Why a Social Life is Tricky in Law School

Having a social life in law school is one of the biggest challenges students will face. The mountains of work and stress that comes with them are enough to derail your nightlife and bust up even a close knit circle of friends. More so than the work, it’s the atmosphere of law school that makes have a social life hard.

The Tension
The biggest reason having a social life in law school is difficult is the tension between being a lawyer and being a student. You are told from day one that you have started your professional career. Your classmates are your future colleagues and potential referrals. Law firms are watching you even from 1L orientation to see if you have a high professional and moral character.

At the same time you are still a student. You sit in a classroom. You have a locker and a backpack. You do homework. You’re learning. It should be a given that you will make mistakes. You should be forgiven for wanting to enjoy the student part of law school when the message is prepare to work yourself to the bone if you’re lucky enough to have a job when you graduation.

We’re All One Big Happy Family
Every aspect of your social life, especially the mistakes, are magnified by the size of most law schools. After going to a college where you might have been just a number among thousands of other students, now everyone knows you. Even if you go to a very large law school, it will likely be split into sections, where you’ll go to the same set of classes with the same group of people. In undergrad your classmates were only your classmates. When classes are over in law school, you’ll see those same people at student groups, in the library, on law review, or just hanging out at the law school.

This means news spreads like wildfire in law school. If you get sloppy drunk and hit on an undergrad when out with two other law students, don’t be surprised if the whole law school knows about it two days later. You have to accept the reality that you’ve given up a big chunk of your privacy. It’s not because law students, employers, or bar examiners are especially nosy. It’s an inevitable you spend that much time that close to that small of a group of people.

But Everyone Is Especially Nosy
Even given that the lack of privacy is inevitable, law schools and the legal profession aren’t doing you any favors. Law firms are demanding higher character since they see what happens to lawyers trying to live a rockstar lifestyle. The character and fitness portion of the bar is more about character than fitness. And law schools are beginning to get aggressive about learning about their students to avoid embarrassing stories and harm to their employment and bar passage rates.

Law students love to gossip. Everyone is constantly shouting at you to act professional. You’re spending hours every day reading or discussing serious material. A little frolic and detour is welcome, especially if it comes in the form of a juicy tidbit about a classmate. Drama is up there with Red Bull, Starbucks, and fast food as a fuel that keeps law students going.

Having a social life is hard, but it’s not impossible. You can enjoy the student part of law school while not harming yourself professionally. That’s what I’ll talk about tomorrow.

Tagged as: social life