For new and returning law school students, who likely have much on their mind as they get ready for the academic and personal rigors ahead, administrators from two top law schools had some words of wisdom and encouragement to help ease the transition into September.

Marcia Lynn Sells, associate dean and dean of students at Harvard Law School, and Stephen Rispoli, assistant dean of student affairs and pro bono programs at Baylor Law School shared some  tips for incoming law school students with Progressive Law Practice. For those in the legal field, please feel free to comment below the article and share any advice you have for incoming students, or perhaps share a piece of advice you wish you would have been privy to prior to beginning law school.

Marcia Lynn Sells, Harvard Law School

• Law [school] is challenging and intense but you should still remember to be good to yourself and maintain your health. Getting rest and valuing your time with friends and family are important to keeping you fit.
• The colleagues you meet in class will become part of your life long network no matter what type of law you practice or even if you do not practice. You will find you may call on these classmates at varying times in your life during law school and especially after. Manage these relationships with care.
• Challenge yourself to take one class that you thought you might never consider, but you are going to take it because the faculty member is known as a really strong teacher. You will find that experience will also hold you in great stead in your career. The class experience with a great teacher is exhilarating.

Stephen Rispoli, Baylor Law School

• Lawyers are the guardians of the rule of law in our society. Take the time during law school to understand the role that lawyers play in society and the importance of that role. As a future leader, learn how you can make a difference not only in the lives of your clients, but also in your community.
• Law school is a professional school. Your professional career starts now. Your character and reputation matter, and you should take the time to build relationships. Your classmates will be your colleagues and your referral sources when you are a lawyer.
• Get involved. Look for opportunities to gain practical experience and skills over the next three years that will help you when you are a lawyer.

New Students and Graduates Face An Uncertain Future

Law school students, especially those graduating after this year, will enter a complicated job market. According to information from the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), the 2014 and 2015 graduating classes have begun to modestly reverse a downward employment trend started immediately after the recession, where the employment rate for law school graduates dropped for six straight years prior to 2014.

Also, the number of overall jobs and graduates has been, and still is, lower than pre-recession rates, but mean and median salaries have improved in recent years and are expected to do so again for the 2016 class.

James Leipold, NALP’s executive director said: “The overall jobs profile for the Class of 2015 has improved considerably from that for the Class of 2011, the class that faced the worst overall post-recession job market. Nonetheless, in this flat jobs market there is no evidence that the entry-level legal job market will continue to improve, or at least there can be little confidence that it will return to what it was before the recession."

"Certainly the members of the smaller graduating classes expected over the next few years will face somewhat less competition amongst themselves for the jobs that do exist, but the ongoing changes facing the industry make it all but certain that the job market will continue to change for new law school graduates in the years ahead.”