The First-Year Experience
By Hunter Jamerson, JD-MBA Class of 2008
Matriculating to law school was akin to entering the great unknown for me. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I came to Richmond as a 1L. There are several bits of wisdom I picked up during my first year that would have been invaluable to know during those first few months of school. I share them with you now so that you can jump start your education in jurisprudence from day one and come to live greatly in the law.
Cling like a leech to your Law Student Advisor (LSA). Each incoming student is assigned a 2L student who will serve as your mentor. This mentorship program makes the transition from undergraduate work to graduate work, and all the quirks of law school, so much easier. Rely on your LSA to help you find your way around the law school and the city, know what study materials will help you be most successful, learn tricks to registration so you will know which classes fill up quickest and what a manageable schedule looks like. Your LSA is also a wealth of information for help with exam preparation, law review and journal competitions, and the job search process. Your mentor will go out of their way to help you during 1L year, so take advantage of all they have to offer you.
Get involved! Richmond offers a wide range of opportunities to get practical experience as a lawyer while in school. A variety of moot court, litigation, admiralty, environmental, and legal writing competitions are open to first year students. There are also many opportunities to meet and work with Richmond lawyers and judges. Involve yourself in these opportunities right away, and you will find that by the end of 1L year you have built a solid background in practical legal work to show employers, and have met many of the lawyers who will be on hiring committees in the spring. Afford yourself the chance to learn how to both think like a lawyer and act like a lawyer by endeavoring in these practical applications.
Every school markets themselves as having the best people you could possibly want to be around. The difference at Richmond is that here it is actually true! Richmond affords you one of the top faculties in the country. Many of your professors have literally written the book on their area of legal expertise. Your professors’ doors are always open, and they thrive on nurturing your legal education and helping you find the perfect start to your legal career. So, too, are the Dean’s office, the Registrar, and the Admissions office. You have only begun to reap the benefits of the Richmond staff upon admission. Do not be surprised when they reach out to you during first year; just tell them what you need and you’ll get it. Finally, make the most out of the relationships you build with your classmates. You will be among the top students in the country in a terrifically collegial environment. Discuss and debate the law with them, forge partnerships and connections, and lean on them for support. Your fellow 1Ls will be an invaluable network of colleagues in life after Richmond Law.
Good luck!