Quote:
Originally posted by rho4life
I'm a lawyer, and my best advice is study your a$$ off during your first year, and get the best grades you can. Explain to your family that you will miss Thanksgiving b/c you need to study for exams. I MEAN IT!!!! Tell them now. Your job prospects are in large part determined by your grades your first year. Even jobs several years out. Some firms will NEVER take you if you're not in the top of your class. It's always easier to go to a smaller firm and less money if you want to, but once those first year grades are set in stone, your options may be limited.
Also, to the person who was having problems focusing, try yoga.
Rho4Life, ska Big Sister Legal Eagle 
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I agree that the first year is a big sacrifice of time. I studied at my parent's home during the Thanksgiving break (so that I could be with my family) but a person has to be able to focus at his/her parent's home when the time comes to that.
I would just like to add that it is important to not study every hour of the day and to have a balance. I would say study smart and be efficient as opposed to killing yourself by working all hours of the night, every night b/c lawschool really is a marathon, not a race and it is entirely possible to burn yourself out and basically be dead by March or so.
Also, the better the lawschool that you can get into, the less you have to worry about being in the top half of your class. If you can get into a top ten, most employers don't even worry about your grades as much as long as you aren't C'ing your way through. I guess that I'd also add that of course each person has to make his/her personal choice about choice of lawschool but based on my experience and looking around at students at various schools that have a higher rate of students who didn't get jobs after graduation, I would encourage someone to (unless you are getting a full ride or something elsewhere) go to a school that is as highly ranked as possible.
SC