Letter to a One L Friend

Letter to a One L Friend teaches students how to rise to the top of their law school class. The book began as a letter the author wrote in his final year of law school to a good friend who was just starting. Weaving in anecdotes from his experience as a student, the author presents a simple, proven system for law students to excel.

Many law students study during every waking moment just to stay in the middle of the pack. This is because law school requires a unique method of analysis that is completely different from anything students experience in college. Incoming One Ls assume that the hardest-working, smartest law students earn the highest grades. But what happens when 300 top students with similar LSATs and GPAs try to outwork and outsmart each other?

Despite what many students expect, doing well is more about strategy than intelligence. Students who use the correct process excel, while students who use the wrong process don't—regardless of how smart they are. Having a clear strategy when students begin law school is almost as important as working hard once they get there. Letter to a One L Friend teaches students that strategy and empowers them to excel in law school.

Click here to listen to the author discuss Letter to a One L Friend on the Lawyer 2 Lawyer podcast.

Letter to a One L Friend is designed to be an easy, instructive read that can be referred to as needed. It is a quick read containing clear and direct strategies in short chapters that cover the following topics: how to read casebooks, how to take effective notes in class, how to approach exams, class selection in upper years, the importance of taking care of your mental and physical health, and how to think about and approach employment after law school … While Letter to a One L Friend largely deals with case law and traditionally formatted American law school classes, there is enough insight and advice to make this brief read worthwhile for incoming law students and librarians working in law schools.
— Katie Cuyler, Public Services & Government Information Librarian University of Alberta Libraries, Canadian Law Library Review (volume 45 No. 4)