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#LawTwitter I’d like to request your help for the incoming 1Ls (this thread is for you 1Ls). Anybody can pitch in, but I’d especially like to hear from grads/students that have endured law school via ZOOM. These are complicated and unprecedented times, so I’d like for y’all to
give incoming 1Ls advice as to how to navigate their 1L year in the time of COVID. I’m just a 2L so I’m still figuring it out myself, but I’ll start with some tips that helped me! 1: assuming your school will be using Zoom, I suggest selecting the “active speaker” option over the
gallery view option. I found gallery view to be distracting bc you can see everyone and their backgrounds so you may end up zoning out and staring at someone’s dog 
2: if at all possible, try and get a 2nd monitor. Having 2 screens was helpful for me bc I would put Zoom on one
2: if at all possible, try and get a 2nd monitor. Having 2 screens was helpful for me bc I would put Zoom on one
screen and type my notes on another screen. That way I wasn’t constantly clicking in and out of windows. 3: make a schedule for yourself and stick with it. I had my classes on a calendar and then I blocked out specific times to do class readings. So for ex: let’s say I had a
class M/W at 9-10:30 and another 1-2:30. I would block out reading for one class from like 11-12:30. And then block out reading for another class from 3-4:30 on both of those days. And then the same for Tues/Thurs. This helped me stay on track and not fall behind. 4: try to have
a designated workspace. Working from bed/couch was not helpful for me bc my body knew it was comfortable so it wanted a nap or it wanted to chill instead. Lol. 5: purchase a book stand! Prevents neck pain and helps you follow along in class and helps when briefing cases. 6: also
purchase a printer, if possible. Especially for midterms and finals. Assuming y’all are remote, you’re going to want to print out exam materials to highlight key information. You may also want to print materials when doing legal research for your legal writing class. 7: use
different highlighters when reading cases. when you do a case brief, you’re looking for things like the issue(s), legally significant facts, the procedural history, party arguments, and the holding/reasoning. So what I do for every case is highlight the issue(s) in yellow, the
procedural history in pink, the legally significant facts in blue, party arguments in orange (and then in the margin I write in pen which party is making the argument - def or plaintiff), & the holding/reasoning in purple. 8: Find whatever study method works best for you! Whether
that’s study groups (via zoom) or on your own. There is no “correct” way, as long as you feel like you’re getting the information you need. 9: Don’t be afraid to ask for help or outlines. Whether it’s with a professor, a mentor, 2L/3L, or another classmate. 1L is a tough year as
it is and COVID has made it even worse, so don’t be too hard on yourself when figuring out what works best for you and don’t feel like you have to figure out on your own. You are not alone, there are no stupid questions, and we’re always here to help!!
Please keep in mind, these are just suggestions not answers. What worked for me, might not work for you. Which is why I now turn the floor over to others who may have a different set of tips of their own...
