Making friends in law school is sort of like how kids made alliances in the Hunger Games.
If you don't know the story, the kids were pitted against each other in a life-or-death game. To win, only one could survive but it was a good strategy to make alliances with other competitors along the way.
That's law school, right? Except that everybody lives at the end of...well, at least the end of the first semester, hopefully.
Survivors
Going into law school, it is understood that some students will not make it past the first year. If you have to be part of this natural selection, look around and think about who is likely to survive.
Now introduce yourself. Seriously, a cardinal rule of making friends in law school is to choose your friends wisely. This is not the time to look for drinking buddies; that is so 1978 Animal House.
Rather than looking for friends at the local bar, look for them at the student bar association. If you are not a joiner, then try the library. You may not find a hot date, but you may find a great study partner.
Whatever you do, do not try to make friends by becoming the center of attention -- like the student who always raises his hand, argues with the professor, or acts like a wannabe valedictorian. Don't be that guy.
Alliances
Friendship is a beautiful thing, and a good friendship will continue past law school. That's another important reason for cultivating law school alliances.
Most of your classmates will practice law, and some may even practice together -- especially if you attend a local school that produces a lot of local lawyers. More than few law firms have been formed between law school partners, and some law school romances have turned into lawful unions.
On other hand, you may run into a former classmate as opposing counsel in court. It may not be a happy reunion if you were not at least friendly in law school.
Knowing how to make friends in law school also carries over into law practice, as you find out that your new best friends are the legal secretary and the courtroom clerk.
Related Resources:
- Make Friends in Law School (Lawyerist)
- Welcome to Law School: What to Expect as a 1L (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- Sen. Ted Cruz Was 'That Guy' Back in Law School (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
