Remember: Take It Slow.

First gen law students often lack a concrete understanding of what law school or life as a lawyer is like. We haven’t been told what the application process looks like, how to study for the LSAT, or what to expect once we hit “submit” on an application. 

And as you get started, you might feel pressure to learn everything. Right now. But no one needs to know everything at once. Law school is a years-long process, so in this moment, just start with what’s important and immediate now: What’s the next step I should be taking? How does the application process work, exactly? Who can help me, and how do I find them?

The old man Friar Tuck gave Romeo (of Juliet fame) some solid advice: “Wisely and slow, they stumble that run fast.” For me, it’s like, “Wisely and slow, they who take on too much all at once become debilitatingly overwhelmed and decide to make brownies instead of doing anything useful at all.” Same thing, really.

So start slow. I’ve listed a whole bunch of resources here. This is information I stumbled onto, little by little, over the last year and a half. Seeing it all laid out at once might be overwhelming. Pick one resource now. Try it out for a while. See where it leads you. And then add on another and another until you feel like you’ve got enough of a flashlight to show you the way.