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First Year Guide

Starting at Square One

The beginning of law school can feel a little overwhelming for anyone, but if you've never taken a government or political science class before, you may feel like you are starting out behind some of your other classmates.  One of the best things you can do to prepare for law school is to familiarize yourself with the way our government and court systems work.  

Below is a playlist of 50 videos from Crash Course: Government & Politics, which provides a thorough and approachable introduction to American civics.  If you're in a hurry, I'd recommend #9: How a Bill Becomes a Law and #19: Structure of the Court System.  You can jump to those videos by clicking on this icon in the video window below:

   

Other Preparations

One of the most important ways you can prepare for law school is by fine-tuning what some might call your "general, functional human being skills."  For many, law school is a prolonged period of intense stress, which can lead to an increase of bad habits (e.g., smoking or drinking), decreased immune system, and strained personal relationships.  

I know, talking about how stressed you're about to be doesn't help diminish your stress, but planning and establishing healthy habits now will help.       

For more tips and links to healthy living resources at the University of Baltimore, check out our Libguide on Mental Health & Law School: 

Still Want More?

Podcasts

If you want to get a feel for the world of legal academia, you can start immersing yourself in the world of legal theory and discussion with some of these fine podcasts.  All of these links are to the podcast's website itself, but they are available wherever fine podcasts are distributed. 

Blogs and Other Websites