1L of a Ride: A Well-Traveled Professor’s Roadmap to Success in the First Year of Law School (West 3d ed. 2017)
Assigned as recommended or required reading at law schools throughout the country, 1L of a Ride provides a step-by-step navigational guide to both academic and emotional success in law school’s crucial first year.
Covered topics in the newly updated (June 2017) third edition include: top student fears, the first-year curriculum, effective class participation, types of law students and professors, case-briefing, note-taking, course-outlining, legal research and writing, exam preparation, essay and multiple-choice exam strategies, stress management, the impact of law school on outside relationships, special challenges faced by part-time and nontraditional students, and much more.
Shows rather than tells with dozens of anecdotes and comments from real law students, as well as authentic samples of Socratic dialogue, exam questions, student case briefs, class notes, and course outlines.
The only law school success book that:
• Addresses each aspect of academic success.
• Includes both a professor and student perspective, with comments from real law students as they progressed through their first year from beginning to end.
• Features real samples of Socratic dialogue, student case briefs, student class notes, and exam questions and answers.
• Focuses on practical advice that can be followed by any student from day one.
• Employs a lively first-person voice, humor, and dozens of anecdotes to bring the advice to life.
• Relies on educational research to back up advice.
• Includes input from other law professors, including an interview with five professors of Legal Writing, the course that causes the most angst and complaints from first-year students.
Review Excerpts:
“As a pre-law adviser I’ve read many books about preparing for law school or what to expect in the first year. This is by far the best! ”
“As the pre-law advisor at a California university, I’d be surprised if anyone ever writes a better book on this topic. If it’s not yet the gold standard, it will be in the near future. ”
“This book should be required by law schools as a guide to success. I could not have made it through without it! ”
“If you read 1L of a Ride, trust me, you will have an edge over any student who hasn’t read it. There is a reason Professor McClurg has won numerous teaching awards and other accolades from the legal community. … When reading this book, you feel like you are getting honest, personal advice from a trusted friend. Along with advice about how to manage your first year mentally and emotionally, you learn skills such as case-briefing and effective note-taking that you will need on day one. And in law school, day one counts! ”
“When I asked a friend and recent law school graduate how I should prepare for law school, she laughed and said, ‘Nothing can prepare you for law school. ’ She was wrong. This book is an indispensable tool for anyone considering law school or already committed to law school. I call it a tool because it really is―it is an instrument used to achieve success in law school. It is a reference guide to utilize during the entire first year. ”
“This book should be required by law schools as a guide to success. I could not have made it through without it! Included in the humorous, well-crafted text is a map through the misconceptions which all law students spend too much of their valuable first year trying to correct. Most students waste thousands of dollars during the first year just trying to get acclimated to the law school experience. Spend a few bucks on this book, start a step ahead, and get more from your investment. ”
“Law schools should provide a copy of this book with each acceptance letter. ”
“This book is a tour de force …. If you want to do more than survive―if you want to thrive―in law school, buy this book. ”
