Counsel’s Counsel is the world’s preeminent advice column for law students. Written by recent UVA Law graduate, Jane Doe, J.D.
Question:
Dear Jane: I am a 1L seeking advice on the month of November. As I write this letter, it is nearly Halloweekend, the spookiest time of the year. And I am sufficiently spooked (but mostly naïve).
First, I have been hearing buzz about the PILA Auction. What even is that? Should I be going? Should someone in my position be allowing themselves to have any joy whatsoever? Will I find it at the PILA Auction? Please advise.
Second, and I hate to be the 1L who asks about outlining, but outlining. Should I be doing it now? How much should I be doing it? Should I be doing it with a group of friends? Should I be doing it in view of everybody else in my class so they know I’m working harder than they are? Why do some of my classmates insist on making a performance out of how hard they work and a competition out of who is the most stressed? Please advise.
Finally, if I stay in Charlottesville for Thanksgiving instead of going home, will my family still love me? By car, I live about eight hours from Charlottesville. Considering we do not get the whole week of Thanksgiving off, I’m thinking I might hunker down in Pav and be productive. Is that a bad idea? Am I a bad person for choosing exam prep over my loved ones? Will they understand? Will I be removed from the will? Please advise.
- Treading Water.
P.S. Do I need to be applying to jobs for next summer yet? Is “Splitsgiving” a real thing? Is my significant other going to break up with me because I'm prioritizing Torts over them?
Answer:
Treading Water: First things first, please take a deep breath. Only a frantic, Type-A 1L is capable of the barrage of questions you’ve just thrown at me. Luckily for you, I have all of the answers to get you through the next month in one piece.
You should absolutely go to the PILA Auction. The live auction is a great way to show off how rich you are to your section mates. Nothing screams “my dad is a big law partner in New York” like bidding over $500 on a basketball game against Professors Schwartzman and Schragger. The silent auction is also a fun study break. This year, it is being held at the new Forum Hotel, so you can easily leave early and go to the library to grind for a few more hours in cocktail attire. Here's the bottom line—having a reputation of hating public interest law this early in the year isn’t a great look.
If you are worried about outlining, you’re in luck! Student Affairs is hosting the first Torte Club this week. Grab a pastry and listen to your very distinguished Civil Procedure professor and two 3Ls on VLR talk about their methods for studying for finals. You’ll hear from said professor that all you need to do is carefully read each case four times before the exam, and then you too can clerk for Justice Thomas. The VLR 3Ls will probably tell you to drop out now if you haven’t started outlining yet.
The only place you should be outlining is in the Gunner Pit. If you aren’t perceived as a gunner, you won’t be successful in law school. Being a 1L isn’t really about working hard; it’s about complaining about how much work you have. Forming a study group with a few friends from your section is a great idea. Everyone will really appreciate it when your study group discusses supplemental jurisdiction aloud on the second floor of the library instead of reserving a study room.
It sounds like you should skip Thanksgiving this year. Trust me, your family will be giving thanks that they don’t have to deal with your miserable, frantic energy for five days. Plus, your parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins will all forgive you for skipping Thanksgiving a few years from now when you get them tickets to hear your first oral argument at the Supreme Court. If you aren’t making your famous pumpkin pie this year, it’s possible you’ll be removed from the will. It doesn’t matter though—you’ll be rolling in extra cash from your clerkship bonus.
You’re naïve, but you’ve caught on that the start of finals season is the spookiest time of year at UVA Law. “Splitsgiving” is absolutely real. You will get a job eventually, it just might not be at the DOJ. You’ve got this!
- Jane Doe, J.D.
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