.  It doesn't have to be a precedent-based business.  Challenge the status quo.  Somebody has to.

7.  When you bill by the hour, getting your work done in half the time as your peers doesn't get you rewarded.  It gets you more work.

8.  Your reputation as a lawyer begins now.  People won't remember your class rank as much as they'll remember how decent and honest you were.  They'll really remember if you were a jerk.

9.  There are plenty of things you don't know.  There are even more things you'll never know.  Get used to it.  Use your ignorance to your benefit.  The most significant advantage you possess over those who've come before you is that you don't believe what they do.

10. People don't tell lawyer jokes just because they think they are funny.  They tell lawyer jokes because they think they are true.  Spend your career proving them wrong.

If you enjoyed these, check out my other posts in the series:  Ten Rules for the New Economy, Ten Rules for New Solos, Ten Rules of Legal Innovation,  Ten Rules of Legal Technology, Ten Rules of Hourly Billing and Ten New Rules of Legal Marketing. 

Also, if you'd like to get more ideas like these in real time, follow me on Twitter.