Graduating from Law School: Top 10 Things To Do Before You Graduate

Congratulations! What a rough year it has been! But you made it to the finish line. Now you can finally go on vacation (kinda because COVID-19 is still around) and relax until next year. Well, not so fast! Here are 10 Things for you to do before you officially graduate.

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We know how consumed you are with law school and with the Bar Exam around the corner but perhaps you haven’t realized that you need to plan more than the outfit you will wear beneath your cap and gown. In fact, there’s a lot to do before you graduate.

Despite the high post-graduate employment level reported by law schools, the Class of 2021 could have some hard time with the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. How quickly firms will snap back is still unknown but there are things you can do right now.

1.VISIT YOUR CAREER SERVICES DEPARTMENT

It is the most obvious thing but many students are quick to give up on their career services department. This office, however, helps students and alumni get connected to jobs and networking opportunities to further their careers.

So make sure you are in touch with your career services: your school might have an employment platform, or.a strong alumni network that you are not aware of.

If you did not secure a job already, now is a great time to sign-up for a counseling session to make sure you are on point with everything. Later might not be a good time as the Bar Exam will soon be here.

2. SEE YOUR LAW SCHOOL BUDDIES

You need to trust us: you will lose contact with your classmates. Some of them have been with you through the good and bad times of law school. You might even have formed friendships along the way that can last a lifetime.

You should stick with a few classmates and encourage each other in your careers. This year has not been easy for everyone.

So before you graduate, why don’t you organize a dinner with your friends to have fun and enjoy each other’s company one last time before you graduate.

3. BE SELF AWARE: Find a Healthy Balance between “Too Open” and “Too Picky”

You know what they say: don’t wait for the perfect opportunity. Yes, you must know yourself and what you are worth, but sometimes the first offer might be the good one.

You can always pursue your dream job while also pursuing other opportunities that would serve as stepping stones toward your dream. Focus on jobs that offer transferable skills, related practice areas, etc.

You must remember that this year more than others will see a lot of competition. So, even if your first job is a little outside your desired practice, employers down the road will understand why you took it amid a pandemic..

4. MEET WITH YOUR FAVORITE PROFESSORS/MENTORS

In law school, like in professional life, you have encountered many professionals that have guided and mentored you to become who you are today.

Whether it is a professor, a mentor, an attorney. or even someone who convinced you to go to law school, someone was there for you in your tumultuous journey.

Some of these connections can become a life-long mentorships and source of advice and guidance. So before you graduate, don’t forget to meet your that professor/mentor to thank them for their help and solidify your relationship with them in the future.

5. NETWORK LIKE YOU MEAN IT

In fact, you should always be networking. Whether you are going to an event (like your graduation) or to a professional event, if you’re not networking, you’re not doing the job properly.

You never know who a contact is connected to and how far your network can reach. Luckily, you don’t have to start your networking search from scratch. Your career center can provide access to a vast network of alumni and employers. So before applying to a job: see if you know someone, maybe they can refer you!

6. SIGN-UP FOR GRADUATION

Well ok, this sounds obvious, but you need to sign-up for graduation and make sure you fulfilled all of the required steps. Most schools have specific process to “apply” for graduation. It is not automatic.

You will also need to order your cap and gown and complete other processes to ensure you are all set for graduation. So don’t forget the obvious.

7. GET YOUR BAR PREP PLAN SITUATED

Following graduation, usually the Monday after graduation, you will need to start studying for the bar exam and that means that you will need to have your game plan together if you don’t want to waste time from the beginning.

Read our latest post on this topic. If you plan using a bar prep course, you will need to make sure that everything is set up there. You need to get the proper materials, figure out where you will be study, create a study plan, etc.

8. SIGN-UP FOR THE BAR EXAM

In addition to getting your bar prep plan worked out, you will also need to sign up for the bar. Again: this is not automatic, even if you applied for the bar exam, now you must sign up for the exam.

Now is a great time to get your bar application done before everything starts to feel overwhelming. Be careful of deadlines, there are always a few students who miss the deadline!

9. RELAX

While it is important to be prepared, you are now in a weird time: right after three years of intense law school and before two months of intense bar prep. You get the picture: if there’s a time to relax, it is before your graduation.

Don’t start your Bar Prep with exhaustion. You should enjoy the time you have before and immediately after graduation. It is important to spend some time relaxing and rejuvenating yourself so that you can go into bar prep with a fresh mind.

10. ENJOY THE MOMENT

Whether you have an in-person or a virtual graduation, just remember to enjoy the moment. You have been in law school for years now and you worked hard to be where you are today so make sure to take the moment.

So sit back and reflect on your time in law school. Laugh or cry: reflect on the experiences you shared and what is coming: real life.

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation and next steps in your legal journey!