JDJournal is pleased to spotlight LawCrossing’s new feature, “What I Wish I Knew in Law School: Advice from Top Attorneys,”. The piece gathers practical guidance from partners, in-house counsel, public defenders, and BigLaw associates to help students and early-career lawyers make smarter choices—both during school and after graduation.
Why This Matters
The article emphasizes that while grades carry real weight during 1L and OCI, long-term success turns on skills, relationships, and judgment. Readers will find clear, experience-tested takeaways that demystify hiring filters, on-campus recruiting, and the habits that actually move careers forward.
Highlights from the Attorneys Featured
- Grades matter early—then other factors take over. Top transcripts help with OCI, clerkships, and competitive programs; later, employers focus more on writing, client handling, and reliability.
- Relationships outlast résumé lines. Mentors, classmates, and professors often become referral sources, co-counsel, or hiring partners years later—another reason to invest in authentic connections.
- Think like a lawyer, not a memorizer. Success depends on issue-spotting, structured analysis (e.g., IRAC), persuasive writing, and reasoning through ambiguity.
- Protect your mental health. Sustainable habits—sleep, boundaries, and community—support sharper thinking and resilience across a decades-long career.
- Careers aren’t linear—and that’s normal. Many attorneys thrive after changing practice areas, taking time off, or moving between firms, government, and in-house roles.
What Readers Will Learn
- How to balance 1L grade pressure with networking, writing, and practical skills
- Ways to cultivate mentors and sponsors who open doors
- Tactics to improve legal analysis and written advocacy
- Strategies to avoid burnout while competing at a high level
- How to reframe detours—transfers, job changes, or switches from litigation to transactional—as momentum builders
Read the Full Feature
Explore the complete list of insights and firsthand quotes from leading attorneys here: “What I Wish I Knew in Law School: Advice from Top Attorneys.” LawCrossing
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