Name: How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School
ISBN: 9780804799768

Kathryne M. Young

"Packed with insights from over 1,000 law students, this book offers practical wisdom to help law students find a sense of purpose. An indispensable companion for law students, prospective law students, and law professors and scholars"--

How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School

Reads better in context, but a great reminder

Kay so Queso

It is only useful to think about whether you are a better lawyer today than you were yesterday.

“When people asked me if it was hard, I'd say no. Scrubbing toilets and cleaning hotel rooms for minimum wage, getting wages stolen by management and supporting a family — that's hard.... [L]earning how to use the law for my people is a privilege.”

Great self-aware quote about navigating law school between different class identities

One affluent student reflected, "The legal profession is comprised of a very conservative and polished group of individuals. I can't imagine having to learn the norms and graces of the scene not having grown up in it.”

I, uh…big fan of the author, but is she really saying damn when are you gonna have time to fuck? 😂😂

Cool insight into how long shit takes tho, maybe it behooves you to be a one pump chump? 🤷🏽‍♂️

Suppose you have four cases assigned for Torts that day, three for Contracts, and three for Criminal Law. We're talking 10 hours minimum. When are you supposed to eat, sleep, or Netflix and chill?

If law school clases were set up to help you do well on law school exams, professors would distill the rules succinctly, then give you tons of practice applying them.

Legal practice also involves a huge number of components that are never formally tested in law school, such as your ability to investigate, negotiate, mediate, or ingratiate.

The author writes very casually with a lot of good perspective and information. I really enjoyed reading; I feel like I learned a lot to help place my head in a clear, settled space going into law school.

My biggest qualm was that just a lot of the information felt like general life advice. It’s not necessarily a big problem because law school is a continuation, or a phase, of life, so it makes sense. However, if you already have pretty good life habits, like meditation, exercising, time management and healthy prioritization, it makes a decent chunk of the book more ‘eh’ to read. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t dislike it and she did a really good job placing it in the context of law school, but a lot of it felt like “how to life a generally happy life”.

Anyway, I still really enjoyed reading this and felt like I gained a good perspective from reading it. I think her background in sociology and her research survey really made this a fruitful read. I’d recommend this to most anyone planning on going to law school. It’s easy, enjoyable to read and full of great information. Worth your time.

The author writes very casually with a lot of good perspective and information. I really enjoyed reading; I feel like I learned a lot to help place my head in a clear, settled space going into law school.

My biggest qualm was that just a lot of the information felt like general life advice. It’s not necessarily a big problem because law school is a continuation, or a phase, of life, so it makes sense. However, if you already have pretty good life habits, like meditation, exercising, time management and healthy prioritization, it makes a decent chunk of the book more ‘eh’ to read. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t dislike it and she did a really good job placing it in the context of law school, but a lot of it felt like “how to life a generally happy life”.

Anyway, I still really enjoyed reading this and felt like I gained a good perspective from reading it. I think her background in sociology and her research survey really made this a fruitful read. I’d recommend this to most anyone planning on going to law school. It’s easy, enjoyable to read and full of great information. Worth your time.

I would have benefitted more from reading this if I had gone straight to law school from college or had not worked as a paralegal beforehand. Even so, the information in this book affirmed my first-semester experiences and gave me a few ideas to improve my study habits moving forward. 

I would recommend this book to any (prospective) 1L, but I took issue with the chapter on exercise. Young’s suggestions on how to stay active during law school revolve almost entirely around going to the gym. Worse, she focuses on weight loss/maintenance as the primary goal for exercising. I would love to see future editions of this book feature alternative workout ideas like commuting actively or picking up a hobby that requires physical exertion. I think emphasizing the benefits exercise has on our minds and well being would also be more effective and cohesive with the rest of the book’s message than fixating on how to maintain a pre-law school weight.

Madi

I would have benefitted more from reading this if I had gone straight to law school from college or had not worked as a paralegal beforehand. Even so, the information in this book affirmed my first-semester experiences and gave me a few ideas to improve my study habits moving forward. 

I would recommend this book to any (prospective) 1L, but I took issue with the chapter on exercise. Young’s suggestions on how to stay active during law school revolve almost entirely around going to the gym. Worse, she focuses on weight loss/maintenance as the primary goal for exercising. I would love to see future editions of this book feature alternative workout ideas like commuting actively or picking up a hobby that requires physical exertion. I think emphasizing the benefits exercise has on our minds and well being would also be more effective and cohesive with the rest of the book’s message than fixating on how to maintain a pre-law school weight.

How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School

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