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An Insider’s Guide to Law School: 2L [by Hanna Stotland] You read case law at the speed of light. You write three-hour exams in your sleep. So why is 2L known as the year they work you to death?
In September of your second year, the on-
about journals. While many schools still
excellent training if you intend to go into
slaught of extracurriculars, recruiting, and
have only one journal, usually called the
litigation.
clerkship hunting pick up where academics
“Law Review,” student-edited journals are
left off in May. Your second year is unlikely to
proliferating, and you may have an array to
If you’re looking for the most practical expe-
be as nerve-racking as your first, but in many
choose from. At some universities, only the
rience of all, clinicals offer upper-class stu-
ways, it’s just as tough.
flagship journal (e.g., Harvard Law Review)
dents the chance to work on cases for actual
holds an entrance competition, but at most,
clients. Clinical work may involve anything
Academics
high grades or winning writing competitions
from assisting in the composition of a friend-
There’s a knack to taking law school courses,
are necessary hurdles for any journal work.
of-the-court brief to single-handedly arguing
and by the time your second year rolls
These competitions, or “write-ons,” usually
an eviction trial in front of a jury. Although
around, you’ll finally feel like you know what
take up a week at the end of 1L spring; expect
handling a divorce case for a battered woman
you’re doing. “Expect that the material will
a lengthy project that tests your legal writing
or helping to research a death-penalty appeal
begin to come a little more easily,” says
and editing skills.
can be emotionally exhausting, it’s likely to
Sam Pollack, a 2L at Boston University. But
be the most satisfying achievement of your
the important thing about your second-year
No matter how you get it, a position on the
classes isn’t whether they’re easy or hard,
editorial board of a legal periodical is a use-
it’s the fact that you pick them yourself.
ful credential throughout your career. The
Tip: “If your school offers clinical programs
After a year of being force-fed civil proce-
prestige comes with a price tag, however:
or externships, don’t hold them off until
dure, torts, and contracts, the opportunity to
Anywhere from 10 to 40 hours of your week
your third year,” urges Seth Eichenholtz, a
choose classes that inspire you is a welcome
will be consumed in evaluating manuscript
2L at Syracuse University.
change.
submissions, editing the accepted articles,
law school career.
and tediously checking the accuracy of
Recruiting
Douglas Sondgeroth, a 2L at Boston College,
hundreds of footnotes. If you are intrigued by
Deep down, the professors know it: Until 2Ls
finds his second-year classes “more difficult,
legal scholarship, the challenge can be fun.
have their summer offers, no one is paying
but definitely more interesting and reward-
For some students, though, it’s just another
much attention in class. That’s one reason
ing,” in part because they allow students
obligation. “Be careful what journal you work
law schools keep moving the fall recruit-
to “explore their own interests and focus
for, if you work for [one],” cautions a New
ing season back; at some, like New York’s
on specific issues that a general first-year
York University 2L who is less than fascinated
Brooklyn Law School, on-campus interview-
course cannot consider.”
by cite-checking. “It can be a big time-suck
ing begins as early as August.
and is not very rewarding.” Tip: If your law school allows you to cross-
Recruiting exposes the naked elitism of the
register for courses in other parts of the
Upper-class moot court is another extra-
legal profession. Top firms may refuse to
university, take advantage of it. A course in
curricular option that can impress potential
interview students whose GPAs are below
business, government, or a foreign language
employers; it’s a step closer to the real work
a certain cutoff, and they adjust that cutoff
adds perspective to your legal education and
lawyers do. Most schools field mock trial
based on the name of the school. For exam-
gives you the opportunity to meet graduate
teams who argue fictitious cases in nation-
ple, a firm might grant interviews to students
students in other disciplines.
wide tournaments. Many also offer intra-
at second-tier schools only if they have GPAs
mural appellate competitions, where teams
of 3.7 or above and are members of the law
Extracurriculars
of students prepare and argue simulated
review; to students at top-20 schools only if
For resumé-building types, year two is all
Supreme Court cases. These activities are
they have a 3.3 or above; and to any inter-
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