1L Experience

Orientation Week
When students decide to come to law school, they often haven't had much exposure to what lawyers do. Some have never even seen a trial except on TV. To help future 1Ls understand what this program is about, here is a description of the typical 1L experience:

"On the first day of Orientation we attended a lecture about what it means to be a legal professional, then broke into small groups to discuss hypothetical questions that deal with how lawyers have to put their clients first. I learned how difficult it can be to stand up for what you know is right.

"My Core Professor was very involved with making sure each one of us improved during the course of the year. His constant desire to help us maximize our potential and strive to do better was evident each day through his willingness to answer students' questions in class and make himself available outside of class. I was happy to have been assigned our Professor this year."
- Student Comment

The second day of Orientation dealt with interviewing clients. After a lecture on the basics of interviewing, we divided into our Firms – groups of 10 1Ls. The members of my Firm interviewed our client (an actor) who was about to stand trial on an assault charge. My job was to find out what happened right before the assault occurred; other students interviewed the client about other aspects of the situation. Only a simulation-but it felt very real.

The next day we watched the 'trial' of the client we had interviewed, presided over by a real judge and argued by experienced trial lawyers. After we heard the evidence, we broke into our Firms again and this time acted as the jury on the case. Deliberations were difficult and at times heated; in the end, we found her guilty. We then studied how the appeal would work in that case. Two lawyers and two judges acted out the appellate argument. The judges ultimately reversed our conviction, but then they took our questions and explained the reasons for their decision, which was extremely valuable.

On the last day, we attended a class conducted by our criminal law professor on a recent Supreme Court case. It showed us what a law school class would be like - before the semester began. We also attended a discussion about the differences between the American legal system and others in the world. This really gave me a valuable perspective.

Orientation week concluded with a formal Induction Ceremony, where we were welcomed into the law school community. My family joined me for this ceremony, which was held in the same hall where-just three years from now – I will be celebrating my graduation from the law school."

Fall Semester – CORE 1
"The key to CaseArc is that we incorporate what we learn in our foundational courses to real-life situations and simulation assignments. So for example, during our first week in Criminal Law we discussed the criminal law system and the justifications for punishment. At the same time, we took on the role of prosecutor and interviewed a victim of a crime in preparation for the perpetrator's sentencing hearing. Our first legal analysis and writing project – a memo about Ohio's sentencing laws and whether it is required that this defendant go to prison or be put on probation –
allowed us to apply the theory of sentencing that we had learned in class to this case, which helped me tremendously to understand the context of my Criminal Law class. Then our next assignment tied into our study of homicide. My Firm interviewed a defendant who was charged with murder. As you can see, we take a case from start to finish. So our next task was to apply what we learned in Criminal Law about the different forms of homicide, proving the elements of an offense to the facts my Firm learned during our interview. It was a complicated case, but very realistic.

"I think it is really helpful to work on a real-life problem. The unbounded nature of the possible sources makes it more realistic and forced us to learn to make choices and focus arguments."
- Student Comment

At that point it was time to explain the law to the client. We learned how to write a letter to a client-reducing complicated legal analysis to understandable English. We then met with the client and discussed the options, followed by a lecture and demonstration on the basic principles and techniques of client counseling. And as a Firm we counseled our client to ask the judge to let the jury find him guilty of manslaughter instead of murder, which would have meant that he would end up in prison for life.

This process has been intensive, exhausting and exhilarating. I now understand what 'thinking like a lawyer' means; I feel as if I have been transformed in just this first semester and am deeply appreciative that I will have this hands-on experience before entering the legal profession."