How many pages does a law student read?

Asked by: Hilma Kihn  |  Last update: October 31, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (20 votes)

This past semester, my Property Professor assigned on average 30-50 pages of reading per class and we met 3 times a week. And that was one of four classes that I had. 150 pages over a three day weekend (I don't have class on Fridays) is not atypical. Law School requires a ton of reading.

How many hours a day do law students read?

First-year law students should expect to commit an average of 30-40+ hours of studying per week (some advocating for more), with around 30-60 pages of reading per class each week.

How much do law students have to read?

In law school, you will be reading and writing a ton.

How much exactly will depend on the class, of course, but 50–100 pages of reading a night is not uncommon. However, you will also take special legal writing and academic support classes early on that teach you how to read cases and analyze information quickly.

Does law school involve a lot of reading?

In short, a lot. Unlike in undergraduate school, law students spend countless hours preparing for classroom instruction. Along with reading around 100 pages a week per class, you'll want to review your notes and create outlines.

How many cases do law students read?

It is typical for students to be assigned anywhere from twelve to twenty- five or more pages of casebook reading a night in each class.

HOW MUCH DO YOU HAVE TO READ AT LAW SCHOOL?

26 related questions found

How many pages do law students read?

One thing that many students worry about before starting law school is the sheer amount of work that is involved. The rumors are true: law school is a lot of work! You should expect to be assigned anywhere from 10 pages to 200 pages of reading for each class!

What percentage of law students fail out?

How race and ethnicity play a role in law school attrition. The 2023 law school attrition rate was 3.8 percent, varying across demographics and institutions. This article delves into the types of attrition, the schools with the highest rates, and the impact of these rates on student choices and institutional policies.

What is the hardest course in law school?

Some of the hardest classes in law school, according to current and former students, are:
  • Constitutional Law.
  • Civil Procedure.
  • Contracts.
  • Federal Courts.
  • Federal Income Tax.
  • Administrative Law.
  • Partnership Tax.

What GPA do law schools see?

When it comes to the primary GPA that law schools look at, it's your undergrad GPA. A grad GPA is nice, but it doesn't replace or get combined with the UGPA. A low UGPA will not be bolstered by a high grad GPA.

How many hours a week is law school?

That being said, you can expect to devote roughly 50-60 hours, on average, per week to attending classes and studying. This means completing most law school programs alone is a full-time job.

What is the hardest year of law school?

Law school is an academic challenge; most students agree the first year (“1L” year) is the most difficult. In part, this is because law school is taught using methods entirely different than the lecture method used in most college classrooms.

Is law school harder than college?

In summary, law school is hard. Harder than regular college or universities, in terms of stress, workload, and required commitment. But about 40,000 people graduate from law schools every year–so it is clearly attainable.

How much math is used in law?

In a typical law practice, it is common to have to deal with numbers as part of cases that might involve child support calculations, collection of debts that are accruing interest, totaling the value of estates, assessing losses in personal injury cases, etc.

Is law school harder than graduate school?

Yes, grad school requires learning new approaches, new theories, new ways of thinking. Some of this even makes your head spin. But it simply doesn't require the same radical realignment that law school does. What you learned as an undergraduate applies to grad school — but not so much to law school.

Do law students have to memorize a lot?

The type of memorization required for law school is a bit different than what you dealt with in undergrad and high school. You'll need to memorize a lot more in a shorter amount of time. And, beyond just memorizing rules and elements, you'll also be required to understand and apply what you've memorized.

Can you have a life while in law school?

During exams, this won't be true. But during the semester, you can and need to have a life, for the sake of your sanity. I even went as far as getting a giant German Shepherd in law school. And somehow finding time to go to playgrounds.

Is 3.7 a bad GPA for law school?

Among the 191 ranked law schools that submitted grade data to U.S. News in an annual survey, the average median GPA of entering law school students in 2021 was 3.55. But at the 20 highest-ranked law schools, the average median GPA is much higher – 3.86.

What LSAT score do I need for Harvard?

So let's take a look at what it actually takes to have a chance of being admitted to the most prestigious and preeminent law school in the world. As you can see from these numbers, an LSAT score of 170 or higher and a GPA above 3.75 will give you a chance of gaining admission to Harvard Law School.

Is 171 a good LSAT score?

Another commonly used grouping is the T-14, or law schools ranked in the top 14 by U.S. News when delineating top-tier law schools. A good LSAT score for T-14 law schools is 170–171 or higher.

What is the easiest law degree to get?

The easiest law degree to earn is a Master of Legal Studies degree. For more information about earning a Master of Legal Studies or for help finding a program, reach out to Learn.org today.

Which law course pays the most?

As of 2024, the top five highest paid types of lawyers are:
  • Patent Attorneys.
  • Intellectual property (IP) Attorneys.
  • Trial Lawyers.
  • Tax Attorneys.
  • Corporate Lawyers.

What is the hardest law exam?

1. California

Law students across the US may be familiar with the famed “impossible” California bar exam. But why is the California bar exam so hard? For starters, the cut score (the score needed to pass the test) of the California bar is 1390 out of 2000, which is 40 points above the national average.

Is being a lawyer worth it financially?

Lawyers have the opportunity to earn a lucrative income. The average annual income for an attorney in the United States is $127,990 per year as of 2021 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor.

Do law firms care where you went to law school?

Your Previous (On-the-Job) Training

Certain firms have the reputation for training people very well—and everyone knows that they have high expectations for the people there. If you get a good job right out of school or thereafter (with a major law firm), firms no longer really care about where you went to law school.

Is it normal to get bad grades in law school?

In law school, there is a high importance put on the grades you receive, especially those grades that you earn after your first year of school. However, law school can be difficult and highly rigorous, so it is not unusual for your grades to be less than what you had hoped for.